By Christy Brissette By Christy Brissette April 4 at 7:00 AM

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (a.k.a. the DASH diet) is celebrating 20 years of helping people with hypertension and pre-hypertension lower blood pressure just as well as some medications. It has the potential to lower health-care costs and has been a component of the national dietary guidelines for over 10 years. So why are so few people using it?

What is the DASH diet?

The DASH diet emphasizes foods rich in protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium and calcium and low in saturated fat, sugar and salt. On your plate, that looks like plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, fish, poultry, whole grains and low-fat dairy, with fewer fatty meats and sweets. Although DASH is not a reduced-sodium diet, lowering sodium intake by eating whole foods over processed foods enhances the diets effect.

The original trial of the DASH diet showed reductions in both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure across subgroups of gender, race and ethnicity and in hypertensive and pre-hypertensive patients. Further studies have found that adherence to the DASH diet lowered total and LDL cholesterol, reduced the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke even throughout several years of follow-up, and reduced bone turnover, improving bone health.

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Who should follow the DASH diet?

The DASH diet is recommended in the Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults and by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute because of its blood-pressure-lowering effects for hypertensive adults, and its also been shown to be effective for pre-hypertensive patients. So if your blood pressure is elevated or youve been diagnosed with hypertension, the DASH diet is for you.

But what if you dont have high blood pressure? Are there benefits from following the DASH diet?

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say the model eating plan for all Americans is the DASH diet, because it outlines a generally healthy diet from which anyone can benefit. Following the DASH diets principles will mean youre eating a nutrient-rich yet not calorie-dense diet that has been shown to be helpful for promoting weight loss and maintenance.

A growing body of evidence suggests DASH is also helpful for managing diabetes, preventing cancer and improving kidney health.

Why arent more people following the DASH diet?

If the DASH diet is so beneficial and well studied, why isnt everyone following it? Analyses of health and nutrition in the United States from 1988 to 2012 showed that less than 1 percent of the population adhered to the DASH diet and that only 20 percent met half of the recommended nutrient levels in DASH. Compare these numbers to the half of Americans who have high blood pressure, and we can safely say theres plenty of work to be done to increase adherence to the DASH diet.

Dori Steinberg, a research scholar at Duke University, says one of the reasons the DASH diet hasnt taken off is that its recommended foods arent so accessible as fast food and processed foods. Its much easier to grab a fast-food burger and fries than it is to make a spinach salad with strawberries, she says.

Although the DASH diet can certainly be followed on a tight budget, changing the food environment to make healthy options such as fruits and vegetables more affordable and widely available at convenience stores, grab-and-go restaurants, community facilities and more is key to increasing adherence.

Most hypertensive patients who would benefit from counseling on the DASH diet see primary-care physicians exclusively and therefore receive little nutrition counseling beyond suggestions about lowering sodium in the diet. The poor adherence to the DASH diet presents a call to action for primary-care physicians to become more familiar with the diet and to refer patients to registered dietitians, who can provide the dietary counseling people need to put DASH into action.

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Getting more Americans on DASH

The key to helping people eat better is giving them the tools they need to put nutrition information into action. Its not enough to provide a list of guidelines; we need to give people recipes and support them in learning basic cooking skills to prepare healthier meals.

Dietitians can share information with clients on how to shop for DASH-appropriate foods on a budget, such as canned beans and fish and frozen vegetables and fruit. Any medical or health professional can give their patients and clients information on the DASH diet from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website.

Steinberg says ongoing dietary counseling has been shown to help people stick to the DASH diet, but her research group at Duke wants to leverage technology to bring knowledge of and support for the diet to the masses.

There arent any apps that focus on DASH, so were working on developing a DASH diet app that can leverage other apps that people are already using to track their diet, activity levels and more, Steinberg says.

Getting more media exposure for the DASH diet is another avenue to increase awareness. U.S. News & World Report experts rated DASH as the top diet overall for several years, adding to the diets research credibility and helping to bring it to a wider audience.

So why does the DASH diets following pale in comparison to other popular diets? Its time DASH got a celebrity endorsement. Or a splashy website with some dramatic before-and-after photos!

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Letting go of perfection

Could positive health outcomes occur if a person didnt follow all of the DASH diet principles but still incorporated some of them?

According to Steinberg, Every two-point increase in DASH adherence score leads to a linear reduction in blood pressure. And improvements in blood pressure are seen in just two weeks.

So this is a diet where you can do your best and see results quickly rather than worrying about following it perfectly. There is such a thing as good enough when it comes to healthy eating, and I counsel clients on this all the time. Is fear about having to stick to a diet holding you back from eating better today? What if your diet doesnt have to be 100 percent healthy? Eating well is about getting your ratio of healthy eating closer to 80 percent and being happy with each improvement along the way.

Perhaps for its anniversary, the DASH diet should consider a rebranding and be renamed the DASH lifestyle. Diets are temporary. The DASH lifestyle deserves to be here for another 20 years and beyond.

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The DASH diet is proven to work. Why hasn't it caught on? - Washington Post

Susan Spencer Telegram & Gazette Staff @SusanSpencerTG

WORCESTER - Of the top causes of death in the United States, only No. 6, Alzheimer's disease, can't be prevented, cured or slowed. Unlike killers such as heart disease, cancer and stroke, the number of deaths from Alzheimer's disease is rising rapidly, up 89 percent since 2000, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Every 66 seconds someone in the U.S. develops the disease, which now affects more than 5 million Americans.

"We're really seeing a crisis with Alzheimer's disease," cognitive neuroscientist Jonathan Jackson from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital told a packed room at Harrington Learning Center at Quinsigamond Community College Monday night. Mr. Jackson spoke about the brain, aging and Alzheimer's disease for the Alzheimer's Association Massachusetts/New Hampshire chapter's Alz Talks on groundbreaking research.

Among the biggest shifts in research is a focus now on prevention, since brain changes resulting in Alzheimer's disease and dementia have been shown on imaging studies to appear 15 to 20 years before diagnosis, according to Mr. Jackson.

Scientists know that Alzheimer's disease is the death of brain cells caused by some as-yet unknown mechanism involving the proteins amyloid, which "gunks up" the brain with sticky clumps, and tau, which weakens the structure of cell walls from the inside.

The mechanism triggers the loss of brain matter roughly equal to the weight of an orange, out of an original brain weight of roughly three pounds. And it tends to start in the part of the brain, the medial temporal lobe, where memories are re-assembled.

"We have moved to a stage of trying to prevent Alzheimer's disease rather than treat it outright," Mr. Jackson said.

Clinical research trials on treatment have been disappointing. "The research was hopeful but not terribly realistic," he said.

One of the current "darlings of the Alzheimer's and dementia world" is the Mediterranean diet, emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and fish, and cutting out red meat, cheese, pastry and other processed and fried food. Combined with a low-sodium diet over five years, this plan has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia by 57 percent, according to Mr. Jackson.

"Even if you're not great at the diet, every little bit helps," he said.

Scientists are learning still why the diet works to prevent Alzheimer's, part of a growing focus on what's known as epigenetics, the interaction between external factors and genetics.

Mr. Jackson said it's no longer the question of nature vs. nurture. "It's really the two, over time, together."

But hope isn't lost for treatment.Mr. Jackson said he expected more promising news would be forthcoming as soon as this summer.

One avenue of potentially fruitful research, in its early phases with human subjects, involves opening up the blood-brain barrier with ultrasound, which could allow microscopic bits of medicine to be delivered just to the part of the brain that needs it.

Another involves light-pulse treatment in the eyes that appears to clear out amyloid from inside the brain cells.

Though these treatments "sound crazy," Mr. Jackson said, "It does seem to be the real deal."

The role of the glymphatic system, a pathway in sleep for keeping the brain healthy, is also being investigated.

The next big thing to prevent and even intervene in the development of Alzheimer's disease may be CRISPR technology, which Mr. Jackson said "allows us to re-write DNA."

Clinical trials using CRISPR are starting with diabetes, and modifying genetic risks for Alzheimer's is also an early target.

Mr. Jackson, as well as Alzheimer's Association representatives at the program, stressed the importance of people volunteering to participate in clinical trials to help find a cure.

Julie McMurray, Central Massachusetts regional manager for the association, said that 50,000 volunteers with and without Alzheimer's are needed for more than 250 clinical trials across the U.S. The Alzheimer's Association can help match participants with the studies.

In the meantime, Mr. Jackson presented tips for aging gracefully and keeping one's mind as healthy as possible. These included:

Use external cues, such as Post-It notes, to remind yourself. Just the act of writing the reminder down makes your brain encode the memory in a new way, making it easier to re-assemble.

Test yourself on memory over expanded intervals. For instance, when you meet someone, say their name. Later in the conversation, repeat the name. Over a longer period of time, as you're parting perhaps, repeat the name again.

Be intellectual and be social, ideally together. Talk to others, solve problems or play challenging games that engage your mind.

Get your heart pumping with aerobic exercise.

Lower your stress, which reduces harmful effects of inflammation on the body.

Maintain a healthy diet and weight.

Volunteer for clinical trials to help find a cure for Alzheimer's disease.

For further information visit http://www.alz.org/MANH or call the Alzheimer's Association's 24/7 Helpline at (800) 272-3900.

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Alzheimer's research shifts to prevention, with diet as latest 'darling' - Worcester Telegram

April 4, 2017 by Clare Collins Lee Ashton, Megan Rollo, Rebecca Williams And Tracy Burrows, The Conversation Almost half of people report being on diets - so you should know what works and what doesnt. Credit: http://www.shutterstock.com.au

With almost half the adult population trying to lose weight - it's time to bust some diet myths that just won't go away. Here's eight we've been asked about lately.

1. Celery has "negative" calories

A 15cm celery stalk has 19 kilojoules (five calories). Your body uses about 10% of the celery's total kilojoule value to digest it. This is called the thermic effect of food.

In practical terms it's just one or two kilojoules. The only thing with "negative calories" is cold water. That's because it needs to warm up to body temperature before it can be absorbed. That "heating" uses up some kilojoules. Water itself contains no kilojoules, so the overall effect is "negative."

2. Not eating after 7pm speeds up weight loss

More important than the time of day you eat, is what you eat and how much you eat. Your total kilojoule intake, plus the physical activity performed over a whole day determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain weight. No matter when you eat, if you take in more kilojoules than you need, your body will store the excess as fat.

A recent review found altering meal frequency, where you eat your whole days food as either one, two or three meals per day, makes almost no difference to body weight.

Some short term studies have found that eating MOST of your kilojoules late in the day could make blood sugar control worse, but longer term trials are needed to check this. An advantage of closing down the kitchen early is that less total food gets eaten, especially less junk food and less alcohol.

3. Drinking water before meals makes you lose more weight

This one could work for some. A recent randomised controlled trial in adults with obesity assigned half to drink 500ml of plain water 30 mins before breakfast, lunch and dinner, while the other half had to visualise their stomach being full 30 minutes before meals.

Both groups lost weight over 12 weeks, but those in the water drinking group lost 1.3 kg more than the visualisation group. A comprehensive review of randomised controlled trials on the effects drinking more water on energy intake and metabolism found highly variable results that ranged from negative, to null, to positive effects. But drinking plain water can help to reduce total daily kilojoule intake when it replaces drinks like softdrink, cordial and juice.

4. Ketogenic diets are better than other diets

Ketogenic diets drastically cut carbohydrate and are very high in fat and protein. A meta-analysis of 13 weight loss studies that ran for at least one year, found slightly greater weight loss of 900 grams in those following a ketogenic diet compared to a low-fat diet.

Another systematic review examined the impact of two types of severely energy restricted weight loss diets on appetite.

Meta-analyses of the two ketogenic diet studies that severely restricted carbohydrate found they reduced hunger and lowered desire to eat. The three very low energy diet (VLED) studies, where total energy is restricted to under 2,500 kilojoules per day, found significantly lower hunger levels, with greater fullness and satiety. These diets are very restrictive and should only be used under medical supervision due to potential side-effects, including headaches, bad breath, gall bladder disease and constipation.

5. Chewing gum speeds up weight loss

Chewing sends signals to your brain that you're starting to eat and will soon feel full. A study in 60 adults tested whether chewing hard or soft gum, or none at all, affected appetite.

They found chewing any gum led to a small decrease in energy intake in lean adults, but tended to increase food intake in those who were overweight. A systematic review evaluated evidence on relationships between chewing, appetite and food intake.

Meta-analysis of 13 studies found chewing was associated with reduced feelings of hunger, while 10 of 16 experimental studies found chewing reduced food intake. They noted a publication bias existed, meaning studies with positive findings were more likely to be published. Interestingly, the impact of chewing gum as part of a weight loss intervention hasn't been tested.

6. Don't eat before a work-out to burn more fat

Should you eat before a work out? Debate rages, but this has been tested in a study comparing total energy expenditure and amounts of fat and carbohydrate burned up before, during and after exercise in 12 active healthy males.

They were tested following an overnight fast and on another day after eating breakfast. Fasting before exercise gave a 15% greater rate of fat burning during exercise, compared to eating breakfast. However, eating breakfast led to a 20% greater total exercise energy expenditure compared to fasting.

7. Green tea speeds up metabolism

A 2012 review of 15 studies in adults with overweight or obesity examined the impact of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance and found no significant long-term effects.

But a recent review in adults with metabolic syndrome on the effects of any type of tea or tea extracts found small beneficial effects on weight loss, but the results need to be interpreted with caution due to the poor quality of some included studies.

8. Eating grapefruit melts fat

No need to rush out in search of grapefruit. A meta-analysis of three randomised controlled trials on the effect of eating grapefruit on body weight found no change in body weight compared to controls.

Explore further: Review: Ketogenic diets suppress appetite despite weight loss

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

(HealthDay)A review of evidence supports that ketogenic diets suppress appetite despite weight loss. The research was published online Nov. 17 in Obesity Reviews.

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University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers are trying to find out whether changing a person's eating schedule can help them lose weight and burn fat.

It has often been recommended in popular weight-loss programs that overweight and obese individuals hoping to shed unwanted pounds should drink more water.

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Sleep deprivation may result in people consuming more calories during the following day, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis led by researchers at King's College London.

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Specific messaging and resources are needed to promote healthy weight gain during pregnancy for young mothers, a new study suggests.

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Eight diet mythsbusted - Medical Xpress

Consider the impact a diet can have on your health.

You can lose weight. But is it healthy? Certain diet fads can impact health in a negative way, rather than a positive one. Diets restrict types of foods that may have a negative impact on health and weight, but these foods may also provide certain nutrients our body needs.

The gluten-free diet can be considered the in-between when it comes to dangerous diet fads. The impact can be negative or it can be positive.

If you decide to go gluten-free and you arent gluten sensitive, you may start feeling better just because you are eating more healthfully and being more conscious of your food choices, said Bekah Vukovich, a nutrition and dietetics graduate student and consultant for Working Well Nutrition at Ball State.

However, throwing out gluten if you don't have an allergyis not typicallyrecommended as you can lose important vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Gluten is a general term for a protein found in grains like wheat, barley and rye. Gluten is found in fiber rich foods like pasta and bread. Soup, sauces, beer and other foods may contain gluten too.

Some chose to be gluten-free. Others are forced to maintain a strict gluten-free diet.

A strict gluten-free diet is required if you have celiac disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder. For someone with celiac disease, gluten damages the intestine.

Over the course of my life, I always thought my stomach hurt after meals because I ate too fast or just too much, Payton Domschke, a freshman geography major said.

Domschke discovered she had celiac disease during high school after struggling with the pain and symptoms of the disease.

One in 100 people have the disease.

The disease is only diagnosed by a blood test. Some people do not test positive but still experience similar symptoms. The term for this allergy is non-celiac gluten sensitivity or non-celiac wheat sensitivity.

Symptoms of an allergy include bloating, diarrhea, headaches, depression or chronic fatigue. The intensity may vary depending on the individuals tolerance.

Eating naturally gluten-free products or whole grains can improve health because some items, such as fruits and vegetables,are healthier than certain foods. However, many gluten-free items often have additives to mimic the original product. These additives can be unhealthy.

Finding the proper replacement is important. The diet can lack the proper nutrients when food replacements are not planned accordingly.

A strict gluten-free diet can also be costly and timely.

When being at home and within a family dynamic, I found changing my diet a difficult task to handle in the beginning, Domschke said.

Being gluten-free involves careful label reading and avoiding cross contamination in the food. Eating out can be a difficult task for strict gluten-free diets.

When it comes to customer service, others sometimes do not understand what gluten is in general or how to cater to that need, Domschke said.

Some restaurants have a gluten-free menu, but most do not.

Eating on campus can be easier. Boar's Head Deli and other sandwich locations on campus offer gluten-free bread and tortillas. But the items are more expensive.

Gluten-free products on campus cost a dollar more. Meal plans can be adjusted for students with a food allergy.

Ball State Dining requires a dietary needs form to be filled out by a doctor and turned into the office in Carmichael Hall.

Whether you're staying away from glutenbecause you have to, or just want make the choice to, it's important to consult a doctor or dietician and make sure your body gets the nourishment it needs.

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Despite popularity, gluten-free diets not for everyone - Ball State Daily

While some foods should indeed be chucked after their use by has passed, others you can take with a pinch of salt

HAVE YOU ever been scared to eat the food in your fridge because its out of date?

While some foods should indeed be chucked after their use by has passed, others you can take with a pinch of salt.

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It is always wise to pay attention to the dates when it comes to meat, fish and seafood but plenty of other foods are perfectly fine to eat.

Sheer Luxerevealed 13 foods you can safely eat past their use by date.

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Although your favourite snacks might lose some of their freshness once their best by date has passed, you can eat them for a few weeks after.

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While dry pasta usually comes with a long shelf life, you can push this to three years if it is stored in a cool, dry and airtight environment.

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Most tinned food will come with a best before date that is years ahead, but adding on extra time wont hurt you.

As long as your cans are undamaged and stored somewhere cool away from direct light, then they can last four around four years.

The use by date on bread assumes youve left it out in the kitchen you can extend this by up to two weeks by keeping your loaf in the fridge.

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Preserved foods such as pickles can last for up to two years past their use by date if theyre stored in an airtight container in the fridge but they may start to lose some of their crunchiness.

If you keep your eggs in the fridge, you can eat them up to three weeks after the use by date.

But, beware of any unpleasant odour when you crack them this means they should be chucked.

Another way to check if theyre still good is to drop them in a bowl of water, a fresh egg will sink and a bad one will float.

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As long as your chocolate tastes ok, youre pretty much good to go.

Sometimes a white film might form on older chocolate, which is caused by the sugar crystallising, but it wont harm you.

Mould is unable to penetrate harder cheeses such as cheddar, so you can cut off any mould and it will be safe to eat.

If your veg is kept frozen, in theory, it can last indefinitely.

While out of date goods wont hurt you, the texture and taste may change over time.

As long the yoghurt hasnt been opened, you can usually enjoy it for two weeks after the sell-by date.

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As long as your leaves havent gone mouldy, its perfectly safe to eat them past their use by.

When taken care of properly, spirits such as whiskey can be kept open-endedly and the same goes for gin and vodka.

You may be worried about milk, but as long as it tastes and smells OK you can ignore the sell-by.

If thats got you thinking about food,you may beshocked to find outyouve likely been making scrambled eggs all wrong.

On top of that, theres actually a right way to microwave your leftovers and mash potatoes.

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Baked beans, eggs...and the 11 other surprising foods you can safely eat past their use-by dates - The Sun