Study Supports Benefits of Omega-3 for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

The heart health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA may be related to their ability to reduce oxidative stress, suggests new research.

Oxygen-breathing organisms naturally produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play an important role in a range of functions, including cell signalling. However, over production of these ROS from smoking, pollution, sunlight, high intensity exercise, or simply ageing, may overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defences and lead to oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress has been linked to an increased risk of various diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease.

Previous reports had suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may actually increase levels of oxidative stress due to their susceptibility to oxidation. New findings in Free Radical Research indicate that EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) may actually reduce oxidative stress by reducing levels of a compound called F2-isoprostanes.

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Low Carbon Diet

In the effort to save the planet from carbon emissions, chefs are saying eat less feedlot beef. That’s because feedlot beef is by far the biggest creator of carbon gases. Fed on corn instead of the grass it was meant to eat, cows simply belch and pass wind a lot, creating much of the CO2 that’s harming the earth. Bon Appétit Management Co. and other corporate food-service operators are turning to lower-carbon foods like chicken in an effort to change eating habits while reducing their carbon footprints.

Read more about low carbon diet and a chicken burger recipe ….

Below are pictures of some low carbon diet food.

Tofu Mousse with Guava Sauce

Purple Yam and Ginger Juice Soup

Stir-fried Clam with Black Bean Sauce

Vegetarian Borscht

Old Hong Kong Street Foods

A magazine article on food oldies brought back my memories of the street foods sold in Hong Kong in my younger days. The foods were sold by hawkers from their push-carts. Below are pictures of some of the the food I found in the internet.

Malt Sugar Pancake

Fish Ball Skewers

Assorted Beef Internal Organs

Mini Egg-shaped Cakes

Clay Pot Pudding

Roast Chestnut with Sugar in Sand

Braised Pork Skin and Daikon

MP3 Players Might Harm Hearing

People using MP3 players are leaving themselves open to temporary changes in hearing, which over time might result in permanent hearing loss, Belgian researchers suggest.

Scientists already know that at work, exposure to harmful noise — noise that is too loud or loud sounds that go on too long — can eventually lead to hearing loss by damaging the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear. And the same may be true of loud music pumped directly into the ear through MP3 players, the researchers say.

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Omega-3 May Help Patients with Major Depression

The use of Omega-3 supplements is effective among patients with major depression who do not have anxiety disorders, according to a study directed by Dr. François Lespérance of the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier at the Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), head of CHUM’s Department of Psychiatry and a professor at the Université de Montréal. The study was published June 15 in the online Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Initial analyses failed to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of Omega-3 for all patients taking part in the study. Other analyses, however, revealed that Omega-3 improved depression symptoms in patients diagnosed with depression unaccompanied by an anxiety disorder. Efficacy for these patients was comparable to that generally observed with conventional antidepressant treatment.

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In another study, B Vitamins was found cutting depression risk in older adults.

Older adults with relatively low intakes of vitamins B6 and B12 may have a higher risk of developing depression than those who get more of the nutrients, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 3,500 older adults they followed for up to a dozen years, the risk of developing depression symptoms declined by 2 percent for every 10-milligram (mg) increase in daily vitamin B6 from food and supplements.

The same was true for every 10-microgram (mcg) increase in vitamin B12 intake.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, do not prove that the B vitamins themselves protect against depression. But the results do echo those of some previous studies tying the vitamins — as well as folate, another B vitamin — to depression risk.

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