Nutrition in the News

What are some of the latest findings about nutrition?  Interested in following the Paleo Diet?  New research indicates this may not be a heart healthy diet.  Want less belly fat?  To reduce belly fat are there foods should you be eating more of?

Paleo Diet – many personal trainers and others push the Paleo Diet for good health.  Many articles have been written about the Paleo Diet and many outline the health issues related to this diet.  I have never been a fan.  As Dr. Donohue once noted, cave man didn’t live a long life and this diet follows that of cave man.  The European Journal of Nutrition studied 44 on the Paleo Diet and looked at 47 others on a more traditional diet.  They found that people on the Paleo diet had higher levels of a gut-produced compound called TMAO than those not on the Paleo Diet.  Interesting that some people promote the Paleo Diet for gut health. The gut-produced compound that is increased is associated with a higher risk of heart disease.  The lead researcher in the study, Dr. Angela Genoni, is quoted as saying:  “Many Paleo diet proponents claim the diet is beneficial to gut health, but this researcher suggests that when it comes to the production of TMAO in the gut, the Paleo Diet could be having an adverse impact in terms of heart health.”  Not only was the compound TMAO increased but other beneficial type bacteria in the gut were lower.  Further research is needed to determine if this has any other health consequences.  The research suggests that the lower carbohydrate intake on the Paleo Diet affects the type of gut bacteria one has.  One thought from the researchers is that the Paleo Diet is low in whole grains and this may affect the levels of TMAO.

Paleo Diet and Heart Disease - Is it a lack of whole grains?

Belly Fat – who doesn’t want a flat belly?  New research shows that eating more fruits and veggies is linked to less fat around the organs in your abdomen and also less fat in your liver.  Conversely, eating foods high is added sugar like cakes and cookies is linked to more fat in one’s liver.  When people hear of fatty liver they think about alcohol intake but other things affect our liver and the amount of fat in our liver.  Drinking sugared sodas has also been found to increase belly fat.  Drinking sugared sodas, especially every day, is linked to more abdominal fat.  Think:  cut the sugar, less belly fat.  Want to reduce belly fat? Then try exercise which is even more effective than weight loss in reducing belly fat.  Focus on aerobic exercise which seems to a good way to reduce belly fat.  But strength training also helps because it builds muscle.  

Add some fat to your meal -   We all have heard that our diets are too high in fat.  But fat is an essential nutrient and we need some fat in our day.  Each of our meals should include some fat.  Why?  Because some vitamins like vitamin D, A, E and K need fat to be absorbed.  Not a lot of fat but some fat is needed.  Eating a salad, then choose a salad dressing that has some fat in it.  Or include some avocado on your salad as that would promote absorption of the beta-carotene in the carrots and greens in your salad.  The type of fat in your diet also seems to be linked to belly fat.  Some research has shown that saturated fat like palm oil actually promotes belly fat while healthy oils like sunflower oil doesn’t.  

If someone recommends the Paleo Diet to you, you may want to think twice about going on this diet.  A student I had was on the Paleo Diet.  I read to the class how the Paleo Diet was based on what cave men ate, but cave men didn’t live very long and that was enough for him to get off the diet.  Now research is linking the Paleo Diet to an increased risk of heart disease.  Seems odd to me that people choose the Paleo Diet for good health and the diet may actually lead to poorer health. Want to get rid of some belly fat, then cut back on some added sugar, add some aerobic exercise and choose some healthier fats.  

Sources:  European Journal of Nutrition, researcher, sodas, exercise, research  Image sources:  Paleo Diet, Belly Fat, sunflower oil