Striving4Zen

ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2009) — Getting the correct balance of proteins in our diet may be more important for healthy ageing than reducing calories, new research funded by the Wellcome Trust and Research into Ageing suggests.

The research may help explain why 'dietary restriction' (also known as calorie restriction) -- reducing food intake whilst maintaining sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients -- appears to have health benefits. In many organisms, such as the fruit fly (drosophila), mice, rats and the Rhesus monkey, these benefits include living longer. Evidence suggests that dietary restriction can have health benefits for humans, too, though it is unclear whether it can increase longevity.

Dietary restriction can have a potentially negative side effect, however: diminished fertility. For example, the female fruit fly reproduces less frequently on a low calorie diet and its litter size is reduced, though its reproductive span lasts longer. This is believed to be an evolutionary trait: in times of famine, essential nutrients are diverted away from reproduction and towards survival.

In fact, when the researchers studied the effect further, they found that levels of a particular amino acid known as methionine were crucial to maximising lifespan without decreasing fertility. Adding methionine to a low calorie diet boosted fertility without reducing lifespan; likewise, reducing methionine content in a high calorie diet prolonged lifespan. Previous studies have also shown that reducing the intake of methionine in rodents can help extend lifespan.

"By carefully manipulating the balance of amino acids in the diet, we have been able to maximise both lifespan and fertility," explains Dr Matthew Piper, one of the study authors. "This indicates that it is possible to extend lifespan without wholesale dietary restriction and without the unfortunate consequence of lowering reproductive capacity."

Amino acids are the building blocks of life as they form the basis of proteins. Methionine is one of the most important amino acids at it is essential to the formation of all proteins. Whilst proteins are formed naturally in the body, we also consume proteins from many different food types, including meat and dairy products, soy-derived food such as tofu, and pulses. The relative abundance of methionine differs depending on the food type in question; it occurs in naturally high levels in foods such as sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, wheat germ, fish and meats.

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Labels: complete protein, fertility, fish, meat, Nuts, wheat germ

The Obama administration is looking to restrict the use of antibiotics in livestock.

The principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs testified that feeding antibiotics to livestock to encourage rapid growth must stop, and that farmers should only be able to use the drugs with the supervision of a veterinarian. The reason behind this recommendation is that the rampant use of antibiotics has strongly influenced the development of bacteria immune to many treatments, rendering common antibiotics useless in fighting infections.

This point of view has long been accepted by the medical community. According to estimates by the Union of Concerned Scientists, chickens, pigs, and cattle receive 70% of antibiotics used in the United States. While the American Medical Association backs the proposed restriction, it is no surprise that meat producers are opposed to it.

Thanks Fit!

Labels: antibiotics, eating healthy, good news, hormones, meat, toxins

Conventional cattle ranchers and pig and chicken farmers routinely feed their animals a steady diet of antibiotics to prevent illness and help them grow fatter faster. But as consumers become more obsessed [or just aware] with what they eat, including an insatiable hunger for meat and chicken raised naturally, without drugs, more producers are promoting their products as antibiotic free.

But is there truth in advertising?

Even producers who have eliminated antibiotics may be using other bacteria-killing compounds in the anti-microbial family, which have a murky definition under the law. Although not all anti-microbials are defined as antibiotics by the Food and Drug Administration, their use opens up a minefield of issues.

Among them:

-- Anti-microbials are not listed on labels.

-- They work the same way as antibiotics.

-- Many people consider them to be harmful to the environment.

"The only way to know if a producer is using anti-microbials is to call the manufacturer and ask them," said Urvashi Rangan, a scientist for the nonprofit Consumers Union.

"A manufacturer doesn't have to list it on the label even if they're making an antibiotic-free claim. And as far as we're concerned, if you're using a drug to kill a parasite or a micro-organism and you're making a 'no antibiotics' claim, you're being misleading."

While scientists debate the pros and cons of using any bacteria-killing drug in food animals, most agree that the only difference between antibiotics and anti-microbials is purely one of semantics.

Full Article

Labels: antibiotics, eating healthy, hormones, meat, toxins

A diet high in red meat is just not good for us. But some people need to eat meat. If you're one of them, make sure you select grass-fed meat (not grain-fed or even worse!).

According to recent studies, grass fed cattle produce meat higher in beta carotene, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids than meat produced from cattle raised by conventional ranching techniques. Conventional ranching techniques means cows raised in lots and fed mostly corn and processed feed.

According to Michael Pollan's well known book The Omnivore's Dilemma, cows evolved to eat grass and roam around in pastures. When cows eat grass they are leaner animals and produce leaner meat, which translates into healthier protein for us. Corn creates fat marbled meat, but the corn also upsets the cows four stomachs. Which in turn, leaves cattle more prone to infections, hence the increase in antibiotics given to cows. Historically speaking, corn was not the major feed for cows until after WW II, which is relatively recent in the grand scheme of things.

Unfortunately, the label/term grass fed is not currently regulated by the USDA. Ranchers and farmers raising grass fed animals are lobbying hard to have the term regulated. So your best bet is finding a ranch close by that raises grass fed cattle. If you are interested in finding grass fed beef produced close to you - check out Local Harvest.

Thanks FitSugar!

Labels: beef, corn, eating healthy, Fat, grains, grass-fed, healthier, meat, Michael Pollan, organic farms, red meat

Virtually all nationally marketed, non-organic deli meats contain sodium nitrite (or sometimes potassium nitrite) as a preservative. Occasionally, a non-organic manufacturer will introduce an "all-natural" version of its deli meat that does not contain any nitrites, but the only way to be sure about this is to check the ingredient list on the back of the package. Since preservation with sodium nitrite is not allowed in certified organic deli meats, these organic versions are a great way to steer clear of this preservative. Cooked whole turkey products and cured turkey products often do contain sodium nitrite, but there are nitrite-free products in the marketplace. Once again, your best bet is to look through the ingredient list and check for sodium nitrite or potassium nitrite among the ingredients. Nitrite-free products will sometimes advertise their nitrite-free status on the label.

Source

Labels: cold cuts, deli meats, meat, organic food, preservatives, sodium nitrite, turkey

Did you know that there are different types of iron?

Iron is a mineral essential to all body cells and is linked with protein to form the hemoglobin that carries oxygen throughout your body. Although iron can be found in a variety of different foods, how well it is absorbed by the body is determined by whether it is in the form of heme or non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in fish, poultry and meats such as lamb. It is much more easily absorbed than the non-heme iron found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and nuts. A 4-ounce serving of lamb provides 15% of the daily value for this important mineral. And because lamb provides heme iron, it is easily absorbed and used by your body. Lamb is also a rich source of B vitamins, selenium and protein.

Select organically-grown lamb or grass-fed lamb whenever possible, it is much less likely to have been injected with the hormones so commonly given to beef, pork and chickens. One reason for this is because baby lamb are often still drinking mother's milk and what we usually call lamb is the pinkish meat from young animals that are usually only 5-6 months old (up to one year) so do not require the hormones that would help them grow into a large animal.

Source

Labels: grass-fed, healthy diet, heme iron, iron, lamb, meat, minerals

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Twelve are manufactured by the human body, and 9, called essential amino acids, we must get from our diet.

Can we get them all from plant sources?

A complete protein is a food that contains all the essential amino acids. Animal protein like meat and dairy products are complete proteins, but it's also possible to get all your essential amino acids from plant sources. In order to get a vegetarian complete protein, you need to combine foods to make one. Beans and rice are a popular complete protein, but so is nut butter on whole grain bread, and hummus on pita. Recent research shows that you don't need to combine these foods all in one meal. You can combine them over a 2-day period.

So it doesn't really matter where you get these essential amino acids, as long as you get them. Your weight will determine just how much protein you need. A 120 lb woman needs to eat about 43g of protein a day. A 130 lb woman needs to eat about 47g of protein a day, and a 150 lb woman needs to eat about 50g of protein a day.

There are so many plant sources of protein and meat alternatives. As long as vegetarians eats a wide variety of foods they'll be able to get all the amino acids they need, and they don't need to eat extra plant protein to get them.

Thanks FitSugar!

Labels: amino acids, beans, complete protein, Dairy, meat, protein, vegetarian

Another trip to the store, another package of mystery meat -- that is, beef and poultry labeled with so many confusing terms you wonder if it's as healthy as it sounds.

Can't tell a cage-free from a certified organic?

Neither could we, until Naomi Lewis, MS explained the options:

A GOOD CHOICE: Products labeled free-range or cage-free, because these animals may have experienced the outdoors. The downside? Maybe they haven't -- loose laws mean they only have to be exposed to space and sunlight (an open door passes the test).
A BETTER ONE: Certified organic meat and poultry. It was produced without synthetic fertilizer, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides or genetically engineered ingredients; however, the animals may have been raised in cramped quarters.
THE BEST: Grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken and pork: these animals eat what they're inclined to eat in the wild (instead of difficult-to-digest corn and soybeans). Bonus: The meat is lower in fat.
AVOID meat labeled "natural," which means only that it's free of artificial flavors, colors, and chemical preservatives, but says nothing about an animal's diet or treatment.

For help finding healthy meats near you, go to eatwellguide.org.

Labels: healthy dining, meat, organic