Blessings Raw Treats/Snacks News Article

posted by Sacred Steve at 12/24/2005 03:18:00 PM

Raw food vegetarians have low bone mass, but may be healthy

29 Mar 2005

Vegetarians who don't cook their food have abnormally low bone mass, usually a sign of osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. But a research team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis also found that raw food vegetarians have other biological markers indicating their bones, although light in weight, may be healthy.

The study, published in the March 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, was led by Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., research instructor in medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science. Fontana and colleagues studied 18 strict raw food vegans ages of 33 to 85. All ate a diet that not only lacked animal products but also included only raw foods such as a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and legumes, dressed with olive oil. They had been on this diet for an average of 3.6 years.

The researchers compared them to people who ate a more typical American diet, including refined carbohydrates, animal products and cooked food. The groups were matched according to age, sex and socioeconomic status. In both groups, Fontana's team measured body mass index, bone mass, bone mineral density, markers of bone turnover, levels of vitamin D and inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

Those on the raw food diet had lower body mass indices and significantly lower bone mass in important skeletal regions such as the hip and lumbar spine, sites where low bone mass often means osteoporosis and fracture risk. But they didn't have other biological markers that typically accompany osteoporosis.

"For example, it is clear from research that higher rates of bone turnover equate to higher risk of fracture," Fontana says. "But in these people, although their bone mass is low, their bone turnover rates are normal."

The raw food group also had less inflammation, indicated by low levels of C-reactive protein, which is made by the liver as a response to inflammation in the body. They also had lower levels of IGF-1, one of the most important growth factors regulated by calorie and protein intake. High levels of IGF-1 have been linked to risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

And in spite of the fact that the raw food group didn't drink milk or eat cheese, they had higher vitamin D levels than people on a typical, Western diet. Fontana attributes the vitamin D levels to sun exposure.

"These people are clever enough to expose themselves to sunlight to increase their concentrations of vitamin D," he says. "I thought vitamin D might be a problem for them, but it was not."

Fontana also measured levels of the hormone leptin, which seems to play an important role in the regulation of bone metabolism. In some transgenic mice, low leptin levels are related to high bone mass. But interestingly, the raw food dieters had both low levels of leptin and low bone mass.

In short, the people on the raw food diet are lighter with lower body fat. They have less bone, but they have normal markers of bone turnover, higher-than-normal vitamin D and very low levels of leptin and inflammatory markers.

So are their bones healthy or not? Fontana says he's not sure. Current clinical measurements would indicate that many in this group have osteoporosis or less severe bone loss called osteopenia. But with low levels of inflammation, normal bone turnover and high vitamin D, Fontana says the usual clinical parameters may not apply.

"For example, post-menopausal, frail women with osetoporosis have low bone mass and an increased risk of fracture," he says. "But they also have increased circulating levels of inflammatory molecules called cyotkines. That's a different biologic condition from what we are seeing in the raw food vegans."

So he is proposing the hypothesis that in spite of their low bone mass, those on raw food diets actually may have a good bone quality and, therefore, healthy bones.

"I base that hypothesis on the fact that their bone turnover markers are normal, vitamin D is higher than normal and inflammation is low," he says. "We think it's possible these people don't have increased risk of fracture but that their low bone mass is related to the fact that they are lighter because they take in fewer calories."

Fontana says more study is needed to prove that raw food vegans have light-but-healthy bones. One study could involve following large groups of them for years to look at fracture rates. Other, more imminent studies will involve using micro MRI to get a 3-D look at bone architecture and structure. Those studies could begin soon.

In the meantime, Fontana isn't telling people to follow such an extreme diet.

"I think over the long term, a strict raw food vegan diet could pose some health problems," he says. "But it's not my role to tell them to eat differently. I'm simply interested in learning about the positive and/or detrimental health effects of this diet.

"However," he concludes, "if someone wishes to improve their health and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, I would definitely suggest that they get away from the refined and processed foods that Americans usually eat and try to eat a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and fish."

Fontana L, Shew JL, Holloszy JO, Villareal DT. Low bone mass in subjects on a long-term raw vegetarian diet. Archives of Internal Medicine; vol. 165, pp. 1-6, March 28, 2005

Funding from the National Institutes of Health supported this research.

The full-time and volunteer faculty of Washington University School of Medicine are the physicians and surgeons of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

Contact: Jim Dryden
jdryden@wustl.edu
314-286-0110
Washington University School of Medicine
http://medinfo.wustl.edu

posted by Sacred Steve at 9/24/2005 11:04:00 PM

Lycium May Repress Some Cancer Cells

Just a few weeks ago, the television program Law and Order touted the goji berry as a health promoting immune enhancer. Today, July 18 2005, one of the United States' largest circulation newspapers, the Los Angeles Times, wrote an extremely positive article on the goji berry. A copy of the article in full appears below.


SUPPLEMENTS
Lycium may repress some cancer cells
Elena Conis

Tibetan and Chinese legends tell of people who lived century-long lives while retaining the strength and beauty of youth - thanks to lycium. The sweet, red berries of the Lycium barbarum tree are rich in beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C and several essential minerals. Lycium - sometimes called matrimony vine, wolfberry, boxthorn and goji - is native to Asia.

Uses: Traditional Chinese herbalists recommend lycium to promote liver and kidney health, improve vision and stamina, boost immunity and fertility, combat disease and increase life span. It's also used to prevent morning sickness during pregnancy.

Dose: In traditional Chinese medicine, lycium is most often taken in combination with other herbs, such as schizandra or fennel. The berries can be eaten raw (fresh or dried), or made into a tea. Herbalists recommend half a cup of tea per day, made from about 10 grams of fruit.

Precautions: Some evidence suggests lycium may amplify the effects of blood-thinning drugs, such as warfarin.

Research: Much of the research on lycium's health-promoting properties has been done in China, where lycium has demonstrated anti-cancer and antioxidant activity in scores of lab and animal studies. In vitro, the berry has inhibited the growth of leukemia and liver and skin cancer cells. It's also diminished some signs of aging in mice. One clinical trial has shown that lycium may be helpful in treating certain cancers, but much more human research is needed to verify its efficacy.

posted by Sacred Steve at 7/18/2005 03:52:00 PM

Raw Food Vegans Thin But Healthy, Study Finds : Health - Reuters : Mon Mar 28, 5:13 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who adhere strictly to raw food vegetarian diets are thin but have surprisingly robust bones, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.


Although nutritionists and the food industry have warned that a diet without dairy foods can lead to the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, the team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found the vegans they studied had many of the signs of strong bones.


"We think it's possible these people don't have increased risk of fracture but that their low bone mass is related to the fact that they are lighter because they take in fewer calories," Dr. Luigi Fontana, who led the study, said in a statement.


"Raw food vegetarians believe in eating only plant-derived foods that have not been cooked, processed, or otherwise altered from their natural state,"
Fontana's team wrote in this week's issue of the Archives of Internal medicine.


"Because of their low calorie and low protein intake, raw food vegetarians have a low body mass index (BMI) and a low total body fat content. It is well documented that a low BMI and weight loss are strongly associated with low bone mass and increased fracture risk, while obesity protects against osteoporosis."


Fontana's team studied 18 strict raw food vegans aged 33 to 85. All ate a diet that included unprepared foods such vegetables, fruits, nuts, and sprouted grains. They had been on this diet for an average of 3.6 years.


The team compared them to 18 more average Americans. The raw food group had an average body mass index of 20.5, while the average group were slightly overweight with a BMI of 25.


BMI is an internationally accepted measurement of height to weight, and a BMI of 18.5 to 24 is considered the healthy range.


Fontana expected the vegans to have low vitamin D levels because they avoid all animal products including dairy. But in fact their vitamin D levels were "markedly higher" than average.


Vitamin D is made by the skin when the body is exposed to sunlight and is key to keeping strong bones. It is added to milk and other foods because it is so important.


"These people are clever enough to expose themselves to sunlight to increase their concentrations of vitamin D," Fontana said.


And the vegans had low levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory molecule that is becoming linked with the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic disease.


Furthermore, they had lower levels of IGF-1, a growth factor linked to risk of breast and prostate cancer.


Fontana does not advocate a raw food diet. But he said that to lower the risk of cancer and heart disease people should eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

posted by Sacred Steve at 3/31/2005 10:56:00 AM