Mikibo launches Calorifica

The makers of Mikibo have launched a new site called Calorifica (www.calorifica.com). Calorifica is a food nutrient data search engine. Simply type in a food name and you will be presented with all of its nutrient data.

Visit: www.calorifica.com and give it a try.

Alzheimer’s Diet

New research shows restricting calorie intake can help fight disease.

A new study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine extends and strengthens the research that experimental dietary regimens might halt or even reverse symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The study, which will be published in the November 2006 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, demonstrates the potential beneficial role of calorie restriction in Alzheimer’s disease type brain damage in monkeys. Restricting caloric intake may prevent Alzheimer’s disease by triggering activity in the brain associated with longevity.

“The present study strengthens the possibility that calorie restriction may exert beneficial effects on delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease … in humans, similar to that observed in squirrel monkey and rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease,” reported Mount Sinai researcher Dr. Pasinetti and his colleagues, who published their study, showing how restricting caloric intake based on a low-carbohydrate diet may prevent Alzheimer’s disease in an experimental mouse model, in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

“This new breakthrough brings great anticipation for further human study of caloric restriction, for Alzheimer’s disease investigators and for those physicians who treat millions of people suffering with this disease” says Giulio Maria Pasinetti, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Director of the Neuroinflammation Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “The findings offer a glimmer of hope that there may someday be a way to prevent and stop this devastating disease in its tracks.”

Alzheimer’s disease is a rapidly growing public health concern with potentially devastating effects. An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Presently, there are no known cures or effective preventive strategies. While genetic factors are responsible in early-onset cases, they appear to play less of a role in late-onset-sporadic Alzheimer’s disease cases, the most common form of the disease.

In this new study, Dr. Pasinetti at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in collaboration with Dr. Donald Ingram at the Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, maintained the Squirrel Monkeys on calorie restrictive or normal diets throughout their entire lifespan until they died of natural causes. The researchers found that approximately 30 percent calorie restriction resulted in reduced Alzheimer’s disease type amyloid neuropathology in the temporal cortex relative to control fed monkeys. The decreased Alzheimer’s disease type damage correlated with increased longevity of related protein SIRT1, located in the same brain region that influences a variety of functions including aging related diseases.

Low GI diet best

The most effective diet for weight loss and cardiovascular health is a high carbohydrate plan based on low glycemic index (GI) foods, according to a study by University of Sydney researchers.

Published in the most recent issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, the 12 week study compared the relative effects on weight loss and cardiovascular risk of low GI and high-protein diets.

Undertaken by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller and Joanna McMillan-Price from the University of Sydney Human Nutrition Unit, the findings show that there is no ‘one diet fits all’ solution, and both high protein and low GI diets will help you to shed fat. However, it did show that a diet containing low GI carbohydrate significantly reduces your risk of heart disease.

The theory behind low GI diets is that rapidly digested, high GI carbohydrates cause fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels, contributing to hunger and preventing the breakdown of fat.

The trial, which was led by Joanna McMillan-Price, enrolled 129 overweight or obese adults and randomly assigned them to one of four reduced calorie, reduced fat diets over a 12 week period. Two of the diets were high-carbohydrate diets and the other two high in protein – one of each had a high GI and the other had a low GI.

Between the two high-carbohydrate diets, lowering the glycemic index doubled fat loss – this effect was strongest in women. ‘Our findings suggest that dietary glycemic load, and not just overall energy intake influences weight loss’ said McMillan-Price.

While the high-protein, high GI diet was equally effective for fat loss as the high carbohydrate, low GI diet, the two had diverse effects on LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. The high protein, high-GI group showed increased levels of LDL cholesterol, while there were significant LDL reductions in those on the high carbohydrate, low-GI diet.

However those on the high-protein, low GI diet did not experience the same rise in total LDL cholesterol suggesting the importance of low GI foods alongside a high protein diet. ‘Diets based on low-glycemic index, whole grain products, tend to be better for the heart, maximising cardiovascular risk reduction – particularly if protein intake is high,’ said McMillan-Price.