Now a new study by scientists at the Athens Laiko General Hospital, explains why fast food is associated with overeating and thus promotes weight gain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that by 2015 there will be 700 million obese adults and about 2,300 million overweight.

Children are no exception, as currently there are 22 million children under five years are obese.

The extra kilos are not just a simple matter of aesthetics, affect people’s self-esteem and create a social stigma, but also greatly increase the risk of developing diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and various cancers. As a result, obesity markedly lowers the quality and life expectancy.

Greek researchers already knew that certain gut hormones are released during meals to generate the sensation of fullness in the brain. The objective was to determine if the feed speed affected the production of these hormones.

All volunteers ate 300 milliliters of ice cream at different speeds. Subsequently, we measured seven times at intervals of 30 minutes your blood glucose, insulin, lipids and gut hormones in the blood. As a result, those who ate his ice cream slowly had higher levels of gut hormones and were more satisfied.

The researchers concluded that eating too fast slows down the release of these hormones and as a result, the feeling of satiety delayed, so people eat more and consequently tend to get fat.

The study sheds light on an aspect of over-consumption of the modern world: people eat quickly by the pressures of work and lifestyle. The old adage that children gave us very quickly that eating fat can make us, in fact, have a physiological explanation, the scientists concluded.

Each day reaffirms the benefits of broccoli for health. Broccoli is the family of calciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or red cabbage. It comes from Italy was popularized by the U.S., who consume large quantities. Boiled, steamed, or sauteed broccoli is a vegetable full of advantages

Broccoli

1.It is beneficial against atherosclerosis due to sulforaphane, a molecule is abundant in broccoli and other vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower. This molecule has a very beneficial effect on atherosclerosis plaques (responsible for cardiovascular disease).

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, which funded this research on the benefits of broccoli in atherosclerosis states that “this fascinating finding sheds light on a possible mechanism, through which, the diet rich in vegetables (such as the Mediterranean diet) protects against cardiovascular disease.”

2.Has antibacterial effects,

3.Reduces risk of ulcers

4.Broccoli is the beneficial properties against anemia

5.It acts against cancer-causing free radicals.

6.It acts as a hormone regulator and the level of estrogen

7.Its consumption improves the intestinal transit.

8.Are recommended in the diet of pregnant women for their excellent contribution and minerals as well as antioxidants, potassium and vitamins that help prevent cellular aging.

There are delicious recipes with broccoli, has almost no calories and if many healthy properties.

The role of selenium in the diet has been much interest in recent times. Reduced consumption of this element in Europe is worrying given that its deficiency can lead to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. Is this true? What can be done?

A vital role in the body.

Selenium is found in a number of vital proteins in our body, selenium proteins calls, of which twenty-five have been identified so far, including: I) peroxides, which have significant anti-inflammatory properties and protect cell membranes from damage by free radicals, ii) the deiodinasas, involved in the production of active thyroid hormones, and iii) proteins involved in breeding and in DNA repair.

Sources of selenium.

Selenium is found in soil and rocks, accumulates in plants and thus enters the food chain. It is present in most foods and nuts (especially Brazil nuts) and fish, shellfish, organ meats (kidney, liver) and meat are rich in this element. Cereals, vegetables and other plant-derived foods contain selenium, but the amount varies depending on the land where grown. The European soil contains a relatively small amount of selenium in comparison with areas of North America, Canada and China.

Decreased consumption.

In recent decades, consumption of selenium in northern Europe has declined significantly. In the ’70s, consumption was about 60-70 mg per day, while today is estimated at about 30 micrograms per day for women and 40 micrograms in men 1, representing half the amount recommended 2 . It is believed that the reason may be the increased consumption of local wheat instead of imported from Canada and America, which contains up to 50 times more selenium than its European counterpart. In the ’80s, Finland introduced selenium in fertilizers and their levels have increased proportionately (see chart).

Weakened defenses.

Although selenium intake has been reduced in Europe, yet there has been no obvious signs of deficiency. However, suboptimal intake of this element can reduce the production of selenium proteins, which in turn affect DNA repair, reduced immune and inflammatory responses, and reduce the protection against diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Selenium and cancer.

Recently, it has extensively analyzed the role of selenium in cancer development 3. Although there are plausible mechanisms by which selenium proteins could reduce cancer risk (for example, by eliminating free radicals that damage DNA), has concluded that there is little evidence that foods containing selenium protect against the risk of developing any cancer, except for prostate cancer since the selenium proteins involved in the production of testosterone, which is an important regulator of normal and abnormal growth of the prostate.

Cardiovascular Disease.

A meta-analysis of thirteen observational studies that examined the role of selenium in cardiovascular disease has found a moderate inverse relationship between the state of the markers of selenium and the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, studies conducted in populations with an adequate intake of selenium found no evidence of cardiovascular protection and additional studies are inconclusive 4.

Safety Margin.

In Europe, the maximum consumption of selenium without risk to health has been fixed at 300 mg / day for adults, a figure that gradually decreases to 60 mg / day for children 1-3 years 2. Overcoming these levels can cause skin damage or loss of hair and nails. The long-term consumption of large doses (more than 900 mg / day) can cause neurological changes including numbness, convulsions and paralysis. Excessive intake of selenium from food sources is rare, although there have been cases of poisoning in children in Sweden by accidental ingestion of high doses of selenium tablets 5.

It is best to moderate consumption.

Although selenium consumption in Europe has diminished, is still sufficient to prevent any hint of lack and remains at the same level as in many other areas of the world (see table) 1. Selenium proteins levels reach their maximum levels with relative ease by following a normal diet, and do not increase to take supplements of selenium 3. These data are consistent with a recent study of antioxidant supplements did not attribute any clear benefit to the additional consumption of selenium from dietary sources 6. With a balanced diet, most people obtain the necessary selenium through foods.