Global Health Management

Today I'd like to share with you some of the more recent articles that have come out in the medical journals. I really enjoy keeping up with the cutting edge research. I'm always affirmed when newly released studies support what I've been recommending on my website. So let's take a quick look at 3 recent studies and hear what they have to say about Optimal Health.

What's In the News

Chao, A, Thun, MJ, et al. "Meat Consumption and Risk of Colorectal Cancer"; Journal of the American Medical Association, January 12, 2005--Vol 293, No. 2

These researchers observed nearly 150,000 participants, documenting their red meat intake and comparing it to their frequency of colorectal cancers. They found that high consumption of red meat over a prolonged period of time leads to an increased risk of cancers that occur closer to the rectum. It appears that the high iron content of red meat causes a damaging "cytotoxic" effect on the cell.

This is yet another reason to consider decreasing our intake of red meat and increasing our consumption of the good fats found in cold-water fish, nuts, and certain vegetables and legumes. Again, it is a matter of balance. Red meat consumed in moderate amounts did not correlate with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. So feel free to enjoy a nice steak on occasion, but remember that eating a lot of red meat and processed meat not only increases your risk of heart disease, but also your risk of colorectal cancer.

Larsson SC, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. "Magnesium Intake in Relation to Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Women"; Journal of the American Medical Association, January 5, 2005--Vol 293, No. 1

Larsson, Bergkvist and Wolk conducted a large population-based study of over 60,000 Swedish women to investigate how the consumption of magnesium affects the risk of developing colorectal cancer. They found a direct correlation: The higher the intake of magnesium, the lower the risk of developing colorectal cancers.

Magnesium supplementation reduces the risk of colon cancers in animal experiments. Magnesium is also essential for the stability of normal cell function and for DNA repair. It is also critical for maintaining the antioxidant status of the cell. Animals deficient in magnesium display an increased susceptibility to oxidative stress. Magnesium has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity among healthy subjects and also among patients with diabetes. When you take all of this into consideration, you can see why its recommended supplementing your diet with 400 to 800 mg of magnesium each and every day.

Dansinger ML, Gleason JA, et al. "Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction"; Journal of the American Medical Association, January 5, 2005--Vol. 293, No.1

We are a diet crazed society, spending over $30 billion on diets and diet programs each and every year in the US alone. There are over 1,000 diet books on the market, and yet there is little to no evidence that diets help us lose weight or improve our health.

In this study, four different diets were evaluated over a 12-month period of time to observe their effectiveness to produce weight loss and decrease the risk of heart disease. They investigated the Atkins, the Zone, Weight Watchers, and Ornish diets. There were some interesting findings that this study revealed:

1. Weight loss was only modest, showing that approximately 25% of the participants experienced a 5% weight loss and 10% of the participants experienced a 10% weight loss. This means that 65% of the participants did not experience any weight loss or had weight gain. There was no significant difference in the amount of weight loss between any of the diets.
2. The adherence rate was very low throughout all of the diets, especially the Atkins and the Ornish diets, which were felt to be too severe. Approximately 25% of the participants sustained a mean adherence rate of about 60%. In other words, 75% of the participants quit the diets and the remaining 25% stayed with the diets less than 60% of the time.
3. Cardiac risk factors were modestly improved in those individuals who adhered to their particular diets. LDL cholesterol levels decreased modestly in all groups except the Atkins diet group. All diets increased the HDL (except the Ornish group) and lowered the triglyceride levels. Blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, and insulin levels were decreased in the short-term but failed to show significant improvement at one year in all the groups, especially the Atkins group.
4. Adherence to the diet program, not the diet program itself, determined the amount of weight lost and the improvement in the cardiac risk factors. The individuals who adhered to their program had the best results regardless of which diet they were assigned. This leads one to conclude that programs that strongly support their participants as far as adhering to the program may be more important than the program itself.

Diets simply do not work. Medical research continues to show that traditional diet programs are failures. In this current study, for example, 65% of the participants gained back all of the weight they lost in less than a year. Research shows that approximately 99% of those who go on a diet will gain the weight back in two years. That's the bad news.

The good news is that a balanced approach to food, nutritional supplements, and exercise can make major improvements to your physical and mental well being. When accompanied by support, regular evaluations, continuing education, and ongoing encouragement, these efforts can lead to healthy lifestyles that have lasting, positive impacts.

If you or someone you care about is ready to see their life changed for the better and for the long haul, check out the program and products at http://www.mannatech.com.