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Is what you eat making you sick? The food we eat does more than provide calories for the body. All of the different substances in the foods send signals to our cells. In other words it is important for cellular communication. We usually don’t think of food that way. As long as the food tastes good and we get full, most of us don’t reflect on what other things might take place when we eat. Cell signaling and the way the different cells communicate is something we just are starting to know more about. This means for example, that the food we eat may produce inflammation or it may help decrease inflammation. The micronutrients in food like vitamins, minerals, and other substances will affect neurotransmitters and many other cell signaling chemicals which we have huge amounts of. Keeping this in mind makes it easier to understand the research which shows that certain foods can prevent serious disease. It then makes sense that what we eat can also make us feel good and function better, while other food may prematurely kill us. The following are some examples of research showing how certain foods can affect us. The Mediterranean diet described as foods rich in fiber, fruit, vegetables, mono and polyunsaturated fats showed very impressive results on 10 years mortality from all causes, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer (Knoops KT, et al. 2004). The participants who was in the age range of 70 to 90 years who followed the Mediterranean diet a and healthful lifestyle had more than 50% lower rate of all causes and cause specific mortality. Another study involving 5611 older Italian people documented that during a 6 year period the ones who ate more olive oil, raw vegetables, soups, and poultry had a lower overall mortality rate compared to the people who ate more pasta, red meat, processed meat, added animal fat, white bread and wine (Masala G, et al. 2007). When cardiovascular disease and the effect of the Mediterranean diet was the target for research it was found effective in reducing the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its associated cardiovascular risk (Esposito K, et al. 2004). The metabolic syndrome is a condition involving insulin resistance and increased systemic inflammation which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The results showed that patients on the Mediterranean diet lost more weight than the control group and had a significant reduction in hs-CRP, IL-6 and IL-18 all inflammatory markers. These are all impressive results, but it is only part of the story. Eating a certain way can prevent many other diseases as well. I recently wrote a book “The Food Connection”, describing how research has provided evidence for the connection between food and serious disease. In the book you will find recommendations of how to eat to prevent these diseases with explanations to why you instead will increase your energy and your feeling of well being. For more information and to order log onto www.TissueRecovery.com or call 1-800-883-1252. Wishing you the best for the Holidays and the New Year.
Wishing you the best of health, Didrik
References: Esposito K, Marfella R, Ciotola M, et al. Effects on a Mediterranean- style diet on endothelial dysfunction and markers of vascular inflammation in the metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial. JAMA.2004 Sep 22;292(12):1440-6. Knoops KT, de Groot LC, Kromhout D, et al. Mediterranean diet, lifestyle factors, and 10-year mortality in elderly European men and women : the HALE project. JAMA. 2004 Sep 22;292(12):1433-9. Masala G, Ceroti M, Pala V, et al. A dietary pattern rich in olive and raw vegetables is associated with lower morality in Italian elderly subjects. Br J Nutr. 2007 Aug; 98(2):406-15. Epub 2007 Apr 3. |
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