Gluten-free diets rising in popularity

A gluten-free diet may not be the easiest to follow, but it can improve fitness and encourage weight loss in people who do not suffer from wheat intolerance.

That is according to the Chicago Tribune, which reported that the diet, which was once followed only by those suffering from Coeliac disease, is now breaking into the mainstream.

It noted the case of a mother who went on the diet with her son after he was diagnosed with Coeliac disease and now feels much healthier for it.

"My head is clearer, and I'm lean and healthy," Julie Pech, of Colorado, told the publication. "For whatever reason, gluten makes me very heavy and tired."



Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley and rye, cannot be properly processed by the body and instead causes inflammation in the small intestines.

Last month, news provider Advertising Talk suggested that the growing number of celebrities following gluten-free diets is encouraging more people to take it up.

However, the website warned that it is imperative people self-diagnosing gluten sensitivity and cutting out wheat-based products seek proper medical advice.

source: tescodiets

High cholesterol? Try a splash of rapeseed oil on your salad

Adding rapeseed oil to the diet may lower the cholesterol and blood fat levels of patients who have had high cholesterol from birth.

The metabolic condition, known as familial hypercholesterolemia, affects around 60,000 Britons. It can lead to an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis or furring up of the arteries, and heart disease.

The oil can cut levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides - blood fat levels - by up to 29 per cent after just five months.




In an Austrian trial, children aged six to 18 with the condition ate a classic low-fat, lowcholesterol diet enriched with the oil. In the first two months they took an average of 15g a day, going up to 22g a day for the last three months.

Rapeseed oil contains half the saturated fat of oils such as olive oil.

It is also high in unsaturated fats, which helps reduce cholesterol levels.

• Drinking at least three cups of tea every day could improve the life expectancy of people with heart disease.

In a study at Harvard University, researchers found that drinking two or more cups of tea a day was linked to a 44 per cent lower risk of premature death in patients who'd suffered a heart attack.

It's thought that tea - specifically compounds called polyphenols - has a beneficial effect on the lining of the arteries. In a new trial, researchers will use MRI scans of tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers to assess any changes in the state of their arteries.

source: dailymail