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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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February 2010
If you like your coffee with a little milk, Nestle scientists say go ahead: You don't have to worry about missing out on the antioxidants in coffee that are increasingly being linked to possible health benefits. Adding sugar and non-dairy creamer, however, did reduce the levels of coffee antioxidants subsequently measured in the bodies of nine test subjects. The effect of milk and other additives on the body's absorption of antioxidants from coffee and tea has been the subject of several previous but conflicting studies. Trying to settle the debate, scientists tested blood for antioxidants after the subjects drank black instant coffee, instant coffee plus whole milk, and instant coffee plus nondairy creamer and sugar. Adding milk made no difference, but the creamer plus sugar reduced maximum concentrations of the compounds tested as well as the time required to reach that maximum. Before you go crazy on the cafe au lait, though, keep in mind that when you add whole milk to coffee you're also pouring in 9 calories and 0.28 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. — Journal of Nutrition
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December 2009
The herbal treatment ginkgo biloba struck out in another major test, this time of its purported ability to prevent heart attacks and strokes. University of Pittsburgh researchers, who last year found no benefit for ginkgo in preventing dementia, tested 120 milligrams of ginkgo, twice daily, versus a placebo in a randomized trial among 3,069 participants age 75 and older. Over a six-year period, 385 participants died, 164 suffered heart attacks, 151 had strokes, 73 had mini-strokes and 207 reported chest pain. There was no significant difference between the ginkgo and placebo groups in any of those outcomes. One possible bit of good news for ginkgo, however, was a possible benefit against peripheral artery disease (PAD): Of the 35 study participants treated for PAD, 23 were in the placebo group versus 12 receiving ginkgo — a statistically significant difference, researchers noted. It had been thought that antioxidants in ginkgo, particularly flavonoids, might help prevent cardiovascular ailments; with the possible exception of PAD, however, this seems not to be the case. — Circulation
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October 2009
Cold and flu season is also pneumonia season, so you might want to settle in with a nice cup of green tea — just in case. New Japanese research reports a link between green tea consumption and reduced risk of dying from pneumonia, at least for women. Scientists at Tohuku University studied 21,493 women and 19,079 men, ages 40 to 79 and free of chronic disease at the start of the research. Over more than 12 years of follow-up, 408 participants died from pneumonia. Women drinking five or more cups of green tea daily were 47% less likely to die of pneumonia, and even those sipping just a cup or so were at 41% lower risk. The same association was not seen in men, however. Researchers suggested that antioxidants in green tea might help combat the growth of viruses and other microorganisms. Further study is needed, they cautioned, before promoting green tea from your pantry to your medicine cabinet. — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition…
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September 2009
Your morning cup of tea could be helping to keep your cells young — especially if you follow it up with a couple more cups each day. Hong Kong researchers report that people who drink an average of three cups of tea daily have longer telomeres — DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten with aging — than those averaging a quarter-cup daily or less. The difference corresponds to the equivalent of about five years of life, the researchers said, adding: "The antioxidant properties of tea and its constituent nutrients may protect telomeres from oxidative damage in the normal aging process." The study involved 976 men and 1,030 women over the age of 65 and measured both green and black tea consumption. The majority of tea consumed, however, was the green variety that's higher in natural antioxidants called polyphenols. — British Journal of Nutrition…
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September 2009
Eating whole-grain cereal for breakfast or snacking on popcorn does more than just add fiber to your diet, according to new University of Scranton research: Whole-grain cereals and snacks also contain surprisingly high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols, rivaling such well-known antioxidant sources as fruits and vegetables. Scientists took a fresh look at the antioxidant content in whole-grain foods, measuring total antioxidants rather than just "free" antioxidants (those not bound to sugar). The findings were an eye-opener, perhaps helping to explain the health benefits of whole grains beyond their fiber content. Whole-grain cereals scored the highest, with oat varieties containing the most antioxidants, followed by corn and wheat. Popcorn proved the champ among snacks, delivering five times the antioxidants of any other snack tested; snacks that were more heavily processed, such as tortilla chips, lost much of their original antioxidant benefits. — American Chemical Society…
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September 2009
Carrots and broccoli could be weapons against non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system and strikes 50,000 Americans every year. Mayo Clinic researchers have found that higher intake of antioxidants — vitamin C, alpha-carotene and proanthocyanidins — found in yellow-orange vegetables and cruciferous vegetables was associated with a 22%-30% lower risk of NHL. Scientists studied 35,159 participants in the Iowa Women's Health Study, initially ages 55 to 69; over 20 years, 415 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma were diagnosed. Women eating the most fruits and vegetables overall (about 7 daily servings or more) were at 31% lower risk than those eating the least. Specifically, high intakes of yellow-orange veggies (at least 14 servings per month) and cruciferous veggies such as broccoli (at least 4 servings monthly) were associated with a 28% lower risk of NHL. But getting antioxidants in pill form failed to deliver the same benefits — no risk reduction was associated with mulivitamin or antioxidant supplement use — leading scientists to conclude that the NHL protection "is likely to be mediated through food." — International Journal of Cancer…
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July 2009
Antioxidant vitamins and resistance-training exercises could help postmenopausal women protect against bone loss. In a small six-month pilot study, Canadian researchers found that women taking supplements of vitamin E and C and/or exercising suffered no loss of bone-mineral density (BMD) in the hip or spine, while a control group did see bone deterioration. The study split 34 women, average age 66.1, into four groups: antioxidant supplements (600 mg vitamin E plus 1,000 mg vitamin C), antioxidants plus exercise, placebo plus exercise, and placebo with no exercise. Only the placebo group not also on an exercise regimen experienced significant BMD loss, at the spine. The antioxidants plus exercise group saw no additional benefits from the combination. While cautioning that further research is needed, the scientists pointed to Tufts research published earlier this year that showed intake of other antioxidants—carotenoids, especially lycopene—similarly was associated with reduced bone loss.—Osteoporosis International
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June 2009
The evidence for health benefits from consuming whole grains keeps adding up. Now Italian researchers report that switching from refined grains to a diet higher in whole wheat and fiber may help improve your cholesterol. The scientists tested 15 healthy volunteers, average age 54.5 and slightly overweight, on two equal-calorie diets: One regimen contained processed grains and 9.8 grams of daily fiber; the other diet emphasized whole-wheat foods and contained 23.1 grams of daily fiber. After three weeks on one diet, then a two-week "washout" period, the subjects switched over to the other diet. When consuming the whole-grain, high-fiber diet, subjects' total cholesterol levels were 4.3% lower than on the refined-grain plan, and their LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels were 4.9% lower. No difference was seen, however, in glucose and insulin metabolism, antioxidants status or inflammation markers.—Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease…
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May 2009
Controversial new research in Germany suggests that supplements of antioxidants such as vitamins C and E may block the metabolic benefits of exercise and could even increase diabetes risk. Researchers compared two groups of exercisers, one of which received 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E daily. After four weeks, the group getting antioxidant vitamins showed no improvement in insulin sensitivity—a normal diabetes-fighting benefit of exercise. When exercise causes muscle cells to burn glucose, oxygen gets consumed much as in a fire; some highly reactive oxygen molecules escape in this process, but the body has natural mechanisms to mop them up. Researchers theorized that the antioxidants might short-circuit the body's own defenses against this "free-radical" oxygen. "If you exercise to promote health," they concluded, "you shouldn't take large amounts of antioxidants." Natural antioxidants in foods rather than pills, however, are in lower doses and come with other nutritional benefits.—Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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May 2009
Rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, salmon swam into first place in a new survey of New York nutritionists asked to name foods they'd recommend as not only nutritious but offering distinct health benefits and good value. The poll of members in the New York State Dietetic Association ranked oats number-two because of high fiber, "a powerhouse nutrient, known for aiding with digestion [and which] also helps fight disease, and may lower the risk for high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and cancer." Coming in third were blueberries, rich in antioxidants and vitamins, for their "ability to protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process." Rounding out the nutritionists' top-five foods were two dairy products: low-fat milk, for its calcium and vitamin D content, and low-fat yogurt with added probiotics, which aid digestion.—NYSDA…
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April 2009
Could a daily handful of walnuts help keep your brain sharp as you age? That's the suggestion from new Tufts research, although the study involved rats and has yet to be confirmed in humans. Weight-matched, aged rats were randomly assigned to receive special chow mixes containing from zero to 9% walnuts. After eight weeks, the rats on the 2% and 6% walnut diets showed improvements in age-sensitive tests of motor and cognitive skills. In a human, the 6% walnut diet would be about the equivalent of eating an ounce of walnuts, seven to nine nuts, daily. It's thought that the essential fatty acids and polyphenols and other antioxidants in walnuts might benefit neural tissue. But don't go wild on walnuts: The rats on the 9% diet actually did worse on tests of "reference" memory.—ARS…
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March 2009
Maybe that pleasant sensation as you swallow a sip of wine is just your throat's way of saying thanks. Three new studies, published in the same scientific journal, find that moderate wine consumption is associated with lower risk of all stages of esophageal cancer. Drinking one glass of wine a day, for example, was linked to a 56% reduced risk of Barrett's esophagus, a precursor to cancer of the esophagus. Other researchers found that people drinking five to nine glasses of wine per week were 55% less likely to develop esophagitis, 8% to 16% less prone to adenocarcenoma, and 21% less likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Although none of the studies could prove cause-and-effect, the consistency of results across the cancer spectrum suggests causality, experts noted. Researchers theorized that antioxidants in wine might neutralize the oxidative damage caused by reflux disease (GERD), a risk factor for Barrett's esophagus.—Gastroenterology…
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January 2009
Have a glass of wine with that fish. A new European study finds that moderate wine consumption—one glass a day for women, two for men—may boost the body's metabolism of the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. The results may provide an additional explanation for why moderate wine drinking has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. In the study of 1,604 adults, ages 26 to 65, from Italy, Belgium and England, moderate wine drinkers tended to have higher blood levels of omega-3s—even after accounting for varying fish intake. Because wine had a greater association with omega-3s than other alcoholic drinks, the scientists suggest that other components in wine, such as polyphenol antioxidants, may be the key, rather than alcohol.—American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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November 2008
Don't count on antioxidant vitamin pills to protect your heart. A eight-year
study of 14,641 men, average age 64, concludes that neither vitamin C nor
vitamin E supplements was more effective than a placebo in preventing heart
disease. Unlike most previous studies that tested vitamins C and E in
combination with other antioxidants, this new research investigated each
separately--but with similarly disappointing results. "Our findings add to
the growing consensus about vitamin E and C's lack of cardiovascular
protection," the scientists commented.Journal of the American Medical Association
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