The Good (and Bad) News About Grapefruit

You may be able to help balance your blood lipids with a daily helping of grapefruit.

In a recent study of people with atherosclerosis who had recently undergone coronary bypass surgery, eating one red grapefruit per day helped reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Keep in mind, however, that grapefruit interferes with many cholesterol medications, so don't add this fruit to the menu without doctor consent.

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can dangerously increase the absorption of both cholesterol medications and some blood pressure medications, so speak with your healthcare provider if you are on any of these medications and would like to include grapefruit in your diet. Your healthcare provider may recommend against it, or may decide on another medication to prevent complications. Never change your medication routine without consulting your healthcare provider.

For people in good health who are not on medication and would like to eat grapefruit, keep in mind that although yellow grapefruit positively affected blood lipids in a recent study, red grapefruit led to a greater reduction in lipids, most likely due to a higher content of the favorable compounds that provide an antioxidant effect. In addition to altering concentrations of blood pressure and cholesterol medications, grapefruit and grapefruit juice have been known to interfere with some antidepressants, sleeping pills, asthma medications, hormone contraceptives, and others types of medication.

Reference
Red grapefruit positively influences serum triglyceride levels in patients suffering from coronary atherosclerosis: studies in vitro and in humans. Gorinstein, S., Caspi, A., Libman, I., Lerner, H. T., Huang, D., Leontowicz, H., Leontowicz, M., Tashma, Z., Katrich, E., Feng, S., Trakhtenberg, S., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2006 Mar 8;54(5):1887-1892.

The Truth About Chicken Soup

Ingredients in chicken soup have anti-inflammatory properties that inhibit the movement of neutrophils into airways. Neutrophils are white blood cells that contribute to the inflammation that causes cold symptoms. Combat your next cold with plenty of rest, lots of fluids, and a bowl of homemade chicken soup.

Typical cold symptoms include coughing, sneezing, and a stuffy nose. Chicken soup may help quell symptoms in several ways. First, chicken soup contains compounds that help inhibit mucus production. In addition to chicken soup's anti-inflammatory effects, the heat and steam may help open up nasal passages. If you have a cold, get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration. Over-the-counter cold remedies may help relieve your symptoms but they cannot cure a cold. Sipping hot chicken soup may help, as well -- a steamy bowl of chicken soup with plenty of garlic and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper will boost the nasal-clearing effects of the soup. And be sure to finish the broth; researchers determined most of the anti-inflammatory effects of chicken soup come from the liquid.

Reference
Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro. Rennard, B. O., Ertl, R. F., Gossman, G. L., Robbins, R. A., Rennard, S. I., Chest 2000 Oct;118(4):1150-1157.

Avoid Late-Day Letdown

If you're trying to meet an afternoon deadline, make sure you take the time to eat lunch.

A recent study revealed that hypoglycemia, a low blood sugar condition that can develop when a person doesn't eat enough, may shorten the attention span temporarily. In the study, people experiencing hypoglycemia had shorter attention spans and processed information more slowly than they did when their blood sugar levels were normal.

Hypoglycemia occurs when blood levels of glucose, the body's main fuel, drop too low to sustain the body's activities. Hypoglycemia can occur as a complication of diabetes, or result when a person eats too little food or exercises too strenuously. However, eating just a small amount of food can reverse hypoglycemia.

Reference

Acute hypoglycemia in humans causes attentional dysfunction while nonverbal intelligence is preserved. McAulay, V., Deary, I. J., Ferguson, S. C., Frier, B. M., Diabetes Care 2001 Oct;24(10):1745-1750.

The Deep Sleep Diet

Add a good night’s sleep to your checklist of helpful weight-loss aids.

Sleep deprivation interferes with appetite-suppressing hormones, increases stress hormone levels, and decreases a person’s glucose tolerance, all of which may contribute to weight gain. Another way sleep loss may help pile on the pounds: late-night munching. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day to help achieve sounder sleep.

Although more research is needed to confirm the link between sleep and weight, getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night can add three years to your life and help improve your mood. Overweight and obese adults are more likely to report skimping on sleep compared to people with healthy body mass indexes. Expending more calories than you take in is the simple science behind any successful weight-loss program. The best way to do this is to eat a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and boost the amount of time you spend exercising. Other habits may boost your weight loss efforts or hamper them. For example, skimping on sleep negatively alters levels of hormones involved in carbohydrate metabolism and appetite control, which may contribute to weight gain. And living a hectic, high-stress lifestyle may make it harder for you to focus on your health and may increase the likelihood that you’ll make poor food choices and skip your exercise routine. Set yourself up for success by living a balanced lifestyle, in addition to balancing calorie intake and expenditure.

REFERENCE
Overweight and obese patients in a primary care population report less sleep than patients with a normal body mass index. Vorona, R. D., Winn, M. P., Babineau, T. W., Eng, B. P., Feldman, H. R., Ware, J. C., Archives of Internal Medicine 2005 Jan 10;165(1):25-30.

Asparagus For Your Brain

Help keep your mind sharp with a few tender spears of asparagus.
Low blood levels of folate and high blood levels of homocysteine were associated with greater memory problems for people 65 and older in a recent study. Protect against memory deficits by getting plenty of folate-rich foods such as asparagus. Increasing your blood levels of folate can help keep your homocysteine levels in check. Ideally, you should plan for consuming 700 micrograms of folate per day in food and supplements for the strongest benefit.
Consuming ample amounts of dietary folate can help reduce blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and mental decline when found in excess in the bloodstream. Both genes and diet affect homocysteine levels. In a recent study of nearly 2,200 people age 65 and older, researchers discovered that both elevated blood folate levels and decreased blood homocysteine levels were associated with better memory function. Asparagus has 190 micrograms of brain-boosting folate per one-half cup serving. Other good sources of folate include artichokes, black-eyed peas, and fortified orange juice and cereals.

Reference
Plasma total homocysteine and memory in the elderly: The Hordaland Homocysteine study. Nurk, E., Refsum, H., Tell, G. S., Engedal, K., Vollset, S. E., Ueland, P. M., Nygaard, H. A., Smith, A. D., Annals of Neurology 2005 Dec;58(6):847-857.

SWELL Health tips are brought to to you weekly by the SAE SWELL Committee. Send comments to swell@sae.org.

Busting Through Weight Plateaus

As you begin your journey toward a healthier, slimmer you, be prepared for weight plateaus. They are a natural part of the weight loss process, but they aren’t a setback. It’s all in how you measure your success. Even though the numbers on the scale may not be changing, you’re gaining many health benefits from your new way of life. Here are a couple of strategies to help you deal with weight plateaus in a positive way.

Change your mindset. When the needle on the bathroom scale seems to be taking a break, stay focused on your healthy lifestyle by expanding your definition of weight loss success. Keep in mind that eating better and exercising regularly have changed your body composition -- you’ll likely have more lean body mass, which weighs more than fat. And although the scale may not reflect these changes, rest assured that people who eat right and exercise regularly can experience health benefits, including a decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes, a better blood lipid profile, improved blood sugar control, and lower blood pressure.

Keep a positive attitude and stay motivated by tracking your success with other key health measurements, in addition to weight, such as body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, or cholesterol levels. Your healthcare provider or local health club can assist you in taking some of these measurements.

Focus on how you feel. Eating right and exercising regularly aren’t only about losing weight. They’re about feeling great, too. Keep a journal to track how your mood and energy levels have changed throughout the course of your weight management plans. If you lose weight and keep it off, you’ll also benefit from a strong immune system. Research suggests that people whose weight remains stable over time have stronger immune systems than people who experience weight fluctuations from yo-yo dieting. Check your work. Finally, there is always the possibility that your weight plateau is related to your exercise levels or eating habits, so if you’re having trouble reaching your weight loss goal, take the opportunity to make positive changes to your habits. Tweak your exercise routine to work different muscle groups, try a different cardiovascular exercise, and experiment with different healthy food choices to help make your diet even more diverse.

Achieving permanent weight loss success takes time, so don’t be discouraged by the occasional plateau.