CALORIE RESTRICTED DIETS-LONGEVITY CLAIMS UNDER CLOUD

Who does not want to look lean and strong and besides the cosmetic value a good personality radiates, lean body mass is a scientifically proven route to keep good health. While following a strictly balanced daily diet is the surest way to good health, as in many cases of human life, such disciplined eating is more easily talked about rather than being followed! This human weakness for good tasting food with irresistible  flavor and texture credentials is being exploited by many industry players with utter disdain for consumer well being. There are a number of preachers for weight reduction like Atkins, South Beach, Portion Planners etc and billions of dollars of business is riding on this area of health management. How far they are able to substitute human determination and self exercised will power is a mute point as long as there are willing consumers to believe in such unnatural means of achieving weight reduction as quickly as possible.

One of the earliest theories which was floated to achieve longevity and good health was practicing a diet low in calories, much lower than what is recommended, which is supposed to control the body metabolism for preventing fat accumulation responsible for weight increase over a period of time. It was in 1934 that Restricted Calorie (CR) diet theory sprouted in Cornell University, USA based on demonstrable effect of such a diet in extending the life span 100% in rats under laboratory conditions. Since then hundreds of studies in different parts of the world did show that reducing calories in daily diets to the extent of 10-25% could prevent undue weight gain in many animal models. It has been claimed by these studies that such diets are successful in controlling blood pressure, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, BMI, body fat percentage, C-reactive proteins, carotid IMT, Platelet derived growth factor AB and boosting memory status among the animals studied.

An indication about calorie restriction effect was obtained during early studies with yeast, fish, rodents and dogs and such CR diet regimen without causing micro nutrient deficiency was shown to increase both median and maximum life span among the animals studied. Though these results were taken as proof of the scientific basis for confirming the effectiveness of CR diets and promoted for human beings also without adequate mammalian or human studies, there has never been a "sufficiently powered" long term randomized clinical trials of CR in humans to confirm or deny its efficacy in achieving what has been seen in animals. The longest running scientific study of CR in primates has been undertaken in University of Wisconsin and is going on since 1989 without coming to any definitive conclusions regarding the success of CR diet universally.    

CR diet intervention and its usefulness in prolonging life became a focal point of attention recently when National Institute of Health came out with some startling news based on studies in its Institute of Aging (NIA) that CR diets might not be as effective as being claimed during the last several years. After 25 years of observations, it came out that rhesus monkeys fed only a lower-calorie diet lived no longer than their rhesus mates who ate a little more and weighed a little more. This is in stark contrast to what was reported earlier from a slightly different study led by investigators in Wisconsin. which found healthier life for their group of starving monkeys. The NIA study was of a blow to many enthusiasts who whole heartedly welcomed the idea proving that "less equals more when it comes to eating"!. Unfortunately this finding may have the consequences of nullifying the mindset among many consumers that self restraint, continence, and composure in controlling one's appetite pays off in the long run. But the jury is still out on this issue and a closer look at the results may suggest it's not time to indulge in foods ad libitum just yet.

A critical question that may haunt weight watchers and "long life' lovers is whether the new information will allow one to eat a bad, sugary diet, provided too much of it is not eaten. The simple fact is that if one eats more of such foods without control, death is likely to visit sooner than later!. However if good food in terms of balanced nutrition with low sugar, salt and fat using more of whole grains, it may not matter even if more is eaten. In terms of longevity whether CR diet or rich diet, life span may be same though those in the latter category, eating more will still live long albeit weighed down by diabetes and other medical conditions. At least that is the current take on this interesting issue!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

FROZEN FOODS-ARE THEY GOOD TILL ETERNITY?

There is a general perception that foods frozen and stored at -18C can be preserved indefinitely and of course there is some truth in this belief. A product well prepared through sound processing techniques to attain commercial sterility can be "preserved" for long and can be considered safe for human consumption. At temperatures below -18C no microorganism can survive and therefore from that angle the food is safe from any hazards of microbial origin. If this is so why is that manufacturers put a "best before date" on the label which makes many consumers throw the food after that date? There is a logic in such an approach because for a common consumer a good food has to provide sensory satisfaction besides being safe.

It is an elementary knowledge that physical changes do take place in frozen foods that can affect the texture in a significant way and the pace of such changes can vary from food to food. There are well documented data regarding the shelf life of different foods and invariably most foods taste different after 6-9 months frozen storage. There are color changes that may occur in meat, poultry and some vegetables while freezer burns often appear as brown spots on the surface of the product. Inadequate packaging can dry out the product causing undesirable textural changes. Improper storage conditions with fluctuating temperatures cause changes in crystal structure of the ice particles which again adversely affect the texture of many frozen food articles.

Commercial freezing is based on well established modern technologies and there can be no comparison of freezing with any other technology in keeping the original quality of food in tact. If most of the foods available in the western markets belong to the frozen category, the reason is that consumers have come to recognize that these products meet with their expectations fully. Further fillip to the frozen food industry was received when microwave heating system became omnipotent in almost all kitchens making it easier to thaw and reheat for consumption. The extraordinary success of frozen food industry in many rich countries is also attributable to the high per capita income, excellent transportation facilities, efficient nation-wide infrastructure, adequate storage facilities at homes and above all the predominance of animal based diet that cannot be preserved by other processes as efficiently as the freezing process.

Why is that frozen foods have not got a footing in India? Seminar after seminar it has been proclaimed since last fifty years that food industry in the country could not develop because of woefully inadequate infrastructure for manufacture, distribution, storage and retailing. This applies to frozen food industry also as efficient processing machinery is not easily available, required cold chain does not exist, frozen display facilities at the retail level are inadequate and storage capacity for frozen foods in the house hold kitchen is very small. Even the consumers find it difficult to buy frozen foods regularly as ferrying them from the retail store to homes takes time causing some thawing before reaching their refrigerators. Yet very little is being done to address this problem either by the industry or the government. Added to this the frozen foods costs are very high in India due to limited production volumes and unfavorable scale of operation. Unless there is a close linkage between the farms and the processing centers the viability of the industry cannot be assured and such linkages are conspicuous by its absence in India.

It is an irony that thousands of ethnic foods for which India is famous cannot be preserved even for a few days using any technology other than freezing and unfortunately practically no R & D work takes place in any of the two dozen food research set ups in the country, boasting of reasonably good development facilities. While through common sense many traditional products are being marketed under frozen conditions in some of the urban regions in the UK and the US to cater to the immigrant populations there, the processes adopted by the entrepreneurs cannot be considered optimum, requiring further research inputs to make them technologically efficient. National food research organizations like CFTRI, DFRL and major Universities carrying out food research must focus on this area as frozen foods will eventually become a main stream food industry out pacing all others within a decade.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

PRECIOUS 'LIFE'-WANT TO 'HANG ON'?

Keeping one's weight under control is considered to be the most practical step in prolonging the life unrestricted by onset of life-threatening health disorders. BMI and Obesity find mention in practically all references touching on the subject of longevity. Going beyond the desired goal of weight control, man is becoming more ambitious or rather 'greedy' to cling on to the Mother Earth, if not permanently but at least for a few years more than what is expected. Use of appetite suppressant by over weight people, to reduce calorie intake and thus control body weight is now being tried to prolong life amongst, other wise, normal healthy persons. The clue is provided by the findings by many studies that in rodents and some primates deliberate restriction of calorie intake enables them to extend their life span by as much as 40%!.

'Calorie restriction' (CR), according to experts, is a strategy for 'extending' healthy life, evolved based on 20 years of studies on animals which gained life extension, as much as 40%. CR is claimed to confer other benefits that include lowering the risks of most degenerative conditions of aging, reducing other risks like DNA damage, enhanced cleaning up of cells, enhancing DNA repair, protecting against aging of the heart, slowing down the deterioration in the immune system, restraining the development of Alzheimer's disease, arresting stem cell decline, reducing inflammation and checking muscle degeneration. Yeasts, fish, rodents,dogs and primates have all achieved extended life span to varying degrees, though limited studies reported on humans are still inconclusive. One of the examples cited to support the effectiveness of CR concept is the population in Okinawa, Japan which boasts of high numbers of long surviving people who habitually consume only 80% of daily food requirement as a part of their traditional eating practice.

The mechanism of slowing aging through CR is not well understood but some believe that it decreases the insulin levels thereby "upregulating autophagy". Contrary to this, studies using Sirt1 protein for longevity, scientists found the insulin levels in their studies increased significantly creating complications while Klotho protein, another longevity aid, produced lesser insulin creating diabetic like conditions. Unless the precise mechanisms of various anti-aging approaches are known, wide scale practice of such systems is ruled out. But calorie restriction is still an option, if not for longer life span but at least for a more healthier life on which there is a near unanimity amongst the scientists. Perceptions differs only as to how much restriction of calorie intake must be practiced to get maximum benefits from such a regime in to day's world where over-weight and obesity are endemic..

Antagonists of calorie restriction approach dwell on the fact that results of animal studies cannot be extrapolated on humans and the benefits of CR are far less than what is claimed. While rodents achieved 40% life span extension on CR, humans, it is claimed, can never expect to get more than 7% increase in life expectancy at practical levels of CR. Even in animal studies many aberrations were noticed such as undesirable changes in behavioral pattern, emission of foul body odors, irrational irritability, greatly reduced fertility, unbearable hunger pangs and greatly lowered energy levels incapable of carrying many normal activities. Added to this confusion some studies report that CR is effective in slowing down aging only in obese mice and normal healthy ones do not benefit at all.

CR to be effective must be practiced when young and people at the fag end of their life cannot get benefit through this diet restriction technique. If that is so it raises many questions that are legal, moral and ethical. Which mother will agree to restrict food to her child during the early stages of growth? Is it morally right to deny foods to the children when they are growing fast during the childhood? Will the practice pass legal test regarding the rights of a child before reaching adulthood? Will some one sacrifice one's quality of life to get a few extra years on this planet? Will it not be better to live healthy for some time than living with diabetes for long time? Industry has to be weary about entering into such a field with future repercussions about the possible impact on society.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

LONGEVITY BREEDS LONGEVITY?

Living long and healthy is the dream of every human being born on this planet. What contributes to longevity is not exactly known though many theories and empirical observations are made at different times by knowledgeable as well as not so knowledgeable people. Food, environment, living styles, exercises, meditation, freedom from tension and anxiety, singly or in combination are supposed to help one to live long and healthy. The parentage also seems to count in determining longevity. The old biblical saying that 'threescore and ten years' alludes to man's life expectancy at 70 years but the oldest human being documented lived for 122 years from 1875 to 1997. While in the affluent countries average life expectancy is in the range 77-83 years, same in the third world countries is placed at 35-60 years. Okinawa in Japan, Hunza Valley in Pakistan, Vilcabamba in South America and Caucasus mountain regions have some of the highest living old age population. Andorra has the highest life expectancy of 83.5 years while Swaziland is on the other end with life expectancy of just 31.99 years. It is expected that at the current level of knowledge and medical technology, some countries may achieve longevity of about 95 years by 2050.

Azerbaijan has the highest density of centenarians in the world with 48.3 people crossing 100 years of life span per lakh of the population and there are about 15000 centenarians in that small country!. If one looks at their food consumption habits for a clue to their longevity, modern nutrition science will have to do a lot of explaining. They consume high levels of animal fat, the very antithesis of healthy living! But they also claim that lot of vegetables and yogurt are consumed by the local population which is supposed to help to deal with the deleterious effects of animal fats. Old age population generally are deficient in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, Iron and Zinc which are not available in adequate amounts from the diets they consume, requiring supplementation. Some time Selenium is mentioned as a critical trace mineral involved in longer life span due to its role as an antioxidant and in many enzyme reactions. Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Vanadium and Copper are also implicated in longevity. Calorie restriction and low food intake have been propagated for extending the human life significantly. Unfortunately no consensus or unanimity exists regarding the most desirable diet that can contribute to achieve longevity.

If historically the population in Azerbaijan have been living long, it may be logical to infer that genetics might be playing a part in this phenomenon as their number is either maintained or must have increased over the past many years. This is more or less confirmed by scientific findings emanating in the western world in recent times. Most striking observation was that the offsprings of centenarians live longer than others because they have lower risk of heart diseases, stroke and diabetes, the three major killer diseases of modern era. It was further confirmed that the children from these old age people were less likely to die early, compared to those from parents dying relatively younger. The significant findings that the offsprings of centenarians have 78% lower risk for heart attack, 83% lesser chances of stroke and 86% reduced risk of developing diabetes mellitus tell its own story. In animals it was proved that the length of telemers at either ends of DNA can be increased using telomerase enzyme resulting in 20% longer life span.

While genes that contribute to longevity may have a strong influence in passing on undamaged DNA to the next generation, food must be playing a critical role in influencing the optimum performance of these genes besides other factors. Probably Azerbaijan people can provide the clue regarding the type of foods that can help to protect the longevity genes from mutation and mutilation responsible for shortening of life span.


V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/