Anna-Liisa Rauma

Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders.

Plants are rich natural sources of antioxidants in addition to other nutrients. Interventions and cross sectional studies on subjects consuming uncooked vegan diet called living food (LF) have been carried out. We have clarified the efficacy of LF in rheumatoid diseases as an example of a health problem where inflammation is one of the main concerns. LF is an uncooked vegan diet and consists of berries, fruits, vegetables and roots, nuts, germinated seeds and sprouts, i.e. rich sources of carotenoids, vitamins C and E. The subjects eating LF showed highly increased levels of beta and alfa carotenes, lycopen and lutein in their sera. Also the increases of vitamin C and vitamin E (adjusted to cholesterol) were statistically significant. As the berry intake was 3-fold compared to controls the intake of polyphenolic compounds like quercetin, myricetin and kaempherol was much higher than in the omnivorous controls. The LF diet is rich in fibre, substrate of lignan production, and the urinary excretion of polyphenols like enterodiol and enterolactone as well as secoisolaricirecinol were much increased in subjects eating LF. The shift of fibromyalgic subjects to LF resulted in a decrease of their joint stiffness and pain as well as an improvement of their self-experienced health. The rheumatoid arthritis patients eating the LF diet also reported similar positive responses and the objective measures supported this finding. The improvement of rheumatoid arthritis was significantly correlated with the day-to-day fluctuation of subjective symptoms. In conclusion the rheumatoid patients subjectively benefited from the vegan diet rich in antioxidants, lactobacilli and fibre, and this was also seen in objective measures.

Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms

The effect of a strict, low-salt, uncooked vegan diet rich in lactobacteria on symptoms in 18 fibromyalgia patients during and after a 3-month intervention period in an open, non-randomized controlled study was evaluated. As control 15 patients continued their omnivorous diet. The groups did not differ significantly from each other in the beginning of the study in any other parameters except in pain and urine sodium. The results revealed significant improvements in Visual analogue scale of pain (VAS) (p=0.005), joint stiffness (p=0.001), quality of sleep (p=0.0001), Health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) (p=0.031), General health questionnaire (GHQ) (p=0.021), and a rheumatologists own questionnaire (p=0.038). The majority of patients were overweight to some extent at the beginning of the study and shifting to a vegan food caused a significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) (p=0.0001). Total serum cholesterol showed a statistically significant lowering (p=0.003). Urine sodium dropped to 1/3 of the beginning values (p=0.0001) indicating good diet compliance. It can be concluded that vegan diet had beneficial effects on fibromyalgia symptoms at least in the short run.The effect of a strict, low-salt, uncooked vegan diet rich in lactobacteria on symptoms in 18 fibromyalgia patients during and after a 3-month intervention period in an open, non-randomized controlled study was evaluated. As control 15 patients continued their omnivorous diet. The groups did not differ significantly from each other in the beginning of the study in any other parameters except in pain and urine sodium. The results revealed significant improvements in Visual analogue scale of pain (VAS) (p=0.005), joint stiffness (p=0.001), quality of sleep (p=0.0001), Health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) (p=0.031), General health questionnaire (GHQ) (p=0.021), and a rheumatologists own questionnaire (p=0.038). The majority of patients were overweight to some extent at the beginning of the study and shifting to a vegan food caused a significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) (p=0.0001). Total serum cholesterol showed a statistically significant lowering (p=0.003). Urine sodium dropped to 1/3 of the beg...

Antioxidant Status in Vegetarians Versus Omnivores

Every day, vegetarians consume many carbohydrate-rich plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, cereals, pulses, and nuts. As a consequence, their diet contains more antioxidant vitamins (vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene) and copper than that of omnivores. Intake of zinc is generally comparable to that by omnivores. However, the bioavailability of zinc in vegetarian diets is generally lower than that of omnivores. Dietary intake of selenium is variable in both groups and depends on the selenium content of the soil. Measurements of antioxidant body levels in vegetarians show that a vegetarian diet maintains higher antioxidant vitamin status (vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene) but variable antioxidant trace element status as compared with an omnivorous diet. To evaluate the antioxidative potential of a vegetarian diet versus an omnivorous diet, more studies are needed in which the total antioxidant capacity is determined rather than the status of a single antioxidant nutrient.

Biomonitoring the intake of garlic via urinary excretion of allyl mercapturic acid

Allium vegetables (onions, leeks, chives) and in particular garlic have been claimed to have health-promoting potential. This study was conducted to get insight into the perspectives for monitoring the intake of garlic by a biomarker approach. Chemically, the biomarker results from exposure to gamma-glutamyl-S-allyl-l-cysteine, which is first hydrolysed by gamma-glutamine-transpeptidase resulting in the formation of S-allyl-l-cysteine. The latter compound is subsequently N-acetylated by N-acetyltransferase into S-allyl-mercapturic acid (ALMA) and excreted into urine. The mercapturic acid was measured in urine using gaschromatography with mass spectrometry. Thus the intake of garlic was determined to check the compliance of garlic intake in a placebo-controlled intervention study. Results indicate that S-allyl-mercapturic acid could be detected in 15 out of 16 urine samples of garlic supplement takers, indicating good compliance. In addition, the intake of garlic was also monitored in a cross-section study of vegans versus controls in Finland, in which no differences in garlic consumption nor in ALMA output were recorded between vegans and controls. These data indicate good possibilities for further studies in the field of biomarkers to investigate the putative chemopreventive effects of garlic and garlic-containing products.

Consumption of special diet among Finnish adolescents in 1979-2001: repeated national cross-sectional surveys.

Summary.Objective: To study consumption of special diet (disease-related and non disease-related) among Finnish adolescents during 1979–2001.Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to nationally representative samples of 12- (except in 1979), 14-, 16-, and 18-year-olds in 1979, 1993, 1997, 1999 and 2001.Results: The total number of respondents was 33998. The response rate declined from 78% in 1979 to 70% in 2001. Consumption of special diet increased from 1979 to 2001: in 14- year-old girls from 4% to 24%, boys from 1% to 12%; 16-yearold girls from 5% to 29%, boys from 3% to 11%; and 18-year-old girls from 9% to 30%, boys from 3% to 16%. An increase was observed both in the consumption of disease-related diets (diabetic, lactose intolerance, allergies), and in non disease-related diets (weight reducing, sports and body-building, vegetarianism, other).Conclusions: Adherence to special diet is partly explained by an increased prevalence of certain diseases (lactose intolerance, allergies, diabetes). Increase in vegetarianisms and diets related to body weight or shape are most likely explained by fads, ideals created by media, and by growing ecological awareness.Zusammenfassung.Das Einhalten spezieller Diäten durch finnische Jugendliche: wiederholte nationale Querschnittserhebung, 1979–2001Fragestellung: Untersuchung der Einhaltung von Diäten durch finnische Jugendliche im Zeitraum von 1979–2001.Methoden: Schriftliche Befragung ausgewählter Stichproben von 12-, 14-, 16-, und 18-Jährigen in ganz Finnland in den Jahren 1979 (ohne 12-Jährige), 1993, 1997, 1999 und 2001.Ergebnisse: Insgesamt 33998 Jugendliche antworteten. Die Rücklaufquote sank von 78% im Jahr 1979 auf 70% im Jahr 2001. Der Anteil an Jugendlichen, die eine spezielle Diät einhalten, stieg zwischen 1979 und 2001 bei 14-jährigen Mädchen von 4% auf 24%, bei 14-jährigen Jungen von 1% auf 12%; bei 16-jährigen Mädchen und Jungen von 5% auf 29% resp. von 3% auf 11%; bei 18-jährigen Mädchen von 9% auf 30% und bei gleichaltrigen Jungen von 3% auf 16%. Sowohl die Einhaltung von krankheitsbedingten Diäten (Diabetes, Laktose-Intoleranz, Allergien) als auch von Diäten ohne Krankheitsbezug (Gewichtsabnahme, Sport und Bodybuilding, Vegetarismus o.ä.) ist häufiger geworden. Die beobachtete Zunahme könnte aufgrund einer geringfügigen Modifikation der Fragestellung im Jahr 1999 etwas grösser als in Realität ausfallen.Schlussfolgerungen: Die wachsende Bedeutung von Diäten im Jugendalter lässt sich zum Teil durch eine steigende Prävalenz gewisser Krankheiten erklären (Laktose-Intoleranz, Diabetes). Der zunehmende Vegetarismus und das Einhalten von Diäten zur Kontrolle von Körpergewicht oder -form dürften vor allem durch Modeerscheinungen, von Medien geschaffene Ideale und ein wachsendes ökologisches Bewusstsein zu erklären sein.Résumée.Suivi d’un régime spécifique parmi les adolescents finlandais: enquêtes nationales répétées (1979–2001)Objectifs: Etudier le suivi de régimes spécifiques par les adolescents finnois entre 1979 et 2001.Méthodes: Des questionnaires auto-administrés ont été envoyés à des échantillons nationaux représentatifs d’adolescents de 12, 14, et 18 ans en 1979, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2001 (12 ans pas inclus en 1979).Résultats: 33998 réponses ont été reçues. Le taux de réponse est passé de 78% en 1979 à 70% en 2001. Le suivi d’un régime spécifique a augmenté entre 1979 et 2001: chez les adolescentes de 14 ans de 4 à 24%, chez les garçons de 1 à 12%; chez les adolescentes de 16 ans de 5 à 29%, chez les garçons de 3 à 11%; chez les adolescentes de 18 ans de 9 à 30%, chez les garçons de 3 à 16%. Cette augmentation a été observée aussi bien pour les régimes en lien avec une maladie (diabète, intolérance au lactose, allergie) que pour d’autres régimes (régime amaigrissant, en lien avec la pratique d’un sport ou de body-building, régime végétarien, etc.)Conclusions: Le fait de suivre un régime spécifique s’explique partiellement par une prévalence augmentée de certaines maladies (intolérance au lactose, allergies, diabète). L’augmentation de la pratique d’un régime végétarien et de régimes en lien avec le poids corporel est très probablement à mettre en lien avec la mode, les idéaux relayés par les médias et par une conscience écologique de plus en plus répandue.

Univalent Cation Fluxes in Human Erythrocytes from Individuals with Low or Normal Sodium Intake

Background: High salt intake is a risk factor for essential hypertension in man. There is evidence that, in hypertension, intracellular sodium content and univalent cation transport across erythrocyte membranes are changed. It has been proposed that a low-sodium diet has an antihypertensive effect; this may be related to changes in cation fluxes across plasma membranes. Methods: Sodium and potassium fluxes and the composition of fatty acids were studied in the erythrocytes of people who had eaten a low-sodium vegan diet for many years (n = 9) and in those of controls who had consumed a mixed diet (n = 11) to investigate the dependence of these variables on dietary factors. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were lower in vegans than in controls. Results: The passive permeability to sodium (P <0.05), Na+,K+ cotransport (P < 0.001) and the intracellular content of exchangeable sodium (P = 0.076) were decreased in the erythrocytes of those who had consumed the low-sodium diet compared with the controls. The activity of the Na+-K+ pump, Na+-H+ exchange and the passive permeability to potassium were unaltered. Swelling-induced K+,Cl– cotransport was increased in the erythrocytes of those who had eaten the low-sodium vegan diet compared with controls (P <0.01). The proportion of linoleic acid was increased (P <0.01) at the expense of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (P < 0.001) in the erythrocyte membranes of the vegans. Conclusion: Our results show that levels of intracellular sodium and Na+,K+ cotransport activity, which increase in patients with hypertension, decreased in those consuming a low-sodium vegan diet. This suggests that the risk of essential hypertension was diminished in the vegan participants, confirming our observation that systolic and diastolic blood pressures were lower in the strict vegans than in the controls.