A steamy hot cup of fresh brewed coffee is the only thing that gets many of us through the morning. But coffee may be doing much more than keeping us alert and functional throughout the day.

According to new research, a chemical found in coffee may help prevent major obesity-related issues that lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The consumption of coffee may help reduce the risk of diseases and disorders that affect many of us, including insulin resistance which affects 25-35% of the population of Westernized countries.

RELATED: Prevent Type 2 Diabetes With Resistance Exercise

Chlorogenic Acid

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a natural chemical compound and antioxidant. Out of all the plant species that contain the acid, coffee has by far the greatest concentration of CGA at six to seven percent.

“Studies have shown CGA significantly reduces two of the most common side effects of obesity: insulin resistance and the accumulation of fat in the liver.”

The chemical is responsible for the slightly bitter notes found in certain types of coffee^.1 But this chemical has more to offer than its taste and antioxidant benefits. Studies have shown CGA significantly reduces two of the most common side effects of obesity: insulin resistance and the accumulation of fat in the liver.²

Insulin Resistance

This condition, which plagues overweight people and underpins type 2 diabetes, occurs when cells have difficulty absorbing glucose from the bloodstream. The body needs higher levels of insulin to absorb glucose into the cells. But insulin-producing beta cells often fail to meet the demand to produce more insulin, causing elevated blood glucose levels, and potentially pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, as well as heart attacks.³

RELATED: Working with Special Populations Part 3: Diabetes Mellitus

Research suggests that CGA may prevent insulin resistance. CGA slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream, which means a slower rate of insulin release and lower blood glucose levels. CGA also increases the signal protein for insulin receptors in liver cells. When insulin binds to these receptors, it stimulates the breakdown of glucose by the liver, once again driving down blood sugar levels and increasing insulin sensitivity (the opposite of insulin resistance).⁴

In a recent study at the University of Georgia, researchers used mice that were fed a high fat diet and injected them with CGA twice per week. The CGA injections made a significant difference in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels in the mice, confirming that CGA protects against insulin resistance.⁵

RELATED: Is Coffee Good or Bad for Your Testosterone? 

Reduction in insulin resistance has a significant impact on type 2 diabetes prevention. In another study, researchers found a fifty percent risk reduction for type 2 diabetes in people who drank 26 cups of coffee a day, compared to people who drank seven.

Healthy Liver Function

Accumulation of fat in the liver, another negative side effect of obesity, can lead to poor liver function. A healthy liver is critical. A person with liver failure can only live one to two days.⁶ CGA has been found to play a large role in maintaining both healthy liver composition and function.

CGA is a cholagogue, which means it stimulates the flow of bile from the liver and through our systems. Bile primarily facilitates fat digestion and is a natural laxative with cleansing properties.⁷ By promoting bile flow, cholagogues help prevent accumulation of fat in the liver and other issues such as gallstones.⁸ For this reason, cholagogues are largely used for alleviating diseases of the gallbladder and liver.

“With the medical cost of obesity at $147 billion dollars a year, anything that can help reduce this staggering burden is sorely needed.”

Chlorogenic acids are not the only substances that serve as cholagogues, but the evidence for their success is the strongest, largely because of the research conducted with coffee. Apart from the benefits that CGA provides for the liver as a cholagogue, it also reduces liver inflammation.⁹

Start Your Day With CGA

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one third of American adults are obese. With the medical cost of obesity at $147 billion dollars a year, anything that can help reduce this staggering burden is sorely needed.⁵

RELATED: 29 Studies Confirm Caffeine Increases Athletic Performance

Starting your day with CGA is a public and personal health habit that’s easy to learn to love, if you don’t already love it. For those of us who already make a habit of guzzling this aromatic stimulant as soon as our eyes peep open in the morning, we can do so knowing that this “addiction” is doing our bodies all kinds of good.

References:

1. “Chlorogenic Acid.” Coffee Chemistry. Accessed November 14, 2014. 

2. University of Georgia. “Chemical in coffee may help prevent obesity-related disease.” ScienceDaily. Accessed November 27, 2014.

3. “Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes.” National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC). Accessed November 18, 2014.

4. Stokel, K. “Are We All Pre-Diabetic?” Life Extension. Accessed November 18, 2014.

5. University of Georgia. “Chemical in coffee may help prevent obesity-related disease.” ScienceDaily. Accessed November 27, 2014).

6. Bergner, P. “Herbal Treatment of Functional Liver Disease.” Herbal Treatment of Functional Liver Disease. Accessed November 15, 2014. h

7. “Cholagogue.” The Naturopathic Herbalist. Accessed November 19, 2014.

8. Chang, J. “My Personal Journey of Healing.” Sensible Health. Accessed November 22, 2014. 

9. Shi, H. “Chlorogenic Acid Reduces Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis through Inhibition of Toll-like Receptor 4 Signaling Pathway.” Toxicology. 2013 Jan 7;303:107-14. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2012.10.025. Epub 2012 Nov 9. Accessed November 16, 2014. .

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post How Your Daily Coffee Battles the Effects of Obesity appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Recent research suggests vitamin D may play an important role in the prevention of one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide – breast cancer.

Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Prevention

Epidemiological research has shown that incidence rates of breast cancer are lower among women with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood. It is estimated that there is a 30 to 50% reduction in risk for developing breast cancer for women who increase their vitamin D intake to 1,000 International Units (IUs) per day. A study of 1,200 premenopausal women found that women with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood three months before breast cancer diagnosis had three times the risk of breast cancer as the women with the highest levels of vitamin D.¹

RELATED: Vitamin D: Is Sunlight Enough? 

There are also noticeable relationships between factors that lead to lower vitamin D levels and breast cancer rates. Vitamin D levels are determined by numerous variables including latitude of residence, skin color, and exposure to the sun. Women who get more vitamin D in their diets or who spend more time outdoors are 25 to 45% less likely to develop breast cancer than women who don’t.²

Researchers are finding that women who get little exposure to sunlight, reside in northern latitudes, or whose customs require them to cover most of their bodies are all at higher risk for breast cancer. What’s the common factor among them all? Vitamin D. According to Michael F Holick, head of the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory at the Boston University School of Medicine, activated vitamin D is one of the most potent inhibitors of cancer cell growth.³

“Women who get more vitamin D in their diets or who spend more time outdoors are 25 to 45% less likely to develop breast cancer than women who don’t.”

Increased Cancer Survival Rates

Not only may vitamin D help prevent breast cancer, but vitamin D is also strongly associated with breast cancer survival.⁴ In fact, high levels of vitamin D may halve breast cancer fatality. Dr. Cedric Garland, of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, conducted a meta-analysis of five studies with 4,443 female patients that examined the link between breast cancer and vitamin D.

The participants in the studies were divided into groups based on the levels of vitamin D in their blood and were followed for nine years. The research team found the women with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood had a staggering 50% lower fatality rate than the women with lower levels of vitamin D in their blood.⁵

How Does Vitamin D Prevent Cancer?

Vitamin D plays an important role in intercellular communication, which ensures healthy cell reproduction. One of the first events with cancer is loss of communication between cells. This shortcoming in the exchange of information between cells prevents the turnover of healthy cells, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over.

“More than one billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient.”

Lab studies on mice have shed light on other vitamin D activities that may cause prevention or slowing of cancer development. Some of these activities include decreasing cancer cell growth, the stimulation of cell death, reduction in tumor blood vessel formation, and promotion of cellular differentiation.⁶

The Danger of Vitamin D Deficiency

With its cancer-fighting, bone-supporting, and immune-boosting capabilities, vitamin D is looking like a superhero hormone. Yet, vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide pandemic. The Institute of Medicine recommends that people up to the age of seventy get 200 to 600 IUs of vitamin D daily. But approximately 75% of U.S. teens and adults are not reaching these marks.⁷More than one billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient.⁸

RELATED: Vitamin D Insufficiency: A Surprising Trend In Athletic Adults 

One of the main reasons vitamin D deficiency is so common is that we aren’t spending enough time under the sun. The greatest source of vitamin D for most people is exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is actually the only vitamin that our bodies are able to manufacture, and it does so with sun exposure. But because we put on sunscreen when outdoors and most of us don’t live in a climate where it’s beach weather year round, many people don’t spend adequate time, unprotected, under the sun.

There also aren’t many natural dietary sources of vitamin D. You can find vitamin D in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or tuna. There are also small amounts of vitamin D in cheese, beef liver, and egg yolks. Everyday foods like orange juice, milk, and yogurt are frequently fortified with vitamin D in the United States. But if you don’t eat enough of these foods or don’t expose yourself to sunlight on a daily basis, look to a dietary supplement to meet your vitamin D needs.

RELATED: What’s Best for Vitamin D: Sunshine, Tanning Bed, or Supplement?

The Bottom Line on Vitamin D and Breast Cancer

Approximately one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in the course of her lifetime.⁹ While the research regarding vitamin D and breast cancer is relatively preliminary, there is intriguing evidence of substantial cancer-combatting capabilities. So, get more vitamin D. And belated Happy Vitamin D Day (November 2)!

References:

1. “Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to High Risk of Premenopausal Breast Cancer.” UC San Diego Health System. January 24, 2013. Accessed November 2, 2014. 

2. “Higher Vitamin D May Help Prevent Breast Cancer.” Harvard Health Publications. Accessed October 12, 2014. 

3. Chang, L. “Benefits of Vitamin D – WebMD.” WebMD. Accessed October 5, 2014lol

4.Kim, Y., and Je, Y. “Vitamin D Intake, Blood 25(OH)D Levels, and Breast Cancer Risk or Mortality: A Meta-analysis.” British Journal of Cancer. May 27, 2014. Accessed November 1, 2014.

5. Whiteman, H., “High Vitamin D Levels May Increase Breast Cancer Survival.” MNT. March 17, 2014. Accessed November 2, 2014. 

6. “Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention.” National Cancer Institute. Accessed November 2, 2014.

7. Lite, J. “Vitamin D Deficiency Soars in the U.S., Study Says.” Scientific American Global RSS. March 23, 2009. Accessed November 2, 2014. 

8. “Information on the Latest Vitamin D News and Research.” Vitamin D Council. Accessed November 3, 2014. 

9. “U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics.” Breastcancer.org, 20 Sept. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. 

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post The Surprising Link Between Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Prevention appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Myths About Eating Meat

One of the greatest and most harmful nutrition myths is that meat doesn’t belong in a healthy diet. Meat consumption is blamed for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. But if you want to point fingers at the culprit behind these health issues, point at sugar. Blame the overconsumption of carbohydrates like grains and potatoes that break down into sugar in the body.¹

For more than two million years we were primarily meat eaters. Only in the last 10,000 years did the human diet shift, with the cultivation of grains and legumes. But are we more suited to this diet lower in meat? In the last 10,000 years we’ve gotten smaller in stature and brain size. With a heavily grain- and sugar-based diet, we are suffering increased rates of obesity, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis. We’re also experiencing alarming incidence of skin problems, heart disease, and inflammation of all kinds.²

I have to politely disagree with the anti-meat argument. Our genes were developed before the agricultural revolution, when we were not only meat eaters, but enthusiastic ones at that. On top of that, the human genome has changed less than 0.02% in the last 40,000 years. Our bodies were genetically programed for optimal functioning on a diet including meat, and that programming has not changed.

There’s plenty of information circulating about why we shouldn’t eat meat. Here are some reasons why we should:

We Were Created That Way

By nature, humans are meat eaters, and our bodies are designed for it. We have incisors for tearing meat, and molars for grinding it. If we were meant to subsist on vegetables alone, our digestive system would be similar to that of the cow, with four stomachs and the ability to ferment cellulose in order to break down plant material.

The degenerative health conditions that are prevalent now weren’t around when the cavemen were living off meat, vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, and fruits. In hunter/gatherer societies, 45-65% of energy requirements were derived from animal sources, and heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes – the diseases that plague society today – were not a problem.³ With the introduction of grains and processed foods, these diseases reared their ugly heads at alarming rates.⁴

Stable Blood Sugar

Meat helps keep blood sugar levels stable due to its fat and high protein content. Steady blood sugar is critical in preventing type 2 diabetes, as well as other chronic diseases. It also helps keep energy levels steady and creates a feeling of satiety between meals, reducing cravings for unhealthy foods.⁵ With stable blood sugar, you’re less likely to drool for fattening snacks and sweets between meals. Battle sugar cravings by eating more meat.⁶

Muscle Growth

You can work yourself to the bone trying to gain muscle or bulk up, but if you don’t nourish your body appropriately, you might as well toss your training schedule and start long distance running. You have to fuel your body with the right nutrients to achieve sufficient muscle repair and recovery to make gains.

You can take protein supplements, but the best source of protein is meat. Meat also contains vitamins and minerals that aid in muscle growth like zinc, which assists in muscle repair, and iron, which boosts energy levels and combats fatigue. Meat also contains creatine, a nitrogen-containing compound that improves protein synthesis and provides muscles with energy, encouraging muscle gain.

If meat’s positive – strike that, crucial – role in muscle growth isn’t enough, meat also helps burn fat. Meat has a high thermogenic effect because of its protein content, so that approximately thirty percent of its calories are burned off during digestion alone. Digesting carbohydrates produces only a six to eight percent increase in energy expenditure, while digesting the protein in meat typically produces a whopping 25 to 40 percent increase.⁷

Neurotransmitter Health

People who don’t eat meat are especially vulnerable to neurotransmitter imbalances because of the absence of meat protein, which provides all of the essential amino acids human bodies need. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that regulate many of our functions, including physical, cognitive, and mental performance, as well as our sleep cycle, weight, and emotional states. Meat protein provides all of the essential amino acids human bodies need. People who don’t eat meat are especially vulnerable to neurotransmitter imbalances, which can result in problems like depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity.

According to research conducted at the University of Graz, vegetarians are two to three times more likely than meat eaters to suffer from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and somatoform disorders and syndromes.⁸ We rely on prescribed medication to cure some of these conditions, when the answer may be as simple as eating a juicy hamburger or tender chicken breast.

Long-Lasting Energy

Everyone has experienced that post-meal slump when caffeine is the only thing that can keep one’s head off a pillow. Simple carbs are broken down into sugar that our body burns through quickly, causing us to crash. Conversely, our bodies utilize the protein in meats for sustained, long-lasting energy. 

Another critical component of feeling energized is the stimulation of orexin cells in the brain. The stimulation of orexin cells is directly linked to energy expenditure and wakefulness. Scientists at the University of Cambridge discovered that amino acids stimulate orexin cells more than any other nutrients do. Thus, consuming meat protein leads to burning more calories and more energy. Reduced activity in orexin cells has been linked to both weight gain and narcolepsy.⁹

In addition, meat is one of the best sources of iron. Iron deficits put you at risk for anemia and low energy, which is why anemia is a chronic problem for vegetarians. Pair meat with vegetables boasting a low glycemic index, and you’ll be feeling like the energizer bunny all day long.

Essential Nutrients

There are many nutrients in meat that are critical to overall health. While there are many sources of protein, meat is a great source of complete protein, containing all the amino acids our bodies needs, including the ones our bodies can’t produce.

All B vitamins are found in greater concentration in meats than in plant sources, and vitamin B-12 can only be found in animal sources. The B vitamins are critical to health, especially mental health. Deficits in these vitamins can cause confusion, impaired senses, aggression, insomnia, weakness, dementia, and peripheral neuropathy.

The Bottom Line

The last reason to eat meat? It tastes pretty damn good. Steak off the grill, roasted chicken, tender pot roasts, need I say more? For most of us, a meal is not a meal without a delicious cut of meat at the center of it. We love meat, and meat loves us back with a host of critical health benefits. So be true to your human nature and to your taste buds. Don’t cut meat out of your life. It has way too much to offer.

References:

1. Chase, B. “Sugar and Cholesterol Connection – ProgressiveHealth.com.” Progressive Health. Accessed October 4, 2014.

2. Thiessen, D. “The Awful Truth About Eating Grains.” Mercola.com. Accessed October 4, 2014.

3. Cordain, L. et al. “Plant-animal subsistence ratios and macronutrient energy estimations in worldwide hunter-gatherer diets.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Accessed October 4, 2014.

4. Auer, D. “Understanding Gluten: Part 1- A Brief History.” Doctor Auer. Accessed October 4, 2014.

5. Paddon-Jones, D. et al. “Protein, weight management, and satiety.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2008. Accessed October 4, 2014.

6. Paddon-Jones, D. et al. “Protein, weight management, and satiety.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2008. Accessed October 4, 2014.

7. Halton, TL. et al. “The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review.“ Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Accessed October 4, 2014.

8. National Health Service. “Vegetarians have ‘poorer quality of life’ study claims.” Health News. Accessed October 4, 2014.

9. University of Cambridge. “3pm slump? Why a sugar rush may not be the answer.” Accessed October 5, 2014.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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