Sadly, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Japan has risen from 5 to 15 percent of the population in the last two decades, probably for the same reasons the disease is rampant in the rest of the developed world – too much bad food and not enough exercise.
But an ongoing study, known as the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk, which has followed 110,792 adults in Japan for over 16 years, reported in the April, 2006, Annals of Internal Medicine that those who consumed more than six cups of green tea or three cups of coffee daily had a 33 percent and a 42 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, respectively.
Although, according to this study, coffee appears to be more effective than green tea in combating diabetes, I still prefer, and recommend, green tea for its other demonstrated health effects such as lowered cardiac mortality and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In short, green tea is a healthful addition to almost any diet, and this study confirms that fact. Read about my favorite kind of green tea here.
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HEALTH NEWS
Folate Update
The New Year brings good and bad news about folate. On the plus side, a just-published study suggests that a higher intake of folate – through diet and supplements – may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. For the study, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York followed 965 men and women whose average age was 75.8, tracking their diets for an average of just over six years. During follow up, 192 of the participants developed Alzheimer’s. When the investigators analyzed their diets, they found that the risk of Alzheimer’s was lowest among those with the highest folate intake. The team said the findings should be confirmed in formal clinical trials. On the minus side, a study from the Centers for Disease Control found that blood levels of folate in young women are declining, a development that could pose the risk of increased incidence of birth defects. Government health officials said the decline could be due to low carbohydrate diets or to the popularity of whole grain breads, which are not fortified with folic acid as are breads, cereals and other products containing enriched flour.
Do you know if you need folate?
With so many supplements on the shelves, it can be hard to know what you may need. Visit Dr. Weil’s Vitamin Advisor for your free, personalized recommendation and find out what vitamins and supplements may benefit you!
Slim Down to Reduce Cancer RiskIt’s not necessarily the number of calories you eat that influences your risk of cancer, according to results of a new study of mice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Instead, researchers there found that body composition – whether you’re lean or, ahem, not – may be what actually makes the difference. The study, published in the January 1, 2007, issue of
Cancer Research, reported that in mice predisposed to prostate cancer, the disease progressed more slowly among those than were lean than it did among obese animals. To perform the investigation, the researchers put the groups of study mice into two controlled environments, one with a temperature of 27 degrees centigrade, the other somewhat cooler at 22 degrees centigrade. They then fed the two groups equal amounts of food. The mice in the cooler chamber burned more calories to keep warm, lost weight and became leaner than the mice in the warmer chamber. The researchers concluded that it isn’t the number of calories consumed, but how lean or obese you are that influences cancer risk.
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A combination of exercise, healthy foods and a positive outlook is the best way to start a weight management program. Dr. Weil’s My Optimum Health Plan can help you get started and stick with a healthy lifestyle. Take a tour today!
RECIPE
Green Tea Ice Cream
This rich, classic Japanese dessert is a perfect marriage of thick cream with the mild astringent taste of a Japanese green tea, preferably a spiderleg or gyokuro. Spending a little extra for the best tea really makes a difference in the final product. A wooden spoon is important to avoid infusing the ice cream with the taste of a metal spoon. You could make a low-fat version of this dessert, but you could also make it according to the recipe - and enjoy it in moderation.View recipe...
Healthy Nutrition Tip
Courtesy of Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging
The Sweetness of Sweet Potatoes: If you are looking for a waist-friendly dessert, try sweet potatoes! Rich in beta carotene, these vegetables may help boost the immune system, deliver vitamin C and folate, and are low on the glycemic index and glycemic load charts. Plus, their naturally sweet, delicious taste could easily substitute for a dessert!
COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONCommunity Members Speak Out: "What’s a healthy cold drink?" asks johnny 31.
I am looking for alternative cold drink suggestions. Usually, I end up drinking beer or soda at nights watching TV … and I don’t like that. I love cold drinks, but they have too many unwanted calories!!! (I would prefer) … something natural with strong flavor (that) goes well ice cold in my big glass cup but (is) not sweet. Read More...
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WHERE IS DR. WEIL?
"Fox & Friends,"
January 11, 2007
Fox Television Network
Dr. Weil will discuss “A New Year, a New You.”
7 a.m. ET; check your local listings for channel and time in other zones.
The Martha Stewart Show
January 29, 2007
Dr. Weil will answer many of the common questions surrounding vitamins and supplements. Find out which vitamins you should be taking in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond; what’s new in supplement research; which supplements are okay to take together and which ones are not; and learn about the impact certain foods have on the absorption and effectiveness of supplements and vitamins.
Check your local listings for channel and program air time.
A Healthy Spirit - Healing the Bodies and Minds of Men
PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
This is a national conference on men’s topics, featuring Dr. Weil as the keynote speaker on April 22-25, 2007. For registration information click here.
Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health ~ Online Education from the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona
Sign up now and save 20% (code # A4NCV6)! Learn the fundamentals of diet and nutrition for improving health and assisting in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular illness. Faculty includes Dr. Weil and other experts. For more information, click here.
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