American Heart Association expands national fats awareness campaign with ‘Better Fats Sisters’

Fewer than half of Americans know that

the “better” fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can help reduce

their risk of heart disease, according to a recent survey(1) by the

American Heart Association.

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“Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of Americans. Consumers have

heard a lot about the ‘bad’ fats lately and what not to eat. That’s why

it’s important for people to know the ‘better’ fats and foods where they’re

found so they can lower their risk for heart disease,” said Robert H.

Eckel, M.D., past president of the American Heart Association, chair of its

trans fat task force and professor of medicine at the Anschutz Medical

Campus of the University of Colorado Denver.

Facing the Fats with the Better Fats Sisters: Your Heart Helpers

The American Heart Association is introducing two new characters, the

Better Fats Sisters — Mon and Poly — to help consumers learn more about

the benefits of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and the foods

where they are found. The Web site

(http://www.AmericanHeart.org/FaceTheFats) features the Better Fats Sisters

alongside their Bad Fats Brothers, Sat and Trans. The Sisters help

consumers find comprehensive information about fats so that they can eat

healthier in restaurants and use the better fats when preparing meals at

home.

The Better Fats Sisters remind everyone that all fats have the same

number of calories: 9 per gram, compared to the 4 calories per gram found

in proteins and carbohydrates. That means that even the “better fats” are

good only in moderation.

Types of Fat and Heart Disease: Many Consumers Know the Bad, Fewer Know

the Better

The survey shows that:

* Only 41 percent of Americans know that consuming monounsaturated fats

decreases the risk of heart disease

* Only 44 percent of Americans know that consuming polyunsaturated fats

decreases the risk of heart disease

In comparison:

* 72 percent of Americans understand that consuming saturated fats

increases the risk of heart disease

* 68 percent of Americans understand that consuming trans fats increases

the risk of heart disease

Heart-Healthy Benefits of Better Fats

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can lower your LDL — or “bad”

– cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease.

Monounsaturated fats can be found in vegetable oils like olive and

canola oils; and many nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts and sesame

seeds. Peanut butter and avocados are also good sources of monounsaturated

fats.

Polyunsaturated fats can be found in oils like soybean and corn oils

and in many nuts and seeds such as walnuts and sunflower seeds. Fatty fish

like salmon and trout are also good sources of polyunsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6, essential fats that your

body needs but can’t produce.

http://www.AmericanHeart.org/FaceTheFats

The American Heart Association’s Face the Fats Web site helps consumers

make heart-healthy choices, including:

* Test Your Fats IQ — An interactive quiz that tests consumers’

knowledge of dietary fats and helps them learn more about fats on the

spot.

* My Fats Translator — An easy-to-use calculator that gives individuals

their personalized daily calorie and fat consumption results. Its food

scenarios give ideas for smarter ways to prepare summer favorites, each

with three examples of “bad,” “better” and “best” selections.

* Better Fats Recipes — New heart-healthy recipes that make use of the

better fats.

The American Heart Association’s trans fat education campaign is funded

by a class action lawsuit settlement against McDonald’s. The American Heart

Association has the sole judgment as to the most effective use of the

funds. For more information on the campaign, call the American Heart

Association at 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s

oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building

healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. These diseases,

America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular diseases

claim nearly 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2006-07, the association

invested more than $554 million in research, professional and public

education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans

live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit

Americanheart.org.

(PR Newswire,American Heart Association, May 22, 2008)

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The nutritious advantage of nuts

Nuts are high in calories and fat, but those calories are loaded with nutrition. “Nuts in moderate amounts daily can make a huge difference in your health,” said a University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health specialist.

Studies have consistently linked nuts to a significantly reduced risk of heart disease, mostly because they lower total cholesterol and LDL (”bad” cholesterol), said Susan Mills-Gray. Some research has even shown that nuts may increase HDL (”good” cholesterol).

Nutrients and substances in nuts that have heart-protective benefits include B vitamins, vitamin E, potassium, copper, magnesium, selenium, soluble fiber, arginine (an amino acid that promotes blood vessel relaxation) and sterols (which help lower cholesterol).

In 2003, the FDA approved heart-health claims for the product labels of seven kinds of nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. Nut butters (almond, cashew and peanut) are a healthier sandwich filling than full-fat cheese and most deli meats.

New research indicates that eating nuts daily may serve as an effective tool in weight loss and weight management. “The fiber and protein in nuts helps make you feel fuller longer, so you are less hungry, and that means you may eat less,” Mills-Gray said.

Interestingly, some research has found that not all the fat in whole nuts is absorbed - from 4 percent to 17 percent passes out of the body undigested.

“While all this is great news, keep in mind that nuts are loaded with calories,” she said. “Even though the fat is healthy, going overboard could lead to excess calorie intake. Limit yourself to a small handful daily, and instead of simply adding nuts to your diet, eat them in replacement of saturated-fat foods.”

Consumers should also watch out for the sodium in packaged nuts. Unsalted varieties are widely available.

Mills-Gray offered a quick assessment of the nutritional strength of popular nuts:

Almonds are rich in vitamin E and calcium.

Brazil nuts are the best dietary source of selenium; eating three a day provides 200 mcg, an amount found to lower the risk of prostate cancer.

Cashews are rich in copper and zinc.

Chestnuts are lowest in calories and contain extremely small amounts of fat.

Peanuts contain resveratrol, an antioxidant also found in grapes and red wine. They are rich in arginine and contain the most protein.

Walnuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid.

(University of Missouri Extension, May 30, 2008)

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Peanut butter is a highly enjoyed food that offers nutritional value.

Due to its high protein profile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture places it in the meat category of the food pyramid. Since the nuts are high in “good” fats, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, the nut butter can actually lower bad LDL cholesterol.

With all the varieties out there, does it really make a difference if one opts for a natural brand opposed to a commercial one?

There are two things one should consider when purchasing this heart healthy food: ingredients and production climate.

Natural brands of peanut butter contain only peanuts and may have sugar, salt or natural oils added to enhance taste and texture.

Commercial brands contain a small amount, usually two percent or less, of partially and fully hydrogenated oils. They also contain emulsifiers such as monoglycerides and diglycerides to improve consistency and shelf-life.

Hydrogenation is a process that adds hydrogen atoms to unsaturated fatty acids. The addition converts liquid fats (oils) into a more solid form.

This conversion often creates trans-fatty acids. Although most commercial brands list zero grams of trans-fat in the nutritional information box, a very small amount can be present.

If a product contains traces of trans fat per serving, the manufacturer is not required to list it. Some companies make mention of this by stating, “contains trivial amounts of trans fat.”

The trivial amount of trans fat can add up if one is eating more than one serving at a time. Consuming trans fat increases levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, which contributes to fatty acid build up in arteries.

According to WebMD.com, this extra coating in arteries is an indicator of heart disease and will increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The manufacturing process of peanut butter is important because it may facilitate the growth of a cancer-causing carcinogen.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, the father of integrative medicine, the natural toxin aflatoxin is produced by specific strains of mold. It thrives on peanuts stored in warm and humid conditions. Aflatoxin is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

Storing natural peanut butters and nuts properly will greatly reduce their risk of growing the mold and prolong their shelf-life. After opening, natural peanut butter should be refrigerated.

K.D. Alexander, an herbalist for more than 20 years, only eats natural, raw nut butters. “Refrigerating nut butters is a good practice,” Alexander said. “The oil in nuts and nut butters can become rancid quickly, especially in Las Vegas.”

Processed peanut butters have a lower risk of developing the mold because they contain chemical preservatives.

It is easy to store and safely indulge in this savory spread.

Write expiration dates three or four months from the opening date on top of the jar. The perfect place for storing nuts is the freezer. Because it is cool, the low humidity environment will inhibit spoilage from oils.

For easier spreading, place nut butter jars upside down in the fridge so the oil doesn’t sit at the top.

Since nuts are produced once a year during the late summer and fall months, now is the best time to buy.

There is a multitude of peanut and nut butters most people are unaware of. If one is looking to try something new, all nuts have a nut butter counterpart.

Almonds are high in vitamin E and calcium. Cashews have high amounts of monosaturated fat and are good sources of copper and magnesium. Macadamia nuts are high in protein and fiber and using this butter will make phenomenal chocolate chip cookies.

Creative peanut butters from The Peanut Butter and Co. will satisfy any sweet tooth. White Chocolate Wonderful, Dark Chocolate Dreams and Cinnamon Raisin Swirl are some of the company’s most popular flavors. These gluten-free vegan peanut butters are all-natural and contain no hydrogenated oils or refined sugar.

If one is allergic to nuts, sunflower seed and pumpkin seed butter are safe and tasty alternatives. Sunflower seed butter is packed with vitamin E and fiber. Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids make pumpkin seed butter a nutritious and delicious choice.

Peanut butter is a healthy source of protein and aids in lowering bad cholesterol.

When indulging in this naturally divine food, be sure storage does not make it have the opposite effect.

Source: The Rebel Yell, Las Vegas, September 13, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

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Adhering to a Mediterranean diet could allow sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease to live longer than patients who eat a more traditional Western diet, according to new research published today.

The findings are the latest in a string of health benefits linked to the eating plan of the people of southern Europe, which has in the past also been associated with the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Published in today’s issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the new findings were based on researchers’ observations of 192 Alzheimer sufferers for four and a half years.

During that time, 85 of the people died. Researchers found that those patients who most closely followed a Mediterranean diet were 76 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who followed the diet the least.

“The more closely people followed the Mediterranean diet, the more they reduced their mortality,” said study author Nikos Scarmeas of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

“For example, Alzheimer’s patients who adhered to the diet to a moderate degree lived an average 1.3 years longer than those people who least adhered to the diet. And those Alzheimer’s patients who followed the diet very religiously lived an average four years longer.”

Previous research by Scarmeas published last year found that greater adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet could cut the risk of healthy people developing Alzheimer’s disease by 68 percent.

The Med diet is rich in cereals, wine, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains, fish and olive oil. Its main nutritional components include beta-carotene, vitamin C, tocopherols, polyphenols, and essential minerals. It is these antioxidants and polyphenols that appear to offer protection, suggested the researchers.

Another study by the same researchers, published earlier last year in the Annals of Neurology (Vol. 59, pp. 912 - 921), reported that elderly individuals whose diet closely resembled the Med diet had a 40 per cent lower risk of Alzheimer’s than those who adhered the least to the diet.

“New benefits of this diet keep coming out,” wrote Scarmeas today.

“We need to do more research to determine whether eating a Mediterranean diet also helps Alzheimer’s patients have slower rates of cognitive decline, maintain their daily living skills, and have a better quality of life.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over $100 bn (€ 81 bn) in the US alone. The direct cost of Alzheimer care in the UK was estimated at £15 bn (€ 22 bn, $30bn).

The Mediterranean diet has also been linked to longer life, less heart disease, and protection against some cancers - and the flow of scientific back-up for its healthfulness has started to trickle into consumer consciousness, with more and more people seeking out products that meet the diet’s criteria.

Common foods of the eating plan include bread, pasta, rice, couscous and potatoes; olives, avocados and grapes; eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, nuts and beans; and cheese and yogurt. Moderate consumption of fish and poultry is also encouraged, whereas consumption of red meat is advised only a few times a month.

In the US, a nutrition group recently launched a Med Mark symbol to allow manufacturers to flag up Mediterranean diet foods. Introduced three months ago by Oldways, the packaging symbol already appears on 50 products.

Source: FoodNavigator.com, September 11, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

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The allergic reaction to cashew nuts is more severe than peanuts, says a new study that deepens our understanding of food allergies and highlights the need for clear labeling.

“Cashew nuts present a considerable hazard, being hidden in a wide variety of commonly ingested foods, such as Asian meals, sweets, ice cream, cakes, chocolates and they are increasingly used in commercially prepared pesto sauce instead of pine nuts,” wrote lead author Andrew Clark in the journal Allergy.

“Specific information on how to achieve nut avoidance should always be provided,” he added.

An estimated 4 per cent of adults and 8 per cent of children in the 380 million EU population suffer from food allergies, according to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations.

There is no current cure for a food allergy, and vigilance by an allergic individual is the only way to prevent a reaction.

But a peanut allergy can be so severe that only very tiny amounts can be enough to trigger a response. While cashews are used less extensively as ingredient than peanuts, the new study suggests that the allergic reaction to the former may be more severe than even that of peanuts.

The researchers, from Addenbrookes Hospital (Cambridge University Hospitals) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn, matched children whose worst ever reaction was to cashew nut (cashew group, 47 children) with children whose worst ever reaction was to peanut (peanut group, 94 children). The comparison matched the children according to sex, age of reaction and presentation, amount ingested, and asthma.

“This is the first study to employ case-matching to compare severity of peanut and cashew nut allergy and demonstrates increased severity of reactions to cashew nut,” said Clark.

The researchers note that wheezing and cardiovascular symptoms were reported more often during reactions in the cashew than compared to the peanut group, while those allergic to cashews also received intramuscular adrenaline more frequently.

“A recent study showed that 10/37 (27 per cent) of nut-allergic children were unable to correctly identify the type of nut to which they were allergic,” wrote the researchers.

“Previous studies show cashew nut can cause severe reactions. The nut type which caused the worst reaction to date should be considered when providing emergency medication,” they concluded.

Source: FoodNavigator.com, July 20, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

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A new national survey shows that the majority of Canadians at risk for a severe, potentially fatal allergic reaction do not carry their life-saving medication with them. Worse yet, most Canadians would not know what to do in the event of someone having a potentially fatal allergic attack, known as anaphylaxis.

The new survey of 1,502 Canadians commissioned by King Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with Anaphylaxis Canada, reveals that only one in five Canadians at risk for an anaphylactic attack remember to carry an epinephrine auto-injector with them at all times. An injection of epinephrine is the definitive treatment for someone experiencing an anaphylactic attack, which can be fatal in minutes if untreated. Additionally, while 97 percent of Canadians are aware that an allergic reaction can kill someone, only 45 percent would know how to treat someone having an allergic reaction by administering a life-saving dose of epinephrine using an emergency auto-injector such as the EpiPen(R) auto-injector (epinephrine injection). “The results of this survey emphasize the need to educate Canadians about. life-threatening allergies and how we can all work together as a community to protect the safety of people who are at risk,” says Laurie Harada, Executive Director, Anaphylaxis Canada. “Since it is often difficult for people to avoid exposure to different allergens, it is important to make sure that an allergic person’s family, friends, and teachers are educated about their allergies. These people should be ready to assist in the event of an emergency.” Approximately 600,000 Canadians (or 1 percent to 2 percent) are estimated to have allergic sensitivities, placing them at risk for anaphylaxis, although some experts believe that this incidence rate could be understated. The most common triggers for anaphylaxis include foods, insect stings, drugs, latex and exercise.

People experiencing anaphylaxis should use an epinephrine auto-injector at the earliest signs of reaction and then call 911 or be taken to an emergency room. According to the study, 35 percent of respondents say they or someone they know has suffered from an anaphylactic reaction. “If untreated, anaphylaxis can be fatal within minutes, therefore it is vital that individuals with severe allergies carry an up-to-date epinephrine auto-injector at all times,” says Dr. Rhoda Kagan, Pediatric Allergist, North York General Hospital. “In a critical situation where someone is experiencing an anaphylactic reaction, simplicity matters and EpiPen auto-injectors are designed for easy self administration. When administered at the first signs of anaphylaxis, EpiPen auto-injectors can provide individuals the time necessary to obtain more definitive emergency treatment.”

Additional survey highlights:

- 75 percent of Canadians think peanuts can cause a more serious
allergic reaction than milk, when in fact they both can cause a
serious reaction.

- 60 percent of Canadians support a peanut ban in schools and child
care centres, but only 27 percent support a peanut ban in all public
places. Peanut allergy is the most common cause of death from food
allergy, in addition to shellfish, fish and tree nuts.

- Half of Canadians think the food industry is doing a good job of
declaring dangerous allergens on package label.

- Half of Canadians agree that child care centres should be held
responsible if they don’t carry an epinephrine auto-injector and a
child on their premises has a severe allergic reaction.

- One in four survey respondents think public places should be held
responsible if they don’t carry EpiPen and someone on their premises
has a severe allergic reaction.

- 7 out of 10 Canadians agree that restaurants and cafeterias should be
required to list all ingredients on their menu products, even if it
costs diners more.

The Leger study was commissioned by King Pharmaceuticals, maker of EpiPen (epinephrine auto-injector), and in collaboration with Anaphylaxis Canada. Data collection for this study was conducted via Leger Marketing OmniCan. Data was collected between May 29 and June 3, 2007. A random household selection was achieved by inviting residents across Canada over 18 years of age to complete the survey. A total of 1,502 interviews were completed. The margin of error for a sample of this size is +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

From the American Peanut Council Newsletter

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