Watch out for those croissants and toast...

Josephine Forbes of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute conducted a study on how many common foods – toast and croissants included-can produce chemicals now suspected of fast-tracking ageing and chronic disease.
Named Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), these chemicals turn up in foods ranging from hash browns to cola drinks and coffee.
Forbes and researchers overseas have suggested that too many AGEs building up in the body can contribute to heart disease and diabetes – and the wrinkling and pigmentation that goes with ageing skin.
The foods producing the most AGEs tend to be processed foods high in sugar or fat, especially animal fat, that are then grilled, baked or fried at high temperatures, often until they’re crispy and golden, said Forbes.
“The more a food has sugar added to it and the more it’s processed, the more AGEs it usually produces. Baked, crunchy breakfast cereals and toasted mueslis also produce AGEs, but raw oats and porridge are fine,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her as saying.
It seems that once you start mucking around with food the more AGEs it produces – there aren’t many foods in their natural state that produce AGEs,” she added.
We can accumulate too many AGEs in two ways. One is from some foods; the other is when blood sugar levels are too high, as with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Although research into AGEs’ effects is still in the early stages, studies have suggested they can harm the immune system and contribute to hardened arteries and problems with kidney function.
They can age skin by attacking collagen and promote arthritis by damaging the joints.

And 'yes' I did have croissants for breakfast this morning!

As if we didn't have enough to worry about - Part 2!

Yesterday I posted about the link between cancer and alcohol so surprise, surprise, today we get a warning about not taking fizzy drinks either! 

The study, published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal (FASEB), shows that phospates - also added to processed meats, cakes and breads - can make the skin and muscles wither, and can also damage the heart and kidneys.

Scientists made their discovery after examining the effects of high phosphate levels in three groups of mice. Those fed a high-phosphate diet lived 8 to 15 weeks, compared to those with substantially less amounts in their bodies which lived up to 20 weeks.

‘Humans need a healthy diet and keeping the balance of phosphate in the diet may be important for a healthy life and longevity,' says Mohammed Razzaque, from the Department of Medicine, Infection and Immunity at the Harvard School of Medicine. ‘Avoid phosphate toxity and enjoy a healthy life.'

Gerald Weissmann, of the research journal FASEB agrees. ‘Soda is the caffeine delivery vehicle of choice for millions of people worldwide, but comes with phosphorous as a passenger.

‘The research suggests that our phosphorous balance influenced the ageing process, so don't tip it.'

Guess its back to the water then. Still of course.

Eating sardines may slow ageing

Oily fish, such as sardines, could slow the aging process, a new US study has found.

Scientists at the University of California at San Francisco have published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association and have found that Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil preserve the genetic "fuse" that determines the lifespan of cells.

The research was carried out on heart disease patients, and found that rodents live one-third longer when given a diet enriched with fish-derived omega-3.

Taking fish oil supplements is said to protect against heart disease, improve survival rates after a heart attack, reduce mental decline in old age and help to prevent age-related changes in the eye that can lead to blindness.

Each time a cell divides, its telomeres get shorter until a critical point is reached. DNA then becomes damaged and the cell stops dividing, and may die. In this way, the telomere acts like a biological fuse.

The rate at which the fuse "burns" can vary both between individual people and individual cells. This is believed to have an impact on age-related diseases.

The study was led by Dr Ramin Farzaneh-Far, who said the findings raised the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cellular ageing in patients with coronary heart disease.

Sources of Omega 3 fatty acids:

Salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, flaxseed, linseed, walnuts, hazelnuts, eggs.