Free Republic

Research suggests that the gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), paving the way for new therapeutic treatments. Key discoveries include the identification of distinct gut bacteria associated with COPD and the potential effectiveness of fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) as a COPD treatment. The study also demonstrated improved outcomes for COPD patients through nutritional interventions tailored to the microorganisms found in the gut. "The gut hosts the largest and most diverse microbiome in the body that, depending upon its composition, can either trigger or inhibit inflammation, including in the lung," said Professor...

New Harvard research has found that not all trendy low-carb diets are equal when it comes to maintaining weight — some may even make you gain a few pounds. People who consume low-carb diets that emphasize plant-based proteins and healthy fats have a better chance of keeping excess weight gain at bay than those who eat low-carb diets comprised mostly of meat and unhealthy fats, according to results of a decades-long study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. “Our study goes beyond the simple question of, ‘To carb or not to carb?’ ” lead study author Binkai Liu, a research...

The Senate health committee will hold a hearing next week on the diabetes epidemic in the U.S., committee chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said. Sanders, who earlier this year interrogated drug manufacturers about the high cost of insulin, told The Hill the hearing will focus broadly on the underlying causes of the rise in diabetes, especially in children. “Focusing on why we are seeing a huge increase, and have seen a huge increase over the last 30 years, in the number of diabetics in this country, and the relationship to that explosion … with what our kids are eating,” Sanders...

A lower-carbohydrate and lower-sugar diet could increase life expectancy for adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to research. Replacing carbohydrate with protein and/or replacing sugar with non-sugar carbohydrate seems to reduce mortality risk, the study found. Current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the general population recommend a low fat/low carbohydrate diet, making protein the primary energy source. However, the WHO recommends a low protein diet for those with CKD as high levels of protein are thought to accelerate kidney deterioration. CKD is a common condition, affecting around 15% of people. An optimal diet can effectively prevent CKD from...

An international team suggests a simple tweak to the first meal of the day might help people living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) better control their blood sugar levels. In fact, changing just one meal helped keep the blood sugar in check. "We're not talking about a complete diet overhaul," says Dr. Oliveira. Their 12-week study had two groups. One was advised to eat from a selection of low-carb breakfasts containing approximate amounts of 8g of carbohydrate, 25g of protein and 37g of fat while the other was advised to eat from a selection of low-fat higher-carb options containing about...

Adults with hypertension, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes, and who are overweight or obese, are at an increased risk of serious health complications. However, experts disagree about which dietary patterns should be recommended. Researchers randomized 94 adults with the aforementioned conditions, using a 2 x 2 diet-by-support factorial design, comparing a very low-carbohydrate (VLC) or ketogenic diet versus a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Additionally, they compared results with and without extra support activities, such as mindful eating, positive emotion regulation, and cooking education. Using intent-to-treat analyses, the VLC diet led to greater improvement in estimated mean systolic...

The study carried out by Rambam researchers found that there is no connection between the amount of insulin in children and their tendency to obesity.Carbohydrates have taken a lot of flak in recent years, but they are not all bad and are not necessarily responsible for causing obesity, according to a new study at Rambam Healthcare Campus in Haifa. Simple carbs like white bread, pasta and rice, corn syrup and all types of sugar – whose beneficial nutrients have been eliminated – are digested quickly. The study was conducted by Rambam researchers led by Dr. Rana Halloun, a senior...

NATIONAL KETO DAY National Keto Day hits January 5th with an approach to transforming our health. Recent research suggests the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic or ‘keto’ diet offers a number of benefits. #NationalKetoDay Benefits Two of the most significant perks seen with the keto diet are weight loss and healthy blood sugar support. In fact, studies have shown improved glycemic control for those with type 2 diabetes while adhering to a ketogenic diet. Other health benefits of a keto diet may include healthy cholesterol and blood pressure support. It may also be beneficial for those with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Keto...

New research points to a novel way to prevent the death of insulin-producing beta cells A study led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has homed in on a newly discovered molecular mechanism that could prevent insulin resistance in type 2 diabetics. The research indicates disrupting the expression of a certain protein could protect beta cells and prevent patients from becoming insulin resistant. Type 2 diabetes can develop when insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas become dysfunctional, often following long-term high blood glucose levels. Eventually, those crucial beta cells begin to die, with the body...

EXCLUSIVE: Nick Carson suffers from auto brewery syndrome, which turns carbohydrates into alcohol in his body, and has to carry a breathalyser around with him at all timesA man whose body acts like a brewery says his rare condition means he can get blind drunk eating a slice of cake. Nick Carson, 62, suffers from auto brewery syndrome, a disorder that causes his body to turn carbohydrates into alcohol. It leaves him intoxicated without touching a drop of alcohol. The condition also makes Nick crave Victoria sponge cake – which then leaves him so sozzled he can pass out –...

The diet helped Andrew Flinders Taylor lose weight—but is it safe? “Make your food boring and your life interesting.” That’s one lesson Andrew Flinders Taylor points out in a Youtube video he posted last December, where he detailed all of the things he learned after eating potatoes for every meal, every single day, for nearly a year. That’s right: Potatoes all day, every day. The potato diet sounds absolutely crazy, but for Taylor, who weighed in at 334 pounds when his experiment began, it led to noticeable results. The Australian native dropped 117 pounds after one year of the “Spud...

People who follow the Paleo diet often do so for health reasons, eschewing many carbs, especially grains, in favor of lean meats and vegetables. Now, research indicates that this “caveman” style of eating may have hidden dangers to your heart health. The Paleo diet, which draws nutritional guidelines from the diets of our human ancestors, advocates eating like a hunter and gatherer—consuming lots of meat, vegetables, nuts, and some fruits—while excluding agriculturally-based foods such as grains, legumes, and dairy, along with refined sugar and processed oils. Though no one would argue the nutritional merits of vegetables and lean protein, pulling...

Cutting carbs has become a go-to strategy for runners and cyclists looking to cut weight. Now, research suggests it might be wise to cut that out, or at least approach cutting carbs with caution. That’s because people consuming a low proportion of their daily calories from carbohydrates like grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables appear to be significantly more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AFib)—an irregular heart rhythm that can raise your risk of blood clots or stroke, according to preliminary research set to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting. The study analyzed the health records and...

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A nutrient once thought to be healthy if eaten in abundance may actually cut life short, a new study says. A low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet has been linked to living longer and maintaining brain health, according to a study published this month in Current Biology. Eating too much protein, Proud says, can speed up protein synthesis, which quickly causes a build-up of "faulty protein" -- leading to a likelihood of early death. The researchers tested this theory by feeding high protein diets to fruit flies and worms. "Since this link also operates in humans, our findings show...

Eating more fibre, found in wholegrain cereals, pasta and bread as well as nuts and pulses, will cut people’s chances of heart disease and early death, according to a landmark review commissioned by the World Health Organization. The authors of the review, which will inform forthcoming WHO guidelines, say their findings are good news – but incompatible with fashionable low-carb diets. The research is led by Prof Jim Mann’s team at the University of Otago in New Zealand, who also carried out the major review that informed WHO guidance on curbing sugar in the diet, leading to sugar taxes around...

Middle-aged people who get roughly half their daily calories from carbohydrates live several years longer on average than those with meat-heavy low-carb diets, researchers reported Friday. The findings, published in The Lancet medical journal, challenge a trend in Europe and North America toward so-called Paleo diets that shun carbohydrates in favour of animal protein and fat. Proponents of these "Stone Age" diets argue that the rapid shift 10,000 years ago -- with the advent of agriculture -- to grains, dairy and legumes has not allowed the human body enough time to adapt to these high-carb foods. For the study, receiving...

Diabetes is reversible. That’s the exciting conclusion of a study I’m leading at Indiana University Health. Two hundred and sixty-two patients with type-2 diabetes recently completed one year of a clinical trial examining the impact of a low-carbohydrate diet, which limits foods such as grains and pasta while boosting consumption of healthy fats such as avocados and butter. The diet didn’t restrict calories. Using smartphone technology, health coaches worked with participants while physicians monitored and adjusted medications. A control group of 87 patients with diabetes received the American Diabetes Association standard nutritional treatment. A full 94 percent of patients on...

This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who pays attention but little by little the medical community is reluctantly coming around to acknowledge that fats aren’t so bad and carbohydrates aren’t so good. High Fat Diet Good, High-Carb Diet Deadly: “High carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of total mortality, whereas total fat and individual types of fat were related to lower total mortality. Total fat and types of fat were not associated with cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas saturated fat had an inverse association with stroke. Global dietary guidelines should be reconsidered in...

Add another page to Donald Trump's weird recipe book—the president apparently ate rice and cherry pie for lunch on Tuesday with Senate Republicans. NBC News reporter Leigh Ann Caldwell broke the story right after the meal, tweeting that she overheard a Secret Service agent discussing Trump's intake: "He ate rice and two pieces of cherry pie. Took a few sips of his drink," Caldwell tweeted. "'He loves rice.'" Meatloaf was also served at the Tuesday luncheon, which came as top GOP senators were preparing to revamp the tax code. It's unclear whether the president ate any, but the American people...

Study compiling data from every country finds people are living longer but millions are eating wrong foods for their health. Poor diet is a factor in one in five deaths around the world, according to the most comprehensive study ever carried out on the subject. Millions of people are eating the wrong sorts of food for good health. Eating a diet that is low in whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds and fish oils and high in salt raises the risk of an early death, according to the huge and ongoing study Global Burden of Disease. The study, based at...