On Feb 16, 9:34 am, Bill Eitner <kd6...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Caleb wrote:
> > On Feb 15, 9:59 am, Bill Eitner <kd6...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> >> There was another good one on as well called
> >> Hidden Epidemic: Heart Disease in America.
> >> Keep an eye out for it on your local PBS
> >> station. The highlight as far as I was concerned
> >> was the revelation that the angiogram isn't the
> >> gold standard test they thought it was. In other
> >> words, the idea that heart disease / arteriosclerosis
> >> is basically a plumbing problem (arteries hardening
> >> and reducing in size) is inaccurate. This was
> >> discovered with the development of IVUS (intra-
> >> vascular ultrasound). IVUS shows arteries in
> >> cross-section. Here's a link for those who are
> >> interested:http://tinyurl.com/2x4m75
>
> >> In a nutshell, the idea now is not only to focus
> >> on cholesterol in order to slow plaque formation,
> >> but to reduce the inflammation created by activity
> >> within the plaques themselves and the immune response
> >> that causes additional inflammation--the end result
> >> of which are physical breaks in the arteries which
> >> expose the plaque to blood which creates the clots
> >> that actually block the arteries. Delaying breaks
> >> in the arteries delay the clots that are the actual
> >> problem.
>
> >> Thought of from a diet perspective it seems that
> >> Barry Sears (author of the Zone books), Nicholas
> >> Perricone and others whose diets have strong anti-
> >> inflammatory aspects are the ones who have gotten
> >> it right. Good carbs, good fats, moderation, a
> >> c-reactive protein test, and appropriate EFA
> >> supplementation based on the result of that test
> >> appears to be a worthwhile approach to delaying
> >> cardiovascular problems.
> >> --
>
> >> Caleb wrote:
> >>> There is a terrific show tonight on NOVA talking about the Framingham
> >>> Heart Study. This is one of the earliest systematic study of risk
> >>> factors for the heart and it found (among other things) that high
> >>> blood pressure, smoking, and lack of exercise lead to heart disease.
> >>> See the following for a general introduction to the study:
> >>>http://www.framingham.com/heart/profile.htm
> >>> Obesity is one of the risk factors described and clearly it should be
> >>> reduced. (Among other things, it is associated with diabetes and
> >>> congestive heart failure.)
> >>> Anyway, hope this is motivating to people.
> >>> Yours truly,
> >>> Caleb
>
> > Is this also the reason for the benefits of aspirin, as an
> > antiinflammitory?
>
> As far as heart disease is concerned, it's the
> blood thinning (anti-clotting) aspect that is
> the main focus of aspirin therapy.
>
> > There was also a really cool article about 8 months ago in Science
> > Notes describing extra virgin olive oil. Someone had tasted that and
> > had tasted not long before liquid Advil (or something very close to
> > that), and he said, those things taste very similar. It turns out that
> > extra virgin olive oil has antiinflammitory properties similar to the
> > Advil. (The world is a strange place, that's for sure.)
>
> In the realm of EFA supplementation to delay
> cardiovascular problems, olive oil is considered
> neutral. In other words, it doesn't add to the
> problem, but it's not as beneficial as other
> oils like fish oil and flax seed oil.
>
> > Thanks! I'll be watching for the show you mentioned!
>
> You're welcome. And in the meantime if you're
> interested in learning more about the diet/heart
> disease connection, I highly recommend the latest
> Zone (Barry Sears) book: The Anti-Inflammatory Zone.
> The one before it: The Omega-Rx Zone is good too.
> Your local public library is likely to have at
> least one of them.
> --
>
> > Yours,
>
> > Caleb
About the olive oil, there's this at
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/
health/240071_condor12.html
Living Well: There's vigor in that vinaigrette
By BOB CONDOR
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
Here's some new research that is easy to swallow: Extra virgin olive
oil has healthful anti-inflammatory properties.
Less appealing is how that olive oil feels going from your mouth to
your stomach.
"There is a throat sting associated with it," said Gary Beauchamp,
director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, an
independent, non-profit research organization. Beauchamp and colleague
Paul Breslin are primary authors of the new research study published
in the journal Nature this month.
Beauchamp said olive oil aficionados and professional tasters
recognize the sensation. It is a sort of burning that sometimes
requires a slight cough or clearing of the throat. Not necessarily
unpleasant or painful but potent in any case.
"Some olive oils are even rated as zero-cough, one-cough or two-
cough," said Beauchamp, adding that a no-cough variety likely brings
little anti-inflammatory effect. "But you don't feel the sensation
until it is deep in your throat. It's not like hot peppers, which burn
everywhere."
This whole throat-sting business grabbed Beauchamp's attention while
he was attending a "molecular gastronomy" meeting in the Sicily region
of Italy a couple of years ago. As part of the scientific conference,
there was a tasting session featuring extra virgin olive oils from
Tuscany. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed and freshest
type.
Along with other participants, Beauchamp actually drank small samples
of olive oil in a fashion similar to wine tastings. His swallows
recalled research conducted by Breslin at Monell. On the spot, he
decided to bring home a bottle of the Tuscan oil for Breslin.
Breslin had asked Beauchamp and others to participate in a study in
which volunteers ingested
ibuprofen, the anti-inflammatory pain
medication found in such over-the-counter products as Advil and
Motrin. As it turns out, ibuprofen has no taste in the mouth but burns
at the bottom of the throat.
"Drinking the [extra virgin] olive oil was exactly the same sensation
I felt in Paul's study on ibuprofen," said Beauchamp. "When I returned
to Philadelphia, I poured a small cup for Paul and asked him to taste.
He realized the same throat-sting."
advertising
So the Monell scientists set out to study the chemical properties of
extra virgin olive oil. One reason is because sensory properties of
substances can have matching pharmacology properties. Since extra
virgin olive oil and ibuprofen felt the same at the bottom of the
throat, the hypothesis was the two might affect the body in the same
anti-inflammatory fashion. The study was conducted without any funding
from olive oil producers or food companies.
Other reasons to explore the potential anti-inflammatory properties of
olive oil: Medical researchers are increasingly linking inflammation
with coronary heart disease and cancers.
Plus, olive oil is positively associated with healthy omega-3 fats and
popularized through extensive media coverage of the Mediterranean
diet.
Susan Kleiner, the Mercer Island nutritionist who has detailed the
Daylight Diet in this column over the past year, connects omega-3 fats
to improved mood and weight loss.
"I call them feel-good foods," Kleiner said. "Adding salmon, black
cod, shellfish and, of course, olives and olive oil, will lift your
mood."
What Breslin and Beauchamp discovered was that extra virgin olive oil
from the Tuscany region indeed acted like ibuprofen as an anti-
inflammatory agent. Monell scientists broke down the molecular
structure of olive oil and isolated a compound they have labeled
oleocanthal.
The Monell researchers plan several follow-ups to this first study,
but preliminarily have determined that Tuscan extra virgin olive oil
has the most oleocanthal. Beauchamp said he has tested some Greek oils
with relatively high levels and even one from Peru.
California olive oils have less oleocanthal, the Monell scientists
report, but some Northern California producers have imported Tuscan
olive trees that have higher oleocanthal levels.
Heating olive oil changes its properties, which is why low-heat at
most is recommended. The Monell researchers say heating extra virgin
olive oil would destroy any anti-inflammatory effect. Aging an olive
oil can reduce anti-inflammatory effect too. Unlike vegetable oils,
olive oil can be consumed without any processing beyond squeezing or
pressing the olives.
One of Beauchamp's concerns is that this new study will encourage
people to simply add olive oil to their diets. While nutrient-dense,
the oil is also calorie-dense and needs to be balanced into total
diet.
"Some media reports have associated consuming more extra virgin olive
oil with relieving a headache (another inflammatory body response),
but that's silly," said Beauchamp.
More likely, he said, is the long-term addition of extra virgin olive
oil to your daily meals could provide a complementary and healthy
effect in your nutrition intake, similar to how a baby aspirin may
reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Just be prepared for the
higher cost of extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany and that added
intensity in the throat.
************************************************** **********
The world continues to be a very interesting place!
Yours,
Caleb
Great show on NOVA tonight talking about the Framingham Heart Study 
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