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Walnuts May Improve Sperm

Quality

Healthy young men with a Western-style diet

may be able to boost their sperm quality by

eating a small packet of walnuts a day.

These are the findings of a new study that shows healthy American

men in their 20s and 30s who ate a 75g (2.5 ozs) packet of walnuts a day

were able to increase the vitality, motility and structure of their sperm

compared to counterparts who did not eat walnuts.

Infertility and subfertility is a common problem that

affects about 70 million couples worldwide. Between a

third and a half of cases are due to poor semen quality

in the male partner, with scientists giving a number of

reasons for this in industrialized societies:

pollution, unhealthy lifestyles and the Western-style

diet cited amongst them.

Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids

(PUFAs), which play an important role in maturing

sperm and preserving the integrity of the

membrane around the cell which in turn affects its

ability to fertilize an egg.

In the Western-style diet, PUFAs are usually

found in fish, fish oil supplements, flax seed and

walnuts. Walnuts also offer an important source

of linolenic acid (ALA), a natural plant source of

omega-3.

The men in the walnut group also

experienced improvements in sperm quality

over the 12 weeks of eating walnuts, there

were significant increases in measures of

vitality, motility, and morphology. Their sperm

also showed fewer chromosome abnormalities at

the end of the 12 weeks than it did at the start of

the study.Note that the study only looks at the effect of walnut consumption on semen quality in healthy

young men: it doesn't show whether it would have the same effect in men with fertility

problems, or whether the observed improvements in semen quality actually result in increased

fertility.

Sugar And High Fructose Corn Syrup Found To

Perform Equally On A Reduced Calorie Diet

A new study published in Nutrition Journalshows that people can lose

weight while consuming typical amounts of sugar or high fructose corn

syrup (HFCS) if their overall caloric intake is reduced.

The results are significant for those trying to lose weight and anyone

concerned about the type of added sugars in foods and beverages they

consume.

The study design included 247 overweight or obese subjects ages 25 to

60 who took part in the randomized, double blind trial. After 12 weeks on

a hypocaloric (reduced calorie) diet, there was no evidence that either

table sugar or HFCS prevented weight loss when the amount of overall

calories was reduced.

"Misinformation about added sugars, particularly high fructose corn syrup, has

caused many people to lose sight of the fact that there is no silver bullet when it

comes to weight loss," said Dr. Rippe. "A reduction in calorie consumption, along

with exercise and a balanced diet, is what's most important when it comes to

weight loss."

Lose Weight While Still

Consuming Sugar

According to a new study featured inNutrition

Journal, people can still lose weight even if they consume typical

amounts of sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), as long as

their overall caloric intake is reduced.

The findings are important for people who try to lose weight and

also for those who are concerned about the type of added sugars in

foods and beverages they consume.

The researchers conducted a randomized double blind trial that

involved 247 overweight or obese people between the ages of 25 to

60 years. At the end of the 12-week reduced-calorie diet, the team

saw no evidence that either table sugar or HFCS stopped people from

losing weight when the overall amount of calories they consumed

was reduced.

Grapes Lowered Blood Pressure, Improved Blood

Flow And Reduced Inflammation In Men With

Metabolic Syndrome

Consuming grapes may help protect heart

health in people with metabolic

syndrome, according to new research published

in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers

observed a reduction in key risk factors for heart

disease in men with metabolic syndrome:

reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow

and reduced inflammation. Natural components

found in grapes, known as polyphenols, are

thought to be responsible for these beneficial

effects.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur

together - increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level,

excess body fat around the waist or low HDL (the

good cholesterol) and increased blood triglycerides -

significantly increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke and

diabetes.

The study results showed that for each of the study's

subjects, grape consumption resulted in significant decreases

in blood pressure, improved blood flow (greater

vasodilation), and decreases in a compound associated with

inflammation.

"These results suggest that consuming grapes can improve important risk

factors associated with heart disease, in a population that is already at higher

risk," said Fernandez. "This further supports the accumulating evidence that

grapes can positively influence heart health, and extends it to men with

metabolic syndrome."

Microwave Butter Flavoring Ingredient Is A

Respiratory Hazard

Researchers have discovered that the ingredient

2,3-pentanedione (PD), used to promote the flavor

and aroma of butter in microwave popcorn is a

respiratory hazard, which can also change gene

expression in the brain of rats.

The team conducted animal studies in which they

exposed groups of rats for six hours to different

concentrations of PD, a comparable concentration of

diacetyl, or filtered air. They noted signs of delayed

toxicity and exposed additional rats to PD.

They conducted a microscopic examination of the

brains, lungs, and nasal tissues from the lab animals at different

durations after exposure, i.e. after 0-2 hours, 12-14 hours, and

18-20 hours before assessing these changes in gene expression in

certain areas of the brain.

The findings revealed that 12 to 14 hours after exposure PD

caused respiratory epithelial injury in the upper nose that was

similar to that caused by diacetyl. They also noted that PD

exposure caused necrosis and apoptosis in the olfactory

neuroepithelium and activation of caspase 3, a protein involved

in cell death, in axons of olfactory nerve bundles.

Furthermore, they observed signs consistent with

neurotoxicity that showed an elevated expression of the

inflammatory mediators, interleukin-6 and nitric oxide

synthase-2 and lower expression of vascular endothelial

growth factor A in the olfactory

bulb, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum.