November 24, 2009

Keep An Eye on Your Diet ; How Fresh Food Cuts the Risk of Losing Your Sight
Liverpool Echo  11-24-09
LIVERPOOL professor is urging people to eat healthily to prevent sight-threatening eye disease.
Professor Ian Grierson, Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Liverpool, says diseases like age related macular degeneration (AMD) are on the rise in Merseyside.
His research team are noticing the change and trying to understand why rates are increasing.
An ageing population can account for some of the cases, but modern lifestyles could be playing a part in the increase too.
Prof Grierson, who also works at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, says the tendency to eat ready meals and fast food means many people are not getting the vitamins and nutrients necessary to maintain good sight and eye health.
He has written several books on the subject which include recipes to combat the problem.
He said: "We are all guilty of it in this day and age.
"People are so busy, and the temptation to just grab a take away or a ready meal from the supermarket is often too great.
"But these foods do not include the nutrients we need to fight against conditions like AMD.
"Fresh fruit and vegetables are central to eye health, especially ones with strong colour, but a wide selection is best, as opposed to recommending certain "super foods".
"Of course, veg like broccoli, peppers, carrots, all are good and surprisingly we think some are better cooked than raw.
"Many contain nutrients like carotenoids- that gives an orange pigment - and Lutein, which is found in veg like kale, spring greens and spinach.
"Lutein and another nutrient zeaxanthin break down nasty compounds that build up in the eye.
"They also act like sunglasses, filtering out short-wave blue light that can be harmful to the macula.
"All are central to eye health. "Oily fish is also very important.
"Fish that contains Omega 3, like mackerel, is excellent and people should aim to eat two portions a week. Vitamins C, E and zinc are also central."
Macular degeneration is caused when the delicate cells of the macula, behind the eye, become damaged and stop working.
This leads to a deterioration in a sufferer's central vision, which may become blurred or distorted. Objects can start looking an unusual size or shape and straight lines appear wavy or fuzzy.
There are two kinds, "dry", the most common type, for which there is no treatment, and "wet" which can sometimes be helped by laser surgery and drugs.
It affects three million people in the UK and is the leading cause of blindness.
There is also a big north-south divide, with Merseyside having high levels of the condition.
There are several risk factors in developing macular degeneration.
Age is a big one, as is gender - women seem more likely to develop the condition than men.
Genetics also play a part. There appears to be a number of genes which can be passed through families which may have an impact on whether someone develops AMD or not.
Smoking adds to the risk according to research, and some suggest that lifetime exposure to sunlight may affect the retina.
But good nutrition is one of the best ways to cut the risks.
An improved diet doesn't just lower the risk of AMD but other eye diseases like cataracts and even glaucoma.
Many dieticians say vitamin tablets are not essential for most people and that nutrients should be consumed through a healthy diet.
But Prof Grierson says for people who at risk of developing AMD the right supplements may be helpful: "A good supplement with the right combination of ingredients could be helpful, especially to those who might be at a high risk of developing AMD.
"Some people will find it very difficult to reach the recommended amount of nutrients through diet alone, and it is far better to get them through a supplement than not at all.
"But they cannot replace a good diet, it is a balance between the two."
. For more information log on to http://www.amdalliance. org/ or for supplement advice www.bausch.com SARDINES ARE KEY SARDINES are a great way to increase your Omega 3 intake.
For a tasty treat, fill them with a stuffing of pan fried onion and garlic, breadcrumbs, mustard, parsley, egg yolk and ricotta cheese.
Wrap in tin foil and put in an oven dish, baking for 30 minutes, adding lemon to the pot to taste.
Jane Woodhead, Account Director at Paver Smith Public Relations in Liverpool and a former ECHO journalist, this week offers some advice on keeping your training regime going through the winter months.
IT IS REALLY important to make sure you continue to train through the cold dark days of the winter.
This is something which can be difficult and it is not always easy to motivate yourself when it is raining or cold outside.
But believe me, if you do, you will feel far better for it and you will certainly reap the benefits when it comes to the spring.
Jane One of the best incentives for not giving up or looking for an excuse to miss a session and sit in and watch television instead is to find yourself a training buddy.
WOODHEAD If you arrange to go to the gym or out for a run, plan to do this with a friend.
If you make an arrangement you are far less likely to cancel and far more likely to get out there and train because you will not want to let your training buddy down.
Wearing the correct clothing and footwear according to the weather and outside conditions is also important.
So if you are training outdoors invest in an illuminous jacket or gillet which will ensure you will always feel safe and you are always seen.
Plan your training schedule at the beginning of the week, write it down and ensure you stick to it.
This should also include the length of each session, whether this is time or mileage or both.
Swimming is also a good option - just ensure you remember to take a hat to wear after you have finished to prevent you catching a chill.
And if you are questioning whether or not you should go out and exercise - think about that forthcoming race and think about the person just beating you to the finishing post. Think of that person being out training while you are sitting in bed - if that is not an incentive to get you out there, I don't know what will be.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=9051&Section=Nutrition

Vinegar Can Help Tame Sugar Spike from Big Meals

The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA 11-24-09
The New York Times
Thanksgiving marks the start of a season that poses particular hazards for people with diabetes and others who are sensitive to the blood-sugar spikes that can follow big meals.
But several studies have revealed a possible way to reduce the impact of a carb-laden dish: Add a little vinegar. Doing so seems to help slow the absorption of sugar from a meal into the bloodstream, apparently because vinegar helps block digestive enzymes that convert carbohydrates into sugar.
One study by Italian researchers showed, for example, that when healthy subjects consumed about 4 teaspoons of white vinegar as a salad dressing with a meal that included white bread with a little less than 2 ounces of carbohydrates, there was a 30 percent reduction in their glycemic response, or rise in blood sugar, compared with subjects who had salad with a dressing made from neutralized vinegar.
In 2004, a study published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association, found similar effects in people with diabetes or insulin resistance who consumed a vinegar solution or placebo before a carb-heavy meal.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=9050&Section=Nutrition

Tea may help control blood sugar

United Press International 11-24-09
DALLAS, Nov 24, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Tea has long been heralded as promoting heart health and may reduce cancer risk but a U.S. researcher suggests tea may also help control blood sugar.
Dr. Jo Ann Carson, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, says studies from various countries suggest a lifetime consumption of at least two to four cups of tea per day -- black tea, in particular -- reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
However, Carson says while scientific evidence on tea's health benefits is limited, all teas -- green, white, black and oolong -- can be part of a healthy diet.
Carson says people have two choices -- learn to enjoy iced tea with little or no sugar, or drink sugared iced tea in moderation, generally once a day or less.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=9049&Section=Nutrition

Is Global Warming Unstoppable?
ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2009) — In a provocative new study, a University of Utah scientist argues that rising carbon dioxide emissions -- the major cause of global warming -- cannot be stabilized unless the world's economy collapses or society builds the equivalent of one new nuclear power plant each day.
"It looks unlikely that there will be any substantial near-term departure from recently observed acceleration in carbon dioxide emission rates," says the new paper by Tim Garrett, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences.
Garrett's study was panned by some economists and rejected by several journals before acceptance byClimatic Change, a journal edited by Stanford University climate scientist Stephen Schneider. The study will be published online the week of November 23.
The study -- which is based on the concept that physics can be used to characterize the evolution of civilization -- indicates:

• Energy conservation or efficiency doesn't really save energy, but instead spurs economic growth and accelerated energy consumption.
• Throughout history, a simple physical "constant" -- an unchanging mathematical value -- links global energy use to the world's accumulated economic productivity, adjusted for inflation. So it isn't necessary to consider population growth and standard of living in predicting society's future energy consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions.
• "Stabilization of carbon dioxide emissions at current rates will require approximately 300 gigawatts of new non-carbon-dioxide-emitting power production capacity annually -- approximately one new nuclear power plant (or equivalent) per day," Garrett says. "Physically, there are no other options without killing the economy."

Getting Heat for Viewing Civilization as a "Heat Engine"
Garrett says colleagues generally support his theory, while some economists are critical. One economist, who reviewed the study, wrote: "I am afraid the author will need to study harder before he can contribute."
"I'm not an economist, and I am approaching the economy as a physics problem," Garrett says. "I end up with a global economic growth model different than they have."
Garrett treats civilization like a "heat engine" that "consumes energy and does 'work' in the form of economic production, which then spurs it to consume more energy," he says.
"If society consumed no energy, civilization would be worthless," he adds. "It is only by consuming energy that civilization is able to maintain the activities that give it economic value. This means that if we ever start to run out of energy, then the value of civilization is going to fall and even collapse absent discovery of new energy sources."
Garrett says his study's key finding "is that accumulated economic production over the course of history has been tied to the rate of energy consumption at a global level through a constant factor."
That "constant" is 9.7 (plus or minus 0.3) milliwatts per inflation-adjusted 1990 dollar. So if you look at economic and energy production at any specific time in history, "each inflation-adjusted 1990 dollar would be supported by 9.7 milliwatts of primary energy consumption," Garrett says.
Garrett tested his theory and found this constant relationship between energy use and economic production at any given time by using United Nations statistics for global GDP (gross domestic product), U.S. Department of Energy data on global energy consumption during1970-2005, and previous studies that estimated global economic production as long as 2,000 years ago. Then he investigated the implications for carbon dioxide emissions.
"Economists think you need population and standard of living to estimate productivity," he says. "In my model, all you need to know is how fast energy consumption is rising. The reason why is because there is this link between the economy and rates of energy consumption, and it's just a constant factor."
Garrett adds: "By finding this constant factor, the problem of [forecasting] global economic growth is dramatically simpler. There is no need to consider population growth and changes in standard of living because they are marching to the tune of the availability of energy supplies."
To Garrett, that means the acceleration of carbon dioxide emissions is unlikely to change soon because our energy use today is tied to society's past economic productivity.
"Viewed from this perspective, civilization evolves in a spontaneous feedback loop maintained only by energy consumption and incorporation of environmental matter," Garrett says. It is like a child that "grows by consuming food, and when the child grows, it is able to consume more food, which enables it to grow more."
Is Meaningful Energy Conservation Impossible?
Perhaps the most provocative implication of Garrett's theory is that conserving energy doesn't reduce energy use, but spurs economic growth and more energy use.
"Making civilization more energy efficient simply allows it to grow faster and consume more energy," says Garrett.
He says the idea that resource conservation accelerates resource consumption -- known as Jevons paradox -- was proposed in the 1865 book "The Coal Question" by William Stanley Jevons, who noted that coal prices fell and coal consumption soared after improvements in steam engine efficiency.
So is Garrett arguing that conserving energy doesn't matter?
"I'm just saying it's not really possible to conserve energy in a meaningful way because the current rate of energy consumption is determined by the unchangeable past of economic production. … If it feels good to conserve energy, that is fine, but there shouldn't be any pretense that it will make a difference."
Yet, Garrett says his findings contradict his own previously held beliefs about conservation, and he continues to ride a bike or bus to work, line dry family clothing and use a push lawnmower.
An Inevitable Future for Carbon Dioxide Emissions?
Garrett says often-discussed strategies for slowing carbon dioxide emissions and global warming include mention increased energy efficiency, reduced population growth and a switch to power sources that don't emit carbon dioxide, including nuclear, wind and solar energy and underground storage of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning. Another strategy is rarely mentioned: a decreased standard of living, which would occur if energy supplies ran short and the economy collapsed, he adds.
"Fundamentally, I believe the system is deterministic," says Garrett. "Changes in population and standard of living are only a function of the current energy efficiency. That leaves only switching to a non-carbon-dioxide-emitting power source as an available option."
"The problem is that, in order to stabilize emissions, not even reduce them, we have to switch to non-carbonized energy sources at a rate about 2.1 percent per year. That comes out to almost one new nuclear power plant per day."
"If society invests sufficient resources into alternative and new, non-carbon energy supplies, then perhaps it can continue growing without increasing global warming," Garrett says.
Does Garrett fear global warming deniers will use his work to justify inaction?
"No," he says. "Ultimately, it's not clear that policy decisions have the capacity to change the future course of civilization."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083704.htm

Vioxx Trial Data Shows Early Cardiovascular Risk

ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2009) — Evidence of cardiovascular risks associated with taking Vioxx, the popular, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (rofecoxib), could have been identified nearly four years before its manufacturer, Merck & Co. Inc., voluntarily pulled the drug from the market.
Led by Joseph Ross, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a team of six investigators analyzed 30 randomized, placebo-controlled trials of Vioxx that were made available through litigation and published their findings in the November 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Under new FDA disclosure requirements, the analysis may also serve as a blueprint for other independent post-market pharmaceutical safety studies.
"Independent, objective investigators can play a more active role in pharmaceutical safety surveillance, ideally in concert with the FDA and industry," said Dr. Ross. "Our study is an analytic approach that can be used to inform public health efforts. Comprehensive, rigorous analysis of clinical trial data allows the earlier identification of drug risks, promoting more informed treatment decisions, protecting the public's health, and perhaps saving lives."
The research team identified 30 randomized, placebo-controlled trials that enrolled a combined 20,152 individuals, lasted from four weeks to four years and assigned a range of 17 to 2,586 participants to take doses of Vioxx ranging from 12.5 milligrams to 50 milligrams. The authors pooled the data from these studies and analyzed the results cumulatively, as information from each newly completed clinical trial became available.
Their analysis showed that safety concerns arose almost four years before the drug was withdrawn from the market. Dr. Ross and his colleagues found that as of December 2000 -- when 21 of the 30 studies had been completed -- there was a strong concern that patients taking Vioxx were at a greater risk for adverse events or death from cardiovascular conditions or blood clots. Thereafter, collected data through June 2001 showed Vioxx to be associated with a 35 percent increase in risk of a cardiovascular event or death. The association with cardiovascular risk strengthened as more data became available. As of April 2002, the pooled analysis showed a 39 percent increased risk, and as of September 2004, a 43 percent increased risk.
Merck introduced Vioxx to the market in May 1999 and the drug quickly became a commercial success, with sales reaching $2 billion annually.
Dr. Ross and his colleagues performed their analysis in an effort to provide a blueprint for use of clinical trial data. In their paper, the authors concluded, "Because the recently enacted FDA Amendments Act requires public disclosure of trial results within the ClinicalTrials.gov database within 12-24 months of study completion, including both efficacy and safety outcomes, clinical trial data should be available to conduct iterative meta-analyses independent of the FDA and manufacturers."
"Physicians and the public deserve to be in a position to make informed choices about risk and benefits [of pharmaceutical products]," they wrote. "And the early disclosure and dissemination of information about potential risk after its recognition must be required."
Substantial amounts of clinical trial data that have rarely been fully utilized to understand drug efficacy or safety should now be available and can be used by independent investigators to complement and corroborate surveillance done by the FDA and the companies.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123171412.htm

Climate Change Could Boost Incidence of Civil War in Africa

ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2009) — Climate change could increase the likelihood of civil war in sub-Saharan Africa by over 50 percent within the next two decades, according to a new study led by a team of researchers at University of California, Berkeley, and published in the Nov. 23 online issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The study, conducted by researchers at UC Berkeley as well as at Stanford University, New York University and Harvard University, provides the first quantitative evidence linking climate change and the risk of civil conflict. It concludes by urging accelerated support by African governments and foreign aid donors for new and/or expanded policies to assist with African adaptation to climate change.
"Despite recent high-level statements suggesting that climate change could worsen the risk of civil conflict, until now we had little quantitative evidence linking the two," said Marshall Burke, the study's lead author and a graduate student at UC Berkeley's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. "Unfortunately, our study finds that climate change could increase the risk of African civil war by over 50 percent in 2030 relative to 1990, with huge potential costs to human livelihoods."
"We were definitely surprised that the linkages between temperature and recent conflict were so strong," said Edward Miguel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley and faculty director of UC Berkeley's Center for Evaluation for Global Action. "But the result makes sense. The large majority of the poor in most African countries depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and their crops are quite sensitive to small changes in temperature. So when temperatures rise, the livelihoods of many in Africa suffer greatly, and the disadvantaged become more likely to take up arms."
Understanding the causes and consequences of civil strife in much of the African continent has been a major focus of the social sciences for decades, said Miguel, as monumental suffering has resulted from it. In the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo's, the International Rescue Committee estimates that at least 5.4 million people have died from fighting, hunger and disease during that country's ongoing civil unrest over the past 10 years.
In the study, the researchers first combined historical data on civil wars in sub-Saharan Africa with rainfall and temperature records across the continent. They found that between 1980 and 2002, civil wars were significantly more likely in warmer-than-average years, with a 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature in a given year raising the incidence of conflict across the continent by nearly 50 percent.
Building on this historical relationship between temperature and conflict, the researchers then used projections of future temperature and precipitation change to quantify future changes in the likelihood of African civil war. Based on climate projections from 20 global climate models, the researchers found that the incidence of African civil war could increase 55 percent by 2030, resulting in an additional 390,000 battle deaths if future wars are as deadly as recent ones.
All climate models project rising temperatures in coming decades, said David Lobell, study co-author and an assistant professor of environmental earth systems science at Stanford.
"On average, the models suggest that temperatures over the African continent will increase by a little over 1 degree Celsius by 2030," he added. "Given the strong historical relationship between temperature rise and conflict, this expected future rise in temperature is enough to cause big increases in the likelihood of conflict."
To confirm that this projection was not the result of large effects in just a few countries or due to overreliance on a particular climate model, the researchers recalculated future conflict projections using alternate data. "No matter what we tried -- different historical climate data, different climate model projections, different subsets of the conflict data -- we still found the same basic result," said Lobell.
It's easy to think of climate change as a long way off, said the researchers, but their study shows how sensitive many human systems are to small increases in temperature, and how fast the negative impacts of climate change could be felt.
"Our findings provide strong impetus to ramp up investments in African adaptation to climate change by such steps as developing crop varieties less sensitive to extreme heat and promoting insurance plans to help protect farmers from adverse effects of the hotter climate," said Burke.
Applying findings from this study could prove useful to policy makers at the upcoming Copenhagen negotiations in December in determining both the speed and magnitude of response to climate change, the authors said.
"If the sub-Saharan climate continues to warm and little is done to help its countries better adapt to high temperatures, the human costs are likely to be staggering," said Burke.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123152224.htm

Common Plastics Chemicals Phthalates Linked to ADHD Symptoms
ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2009) — Phthalates are important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items. Studies to date on phthalates have been inconsistent, with some linking exposure to these chemicals to hormone disruptions, birth defects, asthma, and reproductive problems, while others have found no significant association between exposure and adverse effects.
A new report by Korean scientists, published by Elsevier in the November 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, adds to the potentially alarming findings about phthalates. They measured urine phthalate concentrations and evaluated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using teacher-reported symptoms and computerized tests that measured attention and impulsivity.
They found a significant positive association between phthalate exposure and ADHD, meaning that the higher the concentration of phthalate metabolites in the urine, the worse the ADHD symptoms and/or test scores.
Senior author Yun-Chul Hong, MD, PhD, explained that "these data represent the first documented association between phthalate exposure and ADHD symptoms in school-aged children." John Krystal, MD, the Editor of Biological Psychiatry, also commented: "This emerging link between phthalates and symptoms of ADHD raises the concern that accidental environmental exposure to phthalates may be contributing to behavioral and cognitive problems in children. This concern calls for more definitive research."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the Summary of their 2005 Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, state that "very limited scientific information is available on potential human health effects of phthalates at levels" found in the U.S. population. Although this study was performed in a Korean population, their levels of exposure are likely comparable to a U.S. population.
The current findings do not prove that phthalate exposure caused ADHD symptoms. However, these initial findings provide a rationale for further research on this association.
Kim et al. Phthalates Exposure and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in School-Age Children. Biological Psychiatry, 2009; 66 (10): 958 DOI:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.07.034
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119101042.htm

Skin Color Gives Clues to Health
ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2009) — Researchers from the universities of Bristol and St. Andrews in the UK have found that the color of a person's skin affects how healthy and therefore attractive they appear, and have found that diet may be crucial to achieving the most desirable complexion. The work will be published in the December issue of Springer's International Journal of Primatology.
Using specialist computer software, a total of 54 Caucasian participants of both sexes were asked to manipulate the skin color of male and female Caucasian faces to make them look as healthy as possible. They chose to increase the rosiness, yellowness and brightness of the skin.
"Most previous work on faces has focused on the shape of the face or the texture of the skin, but one of the most variable characteristics of the face is skin color," said Dr. Ian Stephen who is now at the University of Bristol.
"We knew from our previous work that people who have more blood and more oxygen color in their skins looked healthy, and so we decided to see what other colors affect health perceptions. This has given us some clues as to what other skin pigments may relate to a healthy appearance."
Skin that is slightly flushed with blood and full of oxygen suggests a strong heart and lungs, supporting the study's findings that rosier skin appeared healthy. Smokers and people with diabetes or heart disease have fewer blood vessels in their skin, and so skin would appear less rosy.
The preference for more golden or 'yellow-toned' skin as healthier might be explained by the 'carotenoid pigments' that we get from the fruit and vegetables in our diet.These plant pigments are powerful antioxidants that soak up dangerous compounds produced when the body combats disease. They are also important for our immune and reproductive systems and may help prevent cancer.
They are the same dietary pigments that brightly colored birds and fish use to show off their healthiness and attract mates, and the researchers think that similar biological mechanisms may be at work in humans.
"In the West we often think that sun tanning is the best way to improve the color of your skin," said Ian Stephen, "but our research suggests that living a healthy lifestyle with a good diet might actually be better."
Melanin, the pigment that causes the tan color when skin is exposed to the sun makes the skin darker and more yellow, but participants in the study chose to make skin lighter and more yellow to make it look healthier.
"This discovery is very exciting and has given us a promising lead into cues to health," said Professor David Perrett, head of the Perception Lab at the University of St. Andrews, where the research took place.
"What we eat and not just how much we eat appears to be important for a healthy appearance. The only natural way in which we can make our skin lighter and more yellow is to eat a more healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables."
Reference 1. Stephen ID et al (2009). Facial skin coloration affects perceived health of human faces. International Journal of Primatology
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103525.htm

Multiple Health Concerns Surface as Winter, Vitamin D Deficiences Arrive
ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2009) — A string of recent discoveries about the multiple health benefits of vitamin D has renewed interest in this multi-purpose nutrient, increased awareness of the huge numbers of people who are deficient in it, spurred research and even led to an appreciation of it as "nature's antibiotic."
On issues ranging from the health of your immune system to prevention of heart disease and even vulnerability to influenza, vitamin D is now seen as one of the most critical nutrients for overall health. But it's also one of those most likely to be deficient -- especially during winter when production of the "sunshine vitamin" almost grinds to a halt for millions of people in the United States, Europe and other northern temperate zones.
Analogs of the vitamin are even being considered for use as new therapies against tuberculosis, AIDS, and other concerns. And federal experts are considering an increase in the recommended daily intake of the vitamin as more evidence of its value emerges, especially for the elderly.
"About 70 percent of the population of the United States has insufficient levels of vitamin D," said Adrian Gombart, a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. "This is a critical issue as we learn more about the many roles it may play in fighting infection, balancing your immune response, helping to address autoimmune problems, and even preventing heart disease."
Those issues were just outlined in a new publication in Future Microbiology, a professional journal, on the latest findings on vitamin D research, at OSU and in many other programs around the world.
Of particular interest are findings made recently by OSU scientists that vitamin D induces the "expression" of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide gene. This explains in part how it helps serve as the first line of defense in your immune response against minor wounds, cuts, and both bacterial and viral infections. Experts believe advances in the use of cathelicidin may form the basis for new therapies.
Once believed to be related primarily to bone health and rickets -- a disease caused by chronic deficiency of vitamin D -- it's now understood that optimal levels of this nutrient influence much more than that.
"Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is a world-wide, public health problem in both developed and developing nations," the new report concluded. "Nearly one billion people world-wide are deficient."
Vitamin D can be obtained from the diet, often through supplemented foods such as milk, but those sources are rarely adequate, experts say. Most people get the bulk of this fat-soluble vitamin from the UV-B radiation in sun exposure, which naturally causes the skin to produce it. However, people with dark skin, infants and almost anyone living north of about 40 degrees latitude -- which is a huge portion of the U.S. population and most of Europe- are often deficient after months of inadequate winter sunshine.
Among the values and observations about vitamin D that are outlined in the new report:

• Low levels of circulating vitamin D are associated with increased risk and mortality from cancer.
• Vitamin D plays an important role in activating the immune system, fostering the "innate" immune response and controlling over-reaction of adaptive immunity, and as such may help control autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Cathelicidin can profoundly boost the innate immune system, and could form the basis for new therapies to combat pathogenic infections.
• The regulation of cathelicidin by vitamin D, a unique biological pathway for the function of vitamin D that could help explain its multiple roles in proper immune function, is so important that it's only known to exist in two groups of animals -- humans and non-human primates -- and has been conserved in them through millions of years of evolution.
• Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for tuberculosis, was historically used to treat it, and analogs of it may provide the basis for new therapeutic approaches not only to that disease but also HIV infection.
• Epidemiological studies show a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased rates of respiratory infection and influenza, and it has been hypothesized that flu epidemics may be the result of vitamin D deficiency.
• Higher levels of a protein linked to vitamin D have been associated with reduced infections and longer survival of dialysis patients.
• Vitamin D has important roles in reducing inflammation, blood pressure and helping to protect against heart disease.

There is still much to explore about the mechanisms of action of vitamin D, the potential use of synthetic analogs of it in new therapies, and its role in fighting infection, Gombart said. Since only primates and humans have the same biological pathways for use of vitamin D to regulate cathelicidin, studies have been constrained by the lack of appropriate animal models for research, he said. OSU scientists hope to address that by creation of a line of genetically modified mice that have some of these characteristics.
One compelling new study just done by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah, and presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association, followed for more than a year nearly 28,000 patients ages 50 or older with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. It found that in patients with very low levels of vitamin D -- compared to those with normal levels -- 77 percent were more likely to die, 45 percent were more likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke.
Research at OSU on vitamin D and cathelicidin has been supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123142735.htm

Diabetics Show Alarming Increase in Morbid Obesity

ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2009) — A Loyola University Health System study has found that one out of five Type 2 diabetics is morbidly obese -- approximately 100 pounds or more overweight.
Researchers reported that 62.4 percent of U.S. adults with Type 2 diabetes are obese, and 20.7 percent are morbidly obese. Among African American adults with Type 2 diabetes, 1 in 3 is morbidly obese.
"The rate of morbid obesity among people with diabetes is increasing at a very alarming rate, and this has substantial public health implications," said Dr. Holly Kramer, a kidney specialist and lead author of the study published online in the Journal of Diabetes and its Complications.
Kramer and colleagues examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys completed during the years 1976 to 2006. The surveys, known as NHANES, included interviews and physical examinations of representative samples of the U.S. population.
Between the survey periods 1976-1980 and 2005-2006, there was a 141 percent increase in the rate of morbid obesity among adults with Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.
Morbid obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. For example, a 5-foot-2-inch adult with a 40 BMI weighs 218 pounds (82 pounds overweight), while a 6-foot-2-inch adult with a 40 BMI weighs 311 pounds (117 pounds overweight).
The greatest growth in obesity has been among diabetics who are morbidly obese. Thus, focusing solely on overall obesity rates "hinders the complete comprehension of this massive public health problem," Kramer and colleagues wrote.
Diabetics already are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, and obesity further increases this risk, especially among women. Obesity also increases other diabetes complications, including end-stage kidney disease. Other obesity complications include sleep-disordered breathing, arthritis and fatty liver disease.
Approximately two-thirds of adults with Type 2 diabetes are obese and about one-third of adults without diabetes are obese. Obesity is defined as having a BMI greater than 30 -- approximately 30 pounds overweight.
Between 1976 and 2006, the average BMI of Type 2 diabetics increased 17 percent, to 34.2. The average BMI of adults without Type 2 diabetes increased 11.5 percent to 28.1. (A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight.)
The average age of adults with Type 2 diabetes increased from 56.7 years in 1976-1980 to 59.9 years in 2005-2006. The percentage of Type 2 diabetics who were men increased from 42.9 percent to 46.3 percent.
Among the reasons for the increase in obesity among diabetics and the overall population are inexpensive food, larger portion sizes and consumption of sugary soda, Kramer said. Stomach-stapling gastric bypass surgery can be a last resort for morbidly obese diabetics who have been unable to control their weight through diet and other lifestyle changes. In many patients, weight-loss surgery can eliminate the need for diabetes-related medications.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114809.htm

Antioxidant Found in Vegetables Has Implications for Treating Cystic Fibrosis

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2009) — Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that a dietary antioxidant found in such vegetables as broccoli and cauliflower protects cells from damage caused by chemicals generated during the body's inflammatory response to infection and injury. The finding has implications for such inflammation-based disorders as cystic fibrosis (CF), diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegeneration.
Through cell-culture studies and a synthesis of known antioxidant biochemistry, Zhe Lu, MD, PhD , Professor of Physiology, Yanping Xu , MD, PhD , Senior Research Investigator, and Szilvia Szép , PhD, postdoctoral researcher, showed that the antioxidant thiocyanate normally existing in the body protects lung cells from injuries caused by accumulations of hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite, the active ingredient in household bleach. These potentially harmful chemicals are made by the body as a reaction to infection and injury. In addition, thiocyanate also protects cells from hypochlorite produced in reactions involving MPO, an enzyme released from germ-fighting white blood cells during inflammation.
They published their finding this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Lu is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
"Dr. Lu's work throws new light on how the genetic defect underlying CF leads to the lung illnesses that are the leading cause of death," said Bert Shapiro, Ph.D., who oversees membrane structure grants at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). "His team's findings suggest that the lungs of people with the disease are more susceptible to the damaging effects of cellular oxidants. While the idea is tantalizing and creative, further testing is needed to confirm it."
The research team demonstrated that in three additional cell types used to extend their ideas to other inflammation-related conditions -- cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and diabetes -- thiocyanate at blood concentrations of at least 100 micromolar (micromoles per liter) greatly reduces the toxicity of MPO in cells, including those lining blood vessels. Humans naturally derive thiocyanate from some vegetables and blood levels of thiocyanate in the general population vary from 10 to 140 micromolar.
This comparison raises the possibility, the authors point out, that without an adequate dietary supply of thiocyanate, hypochlorite produced by the body during inflammation would cause additional collateral damage to cells, thus worsening inflammatory diseases, and predisposing humans to diseases linked to MPO activity, including atherosclerosis.
Connection to CF
For over a decade Lu and colleagues have been exploring the inner workings of ion channels and how this knowledge relates to the pathology of such diseases as CF. The CF disease originates from mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, an ion channel protein in the cell membrane commonly thought to transport mainly chloride ions. It has, however, remained a mystery why a defect in a chloride-transporting channel leads to cystic fibrosis, a disease with exaggerated inflammation in both the lungs and the digestive system.
Lung injuries inflicted by excessive inflammation and recurring infection cause about ninety percent of CF patients' symptoms and mortality. Although known as a chloride channel, CFTR also conducts thiocyanate ions, important because, in several ways, they can limit potentially harmful accumulations of hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite, chemicals produced by the body to fight germs.
In CF patients, there is also a high incidence of diabetes, partly caused by damage to the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes is also associated with higher levels of MPO in the blood. The researchers found that the MPO-caused injuries to pancreas cells and endothelial cells used in their experiments can be greatly reduced by as little as 100 micromolar thiocyanate. Their finding raises the possibility that MPO, in the absence of adequate thiocyanate, contributes to diabetes.
In the cell-based experiments, thiocyanate at concentrations below 100 micromolar did not eliminate hypochlorite accumulation and did not fully protect against MPO toxicity. Conceivably, inadequate thiocyanate levels would aggravate MPO-produced injuries in patients suffering from inflammatory diseases, surmise the authors.
Links to Other Diseases
In other studies, MPO activity has been linked to lung cancers among smokers and also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Intriguingly, people with congenital MPO deficiency are less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. The research team found that MPO-caused injuries to nerve cells, as well as to blood vessel-lining endothelial cells, can be greatly reduced by 100 micromolar thiocyanate.
Genetic defects in the CFTR predispose CF patients' lungs to excessive inflammation entangled with recurring lung infection. Defective CFTR channels would be expected to result in lower thiocyanate concentrations in the affected regions within the respiratory, as well as the digestive systems, leaving tissues inadequately protected from accumulated hydrogen peroxide and overproduced hypochlorite.
Conceptually, delivering thiocyanate directly to the digestive and respiratory systems might be a therapy for CF disease, propose the researchers. As for the general population, individuals with low blood levels of thiocyanate may be at risk for chronic injuries by MPO, predisposing them to inflammatory or inflammation-mediated diseases. Many investigators have proposed developing drugs that specifically inhibit MPO-catalyzed hypochlorite production to combat these diseases, but natural thiocyanate not only decreases MPO-catalyzed formation of hypochlorite but also rapidly, once it is made, neutralizes it.
"In light of the obvious implications of this protective action of thiocyanate against the cell-damaging effect of MPO activity with regard to both CF disease and general population health, my colleagues and I will vigorously investigate the potential health benefit of thiocyanate," says Lu. He emphasizes though, "until the research community acquires a better understanding of both positive and negative impacts of thiocyanate on human health, it would be unwise for anyone to self-administer thiocyanate because like many other chemicals, thiocyanate has adverse side effects at improper doses and/or under inappropriate conditions."
The research was funded by NIGMS and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165741.htm

Pharmaceutical companies write their own drug information labels and leave out side effect information

E. Huff, NaturalNews.com  November 24, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Two doctors from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice recently reported that many prescription drug labels do not contain accurate information about all side effects and the true severity of listed side effects, and they fail to mention that certain medicines are not truly effective.

A long standing problem, drug companies are in charge of writing their own drug information which is then presented to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for final approval. Though tasked with negotiating accurate and sensible wording, the FDA often lets slide inadequate information that is both misleading and outright deceptive.

Lunesta, a prescription sleeping drug created by Sepracor Inc., is touted on its information label as being superior to placebo in alleviating insomniaand inducing restful sleep. Test results from the most comprehensive study performed on the drug revealed that the drug did not reduce insomnia and that there were no meaningful improvements in next-day functioning and alertness as drug advertisements claimed.

Even though the study's findings were provided to the FDA for further review, the FDA allowed misleading information to be published on Lunesta's information sheet anyway. In response to allegations that the company is misleading the public about Lunesta, Sepracor retorted that information above and beyond what is required by the FDA is always available to those who request it.

Rozerem, another insomnia drug produced by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., omitted similar information from its drug information sheet. Though no empirical sleeping improvements occurred in test patients who received treatment with Rozerem, the company did not disclose this fact on the product label. Takeda continues to market the product untruthfully.

Other examples of drug label deception include Novartis' Zometa bone cancer drug. The drug's information label states that ingesting the 8-milligram dose poses a greater risk of kidney damage with no explanation about how great a risk. Truth be told, 33 percent of patients in a test study diedwhen taking the 8-milligram dose of Zometa.

As disturbing as all of this is, it illustrates the grave failure of the FDA in performing its job. Drug companies seemingly run the show from start to finish, researching, manufacturing, and self-regulating their own products. The FDA time and time again has caved at the behest of corporate pressure.

The FDA must be held responsible for its utter failure to function as it should. In direct opposition to its own mission statement which summates its purpose as defender of public health, the FDA operates as a corporate lapdog to pharmaceutical interests. It is time that the people demand the dismantling of this corrupt organization and the formation of a new one.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027564_drug_labels_deception.html

Why U.S. Companies Are Broke: Health Care Costs Rising Another 9 Percent in 2010
David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com  November 24, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Businesses in the United States are expected to spend 9 percent more on health care in 2010 than they did in 2009, according to an annual survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

According to previous surveys, the cost of health care increased by 9.9 percent between 2007 and 2008, then another 9.2 percent between 2008 and 2009.

The economic recession has contributed to the projected increase in health care costs in two ways. First, workers nervous about the possibility of being laid off have began using their health plans more heavily, out of fear of becoming uninsured. Unemployment has also affected health insurance costs by driving increasing numbers of people to public insurance programs such as Medicaid. This has built a significant blow to the profits of private insurers, who have responded by raising the rates that employers are expected to pay.

Employers, in turn, pass costs along to their employees. Forty-two percent of employers surveyed said that they planned to increase employees' premiums, while 41 percent said that they planned to share increasing costs with their workers by changing their coverage plans. Twenty percent said that they planned to implement high-deductible health plans within the next two years.

The survey found that the number of people in high-deductible plans has been increasing, leading directly to lower use of medical services because people can simply no longer afford them.

More than two-thirds of employers in the survey said that they offered wellness or disease-management programs intended to reduce health care costs, although they did not find them very effective at cost reduction. Forty percent of employees said they were enrolled in wellness programs, while 15 percent were enrolled in disease-management programs

Not all factors are pushing costs up, however. Even if no health care reform plan is implemented, the patents on five blockbuster drugs are said to expire in 2010, while even more are set to enter the public domain in the following two years.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027561_health_care_costs_bankruptcy.html

How to Improve Memory Naturally
Barbi Trejo, NaturalNews.com  November 24, 2009 

(NaturalNews) In a BBC article titled, "Herbal Remedies Boost Brain Power," a scientist stated that, "A combination of two ancient herbal remedies can dramatically boost brain power and may have many applications in medicine." Those two herbs are ginkgo biloba and ginseng.

One study revealed that a combination of ginseng and ginkgo biloba was the most effective formula for increasing brain power. A preparation of 60% ginseng and 40% ginkgo was the most effective formula when it came to improving the memory of the study volunteers.

According to Dr Scholey, with the University of Northumbria, "Subjects were able to sustain their concentration for longer. Normally, when people have to concentrate over an extended period of time, their reaction time begins to slow - ginkgo seemed to stop that slowing and one dose actually [sped] them up."

There are few things more precious than memory. Whether it is a memory of that first kiss or recollections of your wedding day, memories are very important. As we age, memories tend to fade and sometimes, memory loss occurs much faster than expected. The ability to remember new information (in the short term and in the long term) is also impaired. Whether the cause is Alzheimer's disease or aging, improving memory is easier than some may expect.

Natural Ways for Improving Memory:

Olive Oil - Olive oil is one of the best foods for improving memory. It is high in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and is also polyunsaturated. With its wide array of benefits, olive oil should be used daily. The suggested dose is 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil mixed with lemon juice (extracted from 1/2 lemon.) The mixture should be taken daily, just before sleeping.

Folate and B Vitamins - To improve memory, consume plenty of foods loaded with B vitamins. Patients with a deficiency in B vitamins and folate demonstrated forgetfulness, memory loss, confusion, dementia and depression.

Honey - Studies show that consuming raw honey can improve memory. It also offers many other health benefits. Raw honey calms nerves and relieves anxiety, thereby promoting relaxation and rest. One to two teaspoons per day is recommended.

Rosemary - Rosemary acts as a decongestant and astringent. It is good for digestion and circulation problems, and it relaxes the stomach. Rosemary isn't just an excellent herb for cooking; it can also relieve headaches and menstrual cramps, and it regulates blood pressure. (See Recipe below)

Ginger - Ginger has long been used as a remedy for stomach distress, as it relieves inflammation, nausea, vomiting and pain, and it increases circulation. Ginger can also cleanse the colon. Ginger also remedies hot flashes, morning sickness and motion sickness. 1 cup per day of ginger tea is recommended.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027562_rosemary_ginger_ginkgo.html

The Flu Fighters—in Your Food

New Research Points to Ways to Boost Immunity by Making Sure Your Diet Has the Right Nutrients

Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2009
While many people are still waiting for swine-flu vaccine to become available in their area, there is a lot they can do in their own kitchens to help fight off disease and build a strong immune system.
Scientists in the growing field of nutritional immunology are unveiling new evidence of the complex role that nutrition plays in fighting off infectious diseases like influenza. A diet rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and zinc, found in seafood, nuts and whole grains, can provide the critical fuel the body needs to fight off disease, heal injuries, and survive illness when it does strike, experts say.
Scientists are still studying all the complex ways in which nutrients interact with the immune system. There is still much that they don't know about minerals such as zinc, for instance, including how they are absorbed and all the roles they play in the body. But scientists do know that certain vitamins and minerals can improve the body's ability to fight off infection: Studies in healthy elderly adults, for example, have shown an improved immune response to vaccination and fewer infections after receiving extra doses of vitamin E.
To create immune cells to fight off a specific infection, the body has to rapidly draw nutrients from the bloodstream, says Anuraj Shankar, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If you don't have an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals, you won't be able to produce the number of immune cells you need, and the immune cells you do produce may be compromised," Dr. Shankar says. That makes it impossible to mount an effective response to infection, he says.
The benefits of good nutrition may have been recognized first by Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician who declared "let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." An 18th century naval surgeon's discovery that citrus fruits could cure scurvy in sailors was later recognized as a vitamin C deficiency, and after the 1930s, when dairies began to fortify milk with vitamin D, the disease known as rickets was virtually eliminated in the U.S.
Researchers warn that malnourished people may be a breeding ground for more dangerous infectious diseases. Animal studies at the University of North Carolina show that in a host with poor nutrition, viruses mutate in the face of a weak immune response to become more powerful. And once those mutations occur, even well-nourished hosts are susceptible to the newly virulent virus. "A lot of people may think malnutrition on the other side of the world isn't their problem," says Melinda A. Beck, a researcher at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. But malnutrition "is a driving force in emerging infectious diseases that are spreading around the world," she says.
The human body doesn't have to be starving to suffer from malnutrition. Studies show that obesity, in addition to its other health risks, may also make people more susceptible to infections like the flu. A diet heavy on processed and fast foods may be low in the vitamins and minerals important for health. And diets that are high in saturated fat appear to actually depress the body's immune response, increasing the risk of infections.
Dr. Beck says studies of mice show that only 4% of lean animals infected with the flu virus die. That compares with a death rate of between 40% and 60% in obese mice infected with the virus. And after a small study showed that obese people vaccinated for the flu didn't mount a strong immune response, the University of North Carolina is expanding its trials to compare vaccination response rates in lean and obese people.

When obese people fall ill, "their immune function may not be strong enough to mount an effective response," says Donald Hensrud, a Mayo Clinic specialist in preventive and internal medicine and editor-in-chief of "The Mayo Clinic Diet," a new book promoting weight loss through a healthy diet that allows unlimited quantities of fruits and vegetables.

Warning on Supplements

Dr. Hensrud and other experts caution against loading up on supplements to add vitamins and minerals to the diet. While a multivitamin is a good addition to any balanced diet, individual supplements and vitamin pills may not be as well absorbed by the body as nutrients in foods. Some supplements also can have toxic effects in too-high quantities. An excess of zinc, for example, can interfere with absorption of other nutrients, including iron and copper. And too much of the mineral selenium can cause nerve damage and has been linked recently to an increased risk of diabetes.
There is no single test to measure if your body has enough vitamins and minerals, and assays for individual nutrients are generally expensive and unreliable. Blood tests used to screen for blood-cell abnormalities can pick up changes that are linked to possible vitamin or mineral deficiencies, but they can't necessarily identify the cause.
Scientists have long known that some vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can play a key role in the immune system by acting as antioxidants. These protect and repair cells from oxidative stress, the damage caused by molecules known as free radicals.
But nutrients work in ways beyond acting as antioxidants, says Dr. Beck. For example, vitamin A can enhance the immune system "by stimulating specific proteins necessary for immune function by activating specific genes," she says. So, if vitamin A is deficient, then the immune cells that require vitamin A to function properly won't work as efficiently. Animal studies show that a deficiency of vitamin B-6, which helps maintain the health of organs that make white blood cells, can decrease antibody production and suppress the immune response. And selenium in small amounts can help stimulate immune cells and may prevent the growth of some tumors.
Nutritional experts generally agree that the best way to get the right balance of nutrients is a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and dietary fiber. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov Web site offers a calculator to determine how many servings are ideal based on calorie needs for age, sex and activity level. Harvard's Nutrition Source Web site includes a healthy eating pyramid based on the most up-to-date knowledge of nutrition requirements. And the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements Web site (dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov) offers detailed information on the risks and benefits of supplements, along with tables that list food sources for each vitamin and mineral.
A survey by the CDC in 2007 showed that the majority of adults consume less than the government's recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. But quantity matters: A 2004 Harvard study of 110,000 men and women showed that people who averaged eight or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than those who had only 1.5 servings daily.
Nutrition experts say to boost immunity it is also important to avoid processed foods, and to minimize trans fats and unhealthy saturated fats from animal products and vegetable oils like palm and coconut. Instead, they say, people should eat foods rich in unsaturated fats such as olive oil.

Contradictory Advice

Some advice for a healthy diet can seem contradictory. For example, heart-healthy diets typically include unsaturated fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish such as salmon and trout and in flaxseed and walnuts. For people who don't want those foods, nutritionists may recommend fish-oil supplements, which can be beneficial in suppressing chronic inflammation in the body, a condition that can lead to coronary artery disease and arthritis.
But those same anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil can also suppress the immune responses necessary to combat an acute viral infection. Studies at the University of North Carolina have shown that mice fed with fish oil have an impaired resistance to infections, including the flu. "If I suppress the immune response and get a viral infection, I'm worse off," says Dr. Beck, who is studying the links between fish oil and resistance to influenza.
One nutrient hard to get in food is vitamin D. Even with the fortification of milk, orange juice and other food products, some experts have been sounding the alarm in recent years about wide deficiencies, especially in children. Tests are available for about $100 to determine vitamin D levels, but their accuracy is in question. And just how much vitamin D different people need is the subject of considerable debate. The federal government's current recommendations range from 200 international units daily for children to 600 IUs for adults, with a safe upper limit of 2,000 IUs daily. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 IUs for children, and vitamin D experts at Oregon State University and elsewhere recommend 2,000 IUs daily for all adults. The Institute of Medicine, a government advisory group, is expected next year to update the recommendations.
Adrian Gombart, a researcher at Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute, says vitamin D, in addition to building strong bones and fighting off a variety of diseases, appears to activate proteins that help the body fight off infection. "Vitamin D won't prevent you from getting the flu, but it might allow you to mount an optimal immune response, suffer less of the effects, and resolve the infection more quickly," says Dr. Gombart, who is researching the nutrient's role in stimulating immune cells.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703819904574553812951678006.html

Obesity associated with reduced omega-3 fatty acid levels
LIFE EXTENSIONS, November 23, 2009
The November, 2009 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition published the finding of researchers at the University of Newcastle in Callaghan, Australia of a relationship between lower levels of plasma omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and greater anthropometric measures associated with obesity in adults.
The researchers recruited 124 men and women between the ages of 18 and 70 for the current study. Fasting plasma samples were analyzed for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and total omega-3 fatty acids. Weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio, fat mass, and fat free mass were determined. Subjects were categorized as being of a healthy weight, overweight, or obese.
Obese participants were found to have significantly lower plasma total omega-3 fatty acids compared to those of a healthy weight. For those in the obese group, lower total omega-3 fatty acids, and lower EPA and DHA separately were correlated with greater body mass index, waist circumference and hip circumference. No significant correlations were observed in the healthy weight and overweight groups.
The authors write that several mechanisms may underlie the association between reduced omega-3 fatty acid levels and obesity, including increased basal fat oxidation, thermogenesis, and greater postprandial satiety. They note that studies involving adolescents and children have uncovered correlations between greater levels of adiposity and reduced plasma omega-3 PUFA and DHA levels, but few studies included adults. “These studies make the basis for conducting more intervention trials in adults examining the influence of dietary supplementation with omega-3 PUFA-rich fats/oils in assisting weight loss and weight maintenance,” they conclude.
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2009_11.htm#Obesity-associated-with-reduced-omega-3-fatty-acid-levels

Resveratrol could prove HRT alternative, study

Nutraingredients.com , 23-Nov-2009

Treatment based on resveratrol could be a safer alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women and could help prevent breast cancer, according to a new study.
The findings of a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistryindicate that resveratrol is the most likely candidate of the phytoestrogens to offer safer HRT and chemoprevention of breast cancer due to its estrogenic activity and high antitumor activity.
Phytoestrogens are natural plant substances found in food that exert weak estrogen-like activity toward mammals, such as daidzein, genistein and glycitein found in soybeans and soy products, coumestrol in mung bean and alfalfa sprouts and resveratrol in grape skins and red wine.
Conflicting views
According to the authors, estrogens with or without progestin have been used for HRT in postmenopausal women, but they increase the risk of breast cancer, and they report that in recent years, phytoestrogen supplements such as extracts from soy and red clover have become attractive as safer alternatives, with their efficacy investigated in clinical trials.
The effects of phytoestrogens on cancer prevention are still controversial. Conflicting reports have clouded the picture about the beneficial effects of soy isoflavones, with some studies indicating that breast cancer cells in mice were stimulated by the isoflavones. But population studies have shown that women with a high-soy diet generally have lower rates of breast cancer.
Objective
The researchers said that, as a result, the aim of this study was to assess the estrogen-like effects and antitumor effects of individual dietary phytoestrogens by analyzing their effects on tumor cell growth, cell cycle and apoptosis (programmed cell death).
 “We also performed experiments with and without E2 (sex hormone estradiol) to simulate premenopausal or postmenopausal status and to acquire useful information for HRT in postmenopausal women and breast cancer prevention in premenopausal and postmenopausal women,” they reported.
Results
While genistein, resveratrol and glycitein all increased apoptosis and reduced the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, resveratrol reduced this ratio more than either genistein or glycitein, found the researchers.
“Because it (resveratrol) stimulated the transcription of endogenous estrogen receptor (ER) and proapoptotic effects, this phytoestrogen is the most promising candidate as an HRT alternative and chemopreventive reagent for breast cancer,” they concluded.
The researchers added that their results indicated that daidzein causes a slight cell-stimulating effect in the absence of E2, which may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women taking supplements containing these phytoestrogens.
The authors said that further research is needed to understand the mechanism by which resveratrol represses cell growth.
Source: Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry  Title: Effects of diverse dietary phytoestrogens on cell growth, cell cycle and apoptosis in estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cells Authors: T Sakamoto, H Horiguchi, E Oguma, F Kayama
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Resveratrol-could-prove-HRT-alternative-study

Yeast ingredient shows promise for reducing airborne allergies

Nutraingredients.com, 20-Nov-2009

Supplementation with a yeast fermentate may improve allergy symptoms like runny nose, according to the results of randomised clinical trial.
A daily supplement of Embria's EpiCor yeast fermentate also reduced the length of time people suffered from nasal congestion by 12.5 fewer days, according to the results of a study published in the Advances in Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal.
Allergic rhinitis is said to impact about 1 in every four people in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in ten Americans suffer from airborne allergies.
At the recent Supply Side West show in Las Vegas, Larry Robinson, VP scientific affairs at Embira, told NutraIngredients that the study supports the ingredient’s claim for “immune balance rather than immune modulation”.
EpiCor and Embria, as the company bringing it to market, were born out of suspicions that the culture could have other uses following farmers' reports that their animals were not getting sick.
Moreover, in 2004 insurance adjusters noticed that Diamond V, Embria's parent company, employees had far lower sick rates than other workplaces. The company thought the culture could be boosting the immune systems of workers who handled it.
Two of the researchers involved in the new study are Embria employees and the company sponsored the study.
Study details
Led by Mark Moyad from the University of Michigan, the researchers recruited 96 healthy people with a history of seasonal allergies and randomly assigned them to receive a daily EpiCor supplement (500 mg of dried, modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or placebo for 12 weeks.
At the end of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial results showed that supplementation with the yeast fermentate led to significant reductions in the severity of allergic rhinitis symptoms, including nasal congestion. A non-significant reduction in the discharge from the eyes was also recorded.
“This yeast-derived product appeared to be safe and efficacious, and should receive more clinical research with and without standard medications to reduce the impact of seasonal allergies, especially allergic rhinitis-induced nasal congestion,” concluded the researchers.
Source: Advances in Therapy  Volume 26, Number 8, Pages 795-804  “Immunogenic yeast-based fermentation product reduces allergic rhinitis-induced nasal congestion: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial” Authors: M.A. Moyad, L.E. Robinson, J.M. Kittelsrud, S.G. Reeves, S.E. Weaver, A.I. Guzman, M.E. Bubak
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Yeast-ingredient-shows-promise-for-reducing-airborne-allergies

Meet flu's rival in kids: respiratory syncytial virus
Last Updated: 2009-11-23 0:01:40 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - With all the public's attention focused on flu, particularly H1N1 swine flu, doctors in Boston are warning that another highly contagious seasonal virus takes a substantially greater toll in some ways than does seasonal flu, particularly in young children.
It's respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and it has been "underappreciated," Dr. Florence T. Bourgeois, of Children's Hospital Boston, told Reuters Health by email. RSV is a common virus that most children get by the time they are 2 years old.
"There's been disproportionate attention given to influenza even though our data show (illness) to be high from RSV," Bourgeois said.
For example, over two recent Boston winters, the investigators found that children aged 7 and younger infected with RSV had twice as many ED visits and six times as many hospitalizations for acute respiratory illness as those infected with seasonal flu.
RSV infections were also twice as likely to result in additional trips to the child's pediatrician and in use of antibiotics, they report today in the journal Pediatrics.
"Based on our findings, a much higher emphasis on RSV prevention is warranted," Bourgeois added.
Many of the prevention measures people are now following for the H1N1 virus -- such as frequent hand washing, using alcohol-based hand-sanitizers, and staying home when sick -- apply to other winter viruses as well, including RSV, the researcher noted.
The economic burden of RSV is also high. Parents of children with RSV, the researchers found, missed nearly 3 times more workdays than parents of children with the flu, and parents of children younger than age 2 were nearly 5 times more likely to miss work when their child had RSV.
During 5 consecutive flu seasons, the Boston team found there were, on average, almost 5,300 annual ED trips for acute respiratory illness among children aged 7 and under. Nearly a quarter of those trips were due to RSV, compared with about 11 percent for influenza.
At the national level, there were an estimated 10.2 visits per 1,000 children for seasonal flu compared with 21.5 visits per 1,000 children for RSV.
Children younger than 2 with RSV had the most ED visits -- 64.4 per 1,000, compared with 15.0 per 1,000 children in this age group infected with influenza.
RSV season started in October, but doesn't peak until January and can last through the spring, "so we are likely to see more of it in the coming months," Bourgeois warned.
H1N1 may turn out to be more severe than the seasonal flu, so the differences between it and RSV may not be as great as those between RSV and the seasonal flu, Bourgeois said. Still, "our results are a reminder that even after the H1N1 epidemic begins to fade, we shouldn't relax our public health vigilance for other seasonal viruses," she noted.
SOURCE: Pediatrics, November 23, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/23/eline/links/20091123elin004.html

US health companies set for record lobbying in 09
Last Updated: 2009-11-20 13:01:03 -0400 (Reuters Health)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It's not just spending on U.S. healthcare that's hitting record levels. Drugmakers, insurers and industry groups are on track to spend an all-time high of more than $500 million this year to influence Congress' revamp of the U.S. healthcare system.
Lobbyists for the healthcare sector will likely smash previous spending records by tens of millions of dollars this year as Democratic lawmakers attempt to reshape the industry by expanding coverage and shaving costs.
"If current trends continue, the health sector is likely to spend more than a half-billion dollars on lobbying in 2009," said The New England Journal of Medicine's Dr. Robert Steinbrook.
As Congress makes a final push for a bill to overhaul the $2.5 trillion healthcare system that fuels one-sixth of the U.S. economy, health companies and industry groups both for and against various proposals are trying to shape the outcome.
The Senate is headed for a test vote on Saturday that will determine if it can proceed to three weeks of floor debate followed by a final vote on an $849 billion, 10-year bill. The House of Representatives has already approved its $1 trillion version of healthcare reform.
Differences between the two bills would have to be reconciled in a potentially long negotiation process, and lobbyists have been jockeying for time with members of Congress and their staff.
Lawmakers, especially Democratic Senators up for re-election next year, have also seen a flood of campaign donations from hospitals, devicemakers and others with billions at stake.
$400 MILLION IN NINE MONTHS
The healthcare sector, which spent $486 million on lobbying in 2008, spent nearly $400 million through September of this year, according to the non-profit group Center for Responsive Politics.
For drugmakers, always among the top spenders in Washington, reform could mean higher sales because more Americans will have insurance coverage to pay for medications. Drug companies such as Pfizer Inc, Merck & Co Inc and others spent a combined $237 million on lobbying last year, an amount they nearly surpassed in the first three quarters of 2009.
"They're on pace to obliterate their totals... due to health reform undoubtedly," said Dave Levinthal, a spokesman for Center for Responsive Politics.
So is the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The powerful group, which represents big drugmakers, is on track to spend more than $30 million this year, Levinthal said.
"It should come as no surprise to anyone that we stepped up our efforts this year," said Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the group which backs most of the Democrats' measures and cemented a $80 billion, 10-year deal of rebates and discounts to help pay for it.
"We have a lot at stake right now. We're talking about fundamentally changing our healthcare system," Johnson said.
Insurers such as UnitedHealth Group Inc and WellPoint Inc ramped up spending to oppose Democrats' plan to create a public insurance option that could rival private plans.
"In all cases, these would be record annual expenditures," said the New England Journal of Medicine's Steinbrook.
POLITICAL DONATIONS FAVOR DEMOCRATS
Like many other U.S. industries, the healthcare sector has generally favored Republican candidates in doling out political campaign cash in recent years.
But that trend changed in the 2008 election that ushered Democrat Barack Obama in the White House with his party controlling the House and the Senate.
The industry gave 54 percent of its political contributions to Democrats in the 2008 cycle, up from 37 percent just two years earlier, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. For the cycle under way ahead of next year's mid-term elections, 59 percent has gone to Democrats.
"They're trying to influence the people who have the power," said Josh Israel, a campaign finance expert at the nonprofit investigative group The Center for Public Integrity.
In the Senate, political contributions are piling up behind a number of Democrats, especially those facing tough 2010 election fights such as Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Democrat Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
Reid has received $615,675 this year ahead of next November's vote, according Federal Election Commission data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics. Lincoln, one of a handful of conservative Democrats who hold crucial votes in the healthcare debate, has taken in $474,950 so far.
And even though the House has already passed its reform bill, healthcare companies are likely to keep up the pressure given House Democrats' slim 220-215 victory on the measure. Every House member is also up for re-election next year.
"The people who have an opinion on either side of this are still going to be pressing the House either way," said Israel. "There's going to be some sort of give-and-take."
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/20/eline/links/20091120elin020.html

Traffic fumes may cause dementia
E. Huff, NaturalNews.com  November 23, 2009 

(NaturalNews) A recent German study published in the journal Environmental Research revealed a definitive link between prolonged inhalation of automobile fumes and inflammation of the brain. An analysis of a group of women found that those who lived closest to busy roads were the most likely to develop memory problems and mild cognitive impairment, indicating the potential onset of fume-induced dementia.

The group from Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf constructed models that measured air pollution and the location of the womens' homes in proximity to roads that were travelled by more than 10,000 cars in a day. Findings revealed that, among women under age 74, those that lived the closest to the busy roads performed the worst on cognition tests.

Since mild cognitive decline can indicate either a transition between normal aging and dementia, further research and follow-up with the women was emphasized. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most widely recognized forms of dementia and researchers continue to investigate its causes.

It is widely accepted that air pollution particles are so small that they are able to pass through the lungs and make their way into the brain. As a result, the brain tissue becomes inflamed and cognitive decline begins to occur. By crossing the blood-brain barrier and lodging themselves in the brain, these particulates are the primary suspect in causing cognitive dysfunction.

Toxic heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury act similarly in that they build up in the body, particularly in the brain, and cause serious problems. Antiperspirant deodorants, baking sodas, food additives, and vaccines commonly contain aluminum derivatives that many claim are the perpetrators in causing brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Vaccines are also often loaded with mercury.

Industry must also strive to develop cleaner forms of energy that cause less of a negative impact upon people. Particularly with automobiles, clean fuel technologies are of critical importance since vehicle exhaust is known also to induce asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

One would do best to live as far away from busy roads and polluted areas as possible and to integrate an ongoing detoxification regime into his or her lifestyle. By continually ridding the body of lodged toxins with supplements such as chlorella, spirulina, and garlic, the potential for excessive toxin buildup is virtually impossible. By perpetually cleansing the body, it will be better able to fend off harmful disease despite inevitable exposure to various toxins.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027557_traffic_fumes_dementia.html

Green tea eases stress and fatigue from overworking
Paul Louis, NaturalNews.com  November 23, 2009 

(Natural News) Green tea has an impressive of list of health benefits. Studies have reported that green tea can help prevent Alzheimer's, certain cancers, and improve cardiovascular health. Some health experts have asserted that green tea can help alleviate stress as well.

But until recently there has not been a large scale study on stress reduction with green tea. A large scale study in Japan linking green tea with stress reduction was recently published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 

The research team from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine was led by Atsushi Hosawa. The study included 42,093 Japanese individuals. Just under seven percent of the study population, 2,774, suffered from psychological stress. The research team determined that consuming sufficient quantities of green tea improved their psychological well-being. 

Those who drank five cups of green tea per day showed considerably less psychological distress than those who drank less than a cup a day. These results were calculated after making adjustments for variables such as age, diet, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and disease histories.
The benefits of polyphenols
Because this was strictly an epidemiological study, no effort was made to determine the bioactive components that achieved the observed results. Green tea leaves contain polyphenols. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant that combats the oxidative stress associated with neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. 

The four primary polyphenols found in fresh green tea leaves are: epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epicatechin (EC), andepigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

An earlier Japanese animal model study uncovered a link between EGCG and recovery from stress-induced fatigue. The researchers subjected rats to physical stress trials. They administered EGCG orally to the rats and discovered a significant reduction of liver oxidative damage, which stress and fatigue create. The research results were published in the journal Nutrition.

Stress and workaholic fatigue have been increasing worldwide. Consuming more green tea daily may offer a low-cost solution for stress management. 
http://www.naturalnews.com/027553_green_tea_stress_reduction.html

New study connects fiber-rich diet and intestinal bacteria with strong immune system
S. L. Baker, NaturalNews.com  November 23, 2009 

(NaturalNews) You probably know that getting enough fiber in your diet can keep constipation at bay and it can lower high cholesterol levels, too. Now Australian researchers have found another reason why the indigestible part of plant-based foods, known as roughage, is good for you -- it plays an important role in keeping your immune system healthy and in preventing specific diseases.

When fiber moves through the digestive tract it remains mostly unchanged, working as a type of internal broom. Then, in the colon, bacteriainteract with roughage. Fermentation takes place, producing compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which are known to help soothe ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory gut condition. Probiotics and prebiotics, beneficial bacteria found in kefir, yogurt and nutritional supplements, affect the healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been documented to help the symptoms of two other inflammatory diseases, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. 

But what is the connection between fiber, "good" intestinal bacteria and the healing of disorders marked by inflammation? In a study just published in the science journal Nature, Sydney-based scientists say they've found the answer to that question. They've discovered a mechanism that explains how a plant-based diet rich in fiber works with beneficial gut bacteria and the immune system to promote health and potentially prevent a host of diseases.

Kendle Maslowski, a PhD student, and Professor Charles Mackay from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, working in collaboration with the Co-operative Research Center for Asthma and Airways, have demonstrated that a molecule dubbed GPR43 expressed by immune cells and previously shown to bind SCFAs reduces inflammation. They found that mice lacking the GPR43 gene have increased, unresolved inflammation in their bodies because their immune cells can't bind to and use SCFAs.

So how does this information translate into helping human health? "We're now beginning to understand that from the moment you're born, it's incredibly important to be colonized by the right kinds of gut bacteria. The kinds of foods you eat directly determine the levels of certain bacteria in your gut," Maslowski explained in a statement to the press. "Changing diets are changing the kinds of gut bacteria we have, as well as their by-products, particularly short-chain fatty acids. If we have low amounts of dietary fiber, then we're going to have low levels of short chain fatty acids, which we have demonstrated are very important in the immune systems of mice." 

Professor Mackay pointed out in the press statement that the notion what you eat might have profound effects on immune responses and inflammatory diseases has never been taken seriously enough. "We believe that changes in diet, associated with western lifestyles, contribute to the increasing incidences of asthma, Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. Now we have a new molecular mechanism that might explain how diet is affecting our immune systems," he stated.

The scientists conclude that their current research provides compelling reasons to eat a diet rich in unprocessed whole foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. "The role of nutrition and gut intestinal bacteria in immune responses is an exciting new topic in immunology, and recent findings including our own open up new possibilities to explore causes as well as new treatments for inflammatory diseases such as asthma," said Professor Mackay.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027551_intestinal_bacteria_immune_system.html

It's already too late to shut the door on GM foods
E. Huff, NaturalNews.com  November 23, 2009 

(NaturalNews) A report from the British Royal Society has been released that urges support for genetically-modified foods by the British public in order to address what it deems the world's growing demand for food. The report also reveals the disturbing reality about just how far genetically-modified (GM) foods have already penetrated the food supply in England, despite widespread public rejection of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) roughly a decade ago.

Over the years, Brits have been led to believe that their diets are GMO-free. Truth be told, nearly two-thirds of the roughly 2.6 million tons of soythat is imported into the United Kingdom each and every year is GM and most people there are entirely unaware of it.

Though used primarily for animal feed, GM soy has been making its way into the British food supply for years due to the fact that manufacturers and retailers are not properly tracking the source of their soy, allowing GM soy to make its way into the human food chain. GM soybean oil, for example, is now being heavily used by catering companies in preparing food.
GM foods found in "GMO-free" products
Further disturbing is the fact that although British products that contain GM ingredients must be labeled as such, GM ingredients are being found in all kinds of products labeled "GMO-free". Many varieties of GM soy are being found in food as well, despite the government's approval of only Monsanto's RoundUp Ready soy.

GMOs of any kind have been shown to be harmful and, whenever presented to the public as a viable alternative to the "food crisis", they are uniformly rejected. Nevertheless, many officials and regulators continue to wage support for artificial food that is verifiably dangerous to human health, claiming it is going to make its way into food anyway and that there is no way to control contamination.

The goal of the Royal Society report is to garner support for a practice that is already taking place against the will of the people, an effort that is designed to indoctrinate the public into wholehearted endorsement for GMOs in the food supply in order to solve the problems of world hunger.

Officials, representatives, and groups opposed to GMOs continue to lobby against such a hypothesis, claiming that GMOs serve no legitimate purpose in alleviating world hunger. They aim to convey the powerful truth that global hunger is actually caused by the likes of GMO companies likeMonsanto who continue to gain increasing power over the world's food supply.

Data reveals that roughly 82 percent of the global seed market has intellectual property rights attached to it, meaning the seeds have been patented and are owned by one of a handful of AgroScience companies. Additionally, six companies – Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, BASF, and Dow – control about 75 percent of the global agrochemical market.

John Fagan, chief scientist of food certification company Cert-ID, believes that government hype over a perceived inability to control GM contamination is contrived. Noting his company's status as the leading certifier of non-GMO soy imported from Brazil, he emphasizes that managing ingredient supply chains is perfectly attainable. To claim otherwise, he says, is "nonsense".

Opposition against efforts to standardize GMOs continues to mount, yet many now realize that GMOs have so severely penetrated the food chain that it may be next to impossible to identify where they are hiding.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027547_GM_foods_soy.html

Promoting healthy skepticism in the news: Helping journalists get it right
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, November 20, 2009
An editorial published online November 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute discusses the exaggerated fears and hopes that often appear in news coverage of cancer research. The editorial provides guidance for both the media and journals to help alleviate the problem.
Lisa M. Schwartz, M.D., M.S., and Steven Woloshin, M.D., M.S., of Center for Medicine and the Media at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in New Hampshire, and Barnett S. Kramer, M.D., editor-in-chief of the JNCI, use recent media coverage of two studies from the New England Journal of Medicine and the JNCI to demonstrate their point.
Coverage of trial results of the new anti-cancer drug olaparib, which appeared in the NEJM, exaggerated hope in many ways. One national news outlet claimed the drug "was the most important cancer breakthrough of the decade," but failed to note that the study was uncontrolled (so there is no way to know if the drug accounted for the findings), and very preliminary (it is not known if the findings will ever translate into longer life).
The editorialists also point to coverage of a JNCI article on alcohol consumption and cancer risk among women, which may have caused unwarranted fear: "A drink a day raises women's risk of cancer," read one newspaper headline. Unfortunately, the coverage did not provide the magnitude of the risk. Comparing the highest level of drinking (≥15 drinks a week) to the lowest (one to two drinks per week), the investigators observed a 0.6% absolute increase in the risk of breast cancer diagnosis: from 2% to 2.6% for more than 7 years.
Journalists are not the only ones to blame, though, according to the editorialists. Medical journals sometimes leave important elements out of studies. In many cases, absolute risks and study limitations are omitted from the abstracts and journal press releases.
To help journalists and medical journals, the editorialists include tip sheets with guidance on questions to ask study authors, the interpretation of common statistics, and ways to highlight study limitations.
The tip sheets are posted on a new JNCI Web site for science writers:http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/jnci/resource/reporting_on_cancer.html
"We hope that efforts—within medical journals and those directed toward journalists—will help foster healthy skepticism in the news," the authors write. "Namely, setting a higher bar for covering very preliminary or inherently weak research, routinely providing data to support claims, and always highlighting study limitations."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/jotn-phs111709.php

Flaxseed oil and osteoporosis
Inderscience Publishers, November 23, 2009
Animal studies suggest that adding flaxseed oil to the diet could reduce the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women and women with diabetes, according to a report to be published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health.
Mer Harvi and colleagues at the National Research Center, in Cairo, Egypt, have studied the effect of diabetes on bone health and evaluated how flaxseed oil in the diet might delay the onset of osteoporosis. The researchers studied 70 female albino rats of which 30 had their ovaries removed (ovx) to simulate the post-menopausal state and experimental diabetes was present in one group of rodents.
The researchers then classified the rats as control, sham, diabetic, diabetic received flaxseed oil in the diet, ovx, ovx-diabetic and ovx-diabetic received flaxseed oil in the diet.
After two months, the team collected urine and blood samples from the rats and measured serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and the bone-creating protein osteocalcin. They found that these two compounds were present at higher levels in the ovx and the diabetic ovx groups, but much lower in the non-ovx diabetic group. The concentrations of IGF-1 and osteocalcin could be raised to normal levels by adding flaxseed oil to the diet.
The team also found that the levels of deoxypyridinoline in the urine were raised in the diabetic group. Deoxypyridinoline is normally present in healthy bone and its presence in urine is a specific marker for bone resorption associated with osteoporosis. Levels of this marker compound fell when the rats were given flaxseed oil.
The team concludes that diabetes has a more pronounced effect on bone health than ovariectomy and so may suggest that diabetes in post-menopausal women may also be a greater risk factor for osteoporosis than the decline in sex hormones associated with the menopause. However, their results suggest that flaxseed oil has a beneficial effect on bone mineral density and reduces markers associated with osteoporosis, suggesting that this dietary supplement could be beneficial to women with diabetes in reducing their risk of osteoporosis.
The team explains that the presence of so-called "n-3 fatty acids" in flaxseed oil may play a role in protecting the processes of matrix formation and bone mineralization, which are apparently compromised by diabetes and the menopause. "We recommend further investigations using animals and humans to confirm the effect of using dietary flaxseed oil to improve bone health and to prevent osteoporosis," Harvi and colleagues conclude.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/ip-foa112309.php

Fat around the middle increases the risk of dementia

University of Gotenberg, SWeden, NOV 16, 2009
Women who store fat on their waist in middle age are more than twice as likely to develop dementia when they get older, reveals a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The study has just been published in the scientific journal Neurology.
"Anyone carrying a lot of fat around the middle is at greater risk of dying prematurely due to a heart attack or stroke," says Deborah Gustafson, senior lecturer at the Sahlgrenska Academy. "If they nevertheless manage to live beyond 70, they run a greater risk of dementia."
The research is based on the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, which was started at the end of the 1960s when almost 1,500 women between the ages of 38 and 60 underwent comprehensive examinations and answered questions about their health and lifestyle.
A follow-up 32 years later showed that 161 women had developed dementia, with the average age of diagnosis being 75. This study shows that women who were broader around the waist than the hips in middle age ran slightly more than twice the risk of developing dementia when they got old. However, the researchers could find no link to a high body mass index (BMI).
"Other studies have shown that a high BMI is also linked to dementia, but this was not the case in ours," says Gustafson. "This may be because obesity and overweight were relatively unusual among the women who took part in the Prospective Population Study."
The study was carried out at the Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit as part of the Sahlgrenska Academy's major research project EpiLife.
DEMENTIA
The most common symptoms of dementia are forgetfulness, impaired speech and problems with recognition and orientation. It is a condition that can affect all our mental faculties and which is more common as we get older. Around seven per cent of the Swedish population over the age of 65 and just over 20 per cent of the over-80s have severe dementia.
http://www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/news_and_events/news/News_Detail/Fat_around_the_middle_increases_the_risk_of_dementia_.cid905120