Want to lose weight? Eat what our ancestors ate

Ever wondering what will happen to our health if we turned away refrigerator-foods, and only eat diet our ape-like ancestors once ate, in the hunter-gatherer style ?
BBC has an interesting article about how 9 volunteers ate an ape-like diet for a couple weeks.

"They set up home in a tented enclosure at Paignton Zoo, Devon, next to the ape house, in an experiment filmed for TV. The idea, says Jill Fullerton-Smith, who helped organise the trial, was that modern diets, often dominated by processed foods and saturated fats, cause costly health problems".

They ate what is described as "a three-day rotating menu of fruit, vegetables, nuts and honey" and you've probably already guessed the results. They were just fine. In fact, they were better than fine. Here's how it breaks down:

"Overall, the cholesterol levels dropped 23%, an amount usually achieved only through anti-cholesterol drugs statins. The group's average blood pressure fell from a level of 140/83 - almost hypertensive - to 122/76. Though it was not intended to be a weight loss diet, they dropped 4.4kg (9.7lbs), on average. At the same time, they increased the soluble fibre which binds cholesterol in the gut, so that it is expelled, and increased the intake of plant sterols - which help to lower cholesterol".

And, some of the participants were so full from the abundant vegetables in their diet that they weren't able to finish their daily allotments. No matter, they reportedly had excellent energy levels and were in a good mood.

Foods to help you fight high cholesterol

To reduce cholesterol level, most people either eat foods with zero/low contents of cholesterol, or taking drugs (such as statin drug). But there are natural options out there as I blogged before (part1, part2, part3). Yesterday one of my friend pointed me to an article which summarized 10 top foods which can help fighting high cholesterol. Below are those 10 foods:

1. Shitake Mushrooms; 2. Walnuts; 3. Uncooked Soy; 4. Blueberries; 5. Salmon; 6. Garlic; 7. Avocado; 8. Black Beans; 9. Apples; 10. Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables

On this article, the comment made on the No.1 food (Shitake Mushrooms) is "... has been found to lower cholesterol levels in animal studies". I like to see some human studies before I get too excited about Shitake Mushrooms. All other foods are consistent with what I have known.

Enriched cocoa snack bars cut cholesterol

CocoaVia Crunch is a chocolate-based "heart-healthy" snack line marketed by Masterfoods USA since Oct. 2005. This kind of snack bar is enriched with plant-derived compounds called phytosterols. Phytosterols are plant-derived compounds that are structurally similar to the cholesterol found in mammals. Foods (such as margarine spreads) containing phytosterols have been shown to help cut cholesterol.

A latest study has concluded that eating CocoaVia Crunch snack bar can reduce people's bad cholesterol by 6%.

Considering CocoaVia's great chocolate taste (it comes from the makers of DOVE brand), it's richness in naturally occurring flavanols (which improve blood flow - similar to grape juice, red wine and green tea), I don't think I will eat chocolate bar of any other kind.

Coffee as medicine

I found an excellent summary about the coffee being far more healthful than being harmful. Allow me to write down some excerts from this article. On the side effects of coffee drinking, the author notes:
"It's clear that coffee isn't for everyone. Its legendary jolt in excess doses -- that is, more than whatever your individual body can tolerate -- can increase nervousness, hand trembling, and cause rapid heartbeat. Coffee may also raise cholesterol levels in some people and may contribute to artery clogging".
"pregnant women, heart patients, and those at risk for osteoporosis may still be advised to limit or avoid coffee".
Like many people, I don't drink coffee in the evening - it can cost me a good night sleep. On the health benefits of coffee drinking, the author writes:
"Could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer".
"People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't".
"There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities".
On the effect coffee on children -
"In fact, no studies show that coffee in reasonable amounts is in any way harmful to children."
Overall, the author writes that coffee -
"show no significant adverse affects on most healthy people". "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good".
Coffee is one of the great blessings of humanity. I raise my coffee cup to all you readers and wish you a long, health life.

Eating to lower cholesterol (3) -- Nuts

The 3rd categories of cholesterol-lowering foods are nuts. Nuts rich in a compound called monounsaturated fat, which can lower the bad LDL cholesterol and modestly raise the good HDL cholesterol. (Nuts contains some viscous fiber, plant sterols as well.) Monounsaturated fats are also rich in seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc.), avocados and various oils, such as vegetable, olive, safflower, sunflower and canola.

Studies have shown that people who ate about a handful of almonds a day (or 1 ounce) lowered LDL cholesterol by 4%; those who ate two handful lowered it by 9%.

How to do it ? Eat a variety of nuts, including walnuts, which pack in the most omega-3 fatty acids. Snack on nuts instead of pretzels or chips; toss chopped nuts into your oatmeal, salads and stir-fries. Remember foods rich in fats are also calorie heavy, so limit your serving size - eat no more than an ounce of nuts at one sitting.

Eating to lower cholesterol (2) -- Plant sterols

The 2nd categories of cholesterol-lowering foods are food rich in plant sterols, such soybeans or certain vegetables. Plant sterols are compounds so similar in structure to cholesterol that they compete in our intestines. That means less of the real cholesterol is absorbed.
Also based on the recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 83, No. 3, 582-591, March 2006) report, eating 2 grams of plant each day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%. But you need to consume them every day for the cholesterol-controlling benefits to continue.

How to do it ? Look for plant sterols-fortified product since plant sterols are typically extracted from soybeans or certain vegetables. Use margarine-type of spreads (Benecol, Take Control and Smart Balance). Some brand of orange juice, yogurt, cheese, salad dressings,granola bars and chocolate are also rich in plant sterols. You can also directly eat soy products for intake of plant sterols - soy milk, soy nuts, soy ice cream and cereals, crackers and chips made with soy protein.

Eating to lower cholesterol (1) -- Viscous fiber

There are 3 categories of cholesterol-lowering foods. One of them is viscous fiber - the 'sticky' type of soluble fiber found in oats, barley and beans, and certain vegetables such as okra and eggplant. Viscous fibers help binding the cholesterol in your digestive tract and sweep it out of your body. In another word, soluble fiber act as a sponge, absorbing cholesterol and carrying it out of your system. People at less-developed countries (such as China) are less prone to having high blood cholesterol because their diet are high on viscous fiber.
According to the recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 83, No. 3, 582-591, March 2006) report, eating 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal a day typically produces cholesterol-lowering results. Including 10 grams of viscous fiber a day has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol by about 5%.
How to do it ? Start the day with oatmeal or psylliu-enriched cereal (I always add a bit of sugar to it). Try bean and barley-based soups, marinated bean salad, hummus sandwiches, black bean burritos and roasted eggplant. Flax is good, too. Not only does it have soluble fiber, but it's high in omega-3 fatty acids and lignans-also good for cholesterol.

Eating to lower cholesterol - research note

1) recent research indicated that culprits of high blood cholesterol, in terms of food intake, are saturated and trans fat; Cholesterol we eat is not the greatest influence on the cholesterol in our blood.

2) recent studies have shown that eating up to one egg a day didn't raise cholesterol levels or increase the risk of heart disease in healthy people. If you already have elevated cholesterol levels, 3-4 eggs per week are generally allowed. Eggs may be high in dietary cholesterol, but they don't contain much saturated fat. That also true for cholesterol-laden shrimp and other shellfish, which typically are OK in moderation as long as they're not soaked in butter or deep-fried. It looks like to me that nature has its way to package dietary cholesterol existing in eggs or shrimps, so it get digested easily by human without any harm.

3) a new study found that adding a specific combination of heart-healthy foods brought down cholesterol levels as much as first-generation statin drugs - 20% or more. This experiments shown that if a "portfolio" of foods (rich in viscous fiber, plant sterols, monounsaturated fat, see my previous three posts) - each with its own minor cholesterol-lowering benefits - could have a larger effect when eaten together.