The most healthy people in Europe are inhabitants of Iceland, Switzerland and Scandinavia, consuming great amounts of food of animal origin

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Bratislavske Lekarske Listy 2008;109(10):463-6 and a recipe for beef with olives.

Study title and author:
Vegetarian diets, chronic diseases and longevity.

Ginter E.

Books:

Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia. ginter.email@mail.t-com.sk

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19166134

The study presents evidence that meta-analysis of several prospective studies showed no significant differences in the mortality caused by colorectal, stomach, lung, prostate or breast cancers and stroke between vegetarians and "health-conscious" nonvegetarians...and went on to say...In fact the most healthy people in Europe are inhabitants of Iceland, Switzerland and Scandinavia, consuming great amounts of food of animal origin.

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Recipe of the day

Beef with Olives

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Rib Eye Steaks

4 sirloin or rib-eye steaks

30ml/2tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 x 400g can cherry or plum tomatoes

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

12 pitted whole black olives, cut in half

15ml/1tbsp freshly chopped oregano

Method:

1.Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for 5-8 minutes until soft.

2.Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thick. Season if required. Remove from the heat and add the olives and oregano.

3.Meanwhile, heat a non-stick griddle or frying pan, season the steaks and coat with the remaining oil on both sides. Cook the steaks according to your preference.

4.Serve the steaks with the sauce and steamed broccoli with ginger.

Vegan diet may lead to heart disease risk

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the International Journal of Epidemiology Volume 24, Number 4 Pp. 704-709 and a recipe for mustard and herb rubbed leg of lamb.

Study title and authors:
Serum Total Homocysteine and Coronary Heart Disease

Books:

EGIL ARNESEN*, HELGA REFSUM**, KAARE H BØNAA*, PER MAGNE UELAND**, OLAV H FØRDE* and JAN E NORDREHAUG

* Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø MH-building, N-9037 Tromso, Norway

** Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Central Laboratory, Haukeland Hospital, University of Bergen Norway
Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland Hospital, University of Bergen Norway

This paper can be accessed at: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/4/704

The homocysteine levels of 21,826 subjects, aged 12–61 years were measured to investigate the relationship between homocysteine and heart disease.

The study found that for each 4 µmol/l increase in homocysteine levels there was a 32% increased risk of heart disease.

Arnesen concludes that high homocysteine levels are a risk factor for heart disease.

High homocysteine levels may be the result of B vitamin deficiencies caused by a vegan diet. See here

The best dietary sources of B vitamins are meat and poultry.

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Recipe of the day

Mustard and Herb Rubbed Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Leg of Lamb

1kg/2.2kg leg of lamb

60ml/4tbsp wholegrain mustard

60ml/4tbsp English mustard

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

6 sprigs fresh thyme

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

30ml/2tbsp butter

3 large, carrots, peeled, halved and cut into four lengthways

2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and chopped

Method:

1.Using a sharp knife make deep incisions all over the lamb joint. Mix together the mustards, garlic and herbs. Rub over the lamb and season. If time allows cover and leave in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

2.Preheat the oven to Gas mark 4-5, 180-190°C,350-375°F.

3.Place the joint in a large roasting tray and drizzle with the butter. Roast uncovered for the calculated cooking time. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.

4.40 minutes before the end of the cooking time remove the roasting tray from the oven and add the carrots, peppers and thyme around the lamb joint. Toss gently.

5.Serve the lamb whole or sliced with the roasted vegetables.

Mustard and Herb Rubbed Leg of Lamb

Vegans at risk of heart disease because of lowered B vitamin levels and elevated homocysteine

Books:

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 2006;50:485-491 and a recipe for chicken liver pate.

Study title and authors:

B-Vitamin Status and Concentrations of Homocysteine in Austrian Omnivores, Vegetarians and Vegans

D. Majchrzak, I. Singer, M. Männer, P. Rust, D. Genser, K.-H. Wagner, I. Elmadfa

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

This paper can be accessed at: http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowAbstract&ArtikelNr=95828&Ausgabe=232240&ProduktNr=223977

The paper found that vegan diets were deficient in Vitamins B12 and B2. This led to elevated homocysteine levels which are an indicator of heart disease. See here

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Recipe of the day

Chicken Liver Paté

Ingredients:

Chicken Liver

Use two large or up to four small cloves of fresh garlic.
1lb chicken liver
1 small onion (or 1/2 of a large onion), chopped
1/2 cup red wine, or balsamic vinegar
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup butter
Sea salt
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper (optional)

Preparation:
•Sauté the liver and onions in a couple of tablespoons of the butter until the livers are browned and the onions are tender.

•Add wine, garlic, mustard, herbs and lemon juice and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has gone.

•Transfer the mixture into a food processor and blend to a smooth paste along with the rest of the butter 1Tbsp at a time until it reaches a smooth, creamy consistency – you don’t want it to be crumbly.

•Add salt to taste.

•Put pate in a shallow dish to refrigerate before serving.

•(optional) Press cracked pepper onto the top of it or garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary.

•Enjoy spread on celery, carrots, cucumbers, peppers or any other veggies you want to dip!

Chicken Liver Pate



Humans have a large brain because of their evolutionary high quality meat diet

This post features a paper published in Current Anthropology Vol 36 No. 2 April 1995 and a recipe for beefy spring stir fry.

Study title and authors:
The Expensive Tissue Hypothesis
Leslie C Aiello, Peter Wheeler

This paper can be accessed at: http://people.biology.ufl.edu/sphelps/documents/evobrain/aeillo_wheeler_95.pdf

Books:

The Expensive Tissue Hypothesis was proposed in 1995 by Leslie Aiello and Peter Wheeler. They found that most of the human basal metabolic rate--more than 70%--goes to fuel the brain, heart, kidney, liver, and gastro-intestinal tract. To find out if any of these organs were reduced to fuel the human brain, they compared the mass of each organ in adult humans with that expected for a primate of similar body size. Only the gastro-intestinal tract was smaller than expected--and it was about 60% of the size expected for a similar-sized primate.

The increase in human brain size appears to be balanced by an almost identical reduction in the size of the gastrointestinal tract.

Aiello speculates that we could have reduced our gut size to free up energy for a larger brain with a dietary change happening as brain size expanded. Our ancestors were shifting from a heavily vegetarian diet, which requires a massive gut to digest plants and nuts, to a more easily digestible, nutritious diet that included meat and requires less gut tissue.

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Recipe of the day

Beefy Spring Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Sirloin Steak

450g/1lb sirloin, or rump steak, cut into strips

15ml/1tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced

175g/6oz broccoli florets

100g/4oz mangetout

100g/4oz button mushrooms, halved

1 bok choi or pak choi, halved

75ml/5tbsp good, hot beef stock

30ml/2tbsp horseradish sauce

15-30ml/1-2tbsp fermented soy sauce

15-30ml/1-2tbsp sherry vinegar

Method:

1.Heat the oil in a large non-stick wok until really hot. Season the beef then add to the wok and cook for 1 minute until browned, but only just cooked. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and place on a plate.

2.Add the onion to the wok and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the broccoli, mangetout, mushrooms and bok or pak choi. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes then add the stock and horseradish. Stir to combine.

3.Return the beef to the wok with any meat juices from the plate and add the fermented soy sauce and sherry vinegar.

Statins damage skeletal muscle

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the Journal of Pathology 2006 Sep;210(1):94-102 

Study title and authors:
Statin therapy induces ultrastructural damage in skeletal muscle in patients without myalgia.

Draeger A, Monastyrskaya K, Mohaupt M, Hoppeler H, Savolainen H, Allemann C, Babiychuk EB.

Institute of Anatomy, Department of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 2, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. draeger@ana.unibe.ch

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16799920

Books:

Draeger notes that muscle pain and weakness are frequent complaints in patients receiving statins. Many patients with muscle pain have creatine kinase levels that are either normal or only marginally elevated, and no obvious structural defects have been reported in patients with muscle pain.

In this study, skeletal muscle biopsies from statin-treated and non-statin-treated patients were examined using both electron microscopy and biochemical approaches to compare patterns of muscle damage.

The study found:
(a) The biopsies found clear evidence of skeletal muscle damage in statin-treated patients.
(b) The damage has a characteristic pattern that includes breakdown of the T-tubular system (continuation of the cell surface membrane) and subsarcolemmal (cell membrane) rupture.
(c) These characteristic structural abnormalities observed in the statin-treated patients were reproduced by extraction of cholesterol from skeletal muscle fibres and analysed in a test tube.

The researchers conclude: "These findings support the hypothesis that statin-induced cholesterol lowering per se contributes to myocyte (muscle cell or muscle fibre) damage".
 

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Statins and muscle damage

This post contains a summary of a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine 2002 Oct 1;137(7):581-5



Books:

Study title and authors:

Statin-associated myopathy with normal creatine kinase levels.

Phillips PS, Haas RH, Bannykh S, Hathaway S, Gray NL, Kimura BJ, Vladutiu GD, England JD; Scripps Mercy Clinical Research Center.

Interventional Cardiology, Scripps Mercy Hospital and University of California, San Diego, Medical Center, San Diego, California 92103, USA. inquire@impostertrial.com

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12353945

Muscle damage is associated with high creatine kinase levels.  

This study investigated if statins cause muscle damage despite patients having normal creatine kinase levels. The study included four patients with muscle symptoms that developed during statin therapy and reversed during placebo use. The study measured:
(i) Patients' ability to identify blinded statin therapy from placebo.
(ii) Muscle strength and functional capacity.

The study found:
(a) All four patients repeatedly distinguished blinded statin therapy from placebo.
(b) Strength testing confirmed muscle weakness during statin therapy that reversed during placebo use.
(c) Muscle biopsies showed evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction which reversed in the three patients who had repeated biopsy when they were not receiving statins.
(d) Creatine kinase levels were normal in all four patients despite the presence of significant muscle damage.

Statins were found to cause muscle damage in patients despite normal creatine kinase levels.

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Statin side effects

This post includes a summary of a study published in Biofactors 2005;25(1-4):147-52

Study title and authors:
Treatment of statin adverse effects with supplemental Coenzyme Q10 and statin drug discontinuation.

Books:

Langsjoen PH, Langsjoen JO, Langsjoen AM, Lucas LA.

East Texas Medical Center and Trinity Mother Francis Hospital, Tyler, 75701, USA. langsjoen@compuserve.com

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16873939

This study investigated the effects of discontinuing statin drugs and beginning Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in cardiology (heart disorder) clinic patients. The study included  The study included fifty new cardiology clinic patients who were on statin drug therapy (for an average of 28 months), who on their initial visit were evaluated for possible adverse statin effects (muscle pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, memory loss, and peripheral neuropathy). All patients discontinued statin therapy due to side effects and began supplemental Coenzyme Q10. The patients were followed for an average of 22 months.

The study found that after stopping statins and starting Coenzyme Q10:
(a) Fatigue decreased from 84% to 16%.
(b) Muscle pain decreased from 64% to 6%.
(c) Shortness of breath decreased 58% to 12%.
(d) Memory loss decreased from 8% to 4%.
(e) Peripheral neuropathy decreased from 10% to 2%.
(f) Measurements of heart function either improved or remained stable in the majority of patients.
(g) There was no adverse consequences from statin discontinuation.

The researchers conclude that: "Statin-related side effects, including statin cardiomyopathy, are far more common than previously published and are reversible with the combination of statin discontinuation and supplemental Coenzyme Q10".

*Dietary sources of Coenzyme Q10 include all animal products, particularly heart meat.

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