Oats Are Good For You!

J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Feb;110(2):205-14.
Whole-grain ready-to-eat oat cereal, as part of a dietary program for weight loss, reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with overweight and obesity more than a dietary program including low-fiber control foods.

Maki KC, Beiseigel JM, Jonnalagadda SS, Gugger CK, Reeves MS, Farmer MV, Kaden VN, Rains TM.

Provident Clinical Research, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, USA. KMaki@ProvidentCRC.com

OBJECTIVE: Weight loss and consumption of viscous fibers both lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. We evaluated whether or not a whole-grain, ready-to-eat (RTE) oat cereal containing viscous fiber, as part of a dietary program for weight loss, lowers LDL cholesterol levels and improves other cardiovascular disease risk markers more than a dietary program alone. DESIGN: Randomized, parallel-arm, controlled trial. SUBJECTS/SETTING: Free-living, overweight and obese adults (N=204, body mass index 25 to 45) with baseline LDL cholesterol levels 130 to 200 mg/dL (3.4 to 5.2 mmol/L) were randomized; 144 were included in the main analysis of participants who completed the trial without significant protocol violations. INTERVENTION: Two portions per day of whole-grain RTE oat cereal (3 g/day oat b-glucan) or energy-matched low-fiber foods (control), as part of a reduced energy ( approximately 500 kcal/day deficit) dietary program that encouraged limiting consumption of foods high in energy and fat, portion control, and regular physical activity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fasting lipoprotein levels, waist circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, and body weight were measured at baseline and weeks 4, 8, 10, and 12. RESULTS: LDL cholesterol level was reduced significantly more with whole-grain RTE oat cereal vs control (-8.7+/-1.0 vs -4.3+/-1.1%, P=0.005). Total cholesterol (-5.4+/-0.8 vs -2.9+/-0.9%, P=0.038) and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (-6.3+/-1.0 vs -3.3+/-1.1%, P=0.046) were also lowered significantly more with whole-grain RTE oat cereal, whereas high-density lipoprotein and triglyceride responses did not differ between groups. Weight loss was not different between groups (-2.2+/-0.3 vs -1.7+/-0.3 kg, P=0.325), but waist circumference decreased more (-3.3+/-0.4 vs -1.9+/-0.4 cm, P=0.012) with whole-grain RTE oat cereal. Larger reductions in LDL, total, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and waist circumference were evident as early as week 4 in the whole-grain RTE oat cereal group. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of a whole-grain RTE oat cereal as part of a dietary program for weight loss had favorable effects on fasting lipid levels and waist circumference.
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Burn It or Store It!

Lyle McDonald presents a thorough article on macronutrients that will answer all those questions you have been asking for years. Listen up. Lyle's the best of the best on digesting research and making it available for the masses. Click HERE for the article.

Chocolate May Reduce Stroke Risk

USA TODAY

Just in time for Valentine's Day, research out this week suggests eating chocolate may have a positive impact on stroke. Don't go buying too many heart boxes just yet, though, say the study authors.

A new analysis, which involved a review of three prior studies, suggests eating about a bar of chocolate a week can help cut the risk of stroke and lower the risk of death after a stroke. But the evidence is still limited, says study author, neurologist Gustavo Saposnik at St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto.

"This is something that requires further investigation," Saposnik says.

One study they looked at found that 44,489 people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22% less likely to have a stroke than people who ate no chocolate. Another study found that 1,169 people who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week were 46% less likely to die following a stroke than people who didn't eat chocolate.

The research appears in this week's Neurology and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd annual meeting in Toronto in April.

Saposnik says future studies need to address which component in chocolate, the amount, and what kind — white, milk or dark — makes a difference.

New chocolate-stroke studies should also take into account age and gender of consumers, says Italo Mocchetti, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center. Mocchetti, who has studied flavonoids, says this chemical, which is found in cocoa, is linked to anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

The chocolate-health connection is something many clients are interested in, says Katrina Markoff, owner of the premium chocolate line Vosges.

"We get a lot of customers that come in who only want to eat dark chocolate because they believe that it helps their health — everyone speaks in cocoa percentages now," Markoff says. "This generation is really interested in super foods." USA TODAY

Can Art Devany Slow The Aging Process?

Art and his wife lead a lifestyle that would tire out a couple half their age. Have they found the secret of staying strong and healthy? This article and video will tell you how they live and what they do.
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The fundamentals of Arthur De Vany's Diet

The fundamentals of Arthur De Vany's diet are: get rid of carbs and packaged foods, and eat lean meat and at least two vegetable meals. - Cook by color and texture so that meals look beautiful. If you're busy, it's OK to skip meals. You don't have to have three meals a day. Snacks on nuts or celery. Drink plenty of water. Also drink tea, coffee and a little wine.

CARBS:Avoid bread, muffins, bagels, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, vegetable oils, beans and anything in a package -- empty, high-calorie foods with a high carbohydrate content.

FLAVOR:To add flavor to your food, De Vany recommends you use fresh ingredients like basil, garlic, parsley, rosemary, spring onions, avocados and nuts, and use various oils, such as olive oil.

FRUITS: De Vany says his focus is on melon and red grapes. Fruit juice is out. He has one or two fruits with most breakfasts, and then a piece with other meals every now and then.

VEGETABLES: Eat lots of fresh raw, steamed, sauteed or grilled vegetables. Never frozen, canned or packaged vegetables.

PROTEIN: Eat plenty of meat, such as ribs, steak, bacon, pork loin, turkey and chicken. Seafood, and eggs are good options too.