Administrator: Welcome to this nutrition chat with Susan Bowerman of UCLA's Center for Human Nutrition. Today's topic: anti-aging foods.
Administrator: Hi Susan!
Susan Bowerman: Hi Rosie, thanks for having me on this chat today
Administrator: So let's start with the questions.
ucla05: Any tips for lowering cholesterol?
Susan Bowerman: Sure, there are plenty of things you can do....
Susan Bowerman: First, you should try to reduce weight if you are overweight...
Susan Bowerman: And the best way to do that is by eating a diet rich in plant foods (fruits and vegetables), and low in fat and saturated fat...
Susan Bowerman: The other thing is to eat protein from the leanest sources, such as fish, poultry breast, nonfat dairy products and soy protein...
Susan Bowerman: You should also try to exercise most days of the week....
Susan Bowerman: Nothing you haven't heard before, but all these tactics are very helpful for reducing serum cholesterol
Administrator: Thanks, Susan, So I have a question. ..
Administrator: YOu read of these people who live for incredibly long lifespans..like the Okinawans in japan. What do they do? Could we do the same thing?
Susan Bowerman: It's interesting to look at this particular population. They have the highest intake of fish, vegetables and soy products of almost anywhere in the world...
Susan Bowerman: The other thing that they do is they stay active until very late in life, they drink tea, and they have almost no incidence of obesity...
Susan Bowerman: One of the things that they do is they eat only until they are about 75% full...
Susan Bowerman: This is an excellent tactic....
Susan Bowerman: Unfortunately, the younger residents of Okinawa are picking up our Western dietary habits, and their obesity rates are strating to rise.
Administrator: So I had a couple of questions about what you just said. One is, about tea...
Administrator: I'm from the UK. I like my tea. But I drink it with milk. Naturally. So...
Administrator: One is: what is it about tea that might make it antiaging? The other..
Administrator: Do I have to give up milk in my tea in order for it to do whatever it does?
Susan Bowerman: Okay, let's answer the first question first. More research has been done on green tea rather than black tea, but I think we should assume that they have similar benefits...
Administrator: Good!
Susan Bowerman: Both come from the same leaves, but the green tea is steamed first to stop it from oxidizing - which is what makes black tea black...
Susan Bowerman: Tea contains powerful antioxidants, polyphenols, which are also what we call 'anti-angiogenic"...
Susan Bowerman: Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels form - and tumor cells need these to grow and supply blood to tumors...
Susan Bowerman: So, if you have compounds in tea that can inhibit this process, it could reduce the risk for cancer development and prevention.
Administrator: Lindsay, who is listening here, says she had no idea that this was the case!
Susan Bowerman: Now, as far as the milk is concerned, a recent study did confirm that the proteins in milk do bind up these compounds...
Administrator: Dang.
Susan Bowerman: I'm sorry to say that it would be best if you could learn to drink your tea without milk in order to get the most benefit.
Administrator: That's a tall order. Maybe there's something else I could do....like drink red wine to make up for it?
Susan Bowerman: Well, red wine has its own beneficial compounds, different from tea. And that brings up a good point...
Susan Bowerman: We don't want to get too locked into thinking that there are only a small number of foods that provide us with health benefits..
Susan Bowerman: If you like your tea with milk, then fine... you can make sure that your diet is rich in other plant foods, and yes, some red wine, and you will be getting a host of benefits from a variety of foods.
Administrator: But that's exactly what we always do: focus on single foods. One day it's blueberries. They'll keep me young forever, right? Next it's pomegranates
Administrator: they're the stuff!
Susan Bowerman: Yes, it seems that way... but keep in mind that this is because so much research is being done on all of these thousands of plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that are in these foods...
Susan Bowerman: The benefits that you get from pomegrantate, for example, may be due, in part, to their unique compounds (one called punicilagin is found only in pomegranate)...
Administrator: Wow, I did not know that.
Susan Bowerman: Whereas what you might find in a blueberry may be another specific compound. We don't know if these compounds themselves are what makes them so beneficial, or if it may be a metabolite of these compounds that really matters... this is the kind of research that we do in our labs here at UCLA.
Administrator: Back to red wine for a moment: is it the alcohol that has the benefits, or is it some chemical--i've heard of one called resveratrol that keeps rats young, or something?
Susan Bowerman: Yes, we believe that it is the resveratrol in wine that exerts the health benefits. Resveratrol has particular benefits for heart health, and so that is where the recommendation has come from for drinking a glass of red wine a few times a week.
Administrator: you can get resveratrol supplements, right? wouldn't that be better than drinking wine? you could pack a lot more resveratrol into your diet if you took it in pill form.
Administrator: wouldnt be as sociable, perhaps...
Susan Bowerman: That would appear to be true. But, you have to keep in mind that red wine (aside from tasting much better!) also has thousands of other phytochemicals in it which may also contribute to its beneficial effects...
Susan Bowerman: We don't want to reduce a food, like wine, down to one component - a 'magic bullet'. There are too many beneficial substances in whole foods that it would be very short-sighted to assume that a supplement would replace a whole food and be considered nutritionally equivalent.
Administrator: Thanks Susan. Okay, we have another query here from Bettie Rinehart, one of the web staff. She wants to know about dairy. What's the truth about it? Does it ...
Administrator: promote longenvity? There are some cultures who eat a lot of yogurt. there was a yoplait or dannon ad suggesting you could live a long time ...if you ate a lot of yogurt
Administrator: ghengis Khan used to eat it, didnt he? He was a tough customer!
Susan Bowerman: Yes, I remember those ads, too. I don't know that there is research that could specifically link dairy consumption to longevity. What is more likely is that yogurt consumption is a 'marker' for a health diet. In other words, it's likely that people who eat yogurt also eat low fat foods, and healthy fruits and vegetables.
Administrator: well, it seems, sad to say, that the most likely strategy for extending lifespan..
Administrator: may be to do something most unpleasant. IE, eat a lot less. those folks who restrict their calories...
Administrator: are banking on that, aren't they? based on rat and mouse studies.
Susan Bowerman: Yes, there is a society for calorie restriction, and members do endorse the concept of restricting calories in an attempt to extend lifespan...
Susan Bowerman: Part of the science behind this is that metabolism, in general, increases the body's oxidant stress. It's a normal part of living. So...
Susan Bowerman: since metabolizing food requires work by the body, and therefore does place some oxidant stress on the body, it sort of makes sense that if you don't tax the body with excess calories (and take in a lot of antioxidants) that it could reduce the oxidant stress on the system...
Susan Bowerman: But, it's very hard to do this, because people who endorse the concept consistently eat fewer calories than they need - almost 25% less....
Administrator: Why dont they starve?
Susan Bowerman: I don't know that this is something I would recommend, and of course we don't know what the effects might be. They don't starve if they are careful to make sure the diet is still nutritionally balanced, but it's a challenge. Every bite really counts.
Administrator: We've also heard that foods promoting inflammation in the body may have something to do with aging. like, inflammation makes tissues age before their time. true? and how can one midify the diet to avoid inflammation?
Administrator: I meant "modify"
Susan Bowerman: This is a hot topic right now. Chronic low-grade inflammation can result from overweight, and also from poor diet. Foods that are 'pro-inflammatory' include many of the fats that exist in our food supply - which is one reason we keep harping on people to cut back on fats and to eat more fish.
Susan Bowerman: The inflammatory response is important when you have an infection...
Administrator: you're not talking saturated fats, are you? But ones in some vegetable oils?
Susan Bowerman: But chronic low grade inflammation may be contributing to heart disease, some cancers and other chronic illnesses...
Susan Bowerman: I'm particularly concerned about the excesses of corn oil in the diet. Corn oil is a polyunsaturated fat, but it is very rich in omega-6 fatty acids... of which we have an abundance in the food supply...
Susan Bowerman: We don't eat enough fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, to properly balance the fats in the diet.
Administrator: Bettie has another question. ...
Administrator: " I have an organic garden. If I only eat organic vegetables does it promote better health and longeivty than store bought vegetables? I need the straight skinny!"
Administrator: Susan, Can you help?
Susan Bowerman: Well, this is probably the best way to eat "organic", "local" and "seasonal", all of which we promote. Those who can only purchase store-bought produce should not feel guilty if they cannot find/afford organic produce....
Administrator: yep--it is pricy isn't it?
Susan Bowerman: Certainly if foods are raised organically, it does reduce your exposure to pesticides. But, if you can't get those foods, the benefits of eating the fruits and vegetables clearly outweighs the risk of the pesticide exposure.
Susan Bowerman: We don't know if the foods are nutritionally superior, but there are some reports that the phytochemicals in foods may reach their peak when picked closer to when they are fully ripe - store bought foods may have traveled a distance and not picked at their peak...
Administrator: That makes sense.
Susan Bowerman: Frozen foods are frozen very soon after picking, and can be nutritionally superior to fresh foods that might have been sitting/travelinlg.
Administrator: Canned foods too, could be more nutritious?
Susan Bowerman: Yes, canned foods are also processed soon after cooking. Some people don't like the texture as well, but they can be an alternative. Some canned veggies are high in sodium, though, and some fruits are canned in syrup, so look at labels.
Administrator: That's pretty interesting and I think is kind of unexpected...anyway, we're about out of time here. Thank you very much for joining us and we're looking forward to the next chat.
Susan Bowerman: Thank you so much for having me. Hope to see you soon.
Administrator: Hi Susan!
Susan Bowerman: Hi Rosie, thanks for having me on this chat today
Administrator: So let's start with the questions.
ucla05: Any tips for lowering cholesterol?
Susan Bowerman: Sure, there are plenty of things you can do....
Susan Bowerman: First, you should try to reduce weight if you are overweight...
Susan Bowerman: And the best way to do that is by eating a diet rich in plant foods (fruits and vegetables), and low in fat and saturated fat...
Susan Bowerman: The other thing is to eat protein from the leanest sources, such as fish, poultry breast, nonfat dairy products and soy protein...
Susan Bowerman: You should also try to exercise most days of the week....
Susan Bowerman: Nothing you haven't heard before, but all these tactics are very helpful for reducing serum cholesterol
Administrator: Thanks, Susan, So I have a question. ..
Administrator: YOu read of these people who live for incredibly long lifespans..like the Okinawans in japan. What do they do? Could we do the same thing?
Susan Bowerman: It's interesting to look at this particular population. They have the highest intake of fish, vegetables and soy products of almost anywhere in the world...
Susan Bowerman: The other thing that they do is they stay active until very late in life, they drink tea, and they have almost no incidence of obesity...
Susan Bowerman: One of the things that they do is they eat only until they are about 75% full...
Susan Bowerman: This is an excellent tactic....
Susan Bowerman: Unfortunately, the younger residents of Okinawa are picking up our Western dietary habits, and their obesity rates are strating to rise.
Administrator: So I had a couple of questions about what you just said. One is, about tea...
Administrator: I'm from the UK. I like my tea. But I drink it with milk. Naturally. So...
Administrator: One is: what is it about tea that might make it antiaging? The other..
Administrator: Do I have to give up milk in my tea in order for it to do whatever it does?
Susan Bowerman: Okay, let's answer the first question first. More research has been done on green tea rather than black tea, but I think we should assume that they have similar benefits...
Administrator: Good!
Susan Bowerman: Both come from the same leaves, but the green tea is steamed first to stop it from oxidizing - which is what makes black tea black...
Susan Bowerman: Tea contains powerful antioxidants, polyphenols, which are also what we call 'anti-angiogenic"...
Susan Bowerman: Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels form - and tumor cells need these to grow and supply blood to tumors...
Susan Bowerman: So, if you have compounds in tea that can inhibit this process, it could reduce the risk for cancer development and prevention.
Administrator: Lindsay, who is listening here, says she had no idea that this was the case!
Susan Bowerman: Now, as far as the milk is concerned, a recent study did confirm that the proteins in milk do bind up these compounds...
Administrator: Dang.
Susan Bowerman: I'm sorry to say that it would be best if you could learn to drink your tea without milk in order to get the most benefit.
Administrator: That's a tall order. Maybe there's something else I could do....like drink red wine to make up for it?
Susan Bowerman: Well, red wine has its own beneficial compounds, different from tea. And that brings up a good point...
Susan Bowerman: We don't want to get too locked into thinking that there are only a small number of foods that provide us with health benefits..
Susan Bowerman: If you like your tea with milk, then fine... you can make sure that your diet is rich in other plant foods, and yes, some red wine, and you will be getting a host of benefits from a variety of foods.
Administrator: But that's exactly what we always do: focus on single foods. One day it's blueberries. They'll keep me young forever, right? Next it's pomegranates
Administrator: they're the stuff!
Susan Bowerman: Yes, it seems that way... but keep in mind that this is because so much research is being done on all of these thousands of plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that are in these foods...
Susan Bowerman: The benefits that you get from pomegrantate, for example, may be due, in part, to their unique compounds (one called punicilagin is found only in pomegranate)...
Administrator: Wow, I did not know that.
Susan Bowerman: Whereas what you might find in a blueberry may be another specific compound. We don't know if these compounds themselves are what makes them so beneficial, or if it may be a metabolite of these compounds that really matters... this is the kind of research that we do in our labs here at UCLA.
Administrator: Back to red wine for a moment: is it the alcohol that has the benefits, or is it some chemical--i've heard of one called resveratrol that keeps rats young, or something?
Susan Bowerman: Yes, we believe that it is the resveratrol in wine that exerts the health benefits. Resveratrol has particular benefits for heart health, and so that is where the recommendation has come from for drinking a glass of red wine a few times a week.
Administrator: you can get resveratrol supplements, right? wouldn't that be better than drinking wine? you could pack a lot more resveratrol into your diet if you took it in pill form.
Administrator: wouldnt be as sociable, perhaps...
Susan Bowerman: That would appear to be true. But, you have to keep in mind that red wine (aside from tasting much better!) also has thousands of other phytochemicals in it which may also contribute to its beneficial effects...
Susan Bowerman: We don't want to reduce a food, like wine, down to one component - a 'magic bullet'. There are too many beneficial substances in whole foods that it would be very short-sighted to assume that a supplement would replace a whole food and be considered nutritionally equivalent.
Administrator: Thanks Susan. Okay, we have another query here from Bettie Rinehart, one of the web staff. She wants to know about dairy. What's the truth about it? Does it ...
Administrator: promote longenvity? There are some cultures who eat a lot of yogurt. there was a yoplait or dannon ad suggesting you could live a long time ...if you ate a lot of yogurt
Administrator: ghengis Khan used to eat it, didnt he? He was a tough customer!
Susan Bowerman: Yes, I remember those ads, too. I don't know that there is research that could specifically link dairy consumption to longevity. What is more likely is that yogurt consumption is a 'marker' for a health diet. In other words, it's likely that people who eat yogurt also eat low fat foods, and healthy fruits and vegetables.
Administrator: well, it seems, sad to say, that the most likely strategy for extending lifespan..
Administrator: may be to do something most unpleasant. IE, eat a lot less. those folks who restrict their calories...
Administrator: are banking on that, aren't they? based on rat and mouse studies.
Susan Bowerman: Yes, there is a society for calorie restriction, and members do endorse the concept of restricting calories in an attempt to extend lifespan...
Susan Bowerman: Part of the science behind this is that metabolism, in general, increases the body's oxidant stress. It's a normal part of living. So...
Susan Bowerman: since metabolizing food requires work by the body, and therefore does place some oxidant stress on the body, it sort of makes sense that if you don't tax the body with excess calories (and take in a lot of antioxidants) that it could reduce the oxidant stress on the system...
Susan Bowerman: But, it's very hard to do this, because people who endorse the concept consistently eat fewer calories than they need - almost 25% less....
Administrator: Why dont they starve?
Susan Bowerman: I don't know that this is something I would recommend, and of course we don't know what the effects might be. They don't starve if they are careful to make sure the diet is still nutritionally balanced, but it's a challenge. Every bite really counts.
Administrator: We've also heard that foods promoting inflammation in the body may have something to do with aging. like, inflammation makes tissues age before their time. true? and how can one midify the diet to avoid inflammation?
Administrator: I meant "modify"
Susan Bowerman: This is a hot topic right now. Chronic low-grade inflammation can result from overweight, and also from poor diet. Foods that are 'pro-inflammatory' include many of the fats that exist in our food supply - which is one reason we keep harping on people to cut back on fats and to eat more fish.
Susan Bowerman: The inflammatory response is important when you have an infection...
Administrator: you're not talking saturated fats, are you? But ones in some vegetable oils?
Susan Bowerman: But chronic low grade inflammation may be contributing to heart disease, some cancers and other chronic illnesses...
Susan Bowerman: I'm particularly concerned about the excesses of corn oil in the diet. Corn oil is a polyunsaturated fat, but it is very rich in omega-6 fatty acids... of which we have an abundance in the food supply...
Susan Bowerman: We don't eat enough fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, to properly balance the fats in the diet.
Administrator: Bettie has another question. ...
Administrator: " I have an organic garden. If I only eat organic vegetables does it promote better health and longeivty than store bought vegetables? I need the straight skinny!"
Administrator: Susan, Can you help?
Susan Bowerman: Well, this is probably the best way to eat "organic", "local" and "seasonal", all of which we promote. Those who can only purchase store-bought produce should not feel guilty if they cannot find/afford organic produce....
Administrator: yep--it is pricy isn't it?
Susan Bowerman: Certainly if foods are raised organically, it does reduce your exposure to pesticides. But, if you can't get those foods, the benefits of eating the fruits and vegetables clearly outweighs the risk of the pesticide exposure.
Susan Bowerman: We don't know if the foods are nutritionally superior, but there are some reports that the phytochemicals in foods may reach their peak when picked closer to when they are fully ripe - store bought foods may have traveled a distance and not picked at their peak...
Administrator: That makes sense.
Susan Bowerman: Frozen foods are frozen very soon after picking, and can be nutritionally superior to fresh foods that might have been sitting/travelinlg.
Administrator: Canned foods too, could be more nutritious?
Susan Bowerman: Yes, canned foods are also processed soon after cooking. Some people don't like the texture as well, but they can be an alternative. Some canned veggies are high in sodium, though, and some fruits are canned in syrup, so look at labels.
Administrator: That's pretty interesting and I think is kind of unexpected...anyway, we're about out of time here. Thank you very much for joining us and we're looking forward to the next chat.
Susan Bowerman: Thank you so much for having me. Hope to see you soon.
