Added 4 months ago

Fish oil reduces inflammation and anxiety

Recent research into the consumption of fish oil has found that the high level of

omega-3 that it contains has the dual effects of reducing anxiety and inflammation.

The 68 subjects in the study supported by backed by the Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) were young, healthy medical students. Half were administered the omega-3 supplements and the other half were given a placebo.

The team of investigators carried out the study with the intention of finding out whether increasing omega-3 intake would diminish the increase in production of proinflammatory cytokines – the production of which is increased by psychological stress. The researchers hoped to discover that by reducing cytokine production, inflammation would also be reduced.

Lead study author, and professor of psychiatry, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser said ‘The findings suggest that if young people can get improvements from dietary supplements, than the elderly and people at high risk for certain diseases might benefit even more. The more we understand about the complex interplay between inflammation and immunity, the closer we'll get to figuring out which lifestyle choices and changes have the biggest impact on long term health.’

Kiecolt-Glaser said ’We hypothesised that giving some students omega-3 supplements would decrease their production of proinflammatory cytokines, compared to other students who only received a placebo. We thought the omega-3 would reduce the stress-induced increase in cytokines that normally arose from nervousness over the tests.’

The participants were given about four or five times the amount of fish oil that would be found in a serving of salmon. Through a combination of blood tests, psychological questionnaires and nutrition surveys, a significant reduction in both anxiety and inflammation was detected.

Source: Brain, Behavior and Immunity

Posted by Oxygen Personal Fitness at 4:38 pm 0 Comments

Added 4 months ago

Iodine – are you getting enough?

What is iodine?

Iodine is a trace mineral that your body uses in small amounts to synthesise thyroid hormones that are necessary for regulating your body's growth, development, metabolism and body temperature. Most iodine in your body is found in the thyroid gland, but some is also found in the blood and muscles.

Where do we find it?

Good food sources of iodine include seafood, bread (all Australian bread is now made with iodised salt – organic and ‘no added salt’ breads are the exception), seaweed, dairy and eggs. Some vegetables have iodine, but only of grown in iodine rich soil. Iodised salt is obviously high in iodine, however eating too much salt can contribute to many other health issues. NB: Although it comes from the sea, sea salt is a poor source of iodine.

How much do we need?

The recommended daily intake of iodine we need is very small (around one teaspoonful over a lifetime for most adults) when compared to other nutrients and is measured in micrograms (mcg)

1 – 8 years old 90mcg

9 – 13 years old 120mcg

14+ years old 150mcg

(Pregnancy and breastfeeding 220mcg and 270mcg respectively)

What is iodine deficiency?

If you do not have enough iodine in your body, you cannot make enough thyroid hormone. Thus, iodine deficiency can lead to enlargement of the thyroid (goiter), hypothyroidism and to mental retardation in infants and children whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy.

Low dietary levels of iodine were thought to be a problem in the past or in developing countries only. However, some researchers suspect that iodine intake levels in Australia have dropped considerably, perhaps by as much as half, over the past few decades. Ongoing research is underway to look at the problem and what might be done about it. Approximately 40% of the world’s population remains at risk for iodine deficiency.

Some reasons for low iodine intake may include:

• Consuming most of our salt in processed foods as manufactures do not used iodised salt in processed foods (and, until recently, in bread)
• Less iodine in milk because of changes in treatment methods
• A possible reduction of iodine levels in Australian soils
• A reduction in the use of salt in cooking and table salt (particularly iodised salt).

Posted by Oxygen Personal Fitness at 2:05 pm 0 Comments