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August 2012
Foods rich in antioxidant vitamins C and E and selenium may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer — a poorly understand cancer that’s often diagnosed too late for effective treatment, making prevention especially important. British researchers report that people consuming more dietary vitamins C and E and selenium (but not zinc) were at 67% lower risk for pancreatic cancer than those in the lowest one-quarter of intake. The fact that higher risk was seen only in the lowest intake group suggests a “threshold effect,” scientists commented, beyond which extra antioxidants offered no further protection. If a causal connection is confirmed, however, 1 in 12 such cancers could be prevented by getting more than the lowest level of dietary antioxidants. Researchers compared 49 participants in the large EPIC-Norfolk study who developed pancreatic cancer with 3,970 healthy controls. In contrast to previous negative findings with antioxidant supplements, scientists added, “food sources of these nutrients may have different effects.” — Gut…
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June 2012
In what researchers said was the first clinical trial to test raisins’ effects on blood pressure, people with prehypertension who ate a handful of raisins three times a day sharply reduced their blood pressure. The study, presented at an American College of Cardiology conference, compared snacking on raisins to cookies or crackers among 46 people with slightly elevated blood pressure. Levels ranged from 120/80 to 139/89 mmHg. Over 12 weeks, the raisin-munching group lowered systolic pressure (the top number) as much as 10.2 mm Hg. Scientists at the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center noted that raisins are high in potassium — 212 mg in about 60 raisins — which is known to lower blood pressure. Dietary fiber in raisins (one gram in 60 raisins) and antioxidants might also contribute to the dried fruits’ apparent blood-pressure benefits.
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March 2012
After your fish dinner, maybe your brain would like some chocolate for dessert. A new study — funded by Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate maker — finds that a chocolate drink high in flavanols (the antioxidants in dark chocolate associated with heart health) enabled subjects to complete memory-related tasks with less brain strain. The randomized, controlled, double-blind trial compared three strengths of flavanol-laden beverages over 30 days on 63 volunteers, ages 40-65. No difference was seen in tests of mental accuracy and reaction time. When subjects’ brain activity while tackling the tests was monitored with CT scans, however, those in the middle and top groups of flavanol supplementation showed less mental effort. The amount of cocoa flavanols in the tested beverages ranged from 500 mg in the top group, in 10 grams of dark, high-flavanol chocolate, to almost zero. — Physiology and Behavior
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February 2012
A tomato of a different color may put more antioxidants on your plate. Oregon State University scientists have developed a purple-skinned tomato, dubbed the “Indigo Rose,” that’s high in anthocyanins, pigments with antioxidant properties typically found in berries. The Indigo Rose is the result of a hybridization program that began back in the 1960s with the crossbreeding of standard tomatoes and wild varieties from Chile and the Galapagos Islands. (The purple tomatoes, scientists pointed out, are not genetically modified.) Despite its striking hue, the Indigo Rose “tastes just like a tomato,” researchers say. They added a caution about the extra anthocyanins: “They have many varied effects on human health, but while they are powerful antioxidants in the test tube, we don’t really know whether they have an antioxidant effect in the human body.” The Indigo Rose is available for home gardens from several seed catalogs.
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December 2011
A diet rich in antioxidants, especially from fruits and vegetables, could help reduce your risk of suffering a stroke. A new Swedish study of 36,715 women reports that over an average 11-year followup, those initially free of cardiovascular disease who consumed the most dietary antioxidants were 17% less likely to have a stroke. Among the 5,680 participants already diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, when results were fully adjusted for other risk factors, those consuming the most antioxidants were 46%-57% less likely to have a stroke. Researchers said this was the first study to connect antioxidant intake with stroke risk among people with cardiovascular disease. Participants with the highest antioxidant consumption, measured by food-frequency questionnaires at baseline, ate fruits and vegetables twice as often and drank 17 times more tea than those with the lowest intake. — Stroke
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December 2011
Your heart may benefit from drinking juice rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, according to a new pilot study. Researchers from Scotland, Germany and Coca-Cola (which owns Minute Maid juice) tested a polyphenol-rich juice on 39 middle-aged overweight volunteers for 4 weeks. While one group got only a placebo, another drank 500 ml daily of juice containing polyphenols from green tea, grape and apple juice, citrus and other sources. When tested using a technique known as proteomics, the juice group showed at least four-fold positive differences in levels of 27 protein components. Of these, 7 have been linked to improved artery health and lower risk of coronary artery disease. Scientists cautioned that this was only a pilot study, but said the findings should encourage further research on polyphenols. — Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry
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December 2011
Instead of a glass of warm milk before bedtime, someday it may be routine to sip some tart cherry juice. Researchers in England and South Africa report that two glasses of tart cherry juice a day improved “sleep efficiency” and extended sleep time in a small randomized controlled trial. They divided 20 healthy volunteers, average age 26.6, into two groups: One group drank 30 ml of tart Montmorency cherry juice concentrate, diluted with 200 ml of water, in the morning and in the evening, for seven days, while the control group got a placebo. The cherry-drinking group saw 5-6% increases in sleep efficiency and slept an average 34 minutes per night longer, while the control group actually slept less than before the trial. Scientists suggested that the tart cherry juice might affect sleep by increasing levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, which rose in the test group. Antioxidants in tart cherry juice, previously shown to boost recovery after exercise, might also be helpful at bedtime. — European Journal of Nutrition
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September 2011
Getting enough antioxidant vitamins and minerals might help protect your aging brain, according to a new French study. Researchers looked at 4,447 participants, initially ages 45-60, in the Supplementation in Vitamins and Mineral Antioxidants randomized trial from 1994-2002. In 2007-2009, participants underwent a battery of cognitive tests. Those who had been in the antioxidant supplement group scored better in episodic memory and verbal memory (only nonsmokers or those with initial low vitamin C). That group had received 120 mg of vitamin C, 6 mg of beta-carotene, 30 mg of vitamin E, 100 micrograms of selenium and 20 mg of zinc daily. The results, researchers said, support the importance of getting adequate antioxidant nutrients. — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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June 2011
Could a cup of hot chocolate help fight cholesterol? In more good news about the heart-healthy benefits of the cocoa found in dark chocolate, Spanish researchers report that daily consumption of 40 grams (about 1.4 ounces) of cocoa powder in about 2 cups of skim milk improved cholesterol levels. They tested 42 volunteers, average age 70, over two 4-week periods. When participants got cocoa in their skim milk instead of plain milk, they saw a 5% increase in good HDL cholesterol and a 14% reduction in oxidized bad LDL cholesterol. The polyphenol antioxidants in cocoa, researchers speculated, might bind to LDL cholesterol particles and keep them from being oxidized; when oxidized, LDL becomes even more dangerous, able to react with surrounding tissues and produce inflammation. — Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease
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May 2011
Harvard researchers report that men who regularly drink coffee appear to have a lower risk of developing a lethal form of prostate cancer. The study looked at data on 47,911 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who reported their coffee consumption every four years from 1986 to 2008. During the study period, 5,035 cases of prostate cancer were reported, including 642 fatal or metastatic cases. Men who consumed the most coffee (six or more cups daily) had nearly a 20% lower risk of developing any form of prostate cancer. The inverse association with coffee was even stronger for aggressive prostate cancer: Men who drank the most coffee had a 60% lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer, and even drinking one to three cups of coffee per day was associated with a 30% lower risk. The reductions in risk were seen whether the men drank decaffeinated or regular coffee, so compounds in coffee besides caffeine, such as antioxidants, appear to be responsible. — Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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January 2011
Antioxidants in your diet may help reduce your risk of the most common kind of stroke, according to new Italian research. Among 41,620 study participants, those with diets highest in total antioxidant capacity (a measure of several different antioxidant compounds and their interactions) were 59% less likely to suffer an ischemic stroke over about 8 years. More than half the antioxidants in the diet of the study population came from coffee, wine and fruit. Vitamin C intake was especially associated with lower ischemic-stroke risk, but the link between antioxidants and reduced risk remained even after controlling for vitamin C — ruling out vitamin C as the sole factor in the relationship. Researchers couldn't explain the mechanism for any protective benefit from antioxidants, but suggested it could be related to effects on the vascular system or reductions in blood pressure. Hemorrhagic stroke risk was not lower with greater antioxidant capacity, however, and in fact increased with higher intake of the antioxidant vitamin E. Researchers cautioned that the small number of cases (48, versus 112 ischemic strokes) limited the validity of any conclusions about hemorrhagic stroke. — Journal of Nutrition
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September 2010
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says two leading makers of green-tea beverages are going too far with health claims for their drinks. The agency issued warning letters to Canada Dry, bottler of Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale, and Unilever, maker of Lipton Green Tea. According to the FDA, the fortified ginger ale fails to meet government requirements to claim that it's "enhanced with 200 mg of antioxidants from green tea and vitamin C." Moreover, the agency "does not consider it appropriate to fortify snack foods such as carbonated beverages." In its letter to Unilever, the FDA also cited antioxidant labeling claims on Lipton Green Tea, as well as a company website touting four studies that show cholesterol benefits from tea. That suggests Lipton tea is designed to treat or prevent disease, the agency warned — a regulatory no-no. Both companies said they look forward to working with the FDA to address the issues.
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September 2010
Could a serving or two of spinach or lettuce a day help keep diabetes away? That's the suggestion of a new meta-analysis linking consumption of green leafy vegetables with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Participants who ate the most green leafy vegetables — an average of 1.35 servings daily — were 14% less likely to develop diabetes than those consuming the least (an average 0.2 servings daily). Researchers identified six prospective cohort studies that met their strict criteria, with a combined 223,512 subjects. The ages of participants ranged from 30 to 74, while study lengths ranged from 4.6 to 23 years (an average 13.4 years). Four of the studies specifically examined intake of green leafy vegetables, and all showed a benefit of consuming greater quantities. An overall trend was also seen toward reduced diabetes risk with higher consumption of fruits and of fruits and vegetables overall, but the data weren't strong enough to be statistically significant. Possible factors in protecting against diabetes, researchers speculated, might be veggies' high levels of antioxidants, magnesium and alpha-linolenic acid. — BMJ…
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June 2010
Kellogg's health claims for its Rice Krispies cereal have officially snapped, crackled and popped. In an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the company said it would drop claims that Rice Krispies "help support your child's immunity" and labeling about added "antioxidants and nutrients that your family needs to help them stay healthy." The settlement expands upon an agreement last July over health claims for another Kellogg brand, Frosted Mini-Wheats, which the company had touted as "clinically shown to improve kids' attentiveness by nearly 20%." Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the FTC, said in a statement, "We expect more from a great American company than making dubious claims — not once, but twice — that its cereals improve children's health." In settling the FTC inquiry, Kellogg promised not to make "claims about any health benefit of any food unless the claims are backed by scientific evidence and not misleading."…
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June 2010
Adding to a growing body of evidence of nuts' potential heart-health benefits, Penn State researchers report that pistachios not only lower "bad" LDL cholesterol but also pack a potent antioxidant punch. Pistachios contain higher amounts of antioxidants, including beta-carotene, g-tocopherol and lutein, than most other nuts, which may help pistachios combat inflammation in the body. Researchers tested 28 volunteers, ages 35-61, with mildly high LDL levels on a low-fat control diet and diets with one and two daily servings of pistachios (ranging from a little over an ounce of nuts to about four and a half ounces daily). After four weeks on each test diet and two weeks on a baseline Western diet, participants had lower LDL levels when eating pistachios than when on the low-fat diet; LDL levels on two daily servings of nuts were also lower compared to the baseline measurements. Blood levels of lutein, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and g-tocopherol were also boosted by eating pistachios. Researchers concluded, "Beneficial effects on multiple cardiovascular-disease risk factors would be expected to reduce cardiovascular-disease risk beyond that achieved by decreases in LDL-cholesterol alone through lowering cholesterol and the benefits of the antioxidants in the nuts." — Journal of Nutrition
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