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The numbers are staggering. Each year 25,000 Canadians are diagnosed with dementia, and by 2030 the number of Canadians living with the disease will be just shy of one million. Finding a cure, or even effective treatment options, is a daunting task, complicated by the fact that researchers dont know what causes dementia in the first place.

With this in mind, a group of Cumming School of Medicine researchers are looking to exercise the only intervention that has been shown to have a disease-modifying effect for answers.

Its clear that exercise is beneficial to maintaining brain health, but the dose of exercise necessary is unclear and I would even say unknown, says study lead Marc Poulin, PhD, a member of the OBrien Institute for Public Health. What were working hard on identifying is how to push that knowledge base further.

The Brain in Motion II study, a followup to Brain in Motion I which was completed in April 2016, will examine the relationship between exercise, cerebral blood flow, and cognition in older adults who are at increased risk of Alzheimer s disease and related dementias (ADRD).

Our hope is that this trial will provide evidence needed to make clinical recommendations for exercise programs in adults at risk for ADRD, with the goal of preventing dementia, Poulin says.

Understanding mechanisms for protective effect of physical activity

Brain in Motion I demonstrated a significant relationship between fitness, vascular regulation and cognition in older adults free of overt disease. But figuring out the why, and the how, will be key in develop strategies to prevent and treat ADRD.

We have well-established guidelines for exercise and cardiovascular health generally, but its unclear if the brain needs as much exercise. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which exercise prevents or slows age-related decline in cognition will be instrumental in informing interventions, says Poulin.

What makes the Brain in Motion II study unique is that the participants will all meet the criteria for having an increased risk of developing ADRD something Poulin says hasnt been studied before in terms of an exercise-modifying effect.

The researchers are looking to recruit 264 older adults who have vascular risk factors, or an immediate relative whos been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimers disease, and seeing the extent to which they can enhance cognitive performance in those individuals through a six-month exercise program.

Several new community partners will also be involved in the study. The exercise intervention is being designed with input from Alberta Health Services, so it can be readily adopted into clinical practice if the trial is successful. Mount Royal Universityand the Westside Recreational Centre will also be providing their exercise facilities for study participant use.

New state-of-the-art research facility advances research on benefits of exercise

The exercise testing for the study will be undertaken in a new, state-of-the-art lab at the Cumming School. The Clinical and Translational Exercise Physiology (CTEP) Laboratory is dedicated to health promotion and wellness by advancing knowledge on the role of exercise in the prevention and management of chronic disease. University researchers interested in measuring or improving physical fitness in any clinical population can use the facility.

Overwhelming scientific evidence from the past three decades tells us that aerobic exercise is beneficial for preventing and managing many chronic conditions, says Lab Co-ordinator Gabrielle Heine, who is also the clinical exercise physiologist for Brain in Motion II. The CTEP Lab provides diverse opportunities to explore the relationship between physical fitness and any clinical condition, and were excited to have researchers come and take advantage of the facility and the services we offer.

If you are interested in participating in the Brain in Motion II study, please contactSamantha Hall, study co-ordinator, at403-210-7315 or by email atbimstudy@ucalgary.ca.

Find out more about the CTEP Lab here.

Marc Poulin is also a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, and professor in the Cumming School of Medicine and theFaculty of Kinesiology.

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Study aims to advance knowledge of relationship between exercise and brain health - UCalgary News

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I used to believe that some event would magically change my life, such as winning the lottery or finding a job that pays more. I was not sure what the event was, but I was hoping that it would happen soon. I wanted to have a better life, but I left it to destiny.

I wanted a quick fix for my mediocre life. I did not realize that my life was mediocre because I was mediocre. I thought that my destiny was already set and that I had no control over it.

Many of us have this mentality, and we want life to be better even though we don't better ourselves. Losing weight, for example, has become a million-dollar industry. There are lotions, belts, easy exercise programs, diets, supplements, surgeries, hormones, therapy, pills, earrings and many other things. A famous publicity slogan is "Give the customers what they're looking for." Therefore, we find that the customer is looking for "fast and easy" even though it neither works nor is sustainable.

Many people want to win the lottery thinking it will get them out of their misery, and others want a fast and easy way to lose weight. Yes, a few do win the lottery and some do lose weight fast, but soon we find these people poor again or regaining the weight or even putting on more weight.

The lesson I learned is very simple: If I want a better life, body, family, business, career, financial status or mind I need to become better than who I am right now.

After 28 years of mediocre life, finally the event that needed to happen happened, but it was not what I had planned. However, what I learned was more important than winning the lottery. I learned that if I wanted an above-average life I needed to become an above-average person. Before this realization, if I would have won the lottery, I would have ended up just like Mike Tyson.

Mike Tyson made more than one quarter of a billion dollars, yet he ended up poor. How could he have spent so much money? It's simple: Just like the person who loses weight by surgery or some promising therapy and regains it in months or a couple of years, Mike Tyson did not become above average in his life. He did not develop the habits to maintain what he made.

The lesson I learned is very simple: If I want a better life, body, family, business, career, financial status or mind I need to become better than who I am right now. Hence, if you are looking to lose weight or be financially free or have a better job, you must work on yourself. One of the things that does not seem to work is looking for an extraordinary body, job or life without becoming extraordinary. I was frustrated for many years doing that until I decided to work on myself.

The best investment you can make in life is in yourself. This is so powerful that it's worth repeating: The best investment you can make in life is in yourself. So if you are ready to have a better body, career or life, start working on yourself step by step. Find out what you need to work on to get what you need or want and determine the habits you need to sustain such body, career and overall life.

There is no better life-changing event than the one you are willing to make.

Sandro Torres is owner of Custom Body Fitness in Carbondale, author of the book "Lose Weight Permanently" and a Watch Fit columnist. His column appears on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month in Body & More.

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Torres column: To have an above-average life become an above-average person - Glenwood Springs Post Independent

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Starting the day with a glass of any brew has over the years been related to a fast weight loss plan. However, Dietitians say these drink won't magically help you shed those extra kilos. In fact, no beverage in and of itself can take off the weight. But there are some brews that, coupled with a healthy lifestyle, can actually give your weight loss efforts a boost.

Here's a list of some of those drinks.

1. Lemon water

Lemon water

When it comes to weight loss, lemon water is helpful.

The polyphenols, which are plant compounds that also act as antioxidants, in lemon peel, some of which are also found in the juice, may help stimulate the liver to burn fat.

However, Lemon juice should not only be taken in the morning, but should be used as a substitute for other beverages that are higher in calories, like coffee with sugar or fruit juices etc.

2. Vegetable juice

Integrating green juice into your regular diet helps you shed the extra kilos naturally because juicing enhances your digestion and elimination system and the accumulated waste leaves your body and makes you more supple and efficient in digesting regular food.

You also stop craving junk foods. You get into the natural habit of declining processed sugar and opting for fruits or raw vegetables instead.

3. Fruit infused water

fruit infused water

Fruits and dietary fibre such as lemon, cucumber, ginger and mint are all infused into the water to make this healthy weight loss drink.

The cucumber is a great anti-inflammatory substance. Ginger is a great fat burner which allows blood vessels to expand leading to better blood circulation and it also boosts metabolism. Due to its rich contents of vitamin C and antioxidants, lemon, alongside burning fat in your body, boosts your energy. Mint not only calms down your cravings but also soothes tummy after you indulge in foods. Water keeps you hydrated.

4. Grape juice

grape juice

Drinking a little amount of grape juice before meals help curb your appetite and improve insulin resistance. Grape is also known to be a natural source of vitamin C, which helps in increasing the metabolism of the body.

5. Water

Water

Drinking a lot of water helps boosts your metabolism, suppresses your appetite, and helps you shed water weight.

Water keeps you full and the feeling of fullness will help you eat less, thus consuming fewer calories for improved weight loss results.

ALSO READ: Seven Nigerian foods that will help your weight loss journey

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Weight Loss Drinks Homemade Remedies to help you lose Weight - Pulse Nigeria

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For decades, conventional wisdom (and Jane Fonda) said cardio was the best exercise for weight loss. Then strength training muscled its way into the spotlight as the must-do move for revving your metabolism and losing weight in your sleep, prompting many exercise enthusiasts to join#TeamNoCardio. So a few years ago, Duke University researchers took to the lab and conducted the largest study of its kind to compare the two and get an answer once and for all.

After 8 months of tracking 119 overweight and previously sedentary volunteers while they performed resistance training, aerobic exercise, or a combination of the two, the clear winner wasaerobic exercise. By a lot. The cardio group lost about 4 pounds while their resistance training peers gained two. Yes, the weight gain was attributed to added lean mass. However, that muscle mass didnt lead to any meaningful fat loss over the course of the study. In fact, the aerobics only group shed more than 3 pounds of fat while the lifters didnt lose a single pound despite the fact that they actually exercised 47 more minutes each week than the cardio group. Not surprisingly, the cardio-plus-resistance group improved their body composition bestlosing the most fat while adding some lean mass. But they also spent twice as much time in the gym.

Related: 3 Cardio Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Its simple math, says study co-author Cris Slentz, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Duke University. Minute per minute, cardio burns more calories, so it works best for reducing fat mass and body mass. Thats not to say that you shouldnt lift weights, especially as you get older and start losing muscle mass, he notes. Resistance training is important for maintaining lean body mass, strength and function, and being functionally fit is important for daily living no matter what your size."

For the biggest fitness gain/weight loss bang for your exercise buck, combine the two, doing your strength training first and finishing off with your cardio. An American Council on Exercise study on exercise sequencing found that your heart rate is higherby about 12 beats per minuteduring your cardio bout when youve lifted weights beforehand. That means more calories burned.

Its also important to remember one essential fact about exercise and weight loss, says Slentz. Exercise by itself will not lead to big weight loss. What and how much you eat has a far greater impact on how much weight you lose, he says. Thats because its far easier to take in less energy (calories) than it is to burn significant amounts and its very easy to cancel out the few hundred calories youve burned working out with just one snack.

RELATED: 10 Superfoods for Weight Loss

Where exercise appears to matter most is for preventing weight gain, or for keeping off pounds once youve lost weight, says Slentz. Exercise seems to work best for body weight control, he says. The National Weight Control Registry, which since 1994 has tracked more than 10,000 people who shed an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for at least five years, would agree. Ninety percent of successful weight loss maintainers exercise for about an hour a day and their activity of choice is cardio, simply walking.

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What's the Best Exercise to Lose Weight: Cardio or Lifting Weights? - Health.com

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By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Published:February 28, 2017 8:24 pm If you want to lose weight then high-fat, plant-based foods diet should be your focus. (Source: Thinkstock Images)

There are thousands of articles on the Internet telling you what to do and what not to, if you ever want to lose weight. The most dangerous ones are those that claim to help you to shed the extra kilos in just one week. Even celebrity dietitian Rujuta Diwekar (Kareena Kapoor Khans dietitian as she is popularly known) advises one to stay away from all these crash diets. In a recent Facebook chat, Diwekar said, A lot of people go on crash diets. If you want to lose weight, gradually decrease your food consumption, not all at once. Since most people want to see immediate results, they start on crash diets and thats when most lifestyle diseases start to develop.

She also stresses on the importance of eating in moderation. Its not that you have to leave what you like, but to pay attention to what youre eating and the proportion. Even Dr Mark Hyman, author of Eat Fat, Get Thin and director of the Cleveland Clinics Center for Functional Medicine, thinks we shouldnt advise people to stop eating fat. In an interview with The New York Times, Hyman talks about switching from a low-fat, carb-heavy diet to one that incorporates healthy fats.

According to him, if you want to lose weight then high-fat, plant-based foods diet should be your focus. He even divulged about his eating habits and the benefits of each of these food items. Lets take a look:

Veggies: Its no news, right? We all know veggies are important for a healthy you. In the words of food writer Michael Pollan, Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants, and this exactly what Hyman follows. Apparently 70-80 per cent of his diet plan is plant foods and he avoids items that are high in sugar or refined carbs.

Nuts and seeds: You have known this all along too. Your mom must have told you a thousand times to carry a packet of almonds for times when you are hungry. But have you ever paid attention? Nuts can help stabilise your blood-sugar levels and is also a good source of fibre. Hyman sticks to this rule so that he can avoid last-minute cravings and making bad choices. I basically have fat and protein as my snacks, and I have enough food in my bag to last an entire day, he said.

What else is making player

Switch to olive oil from butter: Most of the fat in olive oil comes from a special type of healthy fat also known as monounsaturated fat. This type of fat can help you reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and keep your blood-sugar levels steady.

Opt for fatty fish instead of steaks: Fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, especially salmon, mackerel and trout. If you are worried about consuming fats then lets just tell you that that these are essential fats because the body cant make them without the help from our diet. And it is important, because it plays an important role in keeping the cells of your body running smoothly. They are also necessary building blocks of the hormones that regulate blood clotting and inflammation.

Avocados: They are rich in vitamins B, C and E, potassium (a mineral that helps circulate nutrients and waste in and out of cells) and folate (a nutrient especially important to women who are planning to conceive or are pregnant). Hyman recommends just roughly 120 calories, about the equivalent of a slice of bread or a container of yogurt. Oh, its also the best food to keep you feeling full without causing blood-sugar levels to spike.

Reduce refined carbs like white rice: Diets that are high in refined carbs and low in wholegrains have been linked with health problems. Processors cuts out the major source of fibre and Vitamin B in foods. Its best to avoid refined food items.

Sweet fats, like full-fat fruit-flavored yogurt: Hyman believes that the real danger is sweet fat. He says, If you eat fat with sweets so sugar and fat, or refined carbohydrates and fat then insulin will rise and it will make you fat. It is believed that sugar, when combined with fat or carbohydrates and eaten consistently in high amounts, can lead to weight gain.

The Indian Express Online Media Pvt Ltd

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Want to lose weight? This doc tells you to 'Eat Fat, Get Thin' and it's healthy - The Indian Express

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In this installment of my weight management series on the House Calls column, I will discuss one of the biggest obstacles that people run into when losing weight- keeping it off. Its not uncommon for me to start a patient on a weight management program and for them to have great initial success. Then, after having great momentum in their weight loss, they suddenly plateau and stop losing weight. Many patients then notice that it is easier for them to gain some of that weight back. As you can imagine, that creates a lot of frustration for folks that have worked so hard to lose weight. Naturally, people want to know why this happens. The answer is that its complicated and we as doctors dont completely understand why this happens but we do have an idea of a couple of things that are going on.

One of the changes that happens when somebody loses weight is that their muscles change in the way that they use energy and burn calories. When we are overweight and heavy our muscles use a bunch of energy in order for us to move properly and be able to do the things we do in our everyday life. As we lose weight, our muscles have less work to do and are more efficient at getting us from point A to point B. Because of this, our muscles use less energy during our day to day activities after we have lost some weight. You can imagine that as our muscles burn less calories that it gets harder to lose weight and easier to gain the weight back. The scientific term for this change in our muscles is adaptive thermogenesis. It is because of these muscle changes that it is especially important to be regularly exercising in order help keep the weight off as you will burn more calories on a given day.

The other major change that happens when we lose weight is in our hormones. When you are losing weight, your brain is tricked into thinking that it is starving and in survival mode. It has no idea that you are deliberately losing weight. As a result, hormones and other chemicals are released that can promote weight gain. One of these hormones is a substance called ghrelin, which is made by the stomach and causes people to get hungrier as they lose weight. Another hormone that can sometimes change is your thyroid hormone, which may go down after weight loss. Having low thyroid slows down your metabolism and can mess with your weight loss plans. Thats why I will commonly check thyroid hormone levels in patients who are having trouble with weight loss after initial success.

Lastly, it is important for people trying to lose weight to make sure that they are sticking with their dietary plan as it is not uncommon for folks to cheat a little more here and there after losing weight. For that reason, it is important to pick a dietary plan that someone can realistically stick with in the longer term. As always, consult with your primary care provider before implementing any of the advice given in this column.

Dr. Roy Barco welcomes your questions concerning health and wellness. Please facebook him at http://www.facebook.com/roy.barco.5 where you can submit questions for the column, or write to:

True Medical Group

Shoals Professional Building

203 Avalon Ave, Suite 120

Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

256-286-4026

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Why Do People Have Trouble Keeping Weight Off After Losing It? - courierjournal

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New research examines the effects of a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet on both rodents and humans, and suggests that it can alleviate the symptoms of gout.

Gout is a rheumatic disease that affects more than 8 million people in the United States. It is caused by either an excessive production or insufficient excretion of uric acid. In gout, the uric acid crystals sediment in tissues and fluids, triggering the body's immune cells. This results in disabling pain, inflammation, and fever.

These episodes of immune cell reactivation, also known as flares, are triggered by a protein complex called the NLRP3 inflammasome.

New research from the laboratory of Vishwa Deep Dixit - professor of comparative medicine and immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT - suggests that the so-called ketogenic diet may help to relieve the symptoms of gout.

A ketogenic diet is low in carbohydrates and typically used to lose weight. Ketogenic diets work by inducing "physiological ketosis" in the body - a state of the metabolism where the body's reserves of glucose are no longer enough for the body's central nervous system.

The central nervous system then needs an alternative source of energy, so it makes the liver turn fats into fatty acids and ketone bodies.

The new study - published in the journal Cell Reports - suggests that one of these ketone bodies, the beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), may alleviate urate crystal-induced gout.

The research team developed a new model of gout flares in rodents.

As the researchers explain, these flares are triggered by the NLRP3 inflammasome. With the help of neutrophils - the most common type of white blood cell - NLRP3 activates the IL-1B pro-inflammatory cytokine, leading to episodes of intense pain, fever, and the destruction of joints.

In the rodent model, researchers induced gout by injecting 1.25 milligrams of monosodium urate into rats' knees. Researchers measured knee thickness and performed pathology analyses on the rats' ligaments and menisci.

The rodents were kept in pathogen-free conditions and fed a ketogenic diet 1 week before starting the experiments. Scientists measured the levels of BHB in the rodents' blood.

The scientists also examined human subjects. They recruited healthy, steroid-free adults aged between 18 and 45, as well as older adults aged 65 and over. Participants were not fasting when their peripheral blood was collected.

Dixit and colleagues also conducted statistical analyses and performed all of the experiments at least twice.

The team found that a ketogenic diet raised BHB levels, which in turn inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome. As a consequence, the symptoms of urate crystal-induced gout were alleviated, without negatively impacting the immune system or its ability to defend against bacterial infections.

Additionally, BHB blocked IL-1B in the neutrophils of both mice and humans, regardless of age. Dixit and colleagues conclude that:

"Collectively, our studies show that BHB, a known alternate metabolic fuel, is also an anti-inflammatory molecule that may serve as a treatment for gout."

Emily Goldberg, co-author on the study, associate research scientist, and clinical veterinarian in comparative medicine, explains the findings:

"In isolated neutrophils, [BHB] completely blocked NLRP3 inflammasome activation, even when provided at low concentrations that are physiologically achievable through dietary modification."

She also suggests that targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome to reduce inflammation during a flare may improve the gout patients' symptoms. However, she admits that more studies are needed to test this possibility.

Learn how gout flare-ups could be managed by blood pressure diet.

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Ketogenic diet may protect against gout - Medical News Today

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The popularity of low-fat diets has faded, but restricting one nutrient while increasing another is still popular in the world of weight loss. The ketogenic diet, which increases fats while reducing carbs, is the subject of a recent book, The Deliciously Keto Cookbook.

Authors Molly Pearl and Kelly Roehl say now is the time to jump onboard.

Theres a lot of hype around it, says Roehl, a licensed dietitian and nutritionist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Its important for the general public to understand it correctly.

With origins in ancient Greek medicine, this eating plan has been used effectively since the 1920s to help control seizures in children with epilepsy.

For epileptics resistant to anti-seizure medication, the diet combined with a fasting period has proved effective in reducing seizures in 30 to 40 percent of patients, and sometimes eliminating them.

But as a weight-loss prescription, the diet is controversial. High levels of fat, moderate amounts of protein and a very low carbohydrate intake fill out the diets pie chart.

It encourages healthy eating, lots of fibrous vegetables and healthy fats, Roehl said. Its a really flexible diet to follow.

The clinical plan includes 80 to 90 percent of daily calories from fats, 8 to 12 percent of calories from protein and the rest from carbs, according to Dr. Dominic DAgostino, whose research lab at the University of South Florida tests metabolic therapies including the keto diet.

The diet forces the body to burn fat instead of glucose from carbohydrates, a process known as ketosis. Adherents must check their blood ketone levels by urinating on a ketone test strip.

Detractors of the diet point out that ketosis is an unhealthy state for the body as it can lead to dehydration and a lowered immune response, known as the keto flu. If carbohydrate intake dips too low and ketosis goes too far, it can lead to ketoacidosis, where blood turns acidic. This can lead to a coma, or even death.

So how many carbs is the sweet spot? To reach a state of ketosis, between 20 and 50 grams per day is recommended. A cup of cooked brown rice, for example, contains 46 grams of carbohydrates.

Although DAgostino doesnt research ketogenic dieting for weight loss, he recognizes it as a convenient side effect. Its effective for weight loss because of the carbohydrate restriction. Ketones are energy molecules that tell your brain to stop eating, and the ketogenic diet suppresses your appetite, he said.

Proponents say the keto diet also provides better cognitive functioning, more satiety, and may even be protective against cancer and reverse metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Las Vegas-based registered dietitian and nutritionist Michelle Albrecht, co-owner of the Food Connection, said the diet can be effective but not worth it in the long term.

Albrecht explained that the ketogenic diet switches the bodys fueling system from the carb cycle to a process known as glyconeogenesis. The problem, she said, is the body can become adjusted to this new fueling method and stop getting the same results.

Other problems could arise from the high amounts of fat.

Is keto ever the way to go? I wouldnt say, no, this wouldnt work, but it wouldnt work for everybody, Albrecht said. Is it good to be on something like this forever? I personally would never prescribe it to any of our patients.

Contact Brooke Wanser at bwanser@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bwanser_LVRJ on Twitter.

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High-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet is 'flexible,' author says - Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Every year Americans adopt new diet trends, from the juicing craze to gluten-free diets, and each new fad promises health benefits such as weight loss and higher energy.

But, as specific diets become more popular, doctors wanted to assess whether they would help the one part of the body that carries the most risk for both men and women in the U.S.: the heart.

In order to get a better sense of which diets were the most heart healthy, researchers examined more than 25 peer-reviewed studies and published their findings today in a new report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

"There is sort of mass confusion about what foods are healthy or not healthy," lead study author Dr. Andrew Freeman, Director of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, told ABC News.

"When you take the time to weigh through the data and the evidence it becomes clear," he continued. "Human beings havent changed all that much in the last many, many years."

Researchers from 12 institutions, including George Washington University School of Medicine and National Jewish Health, analyzed the studies - which together included tens of thousands of participants - in order to determine what types of foods appear, given currently available research, to help the heart.

After an in-depth review of the scientific data, researchers found the most heart-healthy diet includes foods like extra-virgin olive oil, antioxidant-rich berries, green leafy vegetables, plant-based proteins, nuts in moderation and can include lean meats. To cut down on cholesterol, the study authors suggest limiting or eliminating coconut and palm oils, which are high in saturated fatty acids, and eggs, which raise the level of cholesterol in the bloodstream.

"Dietary requirements havent really changed," Freeman continued. "The diet that is most cardioprotective is mostly plant based ... predominantly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and limited amounts of animal products if any."

However, Dr. Keith Ayoob, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who was not involved in the studies, says that diet issues are rarely so black and white and that doctors need to approach each patients diet in a more holistic manner.

"When youre talking about dietary cholesterol, sometimes I get more concerned with the companion foods. What kind of company are those eggs keeping?" Ayoob said. "Do you eat them plain boiled, fried in butter, cooked with olive oil?"

Simply relying on advice like eating in moderation is too vague, Ayoob added, and can mean different things for different people. He said patients should be given more guidance about exactly how to eat healthy.

"I think the idea of moderation is more of a mantra," Ayoob said. "But I think we would do well to define it a little bit better."

In addition to looking at the benefits of specific foods, researchers looked for evidence that recent popular diets to limit gluten or consume vegetables and fruits via juicing were heart healthy. Researchers found that the process of juicing fruits and vegetables with pulp removal actually concentrates the sugars more, making it easier to ingest more calories than needed. Adding sweeteners such as sugar or honey also increase caloric content of juices. The researchers found that the data regarding juicing where the pulp is retained is inconclusive for determining whether it provides harm or benefit for heart health.

"There are things that youre going to have in the whole fruit that you cant get into the juice," said Ayoob. "Also the other side is to remember that your gut is a great juicer, it just works more slowly. Let your teeth and digestive tract do what its supposed to do. And the fiber in fruits and vegetables is critical to a healthy diet."

Another trendy diet that was evaluated is a gluten-free diet, which has been proven to be a good treatment for patients who have gluten-related disorders such as celiac disease, wheat allergy, and nonceliac gluten sensitivity.

But only about 1 in 141 Americans have celiac disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. However, according to a Gallup poll in 2015, one in five Americans actively tries to avoid gluten in their diets. Researchers say there is no evidence that a gluten-free diet helps with weight loss in healthy individuals and some studies even show weight gain on a gluten-free diet. Gaining weight to the point of obesity is significantly associated with increased risk of heart disease.

"Our message here is if you are gluten sensitive, allergic, or have celiac disease, you should avoid gluten," says Freeman. "Otherwise gluten is not necessarily the enemy."

The studies reviewed in the analysis published today have a few limitations: Some of the foods and trends have not been studied over as long a time as others, there can be a "complex interplay" between nutrients in individuals and the lifestyle habits of the people included may have had some effect on their heart health.

For those searching for a heart-healthy diet, Freeman has some simple advice.

"If people want to eat animal products they should limit it as much as theyre willing, especially if they have risk factors for heart disease," he said. "For my patients I try to get them to go as low as theyre willing."

Ayoob agrees with increasing fruit and vegetable intake in the general population, but cautions against telling people to strictly eliminate certain foods from their diets. "Because a diet, no matter how nutritious," he says, "is only nutritious if people stay on it."

Dr. Joyce Park is a New York-based dermatologist at NYU Langone Medical Center and resident in the ABC News Medical Unit.

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How food fads and diet trends fare for heart health - ABC News

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Nicole Fornabaio/Rd.com, iStockYouve heard it over and over again: Diet and exercise are the key to a healthy weight. As it turns out, though, one is far more important than the other. If youre looking to drop pounds, your best bet is to focus on food.

Despite the constant message to burn fat and calories away at the gym, people who only change their diets lose more weight than those who only increase physical activity, according to a report in the journal Systematic Reviews. In fact, another recent study in the journal PeerJ found that over three years, people who got 30 minutes or more of physical activity a day actually had higher rates of weight gain than those who exercised less. So why isnt gym time the miracle weight-loss machine weve been led to believe?

Basically, its way easier to avoid calories in the first place than to try to burn them off, says registered dietitian nutritionist Marjorie Nolan Cohn, MS, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Working off a 100-calorie cookie is one thing, but it would take hours at the gym to negate 1,200 calories from a burger and fries. You cant exercise off a weekend of terrible eating, says Nolan Cohn. Committing to a 30-minute workout program? Easy enough. Turning your entire eating plan on its head? Not so much.

Plus, if you dont pay attention to portion sizes, you might eat more after you start a new workout routine, says Nolan Cohn. Not only will your appetite increase naturally from the energy burn, but you might also slack off on healthy food choices. Theres this idea that youve earned it to eat something because you worked out, says Nolan Cohn. It winds up holding people back. Half an hour on the treadmill might blast away 300 calories, but just one slice of cake could totally negate that hard workand then some.

You might have heard that muscle weighs more than fat. Thats true, but it doesnt mean you should claim that bigger number on the scale is all muscle. Thats a few pounds, not 20 or 30 pounds, says Nolan Cohn. Its not an excuse for the weight gain. If youve been exercising without results, your diet is probably to blame.

Still, dont cancel your gym membership. The Systematic Reviews study found that pairing diet with exercise was even more successful for weight-loss than diet alone. Exercise doesnt just burn calories and build musclesit boosts endorphins too, says Nolan Cohn. It improves feelings of positivity or accomplishment, she says. When you combine those forces [of diet and exercise], it reinforces losing the weight and keeping it off. While adding exercise to a healthier diet doesnt lead to additional weight loss in the first six months of a program, those who both diet and exercise have better long-term results over a year, found a review in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Plus, weight maintenance is just the beginning when it comes to reasons to exercise. Studies have linked physical activity to all kinds of other healthy benefits, from heart health and immune system function to mental health and sleep improvements. The list just never ends, says Nolan Cohn.

MORE: 8 Exercises That Flatten Your Belly (Without a Single Crunch)

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Diet or Exercise: The Final Verdict on Which Is Better for Weight Loss - Reader's Digest

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