Others

Cholesterol reducing foods

It was not until the twentieth century that cholesterol was identified as a key component of atherosclerosis. It was not till 1930’s, the genetic link between high cholesterol and myocardial infarction (heart attack) was identified.

Based on gathered evidence, decreasing blood cholesterol levels for those at risk should be a national public health goal. Criteria for treatment has been changing. Latest one as per 2013 Guideline ACC/AHA – Guideline on treatment of blood cholesterol, to reduce Atherosclerosis Cardiovascular Risk in Adults. (cardiosource.org; my.americanheart.org) Treatment of cholesterol disorders is medication + Therapeutic lifestyle. Statin therapy can decrease bad cholesterol by 50% more or less.
Therapeutic lifestyle can decrease bad cholesterol (LDL-C) by about 15-30%. Patients with diabetes are at high risk.

DNA diet

The DNA Diet Plan analyzes your results from those tests and then, instantly, tells you what you should do to lose weight—based on your DNA.

The program’s app features a tool that allows users to scan the barcode of a food item in a store and see what DNA Diet Plan says about it.

Microbiota

Knowledge about intestinal microbiota, or gut flora, has improved through the use of new identification techniques based on studying the genes (DNA) of the microorganisms that populate the intestines. It is now estimated that hundreds of species of bacteria make up the intestinal microbiota. They are divided between dominant species, more rare species, and transitory species that circulate throughout the digestive tract. The colon, also called the large intestine, can have up to ten thousand billion bacteria, or as many as the number of cells in your body. That means your colon is one of the most densely populated ecosystems in the world! Certain potentially dangerous bacteria can be present in small numbers without any illness arising. Bacteriophages—viruses that only infect bacteria—are also found in the intestine. There are ten to a hundred times more of them than the most represented bacteria. Yeasts, fungi, and even parasites also cohabit in this densely-packed area.

Composition regulated by diet

The dominant microbiota is a “signature” for each individual. Only a tiny fraction of the species are widely shared in the human population: around 60 bacterial species are carried by 50% of individuals in the same geographic area. Although it is still being debated, it is suggested that there are three different types of bacterial composition (enterotypes). These groups define your “intestinal ecology” and are related, at least in part, to your dietary habits: one of them is linked to a Western diet rich in sugar and animal fats and another is associated with a significant consumption of fruit and vegetables. As microbiota can be deliberately regulated, it is imperative that it be done intelligently to preserve symbiosis, i.e. a harmonious relationship between your bacteria and your intestine: your health depends on the diversity of your microbiota