The most up to date collection of scientifically based health facts.
Includes simple to understand definitions and complete references

www.scienceofhealthindex.com

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Health Topics
A-Z

Click on any underlined subject to go to definition


A
Adipose Tissue: (also see Body Fat)
Aging
: (see Sugar or Carbohydrates)
Agriculture
Allergies: (also see Enzymes)
Alpha-amylase: (see Enzymes)
Amino Acids: (also see Protein)
Anachidonic Acid: (see Essential Fatty Acids)
Antioxidants
Aspartame: (see Food Additives)
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD):

 
B
Behavior and Nutrition
Blood
Blood Pressure
Blood Vessel
Body Fat: (also see Toxins or Fat )
Bones : (see Osteoporosis )
Brain: (also see Essential Fatty Acids)
Butter

 
C
Caffeine: (also see Diabetes)
Calcium: (also see Vitamins or Osteoporosis)
Calorie: (also see Sugar, Carbohydrates or Fat)
Cancer
Carbohydrates: (also see Glucogenesis, Pancreas or Sugar)
Celiac Disease
Cells: (also see Disease or Essential Fatty Acids)
Cellulite: (also see Essential Fatty Acids)
Child & Infant Health:
Cholesterol
Colloidal Minerals
: (also see Minerals)

 
D
Deficiency: (also see Nerves or Essential Fatty Acids)
Diabetes: (also see Pancreas)
Diets
Digestion
Disease: (also see Heart Disease)
Drugs

 
E
Eisonanoids: (see Prostaglandins)
EFAs:(see Essential Fatty Acids)
Endocrine system:(see Pancreas)
Energy: (also see Essential Fatty Acids)
Enzymes: (also see Milk or Lactose)
Essential Fatty Acids: (also also see Energy or EFAs)
Essiac®
Exercise: (also see Metabolism)

 
F
Fat (Dietary): (also see Body Fat and Adipose Tissue)
Fiber
Fish Oil: (also see Essential Fatty Acids)
Folic Acid:(also see Vitamins)
Food Additives
Free-radicals:(see Antioxidants)
Fructose
(fruit sugar): (see Sugar or Carbohydrates)

 
G
Genetic Modification
Glucogenesis: (also see Carbohydrates)
Glucose
Gluten

Glycemic Index
Gout
Grains: (also see Food Additives)
Growing Methods

 
H
Heart Disease
Herbs
Homogenization:(see Milk)

Hydrogenation:(also see Trans fats)
 
I
Innuit
Insulin
: (see Pancreas)
Irradiated Food

 
J      
 
K
Ketones
Kidneys

 

L
Lactose: (also see Milk or Enzymes)
 
M
Margarine
Metabolism

Milk: (also see Lactose or Enzymes)
Minerals
Monosaccharides
Muscle

 
N
Nerves: (see Deficiency or Essential Fatty Acids)
Nitric Oxide

 
O
Obesity
Okinawans
: (see Innuit)
Osteoporosis

 
P
Pancreas: (also see Diabetes)
Prions:(see Disease)
Polycystic Ovary Disorder
Pregnancy/Infant Development

Protein
Prostaglandins: (also see Essential Fatty Acids)

 
Q

R


S
Salt
Serotonin
Silver Supplements
Skin
Soy

Soy and Infants
Soy and Sex
Sugar: (also see Carbohydrates)
Sweeteners
Syndrome X

 
T
Toxins: (also see Body Fat)
Trans fats: (also see Hydrogenation)

 
U

V
Vaccinations
Vegetarian/Vegan Diets:
(also see Soy & Protein)

Vitamins
: (also see Minerals and Soy)

W
Water
Weight Loss

X
Xanthine Oxidase: (also see Milk)

Y

Z
Zinc: (also see Vitamins and Minerals)

 

"..it is time to abandon the idea that fiber can help prevent colon cancer."
Click Here For Reference

Fat (Dietary): (also see Body Fat and Adipose Tissue)
Fiber
Fish Oil: (also see Essential Fatty Acids)
Folic Acid:(also see Vitamins)
Food Additives
Free-radicals:(see Antioxidants)
Fructose
(fruit sugar): (see Sugar or Carbohydrates)


Fat (Dietary)
: (also see Body Fat and Adipose Tissue)
Click here for the 3 Components of Food and How They're Used by the Body

In the book Endgame 1945 that covers the last few months of World War II and its aftermath, Dr. Valentin Falthammer, the Director of Kaufbeuren, "..carefully crafted a fat-free diet that guaranteed death to his patients."This twisted approach saved the doctor money on pharmaceuticals. Endgame 1945, David Stafford, Little, Brown and Company, November 12, 2007 - Find the above mentioned book here at Amazon.com!!
 
Dietary fat does not go to excess body fat. Reference: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dept. of Human Studies and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1996, vol. 64, pgs. 667-84.

Dietary fat required:
Fatty acids are required not only for membrane synthesis, modifications of proteins and carbohydrates, construction of various structural elements in cells and tissues, production of signaling compounds, and fuel, but also for solubilizing a variety of non polar and poorly soluble cellular and extra cellular constituents. Reference: Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:550-9.

Saturated fat and heart disease:
No saturated fats found in aortic plaque! Reference: Lancet 1984;344:1195-96. [Eating saturated fat did not cause their heart disease.]

Real butter and energy:
Butter is used directly for energy. Reference: Textbook of Medical Physiology, pg. 843.

Various cultures, diet and health:
A study on a Mennonite community which consumed the same amount of saturated fat and a higher amount of cholesterol showed that they had lower cholesterol levels, body-fat levels, and blood pressures than expected. Glick, M, et al. Dietary cardiovascular risk factors and serum cholesterol levels in an Old Order Mennonite Community. Reference: American Journal of Public Health. 1998 Aug;88(8):1202-5.

A large study of Finnish men showed NO association between fat OR saturated fat intake and coronary deaths. Pietinen P, et al. Intake of fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease in a cohort of Finnish men: The Alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer prevention study. Reference: American Journal of Epidemiology. 1997;145(10):876-887.

In Spain, as the population increased its consumption of meat and other saturated fats but decreased its intake of sugar and other sources of concentrated carbohydrates, incidence of heart disease decreased. Ulbright TLV, and Southgate DAT. Coronary heart disease: seven dietary factors. Reference: The Lancet. 1991;338:985-992.

The French consume large amounts of meat and saturated fat yet have low levels of heart disease. Renauld S, and DeLorgeril M. Wine, alcohol, platelets, and the French paradox for heart disease. Reference: The Lancet. 1992;339:1523-6.

Low-fat doesn't lower incidence of CAD:
Dietary intervention by lowering saturated fat intake does not lower the incidence of nonfatal CAD; nor does such dietary intervention lower coronary disease or total mortality. Reference: Ravnskov U. The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. J Clin Epidemiol 1998;51:443-60. & Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Higgins JP, et al. Dietary fat intake and prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review. BMJ 2001;322:757-63.

The conclusion of an analysis of the history and politics behind the diet-heart hypothesis was that after 50 years of research, there was no evidence that a diet low in saturated fat prolongs life. Reference: Taubes G. The soft science of dietary fat. Science 2001;291:2535-41.

Here are several other study references which have seriously questioned the role of total fat and saturated fat in the causation of heart disease.

Hu FB, et al. Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. Reference: New England Journal of Medicine. 1997;337(21):1491-1499.

Ravnskov U. The Questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. Reference: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 1998;51(6):443-460

Golomb BA. Dietary fats and heart disease – dogma challenged? Reference: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 1998;51(6):461-464.

Ascherio A, et al. Dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease in men: cohort follow up study in the United States. Reference: British Medical Journal. 1996;313:84-90.

All of these studies have shown that cutting fat levels down not only reduces the "bad" LDL cholesterol, but the beneficial HDL cholesterol as well, and furthermore, higher insulin, glucose, and triglyceride levels also result from a high carbohydrate diet. Reference: Leddy, J, et al. Effect of a high or low fat diet on cardiovascular risk factors in male and female runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 1997 Jan;29(1):17-25.

Hudgins, LC, et al. Human fatty acid synthesis is stimulated by a eucaloric low fat, high carbohydrate diet. Reference: Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1996 May 1;97(9):20811-91.

Schaefer, EJ, et al. Body weight and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol changes after consumption of a low-fat as libitum diet. Reference:  JAMA 1995 Nov 8;274(18):1450-5.

Katan MB. Effects of low-fat diets on plasma high-density lipoprotein concentrations. Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998;67(suppl):573S-6S.

Reference: Kasim-Karakas SE, et al. Changes in plasma lipoproteins during low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets: effects of energy intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000;71:1439-47.
 
Dietary fat and breast cancer:
The Harvard Nurses study has shown that dietary fat, even the saturated form, does not increase the risk of breast cancer. However, it did show that high levels of insulin and excess carb intake does raise the risk. This may be related to the consequent increase in body fat., particularly in and around the abdomen, in postmenopausal women. References:Journal of American Medical Association, 1999;228:914-920
 
WebMD 2002. http://my.webmd.com/condition_center_content/brc/article/1689.52069
 
High fat not increase risk [of breast cancer]. Reference: March 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association

Insulin may increase risk [of breast cancer]: Reference: Source: The 93rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, San Francisco, April 6-10, 2002

High-fat diet PROTECTS brian cells:
A high-fat diet and related increased production of a specific protein appear to protect brain cells from damage caused by prolonged seizures. Reference: United Press International Bruce Sylvester, UPI Science News, in West Palm Beach, Fla. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_11845.html (2003/03/07)

Low-fat harmful to lipoprotein profiles:
Low-fat diets have been shown to exert a potentially deletrous [harmful] effect on lipoprotein profiles in some persons... The 60% carbohydrate diet resulted in higher fasting plasma triacylglycerol, remnant lipoprotein, and remnant lipoprotein triacylglycerol and lower HDL cholesterol without changing LDL-cholesterol concentrations. Reference: Dreon DM, Fernstrom HA, Miller B, Krauss RM. Low-density lipoprotein subclass patterns and lipoprotein response to a reduced-fat diet in men. FASEB J 1994;8:121-6. & Krauss RM, Dreon DM. Low-density-lipoprotein subclasses and response to a low-fat diet in healthy men. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;62(suppl)478S-87S.

Replacing dietary fat with carbs increased obesity (opposite of expected result):
The replacement of dietary fat with dietary carbohydrate failed to reverse the trend of an increasing incidence of obesity in the population. Reference: The results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data-collection studies in the US.


 
Fiber:
Please visit The Food Utilization Factor Chart Here to learn how different foods are used by your body. Very informative!
 
Fiber and colon cancer:
In 1999, Harvard published a study stating colon cancer is not caused by eating meat and is not helped by eating fiber. Reference: The New England Journal of Medicine, January 1999.

Fiber Studies Find NO Benefit for the Colon:
"Well, here we are. There's not a shred of [cancer fighting] evidence from these trials." Dr.Gilbert Omenn stated, "...the surprising results [no cancer protection] showed the need to rigorously put belief systems to the test, especially when you are making recommendations to literally hundreds of millions of people." "..it is time to abandon the idea that fiber can help prevent colon cancer."
Dr. David S. Alberts, director of cancer prevention at the University of Arizona's Cancer Center said, "I think we have definitely disproved the fiber hypothesis for colon cancer." Reference: New York Times, page 1, April 20,2000.

Vitamins and protein locked away in plant fiber:
There is a general misconception that plant foods are loaded with vitamins that we benefit from. Many people also eat beans to get protein. But unfortunately, these nutrients are locked away in the plant fiber, Cellulose, which cannot be digested by humans. Reference: Essentials of Biochemistry, Jay M. Templin, Research & Education Assn, 1998, pg. 185. ISBN: 0878910735. This is precisely why humans are designed to get their nutrients from the animal that ate the plant. Herbivores are able to break down the cellulose and get to the nutrients, humans are not! Please click here: Man - Wolf - Sheep: A Comparison, for a full explanation.
 
Mineral deficiency and fiber:
Scientists are in general agreement that grain- and legume-based diets high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in third world countries. Reference: Van Rensburg et al., "Nutritional status of African populations predisposed to esophageal cancer", Nutrition and Cancer, vol. 4, 1983, pp. 206-216; Moser, P.B. et al., "Copper, iron, zinc and selenium dietary intake and status of Nepalese lactating women and their breast fed infants", American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 47:729-734, April 1988; Harland, B.F. et al., "Nutritional status and phytate: zinc and phytate X calcium: zinc dietary molar ratios of lacto-ovovegetarian Trappist monks: 10 years later", Journal of the American Dietetic Association 88:1562-1566, December 1988.

Starch-based carbs and disease:
Gluten sensitivity (GS) may be at the root of a proportion of cases of cancer, auto-immune disorders, neurological and psychiatric conditions and liver disease. The implication is that the heavily wheat-based western diet - bread, cereals, pastries, pasta – may actually be making millions of people ill.

Daily Elimination:
Also, it is expected by most people that solid elimination should take place daily, but when not following a high fiber diet, it is natural for the body to sometimes not eliminate solid waste but every 2 to 3 days. This is because proteins produce much less waste product and it takes more time for the body to build up enough waste to be eliminated. People can differ greatly in this respect. Some may adjust after adopting a higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet to daily elimination. The adjustment may take time, depending on how much fiber one ate previous to changing their dietary habits.


 
Fish Oil: (see Essential Fatty Acids)
Click here for Visual Aid

WARNING: Popular health writers and nutritionists do NOT understand the difference between "parent" and derivative EFAs! They also don't take into consideration that most if not all foods contain damaged omega 6 EFAs, which are NOT used by the body!
 
The strong case against fish oil supplements:
• Fish have no oil glands so in order to get the oil the fish has to be “juiced.”
• Your body requires “parent” omega 6 and 3 EFAs, but fish oil contains almost NO “parent” oils, it’s almost all derivatives. Your body makes the derivatives it needs from the “parent” EFAs, but when it only gets the derivatives, it doesn’t get the full benefit.
• Your tissues require a higher level of “parent” omega 6 to “parent” omega 3 (1:1 up to 4:1 is ideal in a supplement), no fish oil supplement provides this ratio. Fish oil contains almost all omega 3 derivatives and barely any omega 6 at all.

Dangerous toxins in fish oil:
Water pollution is rampant, so you could easily be consuming lots of toxic heavy metals, PCB's, and other pollutants at the same time. A chemical pollution-removing process, which could be used to prepare fish oil supplements, would ruin the quality of the Omega 3 and would raise the cost. This is such a significant issue that California's Proposition 65 specifically targeted fish oil manufacturers with environmental toxin levels above those allowed by law. Activists sent nineteen suppliers a letter warning them about illegal levels of DDT and DEE. Reference: "Prop 65 Activists Target Fish Oil," Nutrition Science News, Boulder CO, Nov. 1997, Vol. 2 No. 11, Page 537.

Far superior EFA supplements:
In contrast, the EFAs extracted from organically grown and processed seeds greatly minimize the toxic effects of the environment instead of concentrating them. Reference: for toxins in fish: Nutrition Science News, “Prop 65 Activists Target Fish Oil”, Boulder, CO, Nov. 1997, Vol. 2, No. 11, pg. 537.

There are numerous articles on EFAs everywhere with some good information, but nearly all of these articles lack a basic understanding of the difference between "parent" and derivative EFAs (Parent omega 3 = LNA & Parent omega 6 = LA - all others are derivatives*). You'll find Fish Oil is talked up constantly. The more you read at this website, the better you'll understand why taking fish oil is NOT the best way to get your EFAs. You may also read that you already get tons of omega 6 EFAs in your diet and that you only need to take omega 3. The problem is the omega 6 EFAs in foods are mostly damaged and you need pure, undamaged "Parent" omega 6 EFAs in your diet! This knowledge will help you weed out the good and bad info you may read on Essential Fatty Acids.

*Derivative EFAs are not used by the body, unless derived from the "parent." Nearly ALL EFA supplements, including fish oil, consists of derivatives. Your body makes the derivatives it needs from the "parent" oils, as well as using the parent directly.So supplements without parent oils are insufficient and ineffective!

Advice: EFA supplements that contain derivatives and NOT parent oils cannot be guaranteed to be used by your body as needed. Fish Oil supplements is a perfect example, containing mostly derivatives and very little parent oils.Your body needs the parent oils as much as it does the derivatives, and it will make any derivatives it needs from the parent oils. When you look at the ingredients of an EFA supplement, and it contains tons and tons of derivative information, don't buy it. It's not going to give your body what it needs.


 
Folic Acid: (see Vitamins)
Please see: "Popular Nutritional Supplements & Health Recommendations Review"

Contraceptives interfere with vitamins:
Ten million American women take oral contraceptives and most of them are unaware that the pills can interfere with the availability of vitamins B6, B12, folic acid, and vitamin C! Reference: Dr. Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible for the 21st Century. Earl Mindell, Hester Mundis, Warner Books, May, 1999, ISBN: 0446607029


 
Food Additives (not digestible by humans)::
 
Cellulose= Sawdust
Silica= Sand
Psyllium Husks

Cellulose cannot be digested by humans. Reference: Essentials of Biochemistry, pg. 185, Jay M. Templin, Research & Education Assn, 1998, ISBN: 0878910735

Lab rats are given MSG to create obesity:
Early postnatal administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to rats induces obesity, hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in adulthood, thus suggesting the presence of insulin resistance. An increase of plasma insulin, glucose and leptin levels was found in 3-month-old rats treated with MSG during the postnatal period. Reference: Physiol. Res. 49 (Suppl. 1): S79-S85, 2000 Late Effects of Postnatal Administration of Monosodium Glutamate on Insulin Action in Adult Rats, L. MACHO, M. FICKOVA, D, JEZOVA, S. ZORAD, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, November 12, 1999

Important Note: The food additive "MSG" is a Slow Poison. Slow Poisoning MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as "Natural Flavoring".

Please visit these links for more info on MSG and insulin resistance:

http://test.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X1997000500016&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed


 
Fructose:
 
It is estimated that 50% of adults can’t digest the fructose (fruit sugar) from more than 2 pieces of fruit. Reference: Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach, pg. 404. Dawn B. Marks, Allan D. Marks, Colleen M. Smith, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, August 1996, ISBN: 068305595X

 

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Wake Up! What Are You Eating? | Low-Carb Is NOT Low-Cal | Man-Wolf-Sheep: A Comparison
Faulty Food Pyramid | Visual Aids & Stats | Bibliography | Quotes | Food Utilization Factor Chart
Real Science~vs~Quackery | Progress Hindered by Fear of Change | Links | Disclaimer | Email
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The information on this website and it's conclusions have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This web site is intended to be informational
only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Please consult appropriate healthcare professionals
if you are dealing with any acute or chronic health condition.