Food to avoid while taking medication

A lot of people are not aware that the food they eat can interfere with certain drugs they are taking. Grapefruit is one of these food as it can interact with more than 85 oral medications and cause serious side effects . Other examples include:

- Vitamin K-rich foods can make warfarin (anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots) less effective  according to Britain's National Institutes of Health. Foods containing high amounts of vitamin K include herbs such as parsley and coriander, leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard, soybeans and chickpeas.

- Licorice if taken in high quantities it can increase the chances of toxicity for people taking the medication Lanoxin (used to treat congestive heart failure and heart rhythm disorders). Licorice can also make certain blood pressure drugs and diuretics less effective according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

-Calcium from dairy foods or from supplements can interfere with the absorption of thyroid medicine.

Finally,  alcohol can cause problems for people taking a wide range of medications, including blood-thinning drugs like warfarin, antibiotics, anti-depressants, diabetic medication, anti-psychotics and anti-seizure drugs.

Take home message: it is always advised to read the labels on the drugs and ask the doctor or pharmacist about any potential food interaction or side effects. 

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Spice Allergy

According to allergists at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, 2 to 3 percent of individuals in the world are living with a spice allergy.

Spices are one of the most difficult allergen to identify or avoid as they are widely used products in foods, cosmetics and dental products. Since they are not regulated by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, they often are not noted on food labels.

According to allergist Sami Bahna, "while spice allergy seems to be rare, with the constantly increasing use of spices in the American diet and a variety of cosmetics, we anticipate more and more Americans will develop this allergy." Having this type of allergy means you can never dine in restaurants, wear makeup, smell sweet perfumes or eat a large percentage of food we usually find on store shelves ! Overall, it can really decrease the quality of life and lead to strict dietary avoidance. In fact, the allergic reaction can be caused from breathing, eating or touching spices but the symptoms range from mild sneezing to a life-threating allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

Common spice allergy triggers include cinnamon and garlic, but can range from black pepper to vanilla. Several spice blends contain anywhere from 3 to 18 spices, and the hotter the spice, the greater the chance for allergy. "Boiling, roasting, frying and other forms of applying heat to spices may reduce allergy causing agents, but can also enhance them depending on the spice".

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What happens when you skip breakfast ?

The brain is an often overlooked yet a significant organ in an array of dietary disorders. More and more research are highlighting how the brain's biological mechanisms may contribute to most of the health challenges we are dealing with today such as obesity, diabetes, binge eating...
One study in particular looked at the effect of skipping breakfast on brain activity using brain scans of normal weight people. The result showed that skipping breakfast makes fatty, high calorie foods appear far more attractive later in the day. In fact, when they compared the brain scans of the breakfast eating and the breakfast skipping visits, the researchers noticed different patterns of activity in the orbitofrontal cortex. This area is situated just above the eyes and influences judgements about pleasantness and reward value of food. On an empty stomach, this area appears to be more active when looking at pictures of high calorie foods.


To conclude, skipping breakfast will lead to an increased appeal to high calories foods and a subsequent increased food consumption at lunch. So for those trying to keep a healthy weight or to loose weight skipping breakfast is not a smart choice !

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A pack of walnuts a day keeps the fertility doctors away

Approximately 70 million couples experience infertility worldwide, with 30 to 50 percent of these cases attributable to the male partner. An increasing western style diet have been shown in some studies to affect sperm quality. Dr. Wendie Robbins and her colleagues at the University of California, decided to investigate whether increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are critical for sperm maturation would increase sperm quality in men consuming a Western-style diet.

117 healthy men between the ages of 21 and 35 were selected. They were split into two groups: one (58 men) who would avoid eating tree nuts and another (59 men) who would eat 75 grams of walnuts per day.  The men's semen quality was analyzed before and after the experiment. The findings showed that after 12 weeks, the men consuming walnuts had significantly increased levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and experienced improvement in sperm vitality, motility, and morphology. Those eating walnuts also had fewer chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm following the walnut dietary intervention. The other group, on the other hand, experienced no changes.

Even though, this study have shown that eating walnuts can positively affect a young men sperm, it does not show whether the benefits would apply to men with fertility problems


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Children's diet linked to higher IQ

A new research from the University of Adelaide showed that eating habits of children in early age can affect their IQ. The study involved more than 7,000 children and compared a range of dietary patterns, including traditional and contemporary home-prepared food, ready-prepared baby foods, breastfeeding, and junk foods. The results showed that children who were breastfed at 6 months and had a healthy diet regularly including foods such as legumes, cheese, fruit and vegetables at 15 and 24 months, had an IQ up to two points higher by the age of 8. On the other hand, children fed with junk food such as biscuits, chocolate, sweets, soft drinks and chips in the first two years of life had IQs up to two points lower by age.

The findings highlight the role of nutrients in the development of brain tissues in the first 2 years of life. 

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High salt diet increases osteoporosis risk

It is well known that a high salt diet may lead to high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for stroke, heart diseases and kidney diseases. Recently, medical researchers at the University of Alberta discovered an important link between sodium and calcium. These two minerals appear to be regulated by the same molecule in the body. When sodium intake becomes too high, the body will get rid of  the sodium via the urine, taking calcium with it, which depletes calcium stores in the body. This finding is very significant since the consumption of high sodium food is nowadays very high. In fact, it is estimated that Canadians one year of age and older eat an average of about 3400 mg/day of sodium. This number is more than twice the recommended  Adequate Intake (AI) of 1500 mg/day for individuals from 9 to 70 years.

High levels of calcium in the urine lead to the development of kidney stones, and deficient levels of calcium in the body lead to thin bones and osteoporosis. This fact, reinforce that people should watch their daily sodium intake.

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Food Sources of Sodium:

www.hc-sc.gc.ca

The World's healthiest meal

A team of researchers inspired by 222 food-related health claims recently approved by the European Commission have come up with one meal that incorporates them all. It's an airline meal concept that includes:
-Starter: fresh and smoked salmon terrine that have the claim to be good for the arteries, heart, and the brain. Plus a high fiber multigrain roll which covers 17 health claims in one bun
-Salad: mixed leaf side salad with an extra virgin olive oil dressing that is aimed at maintaining normal cholesterol levels.
-Main dish: chicken casserole with lentils and vegetables that covers claims related to iron absorption and minerals. Moreover, the panthotenic acid found in lentils can help reduce tiredness and improve mental performance.
-Dessert: live yogurt blancmange pudding featuring walnuts and a sugar-free caramel flavoured sauce that helps maintain the health of your teeth and gut as well as a healthy blood glucose level.
-Drink: customed cranberry, raspberry and elderflower flavoured sports drink that is rich in nutrients such as biotin, calcium, zinc, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, selenium and magnesium. Not to forget also spring water.

This menu promises to be appetizing and tasty and the dishes could work just as well at home too.

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Tropicana Juice Not So "Natural" After All

Orange juice maker Tropicana markets its brand as being fresh and have labels such as "great-tasting 100 per cent orange juice". However, a series of lawsuits nationwide state that the juice shouldn't be labeled "natural" since it is so heavily processed and has added chemically engineered "flavored packs" to keep it fresh.

The orange juice lawsuits are just the latest disputes over "all natural" claims. Part of the problem, lawyers agree, is that consumers are looking for healthier products, and companies have responded by creating and branding their products as "all natural" even though it might not be the case.

Tropicana lawsuits want the company to modify their marketing and stop using words such as " fresh", " natural" and pure". In that way, consumers would be more aware of what they are buying.

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5 Foods that can increase your appetite

1- Diet Soda: The artificial sweeteners in diet soda may distort appetite, leaving us craving extra-sweet and unhealthy treats. They may also damage brain cells involved in feelings of fullness, while the lack of real sugar could also stop us from feeling full.

Alternative: Fizzy drinks with fruits

2- Fried Chicken:  It's a source of saturated fat which slowly tells your mind that your satiated which is why one or two are not enough and by the time you feel full, you had already too much.

Alternative: Oven baked chicken

3-Noodles: They are a source of MSG (monosodium glutamate) which was linked to an increase in insulin levels. Insulin's role is to decrease blood sugar level when it's high so the massive increase in insulin will lead to a massive drop in glucose level which will make us eat more food

Alternative: brown rice and vegetables

4-Tortilla chips and salsa : Also a source of MSG-> high insulin-> low glucose-> eating more food

Alternative: endives and guacamole dip

5-White bagel:  The sugar content will cause a surge in insulin level-> decrease in sugar -> eating more food

Alternative: whole wheat bagel

High sugar foods can make you stupid

Findings of a UCLA study on rats suggests that fructose slows down the brain and memory functions and too much sweetness can also prevent learning. In other words what you eat affect how you think. Apparently, eating too much fructose could block insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar for the energy required for processing thoughts and emotions. However, adding omega 3 rich food sources like salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds can counteract the harmful effect.


Take home message for all students studying for their finals: Drinking too much soda and eating too much sweets for as little as six weeks may make impact your grades !

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A fish a day keeps the doctor away

Speakers at the EuroPRevent 2012 meeting agreed that people, whether healthy or having cardiovascular disease (CVD), would benefit from regular consumption of oily fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are important essential nutrients to human health, and they have not only cardiovascular benefits but also they increase brain and immune health.

A lot of people opt for taking omega 3 supplements, however, over the counter brands contain different concentrations of omega 3 and there's a risk people may not be receiving sufficient intakes. Eating fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and trout may prove more beneficial than taking capsules of omega-3. In fact, fish contain all sorts of other nutrients like vitamin D, selenium and iodine that may also be beneficial against CVD. Moreover, there is no definite proof that the benefits from eating fish come from the omega-3.

The latest European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice, also launched at the EuroPRevent 2012 meeting, recommend that people should eat fish at least twice a week, one meal of which should be oily fish.

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Why low birth weight babies become obese?

It is well documented that low birth weight babies are more at risk of becoming obese later in youth if they had the liberty to eat as much as they want. A new study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research found that in low-birth-weight babies, the level of the appetite-producing neuropeptides in the brain is higher, which results to a natural tendency among these children to consume more calories to catch up in growth and make up for the decrease in nutrition while in the womb. Hence, if the amount of food is not controlled it might lead to childhood obesity.

Low birth weight can be caused by malnutrition due to a mother's homelessness or hunger or her desire not to gain too much weight during pregnancy. Additional causes include illness or infection, a reduction in placental blood, smoking, or use of alcohol or drugs during pregnancy.

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7 food ingredients to avoid

Most of conscious consumers look for fat or calorie content on the nutrient facts of the food product. However, many disregard looking at the ingredient list which might be more important that total calorie content.

According to author Andrea Donsky that has recently released a book called "Unjunk Your Junk Food: Healthy Alternatives to Conventional Snacks", there are 7 ingredients that should be avoided:

1. High-fructose corn syrup: sugar linked to obesity, insuline resistance and cardiovascular problems
2. Trans fats (or hydrogenated, shortening) : it's a type of bad fat that raises the bad cholesterol (LDL)
3. MSG (Monosodium glutamate): a common flavor enhancer
4. Artificial sweeteners (this includes aspartame, Splenda, Ace-K)
5. Artificial colours (any type of artificial dyes such as Yellow #5, Red #1, etc.)
6. Artificial flavours
7. Preservatives 

According to the author,  "while it's nearly impossible to avoid these ingredients completely, especially if we eat out, shoppers should learn to look for these ingredients and avoid them as much as possible"

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NO more bugs: Starbucks will reformulate its drinks

Starbucks Corp. says it will stop using a red dye derived from crushed bugs in its drinks and food items. The cochineal extract, which is made from the juice of a tiny beetle, is widely used in foods and cosmetic products. Items made with the extract include the strawberries and crème Frappuccino, strawberry smoothie, raspberry swirl cake, birthday cake pops, mini donuts with pink icing and red velvet whoopee pies. For the drinks, the red dye will be replaced by lycopene, a tomato-based extract. The company still didn't decide the replacement  for the other food items but will transition away from the use of cochineal extract.

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Can lack of sleep make you fat ?

According to the latest research published in the American Journal of Human Biology, lack of sleep not only can make you fat but also increases your risk of diabetes, heart diseases and many health problems. Apparently, sleep restriction de-regulate appetite leading to an increase in energy consumption and hence to weight gain. Moreover, other findings also showed that as the number of hours of sleep drops and normal biological rhythms are disrupted, your body physically changes in ways that can help set the stage diabetes.

The above couldn't be better reasons to start getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night as it is essential and vital to health.  

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Fast food salt levels vary around the world

We all got used to seeing the different fast food restaurants wherever we travel, and the Big Mac that we eat in France is supposed to be the same that we eat in Canada or any other country. Apparently if your living in Canada or the U.S. you are more likely to be consuming a higher salt intake in your fast food meal. In fact, a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, looked at the salt content of food items from 6 known fast food chains: Kentucky Fried Chicken; McDonald's; Domino's Pizza; Pizza Hut; Burger King; and Subway. Their result showed that fast food in Canada and the U.S. contained much higher levels of sodium than those in the U.K. and France. For example,in Canada, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, contained 600 mg of sodium per 100 g serving, compared to 240 mg sodium in U.K. similar-sized servings !

A high salt intake is linked to high blood pressure and it's a risk factor for heart disease and stroke related deaths. A change of the formulation with a reduction of salt is a must to improve the population's health. According to the author, "if reductions were made incrementally over several years, fairly large cumulative decreases in salt content could be achieved without consumers being aware of the changes in the products' formulations ".

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Bugs are on the menu

On the menu of the "Specktakel" restaurant in the Netherlands you would find words such as insect crumble, crispy crickets, cake with candied worm topping...You would think no one would be willing to try these dishes, your wrong, apparently hundreds of people wanted to be part of two special "bug buffet" which were sold out ! Above all every plate cost more than 70 dollars.

While the owner of that restaurant is trying to make bug eating an exotic and expensive experience, scientist on the other end, are trying to make eating insects a normal and cheap food source. In fact, the European Union is even investing more than $4 million to research the use of insects as a protein source for humans. According to the head of Wageningen's entomology department and one of the world's premier experts in entomophagy (eating insects),  the rising price of meat will help in changing diets. "If your Big Mac is going to cost about $100 and your Bug Mac is going to cost only $4, people will change to a Bug Mac".

Get ready to see the first bug sandwich on the market coming soon !


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