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Detrimental Effects of Dietary Products on the Body

7/25/2013

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By Paula Zavala | Health Editor

Many people would agree that the less calories you consume, the better. For example, if a high school student was given the option to choose between a regular Pepsi and a Diet Pepsi, he or she would likely choose the Diet Pepsi. However, simply because something contains fewer calories it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the better choice. Diet sodas can be detrimental to one’s health because of the chemical substances present, potentially posing a risk to one’s health and wellness.

Diet sodas contain fewer calories than regular sodas, but in order for it to contain less calories, it requires a substitute for sugar. This substitute is an ingredient called aspartame. Aspartame, also known as NutraSweet, is an artificial sweetener which was accidentally discovered by James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, in 1965. Aspartame contains phenylalanine and has been used as a sugar substitute for over twenty years. Phenylalanine is an amino acid that we consume in moderation and can be typically found in the brain.

According to Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, when large amounts of aspartame are consumed, it causes the levels of phenylalanine to increase drastically. When there’s an excessive amount of phenylalanine in the brain, people can become prone to seizures, memory loss, epilepsy, hypoglycemia, and even death.

Another study was conducted by scientists from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. The study stated that people who drank two or more diet sodas a day were more likely to develop kidney failure.
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Although aspartame raises concerns, it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974. If the FDA approved it then that means it’s safe to consume right? Well, that’s not entirely true.

The FDA’s approval didn’t fully convince people, so Assistant U.S. Attorney William Conlon did a little more investigating on the case when the Searle Company hired him. His investigations found that seizures, brain holes, and tumors were in fact the effects of aspartame. Unfortunately, these results were modified in the final reports prior to being sent to the FDA to look over.

In fact, some people strongly approve of aspartame. Many people believe that it enhances and lengthens the flavors of food and beverages, allows diabetics to have desserts without worrying about it affecting their blood sugar, and reduces one’s chances of getting tooth decay.

Even school officials show their support for this dietary product. They blame the cause of childhood obesity on sugary sodas. In order to improve this issue, they agreed to replace regular sodas with low-calorie beverages. They believe that it helps the students lose weight and stay healthy by consuming few calories.

If school officials were really concerned about a child’s health, they wouldn’t be supporting something that causes risky effects in the long-run. If obesity is their main concern, then they should simply encourage the students to exercise more or enforce a requirement stating that each child must take part in physical education three or four times a week.

On the other hand, it’s cheaper to produce sugar substitutes like aspartame than regular sugar. Sugar substitutes do a good job of not leaving behind bacteria that can potentially produce residue on our teeth. As a result, it lowers our chances of getting tooth decay and cavities and in doing so it allows us to save money by not going to the dentist as frequently. Also, aspartame and other sugar substitutes enable food to digest easier and faster.

According to the scientists at Purdue University, an experiment was done back in 2004 to determine if animals gained or lost weight by eating artificially sweetened yogurt within two weeks. After the two weeks were up, the scientists found that the animals gained more weight and consumed more calories with the artificially sweetened yogurt as opposed to the animals that consumed the natural sugar, glucose.

Another study took place back in 1969 when Dr. Harry Waisman observed the effects of aspartame in baby primates. He concluded that after 300 days, one of the primates died, the other five suffered seizures, and the only living one was the animal that wasn’t affected by the aspartame. This shows that aspartame and other sugar substitutes are not only harmful to one’s health, but they are just as harmful to animals.

People, specifically high school students and older, need to become aware about what goes into their food and beverages. It’s hard to imagine that someone wouldn’t give any thought into what ingredients or preservatives may have been added to their meal. Our health should be one of our top priorities because what may seem beneficial to us now may be the factor that harms us as we get older.
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Diet Tips for a Gorgeous, Radiant Summer Smile

7/11/2013

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Health, wellness, and beauty are intertwined. Summer is here: we head to the beach, hopefully work a little less and let loose a bit more, many overlook a critical way to brighten your appearance, build your self-confidence and exude a look of health and wellness - - enhancing your smile.

While having the right wardrobe, accessories, and hair style for summer all play a role in a bright appearance, surveys reveal that one of the first things people notice about others is their smile.  According to Dr. Timothy Chase, a 15-year veteran of cosmetic dentistry, a healthy smile, white teeth and healthy gums can take 10 years off your appearance.

Dr. Chase, D.M.D., is a practicing partner at SmilesNY, a cosmetic dentistry practice in New York City.  He has made it his life’s work to educate patients about the significance of possessing a healthy smile as a critical indicator of overall health and wellness.   

“Some people do not realize how important it can be to take care of your teeth,” says Dr Chase.  “Not only does a healthy smile make you look and feel better, but, dental health issues have been linked to systemic problems like heart and kidney issues and low birth weight in babies.”

Brushing and flossing are not always enough to keep your teeth shining their whitest.  What you eat and what you do not eat can be a huge factor in how white your teeth are.  Professional dentistry works the best. However, certain fruits and vegetables can aid in the quest for white teeth.

Dr. Chase offers PdM his do’s and don’ts for foods to avoid and foods to load up on when whitening your smile:

Do’s
Certain foods help to remove bacteria that cause plaque which hardens into a yellowish tartar if not brushed away soon enough. 
  • Crunchy fruits and vegetables work best because they function as an abrasive scrub for your teeth.  They also stimulates the production of saliva, which helps to keep plaque from forming:
    • Apples
    • Cauliflower
    • Carrots
    • Celery
  • Strawberries and oranges are both useful for polishing teeth.  Rubbing an orange peel or a strawberry over your teeth, following by washing out your mouth with water will get your noticeable whiter teeth after a few months
  • Dairy products such as yogurt, milk and cheese contain a lactic acid which may help protect teeth against decay.  Hard cheeses are best for whitening since they help remove food particles as well.
Don’ts
  • It’s important to avoid stain-causing foods and substances as much as possible.  A simple rule is any food which causes a stubborn laundry stain can stain teeth too.  Brushing teeth or at least rinsing one’s mouth with water after consuming these foods is a great way to help prevent staining.  Foods to avoid include:
    • Coffee
    • Tea
    • Blueberries
    • Red Wine
    • Soy Sauce
    • Tobacco
    • Soda
“Brightening your appearance by creating a healthy smile is not as daunting a task as people think,” says Chase.  “It is an extremely important factor in ones overall health and it should not be overlooked.”

While many are obsessed over the bright white they'll sport at the highly-anticipated July white parties, one has to remember that the white that truly matters in the end is the one in our mouth.

Stay fresh, stay pretty, beauty insiders. Bisous, bisous.

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About Dr. Timothy Chase

Dr. Chase attended the State University of Albany where he studied biology.  Continuing his education at the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, he earned a DMD degree in 1993.  He went on to complete a general practice residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital / Westchester County Veterans Administration Hospital in 1994. Dr. Chase served as a clinical instructor at the New York University Dental School.  He stays abreast of the latest techniques and materials being utilized in his specialties by attending advanced education seminars at the Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Study and is a member of the faculty study group at the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry.  In addition, he attends local dental study groups including those conducted at a New York chapter of the Seattle Study Club.  He is a member of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

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Fish Oil May Blunt Effects of Stress, Study Suggests

7/2/2013

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By John Villalobo | Food and Health Contributor

Fish oil could play a significant role in numbing the effects of mental stress, a study suggests.

Researchers from Michigan Technological University, New York Medical College and the Mayo Clinic found that taking fish oil pills seemed to be protective against the effects of mental stress on the heart, particularly heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (key in the fight-or-flight response). Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown in research to hold numerous health benefits.

"In today's fast-paced society, stress is as certain as death and taxes," study researcher Jason Carter, a researcher at the university, said in a statement. "Moreover, our eating habits have deteriorated. This study reinforces that fish oils may be beneficial for cardiovascular health, particularly when we are exposed to stressful conditions."

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, included 67 people without hypertension who were assigned to take either 9 grams of a fish oil supplement for eight weeks, or a placebo of olive oil for eight weeks. Before starting the supplements and at the end of the study period, all the participants underwent blood pressure, heart rate and other testing.

At the end of the study, researchers had the study participants do an arithmetic test, during which their stress responses were measured. They found that the participants who took the fish oil supplements had blunted the reactivity of the muscle sympathetic nerve activity, as well as the effects of mental stress on heart rate. However, fish oil did not seem to have an impact on the reactivity of blood pressure to mental stress.

"These findings support and extend the growing evidence that fish oil may have positive health benefits regarding neural cardiovascular control in humans," the researchers wrote in the study.

While research shows that omega-3 fatty acids may hold health benefits in the form of lowering blood pressure, decreasing plaque buildup and lowering stroke risk among high-risk people, other research paints a more mixed picture for fish oil supplements in particular. A large review published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that taking fish oil supplements don't seem to lower risks of heart attack and stroke, nor premature death, Health.com reported. However, the results of this may be due to inconsistencies among all the studies included in the review (like dosing, length of taking the supplements, etc.). And Health.com also pointed out that sometimes nutrients in supplement form don't have the same effects in the body as when a person eats them as food.

However, a recent study in mice published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology did show that omega-3 fatty acids could help boost activity of B cells, which is a white blood cell that's an integral part of the body's immune response.

High-stress work environments, like the finance and fashion industry, are known to increase the risk of hyper-tension and heart-disease. stated a research study by the Michigan Tech. "Whether you're crunching numbers, managing a company's books, or organizing the next couture party for Vera Wang, stress hits home and it hits hard," Carter stated. "The best you can do in industries like this is take your vitamins, sleep a minimum of 6-7 hours, and surround yourself with a positive group of people."

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