In search of healthy pizza by Jerry Brainum

I fell in love with my first bite at age 8, and have remained in love with it ever since. I'm talking about pizza, far and away my favorite food. And I'm not alone in this love affair. In 2005, pizza sales racked up $31 billion, with 3 billion pizzas sold in the United States. People consume 350 slices every second, or to put it another way, every man, woman, and child in the U.S consumes an average of 46 slices of pizza a year. Pizza is the fourth most craved food, behind cheese, chocolate, and ice cream. Despite this popularity, pizza is often classified as a "junk food," largely because of its high content of sodium and fat.
   Pizza has been around a long time in one form or another.A Latin text published in Gaeta, Italy in 997 A.D uses the word "pizza." In fact, the precursor to what we now refer to as pizza was focaccia, a flat bread to which was added various toppings. The Romans called it Panis Focasius, and one wonders if this were used to fuel the activities of Roman gladiators, who were largely vegetarian. The invention of modern pizza is usually attributed to Raffaele Esposito, a baker in Naples, Italy. Esposito owned a pizza restaurant, and prepared the pizza as a special dish for the king and queen of Italy, thus making pizza a meal fit for a king--and a queen.Along with the Black Hand, pizza came to New York in 1905, when Gennaro Lombardi opened the first pizzeria at 53 1/2 Spring street in Manhattan. Later, frozen pizza was invented by Rose Totino, whose name still graces a brand of frozen pizza.
       At first, it's difficult to understand why pizza earned its junk food reputation. Analysis of 100 grams or about 3 1/2 ounces of pizza shows that it contains 50 grams of carbohydrate;20 grams of tomato sauce;20 grams of mozzarella cheese;  4 grams of olive oil;2 grams of yeast, along with toppings. This pizza supplies 30 percent of the recommended dietary allowances of Vitamins A, C, B2, calcium, and protein. It provides 50 precent of the RDA for vitamin B1 or thiamine, and 35% of the RDA for iron. Some of the usual ingredients in pizza, such as olive oil, garlic, and oregano are also common components of the Mediterranean diet, known to be the only nutrition plan that may extend longevity.
    A 2003 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that eating pizza lowered the risk of esophageal cancer by 59%; Oral cancer by 34%; and colon cancer by 26%. Much of this protective effect was thought to come from the tomato sauce and tomatoes in pizza, which are good sources of the nutrient, Lycopene, shown to have cancer preventive effects. Indeed, one celebrated study published by Harvard researchers a few years ago singled out pizza as a protective food against the development of prostate cancer. The prostate gland concentrates more lycopene than any other part of the body, and in that organ, it prevents oxidative reactions that could lead to cell mutations and cancer. A slice of pizza contains just over 2 milligrams of lycopene, a respectable dosage.
    In 2003, the results of a retrospective study of over 40,000 middle-aged women called the Women's Health Study examined 719 reported cases of cardiovascular disease, and found an inverse relationship between eating pizza and the development of cardiovascular disease. And this was true despite the high fat and sodium content of pizza.
    Pizza does present some unique health problems for certain people. Several articles in diabetic medical journals have described the unique absorption properties of pizza. The high fat content of pizza delays the absorption of the carbs in the pizza dough for two to three hours. But at the eight hour mark, there is a sudden, massive release of glucose that can lead to rapid blood glucose elevations. This would call for diabetics to adjust their insulin schedule, if they were using the hormone. No other food is known to produce this effect.
   The notion that pizza is not healthy has led to attempts to improve the nutritional profile of pizza. One pizza, called "Power pizza," contains dough that is made from whey protein. Met-rx, a supplement company, came out with a frozen pizza a few years ago that was made from Met-rx, a supplement containing whey and other nutrients. Other ways to boost the nutritional value of pizza include using only whole wheat crust, which because of the higher fiber content, results in a slower release of carbs. Not adding extra cheese lowers the fat content. I've seen people use a paper napkin to blot up excess oil before eating pizza, but since that oil is often healthy olive oil, that technique offers dubious benefits at best. Some suggest using healthy toppings, including cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, beets (excellent for boosting nitric oxide, which lowers blood pressure), and other veggies. Beets as a pizza topping? Please pass me the barf bucket!
   In a new study, Scottish researchers opted to design a pizza that was not only healthy,but also good tasting as judged by a group of adults and children. They noted that most commercial pizzas came up short for iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamins B12 and C. The usual pizza is also too high in sodium and fat, or so said the researchers. So the scientists set out to produce a pizza that was nutritionally balanced enough to be considered a healthy, complete meal. They decreased the amount of mozzarella cheese, thus lowering the fat content. They lowered the salt in both the dough and sauce. Then they mixed in red peppers with the sauce to boost the vitamin C levels. Whole-wheat dough was used, to which was added dried seaweed, which increased the fiber, iron,vitamin A, B12,and iodine content of the pizza. The resulting pizza was still top heavy in carbs, containing 76 grams, with 22 grams of protein. But it also contains 473 milligrams of sodium, considered low sodium, along with 112 milligrams of magnesium; 813 milligrams of potassium; 3.5 milligrams of zinc, and all other nutrients, along with 513 calories per slice. It also contained 13.7 grams of fiber, a good amount. 
    The seaweed and added peppers did not affect the taste of the pizza, according to a group of children and adults who taste-tested the special pizza. It was rated very high for both taste and appearance. This led the authors to conclude that,"Our study therefore shows that, contrary to popular opinion,it is perfectly possible to have an attractive, nutritionally balanced meal as a single-item pizza meal."   

                                                                

                                                                         Yum!



Combet, E, et al. Development of a nutritionally balanced pizza as a functional meal designed to meet published dietary guidelines. Public Health Nutrition 2013: in press.

 ©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.

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Is this the best diet to promote fat-loss, keep it off, and stay healthy? by Jerry Brainum

Although dieting is never easy, it's nonetheless a truism that it's easier to take weight off, compared to keeping it off.With most dieters, 97 percent of lost weight, especially body fat, quickly returns when the stringent dieting ends. This is particularly true if there is no exercise component, since a rapid weight-loss promotes changes in the body that result in a lowered resting metabolic rate (RMR). The lowered RMR of often ascribed to a loss of lean mass, mainly muscle, that results from a low calorie intake in the absence of exercise. Adding additional protein when calories or carbohydrates are curtailed is absolutely essential for aiding in the retention of lean mass, and is a mistake commonly made by uninformed dieters.
   Keeping lost weight off is difficult because of several factors. First is the aforementioned drop in resting metabolic rate, which means that fewer calories are burned at rest. Thus, if you experience a drop in RME resulting from an extended low calorie intake and low protein intake, combined with lack of resistance exercise, you will quickly regain lost weight when you consume more calories after the diet ends. Dieting also tends to produce changes in some hormones related to appetite control. For example, leptin and insulin resistance,both of which can adversely affect appetite control through an upregulation of  other factors related to appetite,such as a gut hormone called ghrelin, which is the most appetite-boosting substance of all.
     But there may be some hope after all for all those dieters who have lost, but regained body fat. A group of Italian and Greek researchers devised a phased dieting system that takes advantages of two of the best known eating plans: the ketogenic and low carbohydrate diet, and the Mediterranean diet. What they did is manipulate some of the disadvantages of the diets so as to produce maximal compliance with the eating plans. This is a major problem, since most diets fail because people either become bored with them, or are too hungry to continue. The system advocated by these researchers is similar to the type of training suggested by most exercise scientists:periodization, which involves dividing training into phases, where minor changes are made, such as heavier or lighter weights, more sets, less sets, and so on.
    The most effective fat-loss diet for the majority of obese people is the ketogenic diet, which involves a near deletion of carbohydrates from the diet. The popular Dr.Atkins diet also starts with a ketogenic diet, and for good reason. The initial weight loss on such diets consists largely of water, but also includes body fat. However, the loss of water provides an initial psychological boost because of the obvious rapid weight-loss. This phase of the diet also prepares the body for conversion from a largely sugar-burning machine into a fat-burning machine. Very low or ketogenic diets have often been wrongly criticized because of the increase of ketones that occur during the diet. In fact, the rise of ketones during the diet is never dangerous, and isn't comparable to that which occurs during uncontrolled diabetes. Ketones, which are intermediate byproducts of fat metabolism, even provide a number of dieting advantages. They blunt appetite, and can also be used in place of carbohydrates as an energy source. Ketones also provide anti-catabolic effects in muscle, and thus help preserve vital muscle mass under dieting conditions.Ketogenic diets are characterized by a total carbohydrate intake of no more than 50 grams a day. Interestingly, a recent study found that using a ketogenic eating plan immediately following another diet will completely prevent the rise in appetite-stimulating hormones such as ghrelin that normally occurs at the end of a diet, and is chiefly responsible for dieting failures. Dieting success, in contrast, is defined as losing 10 percent of bodyweight, and keeping it off for at least a year after the diet ends.
    The protocol suggested by the scientists consisted of the following:
1) Initial 20 days of very low carb ketogenic diet
2) 20 days of low-carb, but not ketogenic diet
3) Four months of normal caloric intake Mediterranean diet (MD)
4) A second 20-day ketogenic diet phase
5) A second 20-day low carb, not ketogenic diet phase
6) Final 6 months of normal calorie Med diet
     During the ketogenic diet phase, food was limited to beef and veal, poultry, fish, raw and cooked green vegetables (no restriction), dried beef, cured ham, eggs, and some cheese. Drinks permitted were infusion tea, moka coffee, and herbal teas. No alcohol, bread, pasta, rice, milk, yogurt, or other carb sources were permitted during this phase.The subjects were also provided with packaged specialty meals, rich in protein (18 grams per portion) and fiber, but devoid of carbs. To prevent the common side effects that sometimes occur with ketogenic diets, such as fatigue, the subjects also ingested herbal extracts, which are listed below. Thus, the addition of both fiber and the herbal extracts prevented the most common side effects of the ketogenic diet, which encouraged compliance. They also ingested a very weak vitamin and mineral formula, taken once daily.
    With the Mediterranean phase, the subjects consumed a diet composed mainly of whole grains,potatoes, meat, fish, eggs, poultry, vegetables, legumes, fruit, olive oil, whole milk, and red wine.The nutrient intake of this phase was 58% carbs;15% protein, and 27% fat. With the ketogenic phase, the average carb intake was 30 grams a day, with 12% total carb intake;36% protein; and 52% fat. When consuming the low carb phase following the ketogenic phase, the nutrient content was 25% carb;31% protein, and 44% fat. The subjects consisted of 89 male and female obese people, age range of 25 to 65, all healthy but overweight. This diet plan lasted for a year, and at the end, 88.25% of the subjects lost an average of 10% body fat. In the 8 subjects who failed to comply, it was found that they had abandoned the phase protocol and returned to eating high sugar/fat junk foods.Other changes in the dieters who did complete the course included decreases in cholesterol levels, LDL, triglycerides, and glucose levels. No adverse changes occurred in liver or kidney function.  
    Thus, this phase dieting resulted in a high compliance rate,, and a significant improvement in various health measures.By combining the advantages of the proven fat-loss capabilities of the ketogenic and low carb plans with the noted health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which is the only diet associated with increased longevity, this plan seems to have captured the best of both worlds: rapid and safe fat loss and increased health and vitality.

Paoli, A et al. Long term successful weight loss with a combination biphasic ketogenic Mediterranean diet and Mediterranean diet maintenance protocol.Nutrition 2013;5:5205-5217.



 Plant extracts used in KEMEPHY (ketogenic Mediterranean with phytoextracts) diet

Plant extracts

Week

1-3

Week

4-6

Composition

Extracts A, ml/

day

20 20 Durvillea antarctica, black radish, mint, liquorice, artichoke, horsetail, burdock, dandelion, rhubarb, gentian,

lemon balm, chinaroot, juniper, spear grass, elder, fucus, anise, parsley, bearberry, horehound

Extracts B, ml/

day

20 20 Serenoa, Red clover, Chervil, Bean, Elder, Dandelion, Uncaria, Equisetum, Horehound, Rosemary

Extracts C, ml/

day

50 50 Horsetail, asparagus, birch, cypress, couch grass, corn, dandelion, grape, fennel, elder, rosehip, anise

Extracts D, ml/

day

(only weeks 1

and 2)

40 0 Eleuthero, eurycoma longifolia, ginseng, corn, miura puama, grape, guaranà, arabic coffee, ginger

.Main actives ingredients of used phytoextracts, their reported beneficial effects

Extract Main Active ingredients Reported beneficial effects

Refs

A Mint

black radish

burdock

- indigestion

- antioxidant

- choleretic, increases bile secretion helping digestion

[69]

[70]

B Serenoa Repens (saw

palmetto)

hormonal regulating effects

[71]

White bean

alpha-amylase inhibitory properties and has been reported to aid weight loss and glycemic control [72]

[73]

C Equisetum

Antioxidant

diuretic

glycemic control

Dandelion (Taraxacum

officinale

diuretic

D Ginseng

Miura Puama

Guaranà

Ameliorate the commonly reported symptoms of weakness and tiredness during first phase of ketosis (1-2 weeks).

©,2014 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.

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New fat reduction factor found in egg yolks by Jerry Brainum

Those who are familiar with my past writings know that I often rant about the common dieting practice of discarding egg yolks and eating only the white of eggs. The ostensible reason for this is that the egg white is nearly pure protein, with no fat or carbohydrates. But what is often overlooked is that nearly all of the nutrients, along with half the protein content. in eggs exist only in the yolks.These nutrients include choline, important for brain health and muscle function since it's the precursor for acetylcholine synthesis. Acetylcholine is thought to be the primary neurotransmitter in the hippocampus area of the brain, a primary site of learning and memory. Indeed, in Alzheimer's disease, the neurons or brain cells that produce acetylcholine are severely damaged, leading to the obvious memory deficits seen with the disease. Acetylcholine is also the neurotransmitter at the myoneural junction, where nerve messages from the brain are sent to muscle,allowing it to contract.  The yolk also contains the most bioavailable form of lutein, a carotenoid and potent antioxidant that offers eye protection, as well as helping to prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that is at the root of cardiovascular disease. That's just two of the nutrients that exist exclusively in the yolk portion of the egg, which is summarily discarded by misguided bodybuilders and dieters. Of more pertinence to those seeking added muscle mass, the yolks also contain half of the available protein in the egg. The cholesterol found in the yolk serves as a precursor for the synthesis of testosterone. Indeed, studies of older people show that those who eat whole eggs, and engage in a resistance exercise program, show greater gains in lean mass compared to old folks who shun eggs or eat only the whites.
     A new study has provided still another reason to consume the yolks. The study identified and isolated a protein found only in the yolks called anti-lipase immunoglobulin (IgY). In the study, this protein was tested on its ability to blunt the activity of pancreatic lipases, or fat-digesting enzymes. If these enzymes are blocked, fat cannot be digested, and thus is excreted out of the body without providing any calories. Since fat, at nine calories per gram, is the most concentrated source of calories among the major nutrients (protein and carbs provide 4 calories per gram), preventing the absorption of these calories could have a major impact on fat loss. Indeed, the primary drug now available to treat obesity is Orlistat, sold under the trade name of Olestra. Six years ago, an over the counter version, Alli, was released.  Orlistat also works by blocking pancreatic lipase activity. But is also comes with some severe possible side effects, These include oily stools, diarrhea, gallstones, and an interference with bile flow in the liver that results in a type of hepatitis or liver inflammation. Those who want to try a natural alternative can turn to green tea polyphenols, which also block lipase activity. However, the amount of green tea capable of providing significant effects in this regard would also place inordinate stress on the liver.
   In contrast, the new IgY factor from hen's egg yolks does the same thing as Orlistat minus any side effects. And it doesn't take much to accomplish this, either. In the study, a level of only 0.2% of IgY proved more effective than Orlistat at blocking lipase in an isolated cell aspect of the study. When it was provided to obese mice made fat from consuming a high-fat diet, IgY resulted in a loss of bodyfat throughout the body of the rodents. Especially noteworthy was the loss of visceral, or deep-lying abdominal fat. This is the most dangerous form of  body fat from a health point of view, since it's linked to the onset of insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
    Another good thing about IgY is that producing it doesn't involve any type of animal cruelty or abuse.It can be painlessly extracted through a certain technique from hen's egg yolks without producing any pain or stress in the birds.
    So those who are throwing out the yolks in favor of eating only egg whites for purposes of fat reduction are paradoxically working against themselves.You might say that the yolk is on them.

Hirose, M, et al. Anti-obesity activity of hen egg anti-lipase immunoglobulin yolk, a novel pancreatic lipase inhibitor.Nut Metabol 2013;10:70.


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.

Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com

 

Broccoli supplements? Save your money by Jerry Brainum

"I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm president of the United States, and I'm not going to eat broccoli anymore."  With those words, President George H.W Bush likely gained the enmity of broccoli growers all across the country. He was not, however, alone in his dislike of broccoli. Many people express a distaste for broccoli, and other vegetables in the cruciferous class. These include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bok choy, collards, turnips, and watercress. Some studies show that the dislike of these vegetables could have a genetic origin. But one thing is certain: not consuming these vegetables, especially broccoli, amounts to losing some of the most protective elements found in food.
    Although broccoli and other vegetables contain other nutrients, such as folic acid and vitamin C,among others, what makes broccoli stand out as perhaps the most healthful single vegetable that you can eat is its content of substances called isothiocyanates. These include sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. Sulforaphane shows spectacular health benefits, and may block the onset of the two primary causes of death: cardiovascular disease and cancer. From an exercise and bodybuilding perspective, sulforaphane was recently found to lower levels of myostatin, a protein that works to block muscular growth. Other studies suggest that sulforaphane can lower the activity of aromatase, the enzyme that converts testosterone and other androgens into estrogen. The other key protective element in broccoli, indole-3-carbinol, is converted in the body into diiolymethane or DIM. DIM has the ability to convert the most active form of estrogen, 17-beta estradiol, into less active forms of estrogen, such as 2-methoxyestrogen. The significant of this is that the converted estrogens don't promote cancer, as does 17-beta estradiol.
    Sulphoraphane (SFN) is considered a nutrigenomic  element, in that it has the ability to influence the activity of genes, either turning them on or off. SFN is actually a weak pro-oxidant, but it is has a potent influence on activating NFR-2.  NFR-2 controls the activity of over 200 genes in the body and serves as a major cell defense element. It is sometimes called "the master antioxidant," since it stimulates the activity of several of the endogenous, or built-in antioxidant systems in the body. These systems are far more protective and powerful than any supplemental antioxidant, and when they decrease with age, many degenerative conditions related to increased oxidation begin to show up. These include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diease, and cancer. A recent study found that the areas of arteries most prone to atherosclerosis are where the artery bifurcates or curves. These areas lack NRF-2, which causes excessive oxidation.According to the new study, providing SFN permits the build-up of NRF-2 in the deficient areas of the artery, thus preventing the onset of atherosclerosis.
      Two problems related to ingesting broccoli are that some people are born with genetic mutations that cause them to excrete all the SFN they ingest. Another problem is that the SFN content of broccoli can vary widely, with some containing lots of SFN, others barely any. The preparation of frozen broccoli destroys the SFN content, thereby making it worthless as a source of SFN. Broccoli does not actually contain SFN. What it contains is glucoraphanin, which is converted by an enzyme in broccoli called myrosinase, into SFN. This is an important point, because without the presence of myrosinase, the precursor substance, glucoraphanin, isn't converted into SFN, and therefore provides zero protective effects. Myrosinase is activated when broccoli is chewed, with the exposure to moisture releasing the myrosinase.
    SFN offers health protection through activating NRF-2, and also by activating phase-2 enzymes in the liver that serve to detoxify various noxious substances that get into the body, including carcinogens. The knowledge of broccoli's SFN content and health benefits has led to the marketing of broccoli extract supplements, which often feature a "standardized" content of SFN. The problem with this is that SFN is very unstable, which means that in these broccoli extract supplements, there is no active SFN left. What you are ingesting are placebo pills with zero activity. You could supply glucoraphanin, the precursor to SFN, which is much more stable than SFN. But the problem here is that you would also need to provide myrosinase to convert the glucoraphanin  into active SFN. Current broccoli supplements do not provide myrosinase, since it, too, would break down and soon disappear.
    Broccoli sprouts contain the highest amount of glucoraphanin , containing 10 to 100-times more than the mature broccoli. The richest source are broccoli seed, and at least one company sells a supplement based on broccoli seeds. Again, however, without the presence of myrosinase to activate the glucoraphanin into SFN, the products are worthless. The seeds also contain erucic acid, a lipid or fat that is linked to causing various types of heart problems. While you would have to ingest a lot of the broccoli seed extract supplements to ingest enough erucic acid to cause heart problems, the fact that it's in there is still a problem. Another substance in broccoli called the epithiospecifier protein or ESP, can convert the glucoraphanin in broccoli into either SFN or SFN nitrile, with the latter having no protective effects. Clearly, any broccoli supplement should be completely devoid of ESP. However, it's not easy to deactivate the ESP in broccoli without also deactivating the myrosinase, or degrading the glucoraphanin content. Cooking broccoli also deactivates SFN. But if you steam broccoli for 1 to 3 minutes, it will destroy the ESP, but preserve the myrosinase, allowing the conversion of glucoraphanin into active SFN. Microwaving the broccoli for about a minute is nearly as good as steaming it for preservation of SFN content.
     So, for a broccoli extract supplement to provide the considerable health benefits of SFN, it must contain glucoraphanin, not preformed SFN, and also include myrosinase to convert the glucoraphanin into SFN. It should also be devoid of ESP to ensure that only the active form of SFN is produced. You would not want to include any other antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamins C or E, because they would nullify the activity of NRF-2, which is stimulated by oxidation. A problem with including both glucoraphanin and myrosinase in the supplement is that myrosinase is turned on by moisture, and a premature onset of myrosinase activity would convert the glucoraphanin in the product into SFN. Since SFN is not stable, it wouldn't last long. Current products contain only glucoraphanin, with no myrosinase, so are inactive and do not provide SFN at all.
    Companies that sell the broccoli seed extract claim that intestinal bacteria is capable of converting glucoraphanin into SFN. But when this effect has been tested, the amount of SFN produced was inconsequential. You need a lot of SFN to help protect against cancer, although smaller amounts do activate NFR-2. The amount produced by intestinal bacteria from ingested glucoraphanin does neither. When I wrote to the major company that produces broccoli seed extract about this problem, they refused to answer me. They are misleading consumers into believing that their product, with a retail cost of over $20 for 60 capsules, does provide active SFN in appreciable amounts. This, however, is a bold-faced lie. As it stands now, the only way to obtain the valuable SFN is to eat either lightly cooked or raw broccoli  and other cruciferous vegetables. All the broccoli extracts now on the market are completely worthless, and do absolutely nothing to improve health.
   

                                                                

                                                 This broccoli supplement is labeled "sulforaphane glucosinolate," which is a meaningless term. In fact, it contains no active sulforaphane at all, just the inactive glucoraphanin precursor.
 


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.

Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com

 

I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/georgehw110377.html#ZgD7iYmxtprc1lJy.99

No-Bull Amino by Jerry Brainum

Proteins are composed of various combinations of amino acids, and all dietary proteins are eventually converted into amino acids. The amino acids, which number about 22, are classified as either essential or nonessential. Essential amino acids are so-named because your body can’t synthesize them and so it’s essential that you get them in your diet.
     The balance of essential amino acids in any particular protein determines its biological value. Since animal protein sources are higher in essential amino acids and more closely duplicate the amino acid pattern found in the human body, they’re considered superior to plant-derived proteins, which often have either low or no amounts of essential aminos.
    Recent research proves that from the perspective of muscle protein synthesis, essential aminos are extremely important. In fact, some studies show that getting as little as six grams a day of an essential amino acid mixture promotes muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise, such as weight training. But watch out: Information on the importance of essential amino acids may lead you to conclude that the so-called nonessential amino acids are not very important.
      That would be incorrect. Some nonessential amino acids have been reclassified as “conditionally” essential because under certain circumstances, such as high-stress conditions, the body cannot sufficiently synthesize them and their status changes from unessential to essential.
     Examples of conditionally essential amino acids include glutamine and arginine. Normally, the body can synthesize them if you’ve taken in a sufficient supply of essential aminos. Sometimes, however, that synthesis can’t take place rapidly enough.
    Glutamine and arginine are among the most popular amino acid supplements with athletes and bodybuilders today. Research on glutamine was originally derived from hospitalized patients, especially burn patients, who lose vast amounts of protein as a result of their injuries. Giving them glutamine reversed or halted the cascading catabolic effects on muscle that can result in death. Thanks to the anticatabolic effect, glutamine earned a place in the supplement regimen of intensely training athletes. Later studies showed that it also appeared to prevent the immune-suppression effects of extended exercise—endurance events, for instance.
    Arginine was initially promoted as a growth hormone releaser because doctors gave it intravenously to patients to treat growth hormone deficiency. Forms of arginine used for other purposes have also turned up in various food supplements, notably those that increase nitric oxide.
Many of the food supplements that contain glutamine and/or arginine also contain another amino acid, taurine—particularly creatine supplements. That’s because creatine is thought to encourage the cellular hydration that signals increased muscle protein synthesis. Glutamine and taurine also appear to promote cellular hydration, which makes them synergistic with creatine.
If taurine did nothing more than promote cellular hydration, it would likely still be considered a useful supplement. But taurine—conditionally essential like glutamine and arginine—is far more essential to those engaged in exercise.
                                                      What Is Taurine?

Taurine was discovered in 1827 as a component of ox bile, which explains its name; taurus is Latin for bull. Taurine is not incorporated into muscle and other tissues of the body like other amino acids but instead is found as a free, or unbound, amino acid or as part of short chains of aminos known as peptides. The significance of taurine wasn’t recognized until studies in the 1970s found that it was an essential nutrient for cats. Without it, cats develop retinal degeneration leading to blindness and serious heart problems, which explains why cat food labels prominently display the taurine content.
    Research on cats led some scientists to investigate whether taurine had any use for human nutrition. Initial studies found that babies fed on formula instead of mother’s milk often developed taurine deficiency, since their bodies lacked the enzymes needed to synthesize it. Normally, taurine is synthesized from two other amino acids—the essential methionine and the nonessential cysteine—both of which contain sulfur.
     In fact, some scientists suggest that taurine isn’t a true amino acid, since it contains a sulfonic acid group; other aminos contain a carboxylic acid group. Taurine is found abundantly in the body, in brain, skeletal and heart muscle tissue. In muscle, it’s the second most abundant free amino acid, behind glutamine. Taurine’s presence in muscle suggests that it must be there for a reason.
    The body can synthesize taurine from methionine and cysteine but not without the presence of the activated form of vitamin B6, or pyridoxine. So a lack of B6 in the diet can impair taurine synthesis. Controversy exists about just how well the body is able to make taurine. The main enzyme involved is not that active in either humans or cats. That’s why some theories suggest that many people can benefit from taking supplemental taurine.
    The most recognized function of taurine is its role in the production of bile salts. Bile, composed mainly of cholesterol, is a substance manufactured in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. In fact, the primary way the body rids itself of excess cholesterol is by shunting it into bile production. Bile itself promotes the digestion of fat by reducing its surface area, which makes it more digestible by lipases, or fat-digesting enzymes.
Even so, bile isn’t soluble enough to work unless it’s conjugated, or combined with other substances. When that happens, bile becomes bile salts, and the two main conjugating agents are the amino acids glycine and taurine. So taurine helps create bile salts and lower blood cholesterol, keeping it from floating through the bloodstream as low-density lipoprotein (the bad kind of cholesterol). High levels of LDL are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, especially oxidized LDL. The less LDL in the blood, the less chance of cardiovascular disease.
     Taurine accelerates bile salt synthesis by boosting the genes responsible for making an enzyme called 7-alpha hydroxylase. The increased use of cholesterol for bile synthesis lowers blood levels of cholesterol, which in turn opens up LDL receptors on cells, also lowering cholesterol levels.
    One study examined the effects of providing either three grams a day of taurine or a placebo to 30 overweight college students for seven weeks.1 Those in the taurine group had lower triglyceride levels in the blood, along with a reduced atherogenic index, a measure of the ratio of HDL cholesterol (the good kind) to triglycerides in the blood. Taurine increases HDL production by boosting the activity of the protein carrier of HDL, apolipoprotein A-1.
    A beneficial side effect also occurred in the students who took the taurine supplements: They all lost bodyfat. Studies done with diabetic rats show that taurine prevents buildup of abdominal fat, which is considered the most dangerous to health, being linked to insulin resistance, heart disease and diabetes.
Taurine also functions as an antioxidant, which protects against such diseases as cardiovascular disease and cancer. When certain immune cells destroy invading organisms, they release a stream of free radicals, which are unstable oxygen by-products that destroy the invading organism’s cellular membrane, killing it. Free radicals can also damage normal tissue. When the body has sufficient taurine, however, the taurine soaks up the excess free radicals, rendering them neutral.
     Smoking damages arterial linings and leads to cardiovascular disease. A 2003 study, however, found that in smokers who took taurine, the function of the lining, or endothelium, rapidly improved to the point where it worked similarly to that of nonsmokers. That occurred after only five days on a 1.5-gram dose of taurine, about the same amount found in a 100-gram serving of fish.
    Although omega-3 fats are considered the health-promoting component in fish, its high taurine content also offers protective benefits that are frequently overlooked. Some studies show that the taurine content of fish helps lower blood pressure and reduce the negative effects of a high salt intake.2 Stress also increases blood pressure by increasing the release of such hormones as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which constrict blood vessels. Taurine counteracts that effect, leading to lower blood pressure. Interestingly, the populations with the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease in the world, those of Japan and the Mediterranean countries, also get the greatest amounts of taurine in their diets.
     Still another way that taurine protects the heart is by modulating electrolyte function. Excess calcium can rapidly lead to cellular death, but taurine prevents that. It also favorably affects the balance of sodium and potassium in heart tissue, thus maintaining proper heart function.
     Highly refined sugars, such as in high-fructose corn syrup, are thought to be responsible for the rising epidemic of obesity, especially in younger people.While HFCS is chemically the same as sucrose, or table sugar, the fact that it is ubiquitous in so many processed foods leads to overconsumption.Eating excess fructose causes sugar to be deposited into protein tissues, an effect called glycation that’s considered a major cause of aging and the prime cause of the stiffness and lack of mobility many people experience as they get older.
     In a recent experiment rats were put on a 60 percent fructose diet but also got a 2 percent taurine solution for 30 days. That prevented the formation of glycation end products while also enhancing the use of glucose.3 Taurine worked with insulin to affect glucose, although it worked independently of insulin in promoting glucose use. Some studies show that taurine may help prevent some serious diabetic complications, including neuropathy (nerve degeneration) and retinopathy (blindness).
                                    
                                     Can Taurine Help Your Workouts?

     Slow-twitch muscles have higher levels of taurine than fast-twitch muscles. That’s likely because slow-twitch fibers have a greater oxidative capacity, and taurine has antioxidative properties. Studies show that the body loses the greatest amount of taurine after intense anaerobic exercise, such as weight training.
Experiments done with rats demonstrate that taurine increases exercise capacity, especially in older animals.4 Another study found that taking taurine may help protect against exercise-induced muscle injuries.5 The authors of that study observed that taurine supplementation reversed “certain types of functional deficits in skeletal muscle. Our results suggest that taurine supplementation may facilitate exercise performance and reduce some limited aspects of muscle injury caused by exercise.”
    A later study that used human subjects confirmed the protective effects of taurine during exercise.6 Because of the increased oxygen intake that occurs, exercise also ups the production of dangerous free radicals, and rampant free-radical release can damage DNA in cells, leading to mutations that may cause cancer and other diseases. In this study, however, giving men supplemental taurine before exercise significantly prevented DNA strand breakage, an effect attributed to taurine’s antioxidative properties. In addition, the subjects who took taurine also showed increased VO2-max, an indicator of increased endurance, increased time to exercise exhaustion and increased maximal workload. That effect could come from taurine’s role in increasing the pumping power of the heart and improving the electrical and contractile properties of skeletal muscle.
    In muscle, taurine stabilizes cell membranes, including the sarcolemma, the membrane that surrounds muscle fibers. By controlling calcium entry into muscle, it promotes muscle contraction as well.
Taurine’s effect on electrolyte functions in muscle may also explain why it helps prevent severe muscle cramps. One theory suggests that exercise-induced loss of sodium and calcium may precipitate such cramps. By stabilizing those minerals during exercise, taurine may help prevent postworkout muscle cramps. The transport of taurine into muscle is promoted by sodium and chloride and decreased by lactate and beta-alanine.
    A recent study found that taurine content in fast-twitch muscle significantly decreased during extended exercise sessions and noted that it enhances the enzymes in muscle that regulate energy production and fat oxidation.7 Taurine also stimulates cyclic AMP, which leads to a greater release of catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine. The latter two substances activate the enzyme hormone-sensitive lipase in fat cells, which leads to the release of fat for use as energy during exercise.

                                                Words of Caution


    For those considering supplementing taurine, several caveats are in order. The precise optimal dose of taurine for increasing exercise performance has been calculated—in rats.8 It’s between 100 and 500 milligrams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight. The dose depends on body size and would be considerably lower in a human. Good food sources of taurine include most animal protein foods, particularly fish. Oysters are a superior source.
     Those who use the drug clenbuterol should be aware that it causes a rapid and severe depletion of taurine from muscle and heart tissue. That could explain the heart damage and muscle cramps that can occur with its use.9 Ephedrine and mahuang supplements also reduce taurine muscle content.
    The amino acid beta-alanine is now being added to various food supplements because it’s the precursor of L-carnosine synthesis in the body. Beta-alanine and taurine compete for the same uptake carrier into the body, and beta-alanine can block taurine uptake by 50 percent or more. Best to use the two amino acids at different times. While the beta alanine and taurine conflict is possible, it almost never occurs, since you would need to ingest relatively massive amounts of beta-alanine to cause this interference with taurine uptake.
    Finally, be aware that taurine functions in the brain as an inhibitory neurotransmitter—meaning that it has a depressant action on brain function. So taking too much taurine in a single dose can lead to feelings of fatigue and lack of energy. Smaller doses of taurine, less than a gram, have a reverse effect: providing energy. That’s ostensibly why taurine is a major ingredient of a popular energy drink that includes the word bull in its name. But since the drink also contains caffeine, the taurine addition could indeed represent a lot of bull.
                                                                
                                                               

                                                         Cats deficient in taurine can go blind





                                                               References


1 Zhang, M., et al. (2004). Beneficial effects of taurine on serum lipids in overweight or obese non-diabetic subjects. Amino Acids. 26:267-71.
2 Nara, Y., et al. (1978). Effects of dietary taurine on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Biochem Pharmacol. 27:2689-92.
3 Nandhini, A.T., et al. (2004). Stimulation of glucose utilization and inhibition of protein glycation and AGE products by taurine. Acta Physiol Scand. 181:297-303.
4 Pierno, S., et al. (1998). Chronic administration of taurine to aged rats improves the electrical and contractile properties of skeletal muscle. J Pharmacol Exp Therap. 286:1183-90.
5 Dawson R, et al. (2002). The cytoprotective role of taurine in exercise-induced muscle injury. Amino Acids. 22:309-24.
6 Zhang, M. et al. (2004). Role of taurine supplementation to prevent exercise-induced oxidative stress in healthy young men. Amino Acids. 26:203-7.
7 Matsuzaki, Y., et al. (2002). Decreased taurine concentration in skeletal muscles after exercise for various durations. Med Sci Sports Exer. 34:793-97.
8 Miyazaki, T., et al. (2004). Optimal and effective oral dose of taurine to prolong exercise performance in rat. Amino Acids. 27:291-98.
9 Doheny, M.H., et al. (1998). The effects of the beta-2 agonist drug clenbuterol on taurine in heart and other tissues in the rat. Amino Acids. 15:13-25.

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