yogurt Archives - Amazing Health Advances

“STUNNING” Study Reveals: Making THIS Simple Dietary Change Improves Gut Microbiome, Helps Prevent Inflammatory Diseases

AHA Publisher — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 07:00:25 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Research confirms what natural health experts have insisted for years: that the gut microbiome – the community of bacteria in the intestinal tract – plays a vital role in health. Researchers say imbalances in this microbial community – alternatively known as dysbiosis – can trigger a laundry list of unwanted health conditions, including increased risk of obesity, autism, “leaky gut,” and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. Now, a new Stanford School of Medicine study suggests that one simple dietary “tweak” – enriching the diet with fermented foods such as yogurt, fresh sauerkraut, and kimchi – can improve the health and diversity of the microbes (or microbiota) while reducing levels of inflammatory enzymes in the body. So let’s look at how fermented foods contribute to better health and disease prevention. Unexpected Study Results Have Researchers Scratching Their Heads – While Highlighting Dramatic Benefits of Fermented Foods In the controlled clinical trial, which was published in July in Cell, 36 healthy adults were randomly assigned to a ten-week diet that included either fermented foods (including yogurt, kefir, fermented cottage cheese, kimchi, and kombucha tea) or high-fiber foods (such as legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits). The findings seemed to take the researchers by surprise. While scientists and natural health experts have long maintained that a high-fiber diet promotes microbial balance and improves all-around health, the fermented foods-enhanced diet was found to be even more effective in improving the gut microbiome. The team found that participants in the fermented foods group experienced increased microbial diversity, displaying a greater variety of “friendly” gut bacteria. At the same time, they showed sharply reduced levels of 19 different inflammatory proteins (such as interleukin-6) linked to rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and chronic stress. And, the results were dose-dependent, meaning that positive effects increased with a larger serving size. SURPRISING Outcome: Fermented Foods Outperform High-Fiber Foods Because high-fiber diets have been linked in multiple studies with lower rates of inflammatory diseases and lower mortality, researchers expected that this latest study would show that high-fiber foods decrease levels of inflammatory proteins. However, this was not the case – and researchers sounded a bit upset. “We expected high fiber to have a more universally beneficial effect and (to) increase microbiota diversity,” said senior research scientist Erica Sonnenburg, Ph.D. She acknowledged that the data suggested that short-term increases in fiber intake were “insufficient to increase microbial diversity.” However, the story is a little more complicated than meets the eye. The results also showed that increasing fiber intake led to more carbohydrates in stool samples, hinting at an incomplete fiber breakdown by gut microbes. Since earlier research suggested that the microbiomes of people living in industrialized nations are deficient in fiber-degrading microbes, Prof. Sonnenburg hypothesized that a longer-term study might have allowed time for gut bacteria to adapt to the increase in dietary fiber. Of course, experts say it’s still a wise choice to get plenty of dietary fiber. Extensive studies have shown that high-fiber diets deliver important health benefits, including helping to lower LDL cholesterol and cutting the risk of certain types of cancer. Scientists Call the Recent Rise in Inflammatory Diseases “Overwhelming” The study helped to illustrate the three-way link between dietary changes, gut microbiome balance, and overall health. The researchers agreed that diet “shapes” the gut microbiome, with low microbiota diversity associated with the soaring incidence of obesity and diabetes. Noting the “overwhelming” national rise in chronic inflammatory diseases, the team expressed hope that fermented foods could help act against this dangerous phenomenon. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic degenerative diseases, most of which involve inflammation, affect a shocking 60 percent of all American adults. And these diseases exact a grim toll. For example, inflammation-driven heart disease is the Number One killer of adults in the U.S., claiming roughly 655,000 American lives a year. And type 2 diabetes, which has an inflammatory component as well, is currently nearing epidemic levels, with over 34 million Americans currently affected. You Can Help Reconfigure the All-Important Gut Microbiome and Boost Immunity With Fermented Foods Study co-author Justin Sonnenburg, PhD, an associate professor of immunology and microbiology, called the findings “stunning” and said that the research provided one of the first examples of how a simple change in diet could “remodel” the gut microbiome. The team concluded that microbiota-targeted diets, such as diets high in fermented foods, can change immune status, providing a “promising avenue for decreasing inflammation in healthy adults.” The next order of business is for researchers to examine whether fermented foods can also cut inflammation in patients with existing immune disorders and metabolic diseases. With so much riding on the health and diversity of the microbiome, the benefits of fermented foods are too significant to be overlooked. Maybe it’s time to consider adding tasty, nutritious kimchi, yogurt, and kombucha tea to your healthy diet. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com CDC.gov CDC.gov To read the original article click here.

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Obesity Hits New Milestone Largely Due to Sugar Consumption

AHA Publisher — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 07:00:25 +0000

Lorie Johnson via CBN News – More than 42% of US adults are now obese, making it the first time in history the national rate has passed the 40% mark, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which points out the steep and rapid rise of this serious health condition. In 1999 the obesity rate was a much lower 30%. Obesity in adults is defined as a BMI greater than or equal to 30. BMI stands for body mass index and is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to men and women. A person can calculate their BMI on the National Institutes of Health website. The number of people classified as severely obese has also jumped from 4.7% to 9/2% since 1999. Severe obesity as a BMI of 40 or more. Meanwhile, the number of overweight Americans, those with a BMI between 25 and 29.9, stands at 31.1%. This means in total, almost three out of every four Americans is above what health professionals consider a healthy weight. It’s Likely All That Sugar According to the American Heart Association, men should consume no more than nine teaspoons, or 37 grams, of added sugar a day while women, based on their smaller size, should consume no more than six teaspoons, or 25 grams. However, most Americans consume three times the recommended amount of sugar, perhaps without even realizing it. That adds up to approximately 60 pounds a year for adults and believe it or not, many children consume more sugar than grown-ups, an estimated 65 pounds a year. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet. Kids consume about 30 gallons of liquid sugar a year, enough to fill a bathtub! Kids and adults alike consume high sugar sodas as well as deceptively sweet fruit juices, sport, and energy drinks. Even tea and coffee can be loaded with sugars. Some popular coffee shop drinks contain 14 teaspoons of sugar, almost two days’ worth. Aside from beverages, other high sugar items include baked goods, ice cream, and candy. Clinical Psychiatrist Uma Naidoo, M.D., author of the book, This is Your Brain on Food told CBN News said these foods admittedly make people happy when they eat them but many don’t realize in doing so they are consuming an entire day’s allotment of sugar in one small treat. “They do feel that uplifting feeling for a few minutes,” she said, “But the problem is these long-term effects.” These include Type 2 diabetes and heart disease as well as some cancers and brain disorders. “Sugar has been shown in several research studies to worsen depression, to worsen anxiety,” Dr. Naidoo said, “And is associated with brain atrophy and dementia.” Disguised as Healthy Most people realize candy and soda contain sugar, but might be surprised to learn seemingly healthy foods contain just as much if not more. Some examples include protein bars, barbeque sauce, yogurt, ketchup and nutritional drinks aimed at the elderly, baked beans, and much more. In fact, health experts say most processed foods are laden with sugar, including those that don’t seem sweet. Molly Carmel learned that first hand. She told CBN News that after tipping the scale at 325 pounds, she realized she learned to identify and avoid all forms of sugar. “Sugar is a tricky, tricky, tricky little abuser because it really is everywhere,” she said, “I gave up ketchup, I gave up teriyaki sauce, I gave up a lot of salad dressings.” In her book Breaking Up with Sugar, she describes how she dropped the weight and kept it off for more than ten years. Become a Savvy Shopper Carmel says in order to identify whether a product contains sugar don’t just look for the word “sugar” on the list of ingredients. Food manufacturers use dozens of different types of sugar. Many end in the letters “ose” such as fructose and dextrose. Other examples of added sugar include syrup, molasses, cane juice, and fruit juice concentrate. Sometimes to avoid making any particular type of sugar one of the first ingredients listed, they will add small amounts of many different types of sugar to a product. The best way to learn how many added sugars a product contains is to read the Nutrition Facts panel which lists how many grams of added sugar is in each serving. However, read that Nutrition Facts panel closely, paying particular attention to a product’s serving size. Food manufacturers try to make a product seem healthier by reducing the serving size, sometimes to ridiculously small portions, much smaller than a person typically eats. For example, a high-sugar granola producer lists its serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel as one-fourth of a cup, which is only about three bites! The average person actually eats more than one cup of granola at a sitting. Therefore, to get an accurate idea of the product’s sugar content, multiply the amount of sugar in the serving size by four. To read the original article click here. For more articles from CBN News click here.

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Blueberry Chia Coconut Yogurt

AHA Publisher — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 07:00:29 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Are you looking for a quick and easy keto [or low carb] meal that can be eaten any time of day? Then this delicious Keto Zone Blueberry Chia Coconut Yogurt recipe is for you. This recipe can be made in just a few minutes with no cooking required. Just mix the ingredients together and serve! Not only is this recipe super easy, but it is also loaded with nutrition. With healthy fats from MCT oil, probiotics from yogurt, protein from collagen, fiber from chia seeds, and antioxidants from blueberries, this recipe is a healthy and balanced keto meal. Ingredients 1 cup fresh organic blueberries 1 cup full fat low-carb organic/grass-fed yogurt (no sugar added) 3 tablespoons ground chia seeds 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 1 scoop Coconut MCT Oil Powder 1 scoop Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder Instructions Combine chia seeds and yogurt and stir until well combined. Add in coconut flakes, MCT Oil Powder, and collagen. Continue to mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Add in blueberries and gently stir. Divide into 4 servings. Top with extra blueberries if desired. Serve and enjoy! Nutrition Facts Servings: 4 Per Serving: Calories: 250 calories Fat: 21 grams Total Carbohydrates: 12 grams Fiber: 6 grams Net Carbs: 6 grams Protein: 25 grams This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

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Yogurt as a Cure for Covid-19 and Crohn’s Disease?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:00:29 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Can yogurt cure Covid-19 and Crohn’s disease? Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have identified molecules in kefir, a type of yogurt, that have the potential to combat pathogenic bacteria by blocking communication between cells. This approach also holds promise for fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Yogurt is a fermented probiotic dairy drink made by inoculating milk with microorganism mixtures, particularly yeast and bacteria. People have relied on the probiotics in yogurt for years to calm tummy troubles and balance the negative effects of antibiotics. Probiotics are thought to boost immune system function as well. This is the first time, however, that researchers have isolated molecules in yogurt that appear to mitigate “cytokine storms,” the extreme immune response that’s one of the main causes of death in Covid-19 patients. The researchers began by observing that kefir-secreted molecules reduced the virulence of vibrio cholerae, which cause cholera. The kefir molecules interfered in the assembly of bacterial biofilms, which play a significant role in the disease’s progression. The molecules’ applicability to Covid-19 came as a surprise. The yogurt molecules not only eliminated the cytokine storm but also restored balance to the immune system. “These results are notable, since this is the first demonstration that virulence of human pathogenic bacteria can be mitigated by molecules secreted in probiotic milk products, such as yogurt or kefir,” said Prof. Raz Jelinek, vice president and dean for research & development at BGU. “Our research illuminates for the first time a mechanism by which milk-fermented probiotics can protect against pathogenic infections and aid the immune system. Following promising results in animal models, we look forward to administering these drug candidates to patients who are experiencing a cytokine storm due to Covid-19 infection, or people suffering from acute inflammatory bowel pathologies such as Crohn’s disease.” Josh Peleg, CEO of BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of BGU, added that “In a reality where antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming an imminent threat, the novel molecules discovered by BGU scientists pave a completely new path for fighting bacterial infections by disrupting cell-to-cell communications in pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, the dramatic anti-inflammatory activities of the molecules may open new avenues for therapeutics and scientifically proven probiotic food products.” BGN Technologies is setting up a biopharma company “for the further development and clinical examination” of the technology. PhD student Orit Malka led the study, which was published in the journal Microbiome. Profs. Michael Meijler, Ariel Kushmaro and Ron Apte, all of BGU, participated. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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