Reducing Risk of Alzheimer’s

Researchers at Temple University recently published a study in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology indicating extra virgin olive oil (evoo) protects memory and reduces  classic markers of Alzheimer’s disease such as  amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.

Studying the relationship of evoo on Alzheimer’s, researchers fed one group of mice a diet rich in olive oil and a second group of mice regular chow. Mice fed the evoo diet for 3 months and 6 months performed better on working memory, spatial memory, and learning abilities tests than the group fed regular chow. There was also a dramatic difference in nerve cell appearance and function of brain tissue between the two groups.

Mice fed the evoo diet had less brain  inflammation. They had better synaptic integrity, which is the connection between neurons. They also had a dramatic increase in nerve cell autophagy activation; a cellular process that clears out toxins and debris, such as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.

Neurofibrillary tangles are believed to contribute to nerve cell dysfunction in the brain, resulting in Alzheimer’s memory problems.

Researchers concluded “Thanks to the autophagy activation, memory and synaptic integrity were preserved, and the pathological effects in animals otherwise destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease were significantly reduced.”

Researchers plan to continue their study on the same mice who have developed plaques and tangles to determine if a diet rich in evoo could stop or reverse Alzheimer’s once present. 

Olive oil has a medium-high smoking point and can withstand cooking temperatures to up 375-400⁰F making it a good oil for salads, baking, oven cooking, and stir-frying. 1 tbs has 120 calories so watch the amount you use if you are also watching your waistline.

Vegetarian Grilling

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics vegetarians have a lower risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and certain types of cancers including colorectal, ovarian, and breast.

Vegetarians are people who primarily eat fruit, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds. Vegans exclude all animal products from their diet including dairy products, eggs, and honey. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy but avoid meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat dairy and eggs but avoid meat, poultry, and fish. The lacto-ovo’s make up the majority of vegetarians in the United States.

People choose to be vegetarians for many reasons including economical, environmental, personal health, spiritual beliefs, and compassion for animals. A well balanced vegetarian diet can be sufficient in all essential nutrients including protein, but careful planning is  important; after all many processed foods such as chips and French fries are vegetarian but not healthy choices. Clean eating by targeting minimally processed wholesome foods   provide the essential nutrients the body needs for optimal health.

Top sources of vegetarian protein include beans, lentils, tofu, edamame, tempeh, hemp, seitan, nuts, seeds, eggs, low fat dairy products, textured vegetable protein, soy products, and whole grains. Numerous vegetarian protein powders are also an option, the most prevalent contain soy, brown rice, pea, hemp, whey, or seeds.

Summer grilling is most often associated with burgers and hot dogs, but vegetarians can enjoy so much more when grilling outside. Using the grill brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables and seals in moisture for tender texture. Grilled vegetables do not develop dangerous carcinogens that meat does when cooked over high temperature, such as Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) or Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Vegetables are also high in fiber, rich in nutrients, low in calories, and provide antioxidants to fight off free radicals in the body.

Whether you are a vegetarian or not we can all benefit from eating meatless meals during the week. Consider the delicious summer recipe below and consider adding a meatless Monday to your families routine to help increase the vegetables in your diet.

How Accurate Is Your Fitness Tracker?

A new study from Stanford University published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine evaluated the accuracy of seven fitness trackers on the market: Apple Watch, Fitbit Surge, Samsung Gear S2, Microsoft Band, Mio Alpha 2, Basis Peak, and PulseOn.

60 healthy participants wore the wrist watches or bands while sitting, walking, running, and biking while also having continuous cardiac monitoring and indirect calorimetry to measure metabolic rate. Results showed fairly accurate measurements of heart rate, on average within 5% of the gold standard 12-lead ECG. Apple Watch had the greatest accuracy with an average error of 2.0% and Samsung Gear S2 had the lowest accuracy with an average error of 6.8% from the gold standard.

Unfortunately none of the devices accurately measured calorie expenditure. The most accurate device, Fitbit Surge, was off by 27% on average, and the least accurate device, PulseOn, was off by 93% on average. Researches caution use of fitness trackers for assessing calorie expenditure and encourage greater transparency from companies to validate data.

Wearable technology, such as fitness trackers, do a great job motivating people to get moving, stay mindful of their goals, and foster healthier habits throughout the day. This study highlights the benefit fitness trackers have on measuring heart rate within a generally acceptable range of error. Unfortunately there are some limitations and fitness trackers should not be relied on for accurate calorie expenditure at this time.

If you have been tracking exercise on your fitness device and considering that…cheeseburger/glass of wine/ice cream treat at the end of the day you might want to reconsider. While everything in moderation is good...if it seems too good to be true it probably is.