Gluten-free diet increases risk of type 2 diabetes, says study

In response to the trend for gluten-free products, the American Heart Association (AHA) announced on Thursday a research, based on 30 years of surveys, that establishes a link between gluten-free diets and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

To date, no scientific studies have demonstrated any health benefits that accrue from a gluten-free diet for the vast majority of people who do not suffer from Celiac disease (which affects one percent of the population in the United States) or gluten intolerance.

Using data from three long-term studies that monitored 200,000 people over 30 years, researchers from Harvard University evaluated the impact of a gluten-free diet on the health of subjects with no medical diagnosis of gluten intolerance.

Their findings, which have now been made public by the AHA, are unequivocal. People who regularly consume gluten (an average of 5.8 to 7.1 grams per day) have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Bread, pizza, pasta, cereal, pretzels and even muffins were among respondents’ most commonly listed sources of gluten.

At the same time, the researchers noted that those who sought to avoid gluten consumed less cereal fiber, which is known to reduce the risk of diabetes.

The study has added weight to warnings from nutritionists worried by the excessively high glycemic index of processed gluten-free products that lack fiber and nutrients and may contain additives. And that is not to mention the risk posed by the “healthy” image of these products, which may lead some consumers to overindulge.

In the U.S., a 2014 Consumer Reports National Research Centre survey found that 63 percent of Americans believe that a gluten-free diet would improve their physical and mental health.

The Harvard University study findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2017 Scientific Sessions in Portland, Oregon. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Ryan Reynolds being honored at Harvard

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts— Ryan Reynolds’ superpowers are about to be rewarded by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

The “Deadpool” star will be honored Friday night as the group’s 2017 Man of the Year.

The nation’s oldest collegiate theatrical organization annually presents the award to performers who’ve made lasting and impressive contributions to the entertainment world.

Canada-born Reynolds will be roasted before he collects the group’s coveted pudding pot.

Last year’s Man of the Year was Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Previous winners dating to 1963 include Bob Hope, Warren Beatty and Robin Williams.

Actress Octavia Spencer was celebrated last week as the 2017 Woman of the Year.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Social media buzzing over Harvard grad’s spoken-word speech

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— Social media is buzzing over a Harvard graduate’s poetic commencement speech, which has garnered millions of views and the attention of celebrities.

Donovan Livingston, who received his master’s degree in education, addressed his classmates Wednesday with a spoken-word poem outlining the historic obstacles that have prevented African-Americans from getting an education.

The speech begins with a quote by education reformer Horace Mann and references influential African-Americans including poet Langston Hughes and abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education posted a video of Livingston’s speech on Facebook, saying it was “One of the most powerful, heartfelt student speeches you will ever hear!”

More than 8 million have viewed the video, including superstar Justin Timberlake, who shared it on Facebook, adding the caption: “You don’t feel inspired?? Here you go.”


source: technology.inquirer.net

Post-traumatic stress doubles diabetes risk in women

MIAMI - Women who suffer from post-traumatic stress are almost twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as women not affected by the disorder known as PTSD, a US study said Wednesday.

The research in the journal JAMA Psychiatry was led by public health scientists at Columbia University and Harvard University, and provides the "strongest evidence to date of a causal relationship between PTSD and type 2 diabetes," the journal said in a statement.

The data was based on surveys given to nearly 50,000 US women from 1989 to 2011.

Researchers found that about half the increased risk for diabetes was attributable to the use of antidepressants (34 percent) and overeating, as measured by elevated body mass index (14 percent).

But the other half of the heightened risk could not be explained, and researchers ruled out potential links to smoking, diet, alcohol intake or exercise.

The study also found that the more symptoms of PTSD a woman had, the higher her risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

About one in nine women experience PTSD at some point, which is twice the rate among men, according to background information in the article.

"Not only is PTSD devastating to mental health, but it affects physical health too, raising risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity," said senior author Karestan Koenen, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School at Columbia University.

Researchers urged healthcare professionals to be on the lookout for signs of diabetes in women who have endured traumatic events.

"As fewer than half of Americans with PTSD receive treatment, our study adds urgency to the effort to improve access to mental health care to address factors that contribute to diabetes and other chronic diseases," said first author Andrea Roberts, research associate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard School of Public Health. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Yoga may benefit heart health as much as aerobics

Those sun salutations and downward dogs could be as good for the heart as cycling or brisk walking, and easier to tolerate for older people and those with health challenges, according to a new review of existing research.

Based on 37 clinical trials, researchers found that doing yoga lowered blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate and other cardiovascular risk factors in increments comparable to those seen with aerobic exercise.

“Taken together, these improvements could facilitate and complement a regimen toward better cardiovascular health,” said Paula Chu, a doctoral candidate in health policy at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who led the study.

She and her co-authors caution in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, however, that larger studies are needed to understand how yoga improves health, how much of it is ideal and if there are differences in benefits from various types of yoga before the practice becomes a standard prescription for heart disease.

Nonetheless, yoga’s benefits have been long suspected, said Dr. Larry Phillips, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York.

“I think what we’ve seen is with yoga and the relaxation and behavior modification that goes along with it, there is a benefit to all patients, but especially those with heart disease,” said Phillips, who was not involved in the new analysis.

“Here we are able to see there are more measurable benefits than we’ve seen before,” he told Reuters Health.

Yoga originated in India more than 5,000 years ago, and has become a popular mind-body therapy in the West. Yoga’s breath control and body postures are believed to help nourish self-awareness, control stress and develop physical strength and balance.

The more traditional Hatha style of yoga is the most widely practiced in the U.S. But many specialized yoga “products,” such as hot yoga, power yoga and yoga retreats are part of a billion-dollar yoga industry.

One study estimates that 15 million Americans have practiced yoga at least once, according to Chu and her co-authors.

They focused on yoga’s effects on cardiovascular disease, as well as risk factors including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and abnormal cholesterol levels that make up a profile—known as metabolic syndrome—that often leads to heart disease and diabetes.

The study team analyzed 37 randomized, controlled trials involving 2,768 people through December 2013. The trials either looked at yoga compared to no exercise or to aerobic exercises. Participants’ average age was 50 and they were followed for anywhere from 12 weeks to one year.

Those who did yoga had significant improvements in a range of risk factors. Systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped by an average of 5.21 mm Hg, and diastolic pressure (the bottom number) dropped 4.9 mm HG. LDL “bad” cholesterol fell by an average 12.14 mg/dl and HDL “good” cholesterol rose by an average 3.20 mg/dl. Average heart rate was lower by a little over 5 beats per minute and weight loss averaged a bit over 5 pounds.

These changes were similar to the improvements seen among people who did aerobic exercise instead.

There were no changes, though, in fasting glucose levels or A1C, a measure of long-term blood sugar control in diabetics.

Chu and her colleagues note that one weakness of the results is that the analyzed trials included various types of yoga that were practiced for different amounts of time. These included Silver yoga (for seniors), Iyengar yoga (a form of Hatha that emphasizes correct postures), Viniyoga (which includes chanting) and Vinyasa (breath-synchronized movements.)

There were also a wide range of populations, from the young and healthy to older people with histories of heart disease, Chu told Reuters Health.

“We are not recommending anyone ditch their medicines or established medical or physical practices,” she said. “Individuals can talk to their doctors about whether yoga is a viable option for them.”

Yoga classes may be offered at health clubs, spas, senior centers and in other settings. Individual classes at stand-alone yoga centers tend to range from $15 to $30.

Phillips said he encourages his patients to develop a healthy lifestyle and exercise regimen, which could include yoga. He urges people to find a class that is appropriate for their comfort level and ability.

“I think the effects of relaxation do decrease stress levels and have a benefit to the heart,” said Phillips, adding that he had found doing yoga boosted his own mood and energy level. — Reuters

Obesity declines among rich US teens, rises in poor

WASHINGTON - In the past decade, obesity has declined among US teenagers from rich families but has risen among their impoverished counterparts, a gap driven by lack of exercise, said a study Monday.

The research by experts at Harvard University examined what appeared to be an encouraging decline in adolescent obesity and found that only the upper class is benefiting.

"We find that although the overall obesity prevalence has plateaued, the trend looks very different across different subgroups," said the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Using family income as well as the education level of the parents to analyze two major US surveys, researchers found a growing class gap where obesity was concerned.

Beginning in the mid-2000s, obesity rates declined among children of parents who graduated from college.

Meanwhile, obesity rates rose among children of parents who had only a high school diploma.

Similar trends were seen when researchers separated the data by income level.

However, when it came to probing racial differences, researchers said they did not have enough data to reliably explore interactions between class and ethnicity.

The obesity rate among those aged 12-17 in the United States nearly doubled from the late 1980s until the mid-2000s, but began leveling off about a decade ago.

About nine percent of adolescent were obese in the time span of 1988 to 1991, but that rose to 17 percent by 2003-2004, according to government data.

There has been no change in the teen obesity rate since then.

In the United States, obesity in adolescents and children is based on growth charts issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A body mass index, or ratio of weight and height, above the 95th percentile for age and gender is considered obese. Between the 85th and 94th percentile is considered overweight.

Key reasons the poor may be gaining weight are lack of physical activity and excessive food intake, the study said.

According to the study, calorie intake among kids of all income classes has gone down in recent years, but only kids of educated parents have reported getting regular exercise.

"The difference comes down to physical activity," study co-author Kaisa Snellman told AFP.

"Educated families, they are much more likely to engage in physical activities, exercising, biking around, walking."

Access to healthy foods also remains an obstacle for the poor.

The US Department of Agriculture has reported that 9.7 percent of the US population, or 29.7 million people, live in low-income areas more than a mile from a supermarket.

In those areas, "the only options for grocery shopping are 'convenience' stores, liquor stores, gas stations, or fast food restaurants that sell foods high in fat, sugar, and salt," said the study.

Obesity in young people can cause a host of health concerns, including higher risk of type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure and psychological problems, experts said.

The study was based on two nationally representative federal health surveys, the 1988-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2003-2011 National Survey of Children's Health.  — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

700 Fil-Am students gather for Spring conference at Harvard University

Some 700 Filipino-American college students from different parts of the United States Northeast Region participated in the Annual Spring Conference hosted by the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND)-District 1 (New England) at Harvard University on April 6.

This year’s conference was among the largest gatherings of campus-based Filipino-American associations and individuals, a report of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

FIND was founded in 1992 as a network of Filipino-American students in the US East Coast, mainly in the Northeast Region.

The theme of this year's conference is “Filipino Life – I am (….),” with the following sub-themes:

    “Balikbayan: Giving Back”;
    “Bayani: Changing the Impossible”;
    “Sining: Telling Our Story”; and
    “Tagumpay: Breaking Barriers”.
    

The sessions featured Filipino-American achievers in various fields such as events organizer and women’s rights advocate Analisa Balares of Womensphere, rap artists Deep Foundation, Jason Tengco of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, comedian and designer Rich Kiamco, actor and stuntman Sonny Sison, and Will Simbol of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, among others.

The other speakers included two delegates to the first ever Filipino AmericanYouth Leadership Program or FYLPro (formerly FAYLP), Angela Lagdameo and Michael Vea, who spoke about giving back to the Philippines through the Teach for the Philippines Program.

In his closing remarks, Philippine Consul General to New York Mario de Leon, Jr. congratulated the organizers of the event led by conference tri-chairs Riana Balahadia, Carmen Wong and Erlinda dela Cruz and FIND National Chair Jericho Cruzado.

De Leon likewise emphasized the need for young Filipino-Americans to find their passion and advocacies and pursue these with commitment, creativity, and diligence.

He noted that in the 2010 US Census, Filipino-Americans have become the second largest Asian-American group. However, the presence of Filipino-Americans in mainstream US consciousness has yet to match the population figures.

He called on the second and third generation Filipino-American students to contribute to making Filipino-Americans more visible, especially as they have many technological tools at their disposal.

FYLPro

Meanwhile, Consul General de Leon also invited the young Filipino-Americans to apply for the 2013 Filipino American Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro) as applications are only open until April 30 this year.


The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles said the search for outstanding young Filipino Americans (aged 18 to 40 years old), hopes to tap future leaders of their Filipino-American communities and advocacies.



Among the qualifications for the outstanding Filipino-American achievers and leaders are the applicants’ scholastic achievements and other accolades, leadership skills, accomplishments, active involvement in school, civic, political, business and other organizations as well as their vision, innovativeness and commitment to making a difference in the Philippines and within the Filipino-American community.

The chosen delegates will take part in an immersive program in the Philippines from July 7 to 9, 2013 and will likewise participate in the 8th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) from July 9 to 11, 2013.

The special FYLPro program will give them the opportunity to meet and dialogue with the highest officials and policymakers in the Philippines, leaders of industry, legislators, media, artists and cultural experts, entrepreneurs (both traditional and social), as well as innovators in different fields.

Applicants should be between the ages of 18 and 40 years old by July 1, 2013. They should be ready to travel by this date (i.e. have a valid passport for international travel), and are expected to commit time, skills and resources to engage with the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the US in ways which would advance the causes and interest of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans.

The application form for the search may be accessed at the following link, http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/uploads/pdfs/embassy/2013/2013-0315-FYLPro.docx.

The deadline for submission of applicants is on April 30, 2013.

The names of the chosen delegates will be announced on the website of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC (www.philippineembassyusa.org) on May 15, 2013.  - VVP, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com