McDonalds Spotlight by Frugal Dad

How Happy is the Meal You’re Paying For (Infographic) | Frugal Dad

You could argue that McDonalds are only providing customers what they want, if they provide fruit kids don't eat it. But this is about what is the acceptable norm. Our culture has become at odds with nature, instead of survival of the fittest it's survival of the sickest. McDonalds should take responsibility for the part they've played in the obesity, heart disease, diabetes and altzhiemer's epidemics of this and the next generation. McDonalds should use their awesome marketing skills and powers of persuasion to save our children from the preventable chronic diseases that blight the world - they need essential fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants - not sugar and fat.

More and more parents are bringing up their children to think that McDonalds are evil. With knowledge comes responsibility, the facts and research is out there, the libel cases being fought- if McDonalds don't now take responsibility sooner or later they will be held responsible and no amount of nifty lobbying and devious state legislation will save them.


Source: http://frugaldad.com

Vitamin D and Health - Havard Advice

Vitamin D and Health - What Should I Eat? - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

More on Vitamin D

If you live north of the line connecting San Francisco to Philadelphia and Athens to Beijing, odds are that you don't get enough vitamin D. The same holds true if you don't get outside for at least a 15-minute daily walk in the sun. African-Americans and others with dark skin, as well as older individuals, tend to have much lower levels of vitamin D, as do people who are overweight or obese.

Worldwide, inadequate vitamin D is common, and deficiencies can be found on all continents, in all ethnic groups, and across all ages. Some surveys suggest that perhaps half of the world’s population has inadequate blood levels of vitamin D. (1-3) Indeed, in industrialized countries, doctors are even seeing the resurgence of rickets, the bone-weakening disease that had been largely eradicated through vitamin D fortification. (4-6)

Vitamin D and Health - What Should I Eat? - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

Vegan Vitamin D3

Study: Tryglycerides cut by Omega 3 DHA

Harvard meta-analysis supports benefits of algal DHA omega-3   . As reported on   www.nutraingredients.com

Tryglycerides cut by omega 3 DHA

Algae-derived docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation may boost levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and cut levels of triglycerides, says the first systematic review and meta-analysis of on lipid levels.  

A Meta-Analysis Shows That Docosahexaenoic Acid  from Algal Oil Reduces Serum Triglycerides and Increases HDL-Cholesterol and LDL-Cholesterol in Persons without Coronary Heart Disease
Adam M. Bernstein, Eric L. Ding, Walter C. Willett  and Eric B. Rimm

Abstract

Certain algae contain the (n-3) fatty acid DHA, yet the relation between algal oil supplementation and cardiovascular disease risk factors has not been systematically examined. Our objective was to examine the relation between algal oil supplementation and cardiovascular disease risk factors. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials published between 1996 and 2011 examining the relation between algal oil supplementation and cardiovascular disease risk factors and performed a meta-analysis of the association between algal oil DHA supplementation and changes in the concentrations of TG, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). We identified 11 randomized controlled trials with 485 healthy participants that evaluated the relation between algal oil DHA supplementation and TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C. The median dose of algal DHA was 1.68 g/d. The pooled estimate for the change in TG concentration was −0.20 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.27 to −0.14), 0.23 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.16–0.30) for LDL-C, and 0.07 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.05–0.10) for HDL-C. DHA supplementation from algal oil, a marine source of (n-3) fatty acids not extracted from fish, may reduce serum TG and increase HDL-C and LDL-C in persons without coronary heart disease.

Read more at The Journal of Nutrition by The American Society for Nutrition

An imbalance of tryglycerides has been implicated in heart disease, diabetes and a host of other diseases. Too much alcohol is a factor as it not only encourages the storage of tryglycerides in the body but also hinders the conversion of tryglycerides into energy.

Leading London Harley Street Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says "Alcohol is like super fertiliser for tryglycerides causing the double trouble of both enhancing loading and thwarting burning. Even vegans who avoid animal fat have been seen to have high tryglycerides as they can easily be made by the body from sugar and nutrient depleted simple carbohydrates."

"This meta research proving tryglycerides can be reduced by increasing omega 3 DHA from algae is very welcome"

See - High Tryglycerides

Processed meat cancer link

BBC News - Processed meat 'linked to pancreatic cancer'

A link between eating processed meat, such as bacon or sausages, and pancreatic cancer has been suggested by researchers in Sweden.

The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, analysed data from 11 trials and 6,643 patients with pancreatic cancer.

Prof Susanna Larsson, who conducted the study at the Karolinska Institute, told the BBC eating an extra 50g of processed meat, approximately one sausage, every day would increase a person's risk by 19%.Increased risk

It found that eating processed meat increased the risk of pancreatic cancer. The risk increased by 19% for every 50g someone added to their daily diet. Having an extra 100g would increase the risk by 38%.

Eating red and processed meat has already been linked to bowel cancer. As a result the UK government recommended in 2011 that people eat no more than 70g a day.

Leading London Nutrition Expert Yvonne Bishop-Weston said "There is now mounting evidence that eating meat, especially factory farmed processed meat can increase risks of chronic disease. Oxford university has also shown us that eating more than 8 portions of fruit and vegetables can reduce the risks of disease."

"It seems clear that eating less meat and dairy and that eating more fruits and vegetables is a logical inexpensive health insurance step, and that combined with regular exercise sensible advice for anyone who wants to reduce the risks of chronic preventable diseases"

Man Made Trans Fats More Dangerous

Natural Trans Fats Less Unhealthy Than Manmade Variety

Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that man made trans fats, chemically altered vegetable fats, are more harmful than trans fats found naturally occuring in nature such as in nuts.

Women in the study did not see any effect in their total blood cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol, dangerous blood fats called triglycerides, and other blood indicators of heart risk when they ate diets high in these naturally occurring trans fats. The trans fats in their diet came from enriched butter.

Leading UK Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston said "Nutritionists have long pointed out that these man-made frankenstein mutant fats are the worst of all for your body. Although animal trans fats get off relatively lightly in this study that doesn't mean they are safe to eat just that the man made ones are even worse."

Some women did see a small decrease in their high-density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol levels when they ate a diet rich in naturally occurring trans fats. This was more pronounced in women who were overweight, the study showed.

Animal fat and cholesterol diabetes risk: Study

Animal fat and cholesterol may increase gestational diabetes risk: Study

A pre-pregnancy diet that is high in animal fat and cholesterol could almost double the risk of pregnancy related diabetes, says new research.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Animal-fat-and-cholesterol-may-increase-gestational-diabetes-risk-Study

‘Water apple’ may help diabetics

‘Water apple’ extract may provide dietary support for diabetes

Extracts of a Malaysian medicinal plant known locally as the ‘water jambu’ or ‘water apple’ could provide bioactive compounds that help to support people suffering from diabetes by reducing lowering blood sugar levels, suggest researchers.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Water-apple-extract-may-provide-dietary-support-for-diabetes

War Against Sugar Begins

War Declared on Sugar Mountain of Death

Sugar is as damaging and addictive as alcohol or tobacco and should be regulated, claim US health experts. (BBC)

Finally the War against SUGAR , the silent evil killer on our streets, has begun. Governments and polititians, even dieticians have always been wary of pointing their finger at the sugar industry the way they eventually did at the tobacco industry. The sugar industry is so powerful and many of the hereditary richest families in the world have their fingers in the slave trading sugar industry somewhere along the line. People have allegedly mysteriously died for speaking ill of the white stuff in the not too distant past.

Anyway you can imagine the cheer amongst nutritionists to see the start of an international nutritional lynch mob starting to gather and pin the blame of all the world's preventable health woes from infertility to obesity, heart disease to diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, dementia and even the common cold and cancer firmly at the door of the world sugar mountain.

In a comment in the journal Nature, Prof Lustig, a leading child obesity expert, says governments need to consider major shifts in policy, such as taxes, limiting sales of sweet food and drinks during school hours, or even stopping children from buying them below a certain age.

The professor of paediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, told the BBC: "It [sugar] meets all the criteria for societal intervention that alcohol and tobacco meet."

The researchers acknowledge that they face "an uphill political battle against a powerful sugar lobby".

Daily dose of diet soda may increase heart attacks ( Re drinks with artificial sweeteners)

The new findings have suggested that just a couple of daily cans of the supposedly 'healthier' (sic) diet artificially sweetened carbonated drinks, such as lemonade or cola, can raise the risk of liver damage, as well as potentially causing diabetes and heart damage. Researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center claim those who drink diet soft drinks are 43 per cent more likely to have heart attacks, vascular disease or strokes than those who have none.The latest study appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2094681/Just-diet-fizzy-drink-increase-risk-heart-attack-stroke.html#ixzz1lG2u6SFl

But a Danish study suggest non diet soda drinks are just as leathal

Researchers, led by Dr. Bjrn Richelsen at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark asked people to drink either a liter of water, milk, diet cola or regular cola each day for six months.At the end of the study the regular cola drinkers ended up with 25 percent more fat surrounding their organs, and just about doubled the amount of fat in the liver and muscle.

"This study suggests that the adverse effects of sugary beverages go beyond just weight gain or fat gain. It's the gaining of the wrong fat in the wrong places," said Dr. Frank Hu, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health

Read More: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/12/us-sugary-soda-idUSTRE80B1WS20120112

Oh and after many years of rediculousness in the US and UK/ Europe The sweet herb Stevia is now available for sale as a sweetener - get it raw and unadulterated here 
http://www.thesuperfoodco.co.uk/stevia-powder-250g-natural-sweetener-p-290.html