Does Chocolate Help You Stay Slim?

Here's a sweet surprise for chocoholics: A new study finds that people who eat chocolate regularly are somewhat skinnier than folks who don't indulge their sweet tooth.

The findings don't prove that chowing down on chocolate will melt off your excess pounds. It's possible that another factor is responsible for the modest difference in body mass, or it might be a statistical fluke.

But for now, study lead author Dr. Beatrice Golomb said the findings "reduce any possible guilt that might come with chocolate consumption." Golomb, an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego, said she hopes to better understand what's going on through future research.

As foods go, chocolate is a hard one to figure out. It includes antioxidants, substances that counteract damaging agents in the body. And consumption of chocolate has been linked in other studies to a variety of positive health effects from lower blood pressure to better cholesterol levels. On the other hand, chocolate can come with plenty of calories and fat.

In the new study, Golomb and colleagues reviewed food questionnaires filled out by nearly 1,000 people who were asked how often they ate chocolate. Their average age was 57, and 68 percent were men.

The researchers then tried to find any connections between chocolate consumption and the body mass index (BMI) of the participants. BMI is a calculation based on height and weight that is used to determine underweight, overweight and obesity in adults.

Participants' average BMI was 28 — overweight but not obese. On average, they ate chocolate twice a week and exercised between three and four times a week.

The study found that those who ate chocolate the most often had lower BMIs than the others, even when the researchers adjusted their statistics so they wouldn't be thrown off by factors such as age, gender, education and fruit and vegetable consumption.

For the typical person, the difference between frequently eating or infrequently eating chocolate could account for a 5- to 7-pound difference, Golomb said.

The findings "certainly weren't explained by the chocolate eaters eating fewer calories. They ate more calories and didn't exercise any more," she said.

It's not clear, however, what kinds of chocolate the participants ate, although most would probably have interpreted the question as asking about candy, Golomb said. Milk chocolate is fattier than dark chocolate.

Golomb cautioned that the study does not say that chocolate consumption will help people lose weight.

"It is not a siren call to go out and eat 20 pounds of chocolate a day," she said.

However, the study suggests that diet composition may influence the body's metabolic processes, and therefore BMI, she said.

So why would chocolate fanciers be thinner than others? Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, a professor at Tel Aviv University in Israel who has studied chocolate, said previous research has shown that diets that force people to avoid sweets actually make them more drawn to them. In her own research, she found that people were actually better able to tolerate a diet when they ate chocolate.

Golomb said that, ideally, future research will randomly assign some people to eat chocolate and others to avoid it. But that may be a challenge, especially if some participants refuse to go without it.

"We have a few pesky details to iron out," she said.

Drink Red Wine, Stop Fat Cells?

Red wine has long been prized for its heart-boosting benefits and potential protection against diseases such as skin cancer, thanks to the active ingredient resveratrol. But for all its positives, red wine has never exactly been considered a diet food. After all, just one 5-ounce serving of vino packs around 125 calories.

But for anyone who has dreamed of booze suddenly becoming the latest weight-loss superfood, there may be hope. Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a compound in red wine, grapes, peanuts, and some other foods called piceatannol, which may help block the growth of new fat cells in the body. In the long-term, researchers said in a university release, this new information may potentially help treat obesity.

Their discovery, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is that piceatannol alters the gene function of fat cells during the process in which early fat cells grow into mature cells. It takes immature fat cells, called preadipocytes, about 10 days to go through the several steps required to become mature fat cells, in a process called adipogenesis. Once cells have completed adipogenesis, they are more difficult to shrink through a healthy diet and fat-burning exercise. Researchers said in the same release that when piceatannol is present in the blood, adipogenesis is almost entirely stopped. If piceatannol really can keep fat cells from growing and maturing in adult humans, this could help prevent weight gain and perhaps promote weight loss in overweight adults.

This doesn't exactly mean you can run out and grab the nearest bottle of red wine, though. Right now, the effects of the compound are just too small to promote real weight-loss results, and researchers warn that the use of piceatannol — whether through food or supplements — is still a ways off. The next step is to conduct research to see if piceatannol can be protected from digestion long enough to stop body fat gain in a measurable way.

Does Chocolate Help You Stay Slim?

Here's a sweet surprise for chocoholics: A new study finds that people who eat chocolate regularly are somewhat skinnier than folks who don't indulge their sweet tooth.

The findings don't prove that chowing down on chocolate will melt off your excess pounds. It's possible that another factor is responsible for the modest difference in body mass, or it might be a statistical fluke.

But for now, study lead author Dr. Beatrice Golomb said the findings "reduce any possible guilt that might come with chocolate consumption." Golomb, an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego, said she hopes to better understand what's going on through future research.

As foods go, chocolate is a hard one to figure out. It includes antioxidants, substances that counteract damaging agents in the body. And consumption of chocolate has been linked in other studies to a variety of positive health effects from lower blood pressure to better cholesterol levels. On the other hand, chocolate can come with plenty of calories and fat.

In the new study, Golomb and colleagues reviewed food questionnaires filled out by nearly 1,000 people who were asked how often they ate chocolate. Their average age was 57, and 68 percent were men.

The researchers then tried to find any connections between chocolate consumption and the body mass index (BMI) of the participants. BMI is a calculation based on height and weight that is used to determine underweight, overweight and obesity in adults.

Participants' average BMI was 28 — overweight but not obese. On average, they ate chocolate twice a week and exercised between three and four times a week.

The study found that those who ate chocolate the most often had lower BMIs than the others, even when the researchers adjusted their statistics so they wouldn't be thrown off by factors such as age, gender, education and fruit and vegetable consumption.

For the typical person, the difference between frequently eating or infrequently eating chocolate could account for a 5- to 7-pound difference, Golomb said.

The findings "certainly weren't explained by the chocolate eaters eating fewer calories. They ate more calories and didn't exercise any more," she said.

It's not clear, however, what kinds of chocolate the participants ate, although most would probably have interpreted the question as asking about candy, Golomb said. Milk chocolate is fattier than dark chocolate.

Golomb cautioned that the study does not say that chocolate consumption will help people lose weight.

"It is not a siren call to go out and eat 20 pounds of chocolate a day," she said.

However, the study suggests that diet composition may influence the body's metabolic processes, and therefore BMI, she said.

So why would chocolate fanciers be thinner than others? Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, a professor at Tel Aviv University in Israel who has studied chocolate, said previous research has shown that diets that force people to avoid sweets actually make them more drawn to them. In her own research, she found that people were actually better able to tolerate a diet when they ate chocolate.

Golomb said that, ideally, future research will randomly assign some people to eat chocolate and others to avoid it. But that may be a challenge, especially if some participants refuse to go without it.

"We have a few pesky details to iron out," she said.

Some Worst Foods for Your Diet

Buyer beware:

 Just because a food’s labeled “healthy,” “smart,” or “all-natural” does not mean it’s the best choice for someone who’s trying to lose weight. For example, honey, vegetable chips, and granola are just a few of the supermarket staples that have tricked dieters into believing they’re healthy choices, when in fact, they are as equally loaded with calories, fat, sodium, and glucose as their more vilified counterparts of table sugar, potato chips, and sweet cereals.

In an effort to help dieters keep it straight, obesity researchers at Otago University in New Zealand have identified a list of 49 foods that they say are extremely calorie-dense, but are almost totally lacking in nutritional benefit. Published in the current issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, researchers say the list was primarily developed to help overweight and obese people easily identify which foods they should avoid. Lead researcher Jane Elmsile says it’s important to note that the list represents not only high-calorie foods, but also foods that are almost totally lacking in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Here’s the list, in alphabetical order:

1. Alcoholic drinks

2. Biscuits

3. Butter, lard, dripping or similar fat (used as a spread or in baking/cooking etc.)

4. Cakes

5. Candy, including lollipops

6. Chocolate

7. Coconut cream

8. Condensed milk

9. Cordial

10. Corn chips

11. Cream (including crème fraiche)

12. Chips (including vegetable chips)

13. Deli meats

14. Doughnuts

15. Energy drinks

16. Flavored milk/milkshakes

17. Fruit canned in syrup

18. Fruit rollups

19. Fried food

20. Fried potatoes/French fries

21. Frozen yogurt

22. Fruit juice (except tomato juice and unsweetened black currant juice)

23. Glucose

24. High-fat crackers

25. Honey

26. Hot chocolate, chocolate milk

27. Ice cream

28. Jam

29. Marmalade

30. Mayonnaise

31. Muesli/granola bars

32. Muffins

33. Nuts roasted in fat or oil

34. Pastries

35. Pies

36. Popcorn with butter or oil

37. Puddings

38. Quiches

39. Reduced cream

40. Regular powdered drinks

41. Salami

42. Sausages

43. Soft drinks

44. Sour cream

45. Sugar (added to anything including drinks, baking, cooking etc.)

46. Syrups such as golden syrup, treacle, maple syrup

47. Toasted muesli, granola, and any other breakfast cereal with more than 15 grams of sugar per 100 grams of cereal

48. Whole milk

49. Yogurt with more than 10 grams of sugar per 100 grams of yogurt

Extra Pounds Could Harm Your Back

Overweight and obese adults are at significantly increased risk for lumbar spine disc degeneration, a potential cause of low back pain, researchers say.

Previous research has linked having a higher body-mass index (BMI), which is a measurement that takes into account a person's height and weight, to reports of low back pain. This type of pain can affect physical and mental well-being, limit mobility, reduce quality of life and is associated with substantial financial costs for both the patient and the health care system.

The new study included more than 1,000 men and nearly 1,600 women aged 21 and older from southern China. Overall, 73 percent of the participants had lumbar disc degeneration, but the condition was more common in men than women (76 percent vs. 71 percent) and more prevalent among older people, according to the study in the new issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

Seven percent of the study participants were underweight, 48 percent were in the normal weight range, 36 percent were overweight and 9 percent were obese, the investigators noted.

"Our research confirms that with elevated BMI there is a significant increase in the extent and global severity of disc degeneration. In fact, end-stage disc degeneration with narrowing of the disc space was more pronounced in obese individuals," Dr. Dino Samartzis, of the University of Hong Kong, said in a journal news release.

As people gain weight, disc degeneration may begin to occur due to physical loading on the disc, the study authors suggested. In addition, fat cells may play a role by causing chronic low-grade inflammation, they noted.

"Since overweight and obesity are worldwide concerns whose prevalence continues to rise, our study's findings have considerable public health implications. If these issues continue to plague society, they can further affect spine health leading to low back pain and its consequences," Samartzis said.

Disc degeneration is a complex process and future studies that investigate risk factors for the condition should take into account the effects of being overweight or obese, the researchers recommended.

American Diet Gets Failing Grade

Americans are still falling short of national dietary recommendations, eating too many sweets and not enough vegetables and whole grains, according to the CDC.

On a national healthy-eating index that measured compliance with U.S. dietary guidelines from 2005, the average overall diet score was only about 60 points out of 100 — "indicating Americans' diets need improvement," Bethene Ervin, PhD, RD, wrote in a National Health Statistics Report.

The Healthy Eating Index, or HEI-2005, assesses specific intake of various nutritional categories, including whole fruits, dark green and orange vegetables, whole grains, milk, meat and beans, oils, fats, sodium, alcohol, and added sugar.

To come up with the estimates, Ervin looked at data on 4,448 adults ages 20 and up from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004.

She found that American adults were well below the maximum standard for all the HEI-2005 component scores except for total grains and meat and beans.

Scores for dark green and orange vegetables and whole grains were particularly poor, reflecting insufficient intake, she reported, while those for sodium and calories from sugars and alcohol reflected excessive intakes.

Women's diets appeared healthier than men's, Ervin noted, as they had better scores on fruit, vegetable, and discretionary calorie intakes as well as slightly better overall diets.

The same held true for older patients, she reported, with adults age 60 and up having better scores regarding fruit, vegetable, and bad calorie intakes.

Better-educated Americans — those with at least a high school education — more closely complied with the recommendations than those who had less education, Ervin reported.

She added that no racial or ethnic group stood out as having better dietary scores than any other.

Ervin concluded that adults need to up their intake of most of the recommended dietary components — especially dark green and orange vegetables and legumes and whole grains — while lowering the amount of sodium and calories from sugar and alcohol consumed.

Facts on Fasting for Your Health

Ritual fasting has been part of religious traditions for thousands of years, from Muslims who fast during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan to Mormons who take a regular break from food the first Sunday of each month. But a recent growing body of research shows that abstaining from food intermittently may have physical as well as spiritual benefits — the latest, a study from Utah researchers that found that occasional fasts (defined as extended periods of time in which people generally abstain from all food and drink except for water) may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Google “fasting for health” and you’ll get more than 7 million hits, ranging from doctors who recommend it in their practices to treat a range of diseases, spas that promise detoxifying food-free vacations, and message board postings from devotees who say that fasting makes them feel clearer mentally and more fit. “I fast whenever my body feels like it needs a reboot,” says Yoli Ouiya, 31, a New York City blogger who writes about eco-friendly living. She fasts once every few months.

But is fasting a good idea for your health? Possibly, says David Katz, MD, MPH, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University. Every day, organs such as the liver, kidney, and spleen work to remove and neutralize toxins from the body to keep our cells healthy. “When you fast, you eliminate input of additional toxins from food,” says Dr. Katz, “and there is a potential biological benefit to that.”

Leading researchers and experts share the details you need to know before you forgo food:

Your Body on a Fast

Thanks to our history as hunter-gatherers, human bodies are equipped to handle periods of not eating, says Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MD, author of the Utah study and director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City. And since the ancestors who made it through those lean times are the ones who survived, Horne suggests that our DNA may actually be coded to receive a benefit from fasting.

Here’s how your body reacts when you stop feeding it:

When you eat, your digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into the sugar glucose, the body’s major source of energy. Glucose is absorbed from the digestive tract into the blood, which then travels to your body’s cells to provide them with fuel.

If you haven’t eaten recently, the supply of glucose in your blood drops and your body turns to stored glucose, called glycogen, for energy.

Once the glycogen is used up, your body begins to burn fat and muscle stores to make its own glucose to fuel your cells.

After a few days without eating (which experts don’t recommend) your body kicks into ketosis mode, meaning you burn fat as the primary source of fuel, in order to spare muscle. You will lose weight in the form of body fat. However, ketosis also makes your blood will also become more acidic, and can cause bad breath, fatigue, and other unpleasant symptoms; long-term, it can lead to kidney and liver damage.

What Fasting Can and Can't Do for Your Health

Fasting may help your heart.
Fasting for a day once a month may prevent heart disease and insulin resistance, the precursor to diabetes, according to two studies from Utah’s Intermountain Medical Center presented recently at the American College of Cardiology’s scientific sessions. When researchers looked at the habits of 200 men and women, they found that those who fasted once a month were 58 percent less likely to have heart disease than those who didn’t (after they controlled for factors such as age, smoking status, and high blood pressure). They then set out to understand why.

In a smaller study, the scientists measured various blood levels in 30 healthy adults after one day when they fasted and one day when they ate normally. After they fasted, participants had huge increases in human growth hormone (HGH) — 13-fold in women and 20-fold in men, among other changes. HGH protects lean muscle mass and encourages the body to burn fat stores instead. “During fasting, your fat cells are being metabolized and used as fuel,” says Horne. “If fat is being used for fuel, in the long run you have fewer fat cells in your body.” This may mean less insulin resistance and a lower risk of heart disease later in life.

There’s a chance fasting can cut cancer risk.

Periods of fasting did slow the rate of cell division (a measure of cancer risk) in mice, according to an American Journal of Physiology study. The researchers aren’t sure why, but say it may result from a decrease in growth factors that results from nutrient deprivation. But since the science is preliminary, you shouldn’t fast solely for cancer-prevention purposes until there is more definitive research on humans, says study author Marc Hellerstein, PhD, MD, professor of human nutrition at University of California, Berkeley

The jury's still out on fasting for other ailments.

While there isn't much research on many of the diseases proponents claim fasting helps treat - multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and allergies among them — doctors say that if you’re medically able to fast safely (which rules out those with more serious health issues), there's no research against doing it either.

In fact, one small Iranian study of 40 adults with multiple sclerosis found that there were no negative effects from fasting during the month of Ramadan compared with a group who didn’t fast. "If you’re not on prescription medicine, generally in good health, and want to fast periodically because you feel you get a health benefit from it, we don't have evidence that this would be harmful," says Katz.

Fasting won’t help you lose — and keep off — weight.

“Fasting for weight loss is just another form of yo-yo dieting,” says Joel Fuhrman, MD, board certified family physician specializing in nutritional lifestyle medicine and author of Fasting and Eating for Health. While you may see a small drop in the scale, don’t expect the weight loss to last.

“The pounds that come off on a short-term fast are mainly water and stored carbohydrates, which will come back as soon as you start eating again,” says Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, author of the bestselling book Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches.

And if you’re tempted to fast one day as a green light to eat whatever you want the next, think again. “Weight loss is about energy balance — if you have consume fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight,” Katz. “On the days you fast you have a calorie deficit. But what really comes into play is what you do on the other days.” In other words, you can negate the potential health effects of a fast by binging afterward.

Bottom line: True weight-loss success involves healthy eating (along with exercise habits) that you are committed to and can maintain over time.

Fasting can’t take the place of a healthy diet.
While there may be health perks to intermittent fasting, the research is still preliminary. Horne’s lab is currently working on studies that will evaluate how often and for how long people need to fast to see health benefits. One thing we know for sure about health: Eating well every day plays a major role in preventing heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. “Focusing on consistently eating enough nutrient-rich whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains snowballs into proven powerful benefits over time,” says Sass.

Another important thing to keep in mind: Just as fasting gives your body a break from toxins, it also saps your body of vital nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. “With fasting, you risk throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” says Katz. “As you create nutrient deficits on fast days, it may be difficult to compensate on the days you do eat.”

So if you choose to fast, you have to pack your diet with nutritious foods. “Fasting is not a way of fixing an otherwise broken diet,” says Katz. “It should be used only as a way of helping you establish a healthy way of eating, rebooting your body to focus on what’s important.”

Talk to your doctor before you start a fasting regimen

While fasting may have the potential to play a role in wellness, it’s definitely not for everyone. Specifically, if you have a history of eating disorders, diabetes, low blood pressure, anemia, are pregnant or nursing, or are on prescription medication, as well as other conditions/circumstances, fasting is not safe for you.

“If someone wants to use fasting as part of a medical intervention, they should discuss it with their doctor first,” says Horne. While there’s no evidence that fasting one to two nonconsecutive days per week is harmful for a healthy person, it could be dangerous for others, says Katz. See your doctor for recommendations that suit your needs.

When you talk to your doctor, make sure he’s aware of every drug you take, including over-the-counter meds and dietary supplements. A seemingly benign medication like acetaminophen can be harmful on an empty stomach.

Even if your doctor gives the go-ahead, don’t jump head first into fasting — it’s crucial that you understand how to do so safely, and in the context of a healthy lifestyle.

For instance, treat a fast day as a time of physical and emotional rest, not simply a day of not eating, says Fuhrman. You may feel fatigued and grumpy and face a higher risk of fainting, making fasting ideal for weekends and holidays as opposed to hectic workdays.zzz