Fruits, Veggies Not a Magic Bullet for Weight Loss, Study Finds

If you don't reduce your calorie intake, you won't slim down, researcher warns

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is often recommended as a way to lose weight, but doing so may not help you shed excess pounds, according to researchers.

They reviewed data from more than seven studies that examined how increased fruit and vegetable consumption affected weight loss.

"Across the board, all studies we reviewed showed a near-zero effect on weight loss," Kathryn Kaiser, an instructor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a university news release.

"So I don't think eating more [fruits and vegetables] alone is necessarily an effective approach for weight loss because just adding them on top of whatever foods a person may be eating is not likely to cause weight change," she added.

"Overly simplified messages don't seem to be very effective," she added.

However, Kaiser and her colleagues also found that eating more fruit does not increase the risk of weight gain.

"It appears that an increase in servings does not increase weight, which is a good thing for getting more vitamins and fiber in one's diet," she said.

The study, which involved 1,200 people in all, was published June 25 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Fruits and vegetables provide many health benefits, but people shouldn't expect these foods to help them slim down, Kaiser said.

"In the overall context of a healthy diet, energy reduction is the way to help lose weight, so to reduce weight you have to reduce caloric intake," she said.

"People make the assumption that higher-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables will displace the less healthy foods, and that's a mechanism to lose weight; but our findings from the best available evidence show that effect doesn't seem to be present among people simply instructed to increase fruit and vegetable intake," Kaiser concluded.

source : Fruits, Veggies Not a Magic Bullet for Weight Loss, Study Finds

Read more →

Healthy Weight Loss May Bring Better Sleep, Brighter Mood

But only the emotional boost seemed to last over the long-term, researchers say

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Dropping excess pounds may not only improve your physical health, it might also help you feel more awake and happy, a new study shows.

The research, presented this week at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society in Chicago, included 390 obese women and men who were assigned to one of three programs meant to help them lose weight through diet and exercise.

One group received usual care, in which they were given printed educational materials during visits every three months with their primary care provider. The second group saw their primary care provider every three months, and also had brief meetings with lifestyle coaches. The third group met with their primary care providers and lifestyle coaches, and also received meal replacements and weight-loss medications.

Changes in the participants' weight, amount and quality of sleep and mood were assessed after six and 24 months. The average weight loss in the usual care group was 4.4 pounds, compared with about 8 pounds in the second group and close to 15 pounds in the third group.

However, no matter which group they were in, participants who lost at least 5 percent of their weight after six months slept an average of nearly 22 minutes more each night than they had before, the study found.

People who lost less than that gained only about one more minute of sleep a night, the researchers added.

Those who lost at least 5 percent of their weight also had greater improvements in the quality of their sleep, as well as their overall mood, compared to those who lost less weight, the study found.

Not all of the benefits were sustained over time, however: After two years, only improvements in mood remained statistically significant for patients.

"This study confirms several studies reporting that weight loss is associated with increased sleep duration," lead investigator Dr. Nasreen Alfaris, a fellow in the department of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said in an Endocrine Society news release.

She believes more research is needed to see whether gaining back the lost weight might reverse the benefits to sleep and mood.

Experts note that findings presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

source : Healthy Weight Loss May Bring Better Sleep, Brighter Mood

Read more →

Cooler Indoor Temps May Help 'Good Fat' Grow

In small study, levels of healthy brown fat in men rose as thermostats were turned down

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An easy health boost may be as close as the nearest thermostat, a new study suggests.

Australian researchers found that cooler indoor temperatures stimulate the growth of healthy brown fat, while warm temperatures cause the loss of this beneficial type of fat.

Numerous studies have found that brown fat burns energy to generate body heat: it's designed to help keep babies and small animals warm. Prior research has also shown that animals with plentiful brown fat are less likely to develop obesity or diabetes.

The new study involved five healthy men and was led by Dr Paul Lee, an endocrinologist at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. His team exposed the men to different room temperatures over four months: 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the first month, 66 degrees during the second month, back to 75 degrees during the third month, and 80.5 degrees during the fourth month.

The men performed normal activities during the day but returned at night to spend at least 10 hours in the temperature-controlled setting.

The 75-degree temperature used in the first and third months is "thermo-neutral," which means the body does not have to work to produce or lose heat, the researchers explained.

The first month was used to determine the men's starting amount of brown fat. Lee's team found that those levels rose by 30 to 40 percent in the second (cool) month, returned to original levels in the third month, and then fell below those original levels in the fourth (warmest) month.

The effect of indoor temperatures on brown fat was independent of outdoor temperatures, the researchers noted.

The Australian group also found that the men's insulin sensitivity increased when they had greater amounts of brown fat.

That means that that people with more brown fat required less insulin after a meal to bring their blood sugar levels down. This suggests that brown fat may be beneficial for people with diabetes, whose bodies have difficulty lowering blood sugar levels after a meal.

"The improvement in insulin sensitivity accompanying brown fat gain may open new avenues in the treatment of impaired glucose metabolism in the future," Lee said in an institute news release.

"On the other hand, the reduction in mild cold exposure from widespread central heating in contemporary society may impair brown fat function and may be a hidden contributor to obesity and metabolic disorders," he added.

The study was published online June 22 in the journal Diabetes and was to be presented at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society in Chicago.

source : Cooler Indoor Temps May Help 'Good Fat' Grow

Read more →

Official Manchester United Website

The Zone Diets, Here's what's trending on Twitter this week.         Manchester United @ManUtd_MY Baca bagaimana Antonio Valencia & #ECU bangkit dari ketinggalan untuk menang ke atas #HON di Curitiba: manutd.com/en/News-And-Fe… #RedsInBrazil 21 Jun Official Manchester United Website Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia played his part in Ecuador's come-from-behind win over Honduras at the 2014 World Cup. 1 Related tweet OfficialAFC_ID @OfficialAFC_ID Jangan lupa, kalian dapat mengikuti semua pemain bintang #Arsenal di #WorldCup disini: po.st/lV2Q3N pic.twitter.com/YhkXd7c5iR 21 Jun World Cup 2014 There are 11 Arsenal players in action at the World Cup in Brazil this summer and we have all the latest stats from the tournament here. Arsenal players at... BII Maybank @biifriends Foto selfie saat shopping brhadiah voucher belanja total 10Juta & 2 Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 di #MaybankSaleTrail. Klik maybk.co/2f600d 21 Jun The Maybank Sale Trail: Mid Year Sale Share with us your unforgettable and best shopping experience during this sale period to win! * Shopping Voucher @america @atamerica [VIDEO] Rekaman #RapRumbleAtamerica bisa kalian lihat melalui tautan: ow.ly/yicBb || @HipHopHeroesNet @KojekRapBetawi @LazyP_ 21 Jun Rap Rumble @america We will never share your contact information. You can unsubscribe BIMA Satria Garuda @bsatriagaruda Press Release H-3! @reinobarack @OfficialRCTI pic.twitter.com/qu6T8TU0yX 22 Jun 1 Retweet infoAXIC @AxicInfo Dear All RR AXIC Participants #ToyotaDriveYourLife #JamboreTOC2014 @ToyotaID Thanks for All Support Winner's Booth pic.twitter.com/rAe4lt5O5S 22 Jun 1 Retweet sidney jones @sidneyIPAC Prabowo vs Jokowi is bombast vs stuttering. More substance from Jokowi but poorly delivered. 22 Jun 1 Retweet Kate Lamb @Katieolamb Biggest win in this debate is Indonesian democracy. The fact these debates are even happening is amazing. #debatecapres3 22 Jun 1 Retweet Don't miss out. Stay up to date on what's happening. Go to Twitter Forgot your Twitter password? Get instructions on how to reset it. You can also change your email digest frequency or unsubscribe from these emails. Need help? If you received this message in error and did not sign up for Twitter, click not my account. Twitter, Inc. 1355 Market St., Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94103

Read more →

FDA: Bee Pollen Weight Loss Products Pose Health Risks

Some contain undeclared ingredients that can harm people with high blood pressure, other ailments, agency says

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Some bee pollen products marketed for weight loss may actually threaten your health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

These potentially dangerous products have been found to contain undeclared ingredients that may harm people who have conditions such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and bipolar disorder, the agency said.

According to the FDA, the undeclared ingredients sibutramine and/or phenolphthalein have been found in the following bee pollen weight loss products: Zi Xiu Tang, Ultimate Formula, Fat Zero, Bella Vi Amp'd Up, Insane Amp'd Up, Slim Trim U, Infinity, Perfect Body Solution, Asset Extreme, Asset Extreme Plus, Asset Bold, and Asset Bee Pollen.

Sibutramine was removed from the U.S. market in late 2010 after studies showed that it increased people's risk of heart attack and stroke. Phenolphthalein, a laxative and a suspected cancer-causing agent, isn't approved in the United States, the FDA said.

The agency said it has received more than 50 reports of problems caused by tainted bee pollen weight loss products, including at least one death, serious heart issues, chest pain, heart palpitations, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, seizures, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, insomnia and diarrhea.

The FDA is testing other bee pollen weight loss products suspected to contain undeclared drugs.

The FDA also noted that many bee pollen products make unproven claims about treating or preventing a number of diseases and signs or symptoms of disease, including obesity, allergies, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

"When people buy these tainted bee pollen weight loss products, they are unknowingly taking one or more hidden drugs that have been banned from the market," Gary Coody, FDA's national health fraud coordinator, said in an agency news release.

Consumers and health care professionals should report any adverse events caused by bee pollen products to the FDA's MedWatch program at http://ift.tt/V7HoJ4.

"It is tempting to believe that a quick and effortless weight loss supplement is safe for use," Jason Humbert, a senior regulatory manager with FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs, said in the news release. "But given the fact that these products contain a hidden dangerous ingredient, consumers should avoid taking them."

source : FDA: Bee Pollen Weight Loss Products Pose Health Risks

Read more →