Low Fat vs. Low Carb...again

Dr. Chaney takes another look at the Low Carb vs. Low Fat diet debate:

By Dr. Stephen Chaney, Phd

You would think the question of low carb versus low fat diets would be settled by now.  Literally dozens of studies have been published on the subject and they are all in pretty much agreement that initial weight loss (mostly water) is faster on the low carb diets but that weight loss at one or two years is essentially the same on the two diets.

The unique feature of the study just published in Annals of Internal Medicine (153: 147-157, 2010) was that it included an intensive behavior modification program to optimize the weight loss over the two year period of the study.

Here is how the study was conducted:
The low-carbohydrate group was instructed to eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrate per day for 3 months and then to increase the carbohydrate by no more than 5 grams per day each week until they achieved their desired weight.

The low-fat group was instructed to decrease calories and restrict fat intake to no more than 30% of calories.  All of the patients were enrolled in a lifestyle program designed to help them improve their physical
activity and other lifestyle factors.

The program met weekly for 20 weeks, every other week for another 20 weeks, and then monthly for the rest of the 2-year study. In short, this was a very good behavior modification program.  Weight, blood pressure, blood lipid levels and side effects were measured at the beginning of the program and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months.

Considering the enormous effort put into behavior modification, the results of this study were somewhat
disappointing.  The participants lost an average of only 22 pounds and the end of year one and had gained back 7 of those pounds by the end of year two.  And that only included the ~50% who stayed with the
program for the whole two years. Who knows how much weight was gained by the people who dropped out of the study?

Since the behavior modification program used in this study did not significantly impact either weight loss or weight maintenance, it's perhaps not surprising that the other findings of this study are pretty much the same as the findings from previous studies.  Weight loss was slightly greater in the low carb group at 6 months, but did not differ significantly between the two groups at either 1 year or two years.  Triglyceride levels and blood pressure were lower for the low carb group at 6 and 12 months, but were the same for both groups at 2 years.

The only significant differences between the two groups at 2 years were LDL (bad) cholesterol levels - which
were significantly lower in the low fat group - and HDL (good) cholesterol levels - which were significantly
higher in the low carb group.

Ironically, I've already seen blogs from proponents of the low carb diets trumpeting the increase in HDL levels as "proof" that low carb diets are better for your heart.  But, it's not just HDL or LDL that's important, it's the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol that determines your risk of heart disease.  And at two years the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol was virtually identical on the two diets.

As for side effects, the patients on the low carb diet reported more constipation and more problems with bad
breath. If you've beeen on a low carb diet before, that's probably not news to you.

So what is the take home message from this study?
1) The laws of thermodynamics still work. It's all about calories in versus calories out. Low carb and low fat diets work equally well for weight loss.

2) If you just focus on blood lipid levels and blood pressure there is also no significant difference between the two diets.

However, I still recommend against high fat (low carb) diets as a long term lifestyle strategy.  We know that high fat diets are much more likely to cause inflammation - which is a risk factor for
multiple diseases.  We also know that long term consumption of high fat diets is associated with increased risk of heart disease, certain types of cancers & diabetes.

To Your Health!

Dr. Stephen G Chaney

Effectiveness of Statins Called into Question

Who really benefits from taking statins?  There are natural approaches for lowering cholesterol that may be much safer for certain people.  The information revealed in this article is alarming and should be shared with anyone you know who is currently on a statin. 

Effectiveness of statins is called into question - latimes.com

If you are currently taking a statin and have not already had a heart attack, you might want to explore other possibilities.  Always be sure to discuss these issues with your doctor.

Do You Know What You're Drinking?

“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.”
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

THE SCOOP ON WATER
Water has become a popular topic these days on many levels; bottled water - is it really pure? What about all the plastic? Tap water - what’s really in it? Should I drink it or not? I am so confused!!

The Water In You:

Water is of major importance to all living things; Up to 60% of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70% water, and the lungs are nearly 90% water. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight; body fat contains 10% water and bone has 22% water. About 83% of our blood is water, which helps digest our food, transport waste, and control body temperature.

The cells in our bodies are full of water. The excellent ability of water to dissolve so many substances allows our cells to use valuable nutrients, minerals, and chemicals in biological processes. The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream. No less important is the ability of water to transport waste material out of our bodies.  Every body system depends on water.  We also need it for:

Mental function and clarity
To moisten eyes, mouth, nasal tissue
Temperature regulation
Appetite/hunger management
Joint lubrication
Increase nutrient bioavailability
Promote regularity
Protect body organs

HOW MUCH DO WE NEED? Experts pretty much agree that we can go by the 8 x 8 rule:  8-8 ounce glasses per day.  Plus extra for hot weather and exercise.

So what’s wrong with tap water? We assume it’s safe, but is it? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found more than 300 industrial and agricultural contaminants in the tap water of 45 states. We can’t see them and often can’t taste them, but these are chemicals that can be harmful to our health.

Heavy Metals: (lead, mercury, cadmium) - behavior and learning disabilities

Disinfection By-Products: (ex - chloroform, bromoform) - variety of cancers; also affect liver, kidney & nervous system

Agricultural Pollutants:  (ex - Lindane, atrazine, alachlor) - cancer; also affect eye, liver, kidney, spleen, blood & nervous system

Industrial Pollutants: (ex - benzene, toluene, styrene & many others) - cancer; also affect blood, nervous system, liver, kidneys

According to the EPA our tap water is responsible for up to 20% of lead exposure in humans

And then there’s bottled water. It may not be contaminant free either, and we pay considerably more for it than our tap water! The bottled water industry is not required to publicly disclose the results of any contaminant testing it conducts. The EWG found a total of 38 contaminants in the water of 10 popular brands. In 2007, out of 1.64 million tons of water packaging materials produced, only 34% were recycled.

So what are we supposed to do?  The best way to be sure you are getting the purest water possible is to purify at your tap.  A water-filtration pitcher system is an inexpensive way to accomplish this.  There are several products out there; but Shaklee has just introduced a multipatented system that is worth a look.

Clean Drinking Water is no longer a luxury. It's a matter of health. Cheers!

Creating Healthy Skin

Skin is our largest organ. We should want to take good care of it—wouldn’t you agree?


What chemicals are you wearing?
There are many ways we take in toxins, and one of them is by absorption through our skin. So it’s important to know what ingredients are in the products we use on our skin day-in and day-out. If you are using products that contain questionable ingredients you may be putting yourself at great risk.


Rachel Carson first introduced the possibility that chemicals may have a detrimental effect on human health when she wrote the book, Silent Spring in 1962. Theo Colborn in her book Our Stolen Future furthered the premise that synthetic chemicals that mimic natural hormones (also called hormone disruptors) are upsetting normal reproductive and developmental processes. And then in the year 2000 the book Hormone Deception by D. Lindsey Berkson was called “a wake-up call for the 21st. Century” by Ann Louise Gittleman.

We cannot make the assumption that a product is safe just because it comes from a well known company. Also, with so much information available on the internet, we must be careful that we are dealing with reputable sources when doing our researche. I am going to discuss a few of the many questionable ingredients commonly found in drug store and department store brands, but ultimately, it is up to each of us to due our own due diligence before choosing any products.


Ingredients we should avoid:

• Formaldehyde: a highly toxic substance. It is a known cancer-causing agent. It damages the neurological connectors in the body. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
• Parabens: used primarily as a preservative in skin care. A chemical that can disrupt hormones and possibly a link to breast cancer and heart problems.
• Triclosan: can disrupt hormones and remain stored in the body and eventually damage the lungs and kidneys. It is used widely in a number of household products. Also causes thyroid concerns.
• 1,4-dioxane: a contaminant produced during manufacturing, so the FDA does not require it to be listed as an ingredient on product labels. Found in products that create suds, like shampoo, liquid soap and bubble bath.

Some of the other questionable chemicals that are routinely found in personal care products are:
Polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sodium laurel sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, fragrance...and the list goes on.


To add to the confusion of reading labels - many of these chemicals are listed under other names. For instance you will not find “formaldehyde” on a label, but maybe methylene oxide.


How Does Skin Age?
First of all, there is chronological aging or the natural aging process where skin gets older with the passage of time—Cellular functions simply slow down, skin elasticity declines, pigment becomes irregular. The result is wrinkled and sagging skin with uneven skin coloring.

There is also a component of aging called accelerated aging. This occurs in part because of increased exposure to the sun and environmental pollutants, which create free radicals on the skin. Simply put: pollution plus UV radiation equals free radicals. When free radicals reach the skin a chemical reaction occurs that creates inflammation and genetic mutations at the cellular level. It is estimated that 80% of visible aging is from sun and environmental exposures.


Every day 73,000 free radical attacks on each skin cell trigger damaging enzymes...Skin you don’t even see already looks older!


So What’s The Answer?

Scientists have discovered that the same nutrients that keep us healthy on the inside also keep us healthy on the outside. To create a successful skin care line, each and every one of the biochemical reactions involved in the free radical damage process had to be identified and blocked – we are talking about antioxidant protection.


You might be wondering “If I’m taking a lot of antioxidant supplements, wouldn’t that protect my skin?”
Good question. But it doesn’t work like that. Good nutrition is indeed essential for overall health, including the health of the skin. But there are free radical assaults from the outside of our bodies. Scientists know that effective amounts of antioxidants are very difficult to formulate into skin care products. There are plenty of products out there with vitamin C, E and B6 on the label but many of these ingredients are in forms that the skin can’t utilize and they’re often present at very low levels. At best they only address certain parts of the biochemical chain reaction and only the visible problems. They don’t address all of the causes.

There's only one company that I know of who has successfully been able to look at each destructive link in the chain of damage and then block that part of the reaction with the appropriate antioxidant. To do this took a unique complex of 7 ingredients which they called Vital Repair +®. This signature complex now has three patents on it.


It is important to note that extensive research went into the formulation of this anti-aging skin care system, and after the products were developed, the company spent over one million dollars in independent clinical testing to insure safety & effectiveness.


The company who developed these products is Shaklee - recognized as pioneers in the development of nutritional supplements for over 50 years; and the line, introduced in 1998, is called Enfuselle. In all Shaklee has 8 patents on Enfuselle - a rarity in the skin care industry.


Whether you choose Enfuselle or another line of anti-aging skin care, the most important thing is that you are sure the products contain no toxic ingredients and that the vitamins in the products actually penetrate into the skin layers to reverse past damage and prevent against future aging. Your skin will thank you, AND you won’t have to worry about the chemicals you might be wearing.


Here’s to your healthy skin! (And don’t forget your sunscreen).

Do you want 1,4-dioxane in your personal care products?

This is an eye-opening article.  Especially when you read that "concerns about exposures at key points in development (such as pregnancy, infancy and puberty) are cause for concern."  AND, that you won't see 1,4-dioxane on the label.  Does that make you angry?  Please read the entire article and be sure to share it.

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics : 1,4-dioxane

I personally prefer these safe & natural baby products.

9 Tips for Cancer Prevention

This is an excellent article and one that should be copied and posted on the refrigerator.  It should also be shared with everyone you know.

When you read that "Four of every 10 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, and two of every 10 will die from it"  this should raise some eyebrows and motivate all of us to take action.

 Cancer Prevention Tips Environmental Working Group

More BPA Woes

Early-life exposure to BPA may affect testis function in adulthood

ScienceDaily (2010-06-22) -- Exposure to environmental levels of the industrial chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, in the womb and early life may cause long-lasting harm to testicular function, according to a new study conducted in animals. ... > read full article