Prevalence of CVD/Diabetes/MPB in South Asians

Abstract

BACKGROUND: South Asians are more insulin resistant than Europeans, which cannot be fully explained by differences in adiposity. We investigated whether differences in oxidative capacity and capacity for fatty acid utilisation in South Asians might contribute, using a range of whole-body and skeletal muscle measures.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Twenty men of South Asian ethnic origin and 20 age and BMI-matched men of white European descent underwent exercise and metabolic testing and provided a muscle biopsy to determine expression of oxidative and lipid metabolism genes and of insulin signalling proteins. In analyses adjusted for age, BMI, fat mass and physical activity, South Asians, compared to Europeans, exhibited; reduced insulin sensitivity by 26% (p = 0.010); lower VO2max (40.6±6.6 vs 52.4±5.7 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1), p = 0.001); and reduced fat oxidation during submaximal exercise at the same relative (3.77±2.02 vs 6.55±2.60 mg x kg(-1) x min(-1) at 55% VO2max, p = 0.013), and absolute (3.46±2.20 vs 6.00±1.93 mg x kg(-1) x min(-1) at 25 ml O(2) x kg(-1) x min(-1), p = 0.021), exercise intensities. South Asians exhibited significantly higher skeletal muscle gene expression of CPT1A and FASN and significantly lower skeletal muscle protein expression of PI3K and PKB Ser473 phosphorylation. Fat oxidation during submaximal exercise and VO2max both correlated significantly with insulin sensitivity index and PKB Ser473 phosphorylation, with VO2max or fat oxidation during exercise explaining 10-13% of the variance in insulin sensitivity index, independent of age, body composition and physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data indicate that reduced oxidative capacity and capacity for fatty acid utilisation at the whole body level are key features of the insulin resistant phenotype observed in South Asians, but that this is not the consequence of reduced skeletal muscle expression of oxidative and lipid metabolism genes.

Intramyocellular lipid content in human skeletal muscle.
Schrauwen-Hinderling VB, Hesselink MK, Schrauwen P, Kooi ME.
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Maastricht, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. vhi@rdia.azm.nl
Abstract
Fat can be stored not only in adipose tissue but also in other tissues such as skeletal muscle.
Fat droplets accumulated in skeletal muscle [intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs)] can be quantified by different methods, all with advantages and drawbacks. Here, we briefly review IMCL quantification methods that use biopsy specimens (biochemical quantification, electron microscopy, and histochemistry) and non-invasive alternatives (magnetic resonance spectroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography).
Regarding the physiological role, it has been suggested that IMCL serves as an intracellular source of energy during exercise. Indeed, IMCL content decreases during prolonged submaximal exercise, and analogously to glycogen, IMCL content is increased in the trained state.
In addition, IMCL content is highest in oxidative, type 1 muscle fibers. Together, this, indeed, suggests that the IMCL content is increased in the trained state to optimally match fat oxidative capacity and that it serves as readily available fuel. However, elevation of plasma fatty acid levels or dietary fat content also increases IMCL content, suggesting that skeletal muscle also stores fat simply if the availability of fatty acids is high. Under these conditions, the uptake into skeletal muscle may have negative consequences on insulin sensitivity. Besides the evaluation of the various methods to quantify IMCLs, this perspective describes IMCLs as valuable energy stores during prolonged exercise, which, however, in the absence of regular physical activity and with overconsumption of fat, can have detrimental effects on muscular insulin sensitivity.

Asian Indians who immigrate to northern Europe have lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] than Caucasians, and they develop vitamin D deficiency, rickets, and osteomalacia. We investigated vitamin D metabolism, the effects of 25(OH)D3 on vitamin D metabolism and activity of 25(OH)D-24-hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme for degradation of 25(OH)D, from cultured skin fibroblasts of Asian Indians and compared them with cultured skin fibroblasts of Caucasians in the southern United States. Normal subjects, ages 20–40 yr, were admitted to a metabolic ward for 2.5 days and given a daily diet containing 400 mg calcium and 900 mg phosphorus. Serum vitamin D, serum 25(OH)D, urinary calcium, and urinary phosphorus were significantly lower, whereas serum immunoreactive intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D[ 1,25(OH)2D] were significantly higher in Asian Indians than in Caucasians. Administration of 25(OH)D3 increased serum 25(OH)D and urinary calcium but did not change serum PTH or serum 1,25(OH)2D in Asian Indians. In cultured skin fibroblasts, Emax and Vmax of 25(OH)D-24-hydroxylase activity were significantly higher in Asian Indians. In summary, in Asian Indians serum vitamin D and 25(OH)D are markedly reduced, altered vitamin D metabolism is only partially reversed by 25(OH)D3, and 25(OH)D-24-hydroxylase activity in cultured skin fibroblasts is markedly increased. Thus, Asian Indians residing in the U.S. are at risk for developing vitamin D deficiency, rickets, and osteomalacia.

a<r wrote:My Girlfriend loves indian food, so we've been cooking some recently.

Holy Shit.

I am nowhere near assumptive and I'm sure the very traditional indian food is better for you, but look at the common recipes.

Vegetable oils I'm noticing most often, TONS of wheat, most things are fried, spices which are very bad for hair, a lot of sugar, etc.

a<r wrote:^ Absolutely ... its actually shocking. Another surprise is how overly cooked the meat is, can't be very little benefit left to it by the time it gets in your mouth. Dripping and bloody for me please.

Abstract

Laying hens are known to be able to “bio-convert” health-promoting components from the diet into eggs. Wheat and corn are important sources of antioxidant phenolics in the human diet. Given the fact that wheat and corn are major feed ingredients of laying hens in Canada, the objectives of this study were to characterise the presence of novel phenolic compounds in egg yolk and to determine the effect of cooking methods on their content and activity. The total phenolic content of yolk extracts was 3.83 and 3.49μmol gallic acid equivalents/g dry yolk for wheat-based and corn-based yolks, respectively. Antioxidant properties of yolk extracts were measured by the ORAC, DPPH and ABTS assays. ORAC values were 151.1±26.1 and 155.9±9.5μmolTE/g for wheat-based and corn-based yolks, respectively. All cooking methods significantly reduced (p<0.05) the antioxidant values. Ferulic acid was detected in trace amounts and no other phenolic compounds were found. However, tryptophan and tyrosine were found to be two main contributors to the antioxidant property of egg yolk. The contents of total free amino acids were 10081.0 and 10009.5μg/g in wheat-based and corn-based yolks, respectively; cooking methods were found to reduce significantly the amount of free amino acids.

Traditional indian diet also sounds low in choline.

mphatesmpb wrote:

Traditional indian diet also sounds low in choline.

I think it's also low in vitamin C.

South Indians eat rice instead of wheat, and also consume plenty of turmeric.

Something else that's worth noting...during the last several decades coconut oil has largely been replaced by sesame oil. In fact in my native language sesame oil is called the "good oil." Supposedly there's some natural preservative in sesame seeds which allows the oil to remain unspoiled at room temperature, similar to olive oil. But I doubt the omega-6 fatty acids would be spared by high cooking temperatures.

For cooking purposes, one has to keep in mind that in old times, the oils produced were organic, limited in quantity, seasonal and fresh. Also, high heat cooking was usually not possible in earthern stoves fired by wood and twigs. Chances are, oil was not spoiled (or not spoiled much) in such cooking. Then different oils were used for cooking in different regions and also dependent on seasons. Coconut, sesame, mustard have all been traditionally used for cooking purposes. Still, I believe, that one of the most preferred medium was cow ghee, rather than vegetable oils.

mphatesmpb wrote:

Not just that, but refrigerators weren't available until relatively recent times. If saving food through refrigeration is not possible, you must consume the food immediately after preparation. Levels of lipid peroxides in cooked foods have been shown to increase with respect to time, even when the food is stored in the refrigerator. It's one thing to use vegetable oils in cooking...and something else entirely when you eat the food several weeks later. With the advent of large scale production of processed/packaged foods, you can imagine the amount of toxic byproducts are in the food by the time it reaches the consumer

Although there is a natural tendency to trust ancient medicinal systems like ayuerveda, we should remember that it's quite possible that many of those beliefs might have been mistaken. For example, many therapies in Siddha medicine involve administration of mercury...

Refined grain consumption and the metabolic syndrome in urban Asian Indians (Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study 57

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the association of refined grains consumption with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome in an urban south Indian population. The study population comprised 2042 individuals aged ≥20 years randomly selected from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES), a cross-sectional study on a representative population of Chennai, southern India. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to modified Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines; and insulin resistance, by the homeostasis assessment model. The mean refined grain intake was 333 g/d (46.9% of total calories) in this population. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, metabolic equivalent, total energy intake, and other dietary factors, higher refined grain intake was significantly associated with higher waist circumference (8% higher for the highest vs the lowest quartile, P for trend < .0001), systolic blood pressure (2.9%, P for trend < .0001), diastolic blood pressure (1.7%, P for trend = .03), fasting blood glucose (7.9%, P for trend = .007), serum triglyceride (36.5%, P for trend < .0001), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−10.1%, P for trend < .0001), and insulin resistance (13.6%, P < .001). Compared with participants in the bottom quartile, participants who were in the highest quartile of refined grain intake were significantly more likely to have the metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 7.83; 95% confidence interval, 4.72-12.99). Higher intake of refined grains was associated with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome in this population of Asian Indians who habitually consume high-carbohydrate diets.

aI believe fully that Westonprice is right, otherwise everybody with fillings would succumb in a more similar manner to the same illnesses, but what we see is that healthy people often times remain healthy for a very long time even with fillings.

Mercury used to be a remedy called quicksilver. It worked on the same idea as most other allopathic "cures", it silences our bodies defences.