Are protein bars really just candy in disguise?

Are protein bars really just candy in disguise? - I was traveling by air recently and eat my "quick lunch" -a regular protein bar and an apple. 

Across the hall, I noticed another passenger eating a chocolate bar. It made me think of recent studies documenting the deplorable state of the average American diet, and rising rates of obesity.

However, at first glance, a snack and was enjoying my quick lunch seemed. Both were eating a rectangular bar covered in chocolate icing. I asked myself, is my protein bar really a healthier choice, or is it more like a chocolate bar than I want to admit?

Therefore, I carefully compared the nutritional content of a Snickers bar, Luna bar (Nutz over chocolate, my favorite) and, in addition, a granola bar Nature Valley Oats' n Honey. This is what I found.

    *  Calories. Snickers bar has the most calories per serving (250). But the size of the portion of a Snickers bar was larger: 52.7 grams against 48 grams for Luna Bar and 42 grams for the granola bar (both of which were 190 calories per serving). This means that gram for gram, the calories were similar.
 
    *  Fat. Snickers bar had 12 grams of fat. That's about twice as much fat as the other two bars, and more than a third were unhealthy saturated fat.
 
    * Sugar and salt. Again, the Snickers bar was the loser, with 27 grams of sugar being well above 11 grams and 10 grams granola bar in the bar Luna. However, the salt content was lower in the Snickers bar.

    * Protein. True to its billing as a high-protein food of the Luna bar has 9 grams of protein - that is up to 20% of the needs of an entire day. Snickers bar and had 4 grams of granola bar, 3 grams.

    * Fiber. To be considered "high fiber", a food must have 5 grams of fiber per serving. Only Luna Bar came close to it, with 4 grams of fiber.
 
    * Vitamins and minerals. Moon Bar provides good dose of calcium (35% of your daily needs), iron (30%), folic acid (100%) and vitamin D (15%). Not bad! Other bars do not contain significant amounts of these nutrients.

And one more thing ...

Moon bars are marketed as "The Bar Whole Nutrition for Women", because of calcium, vitamin D, iron and folic acid in each bar. So if you are a woman, these bars will make you healthier? What if a man (like me) regularly eat these bars?

It is true that women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, so it is important that women get enough calcium and vitamin D. Women are more likely to have iron deficiency due to bleeding menstrual. 

And reproductive age women should get enough folic acid to help prevent certain birth defects in their children. Yet the amount of nutrients in a bar moon unlikely to have much impact on the health of the female (or male) average fan. 

So snack you choose? 

When you get to the end, a Snickers bar is not quite far worse than many nutritional bars. For example, the calorie difference is reduced when the sizes of portions are equalized.

These bars and protein content will not make much difference for the person who already eat a well balanced diet with other good sources of dietary protein. However, I can not recommend a chocolate bar every day, although the occasional splurge probably will not hurt you. 

Remember, the "value" of a food should be considered in the context of the total diet of a person, including the total balance of calories, protein, fat and sugar consumed throughout the day.

And let us not forget that the calories you burn through physical activity are also very important. He planned to work as soon as I returned from my trip. I wish that my traveling companion had intended to do the same. 
By: Robert Shmerling, M.D. 

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The Nordic diet: Healthy eating with an eco-friendly bent

If you've never heard of Nordic diet you can imagine a plate of these Swedish meatballs are sold in Ikea. 

But in fact, this style of eating healthier foods focuses on, including many plant foods that nutritionists always encourage us to eat. 

And although the data are limited so far, several studies suggest a model of Nordic diet may promote weight loss and blood pressure.

As the name implies, the Nordic diet foods that are locally sourced or eat in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, traditionally. Developed in collaboration with renowned gourmet restaurant Noma Copenhagen, the plan emphasizes the use of seasonal foods, healthy, regional. (Do not necessarily represent how most Scandinavians eat every day, though)

What is the provision of food

Nordic staple diet are whole grains such as rye, barley and oats; berries and other fruits; vegetables (especially cabbage and root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots); Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring; and legumes (beans and peas).

"The Nordic diet is a healthy diet pattern which shares many elements with the Mediterranean diet," said Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition at Harvard University School TH Chan of public health. 

The Mediterranean diet - widely considered the best diet for prevention of heart disease - also emphasizes plant foods. Both plans include moderate amounts of fish, eggs, and small amounts of dairy products, but to limit processed foods, sweets and red meat. 

Although the Mediterranean diet includes olive oil, the Nordic diet favors rapeseed oil (also known as canola oil). Such as olive oil, canola oil is rich in monounsaturated fat healthy. But it also contains alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid similar to the omega-3 fatty acids present in fish plant. 

Sure, fatty fish - the richest dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids - play a role in both northern and Mediterranean diets (test two to three servings per week) The Northern Plan also emphasizes high quality carbohydrates cereal, cookies and breads made with whole grain barley, oats and rye.

Americans can learn Swedish Wasa crispbreads, most of which are made with whole grains.  

In Denmark, a dense, dark sourdough bread called rugbrød is popular. These whole foods provide many nutrients to protect the heart, including fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Eat lots of fruits is another unique aspect of the Nordic diet may explain some of their health benefits. Research by Harvard scientists have linked eating large amounts of fruits (such as blueberries and strawberries) to a weight gain of less risk of suffering a heart attack. The berries are excellent sources of plant chemicals known as anthocyanins, which appear to lower blood pressure and cause blood vessels more flexible.

Bono: It's easy on the environment, too 

The Nordic diet offers an additional advantage: it is environmentally friendly. On the one hand, herbal diets use fewer natural resources (such as fossil fuels and water) and create less pollution without heavy meat diets.

In addition, the consumption of locally produced food also reduces energy consumption and food waste, says Dr. Hu. And while the Nordic diet makes sense for those who live in northern Europe, people worldwide can apply the same principles to your diet, no matter where they live.

While the Nordic diet has not been shown to prevent heart disease to the same extent that the Mediterranean diet, which is clearly a step above the average American diet, food and meat should be seen as good for He treated heart too. "People who really love berries, rye and canola should go ahead and enjoy a diet of Nordic type instead of waiting 10 years for more evidence," says Dr. Hu.

By: Julie Corliss   

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The high cost of low cholesterol

The high cost of low cholesterol - You've probably heard of new drugs to reduce cholesterol Repatha Praluent and approved by the FDA in recent weeks. Maybe you've even started taking one yourself.

These drugs are miraculous in its ability to reduce LDL (cholesterol low-density lipoprotein), the type that leads to heart disease. But this power comes at a price - literally. Both drugs have an annual cost of about $ 14 600 per year.

The domino effect of drug prices through the roof 

Of course, people who take these medications can not pay the full cost themselves - which will fall to your insurance company. Exactly what a person would have to pay out of pocket depends on your health insurance plan in particular, but many people could end up paying a significant portion of the bill. So if your doctor prescribes these drugs for you, it is important to check with your insurance company about coverage before you start taking it.

But the prices of these drugs can still affect you, even if you take one of them personally. If enough people enrolled in their health plan of the individual, they are prescribed one of these drugs, the total cost of your insurance could be high enough to cause an increase in the premium for all.The high price of new drugs for cholesterol is not unique. New drugs for hepatitis C, arthritis and cancer (called "specialty drugs") are also quite expensive, and together we put a strain on the budgets of health care - and to offset the savings by use of generic medicines cost.

Why new medicines for cholesterol - and other specialty drugs - so expensive? In the US, pharmaceutical companies can set prices based on what the market will bear. Unlike Canada and Europe, the US government can not establish price controls on drugs, so that our drug prices are generally higher than the prices of these same drugs in these regions.

In fact, a new report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (CIRE), which analyzes the cost-effectiveness of the new drug relationship, concluded that the cost of new medicines for cholesterol is too high . ICER recommends annual price tag of $ 2,177.

What to do with new medicines for cholesterol price 

Although we still have no evidence that the new cholesterol-lowering drugs actually reduce the rate of heart disease, for people with a rare genetic form of high cholesterol (called familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH) they are a godsend. But for people who have the most common form of high cholesterol, there are other options, much less than should be tried first.

Change in diet and regular exercise can help reduce cholesterol levels low, and (generic), an inexpensive statin therapy remains the drug of choice for treatment. A drug called ezetimibe (Zetia) can be added to a statin if statin alone is not fully effective.
 
Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both proposed legislation to control drug costs, but it is unlikely that these laws were adopted in the short term. Until then, consumers must be aware of the price of drugs that doctors prescribe for them. Often there are less expensive alternatives that should be considered first.
By: Gregory Curfman, MD

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Too little sleep and overweight: a dangerous duo

You walk down the street early in the morning after spending all night to complete a project for your boss. The coffee shop is called as usual. But today siren song is more than a cup of coffee. In a way, there is an irresistible urge to buy a donut or two as well.

If ever you wondered why, read on.The number of Americans say they get sleep every night has fallen from an average of about 8.5 hours in 1960 to just under 19 hours today. 
There are probably many reasons why, but probably include 24/7 Professional extension of the "day" with artificial lighting, use of electronic devices before bedtime (blue light wavelength of these devices delays sleep onset) and widespread belief that sleep is a lower priority compared to other activities, whether work-related or pleasure.

And today, not only do most of us sleep less, but tend to weigh more, too. Over 30% of US adults are obese, compared with less than 15% of adults in the 1960s this "obesity epidemic" has been extended to children, with about 17% considered obese today. This is an alarming trend because obese children are likely to become obese adults.

Is there a relationship between sleep duration and increased the reduced obesity? Irrefutable evidence suggests there. A number of large studies involving thousands of adults have generally found that short sleepers (defined as five hours or less a night, but sometimes six hours or less) were up to 45% more likely to be obese. We do not have much data on children, but a study has shown that children who slept less than 7.5 hours per night were three times more risk of developing obesity in a period of 5 years.

Studies also show that short sleepers do not eat healthily. Above all, their diet have less variety of food, a higher percentage of calories from snacks, and a greater amount of sugar, caffeine and alcohol. They also tend to skip meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and also tend to snack more. These habits promote weight gain and the possible development of obesity.

Is there a scientific explanation of the feeding behavior of short sleepers? Experimental studies suggest that sleep restriction leads to abnormalities in the processing of blood sugar (glucose) and variations of hormones that control appetite. For example, ghrelin hormone stimulates the appetite, and reducing the hormone leptin. With sleep restriction, increased ghrelin levels and leptin decrease, resulting in increased hunger and appetite. In addition, these studies have shown that individuals with restricted sleep have a greater desire for high-calorie carbohydrate-rich foods.So what evidence linking lack of sleep to weight gain told us?

The bottom line is that getting enough sleep is one way to reduce the risk of weight gain and obesity. There is a tendency to put on pounds as you age. Lack of sleep will only worsen this trend. If a person is already overweight or obese, losing weight will be more difficult without adequate sleep.  

From a social perspective, the obesity epidemic, associated with increases in rates of several chronic diseases (eg, heart disease, diabetes), puts a greater burden on the health care system and contributes to rising health care costs. Adequate sleep should be included with exercise and good nutrition as one of the essential elements of good health.
By: Stuart Quan, MD,

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Join us for a special webcast: "Rethinking cholesterol"

If the latest information on the health and well-being is important to you, you will not want to miss a special live streaming, "Rethinking cholesterol," which will air on Thursday, September 24, 24: 30-13: 30 hours from the east. The webcast, which is free for all spectators, is co-sponsored by Reuters, Harvard Health Publications, TH Chan Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School.

Recent science has brought new knowledge about the importance of controlling cholesterol for maintaining cardiovascular health. LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is a powerful risk factor for heart and blood vessels. New research suggests that when it comes to protecting your heart, reduce LDL cholesterol better.

How can you reduce cholesterol 
There is a lot you can do with your diet to lower LDL cholesterol. Primarily, it is essential to reduce the consumption of saturated fats and trans fats. These two forms of LDL levels increase in fat. Saturated fats are found in butter, cheese, other dairy products and red meat. Trans fat is found in partially hydrogenated oils. By law, trans fats are supposed to be removed from all commercially prepared foods over the next three years. But until then, you should read food labels carefully to avoid trans fats.

It is best to replace saturated and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats (soybean, corn and sunflower) and monounsaturated fats (olive oil), which lower LDL levels. But you might be surprised to learn that reducing the amount of cholesterol-rich foods is of little help.  

Most blood cholesterol is produced by the body and without food. Get plenty of fiber can also help cholesterol levels. Regular exercise is also important because it helps control body weight and may increase levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein), which contributes to the scanning fat from the bloodstream.

When you need a little more help than lifestyle changes alone
If diet and exercise do not bring your cholesterol at a healthy level, there are medications that can help. Statins have been the mainstay of drug therapy to reduce LDL cholesterol. Statins are sometimes administered in combination with ezetimibe, a drug that lowers cholesterol absorption in the intestine.

Powerful new drugs, called PCSK9 inhibitors, have recently become available. These drugs are antibodies that promote the removal of LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver where it can be treated. PCSK9 inhibitors can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol to levels not seen before with other medicines.  

But they must be administered by injection under the skin, and today are very expensive. Only time will tell whether these low LDL levels result in a reduced risk of heart and blood vessels, and if there may be unexpected side effects driving LDL cholesterol levels low.

More information about cholesterol and heart health expert at Harvard University
If you want to understand more about cholesterol and cardiovascular disease - tune this webcast Thursday, September 24, 24: 30-13: 30 ET - and the latest scientific advances and guidelines to protect your heart based on evidence.

These issues will be addressed by four Harvard experts:
    *  Patrick O'Gara, director of clinical cardiology and Executive Medical Director, Cardiovascular Center at Brigham and Women Shapiro's Hospital; Professor at Harvard Medical School.

    *  JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School; Head of the Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Professor at the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of TH Chan of public health.

    *  Paul Ridker, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Eugene Braunwald Professor of Medicine; Professor at the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of TH Chan of public health.

    *  Frank Sacks, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Department of Nutrition at Harvard University TH Chan school of public health.

Bill Berkrot Reuters moderate the conversation. You may also be interested in our recent post on fats in the diet and heart health by JoAnn Dr. Manson and his colleague Dr. Shari Bassuk.

You can see the direct www.health.harvard.edu. We hope you will join us, but if you miss the live event, the webcast will also be recorded for later viewing. 
By: Gregory Curfman, MD,

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The type of fat you eat matters!

If you've seen the headlines last month indicating that saturated fat is considered harmful to the heart, you can (of course!) Confused. After all, for years, doctors and scientists have recommended to reduce the saturated fat for heart health. Is it time to rethink this advice? Barely. Here's the deal.

The investigation that led to the recent new splash was an analysis by Canadian researchers to a long-term observation dozen diet studies that included a total of 90 000-339 000 participants from different countries. The study volunteers reported commonly consumed foods.  

The researchers then followed the health of these people for years, sometimes decades. The analysis found no association between the consumption of saturated fats - dairy products (such as cheese, butter and milk) and meat are two main sources - and the future risk of coronary heart disease, stroke ischemia (stroke as result of a blocked vessel), diabetes or cardiovascular disease or death from any cause. 

Less surprisingly, the analysis also found that trans fats are harmful to health, with the highest intakes of trans fat linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease and mortality rate of 21% to 33% higher compared with the lowest consumption. The results were published August 12 in the journal BMJ.

Unfortunately, the news coverage of this analysis a key point often missed. Not only the amount of saturated fat you eat, it's what those calories are replaced by (the quality of your diet in general) that affects your health. Most people naturally tend to keep your calorie intake at a constant level over time (scientists call this "the preservation of calories"). 

If you cut calories from saturated fat from your diet, missing calories should come from elsewhere ("replacement calories"). People with low saturated fat consumption can replace those calories with other unhealthy foods such as refined carbohydrates (like white bread, white rice) or sugary drinks. So even if they eat less fat, your overall diet is no better - and perhaps worse - that people are not trying to limit saturated fats. 

Many studies show that substituting unsaturated fats - found in fish, nuts and vegetable oils - saturated fats improves health. For example, a careful analysis of the observation results of the study of health nurses, in which my colleagues and I (JEM) followed 80,000 nurses initially healthy for many years, suggested that the replacement of only 5 % calories from saturated fat unsaturated fat calories reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 42% and is more effective in preventing heart attacks than simply reducing overall fat intake. Short-term feeding trials also show heart benefits of reducing saturated fat intake while increasing the intake of unsaturated fat, including improved cholesterol levels in the blood and insulin sensitivity.

The most damaging type of dietary fat is trans fat, also known as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. These fats are a double whammy: they raise cholesterol "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower "good" HDL cholesterol. New government regulations are to reduce the presence of trans fats in foods, but they are still fats in many products. 

What is the moral? The type of fat, in fact, matter, so choose healthy foods with unsaturated fats (fish, nuts, and most vegetable oils), limit foods high in saturated fats (butter, whole milk, cheese , coconut palm oil, and red meat), and try to avoid foods with trans fats. Achieve the ultimate goal can be tricky. In supermarkets, check package labels carefully. The best way to know if the trans fat is present is to read the list of ingredients; whether the phrase "partially hydrogenated oil" appears, then trans fats are actually lurking.

Many experts and professional associations, including the American Heart Association recommends a diet that (1) focuses on vegetables (brightly colored vegetables, including leafy greens, are the best, and apples white land does not count), fresh fruits and whole grains (whole grains, breads, rice and pasta); (2) includes fish, beans, nuts and seeds, poultry, low fat dairy products and non-tropical vegetable oils (such as canola oil or olive oil, but no coconut or palm oil); and (3) Limit sweets, sweetened beverages, and red meat. Well known examples are the Mediterranean diets and Dash. People who eat these diets have always had much better health outcomes than those who do not.

By: JoAnn E. Manson, MD DrPH.

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