JANUARY 2007

THAT BOTTLE OF COLA may be bad news for your bones. New research at Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging links cola consumption to lower bone mineral density in older women, which increases risk osteoporosis.…

Read>>

MARCH 2008

THOUGH NOT AS WELL-KNOWN as other members of the vitamin alphabet, vitamin K could prove to be a weapon against the inflammation associated with chronic diseases such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    APRIL 2006

IN A TURNAROUND that shouldn’t come as a big surprise to readers of the Healthletter, the American Heart Association (AHA) has concluded that soy protein has little or no effect on risk factors for heart disease—though it can still be a healthful replacement for animal protein high in saturated fat. Our December 2005 Special Report spotlighted growing doubts about soy protein, once touted as a “magic bullet” against a variety of health problems. Now the AHA has officially joined those backing off from the soy bandwagon, updating a 2000 scientific statement that endorsed soy protein’s potential for reducing cardiovascular risk.…

Buy>>

MAY 2007

A NEW DUTCH STUDY suggests that menaquinone-4, a form of vitamin K, may be another tool to help maintain bone strength in postmenopausal women,…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    MAY 2006

THE INK WAS HARDLY DRY on the controversial news about low-fat diets from the Women’s Health Initiative (see last month’s Healthletter) when a second arm of the study reported more results that seemed to contradict conventional medical wisdom: In a sevenyear trial of 36,282 postmenopausal women, researchers found no significant benefit from calcium and vitamin D supplementation in preventing hip fractures.…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    DECEMBER 2005

VITAMIN D HAS BEEN shown to reduce the risk of bone fractures in the elderly—but is the Recommend Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin D enough to do the job?…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    JUNE 2006

JUST BECAUSE that “sports drink” features athletes in its ads doesn’t mean it’s your healthiest choice to quench your thirst. In fact, a new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption ranks sports drinks near the bottom.…

Buy>>

SEPTEMBER 2007

Women wanting to beat osteoporosis are better off looking in the dairy case for help than on the vitamin shelf. So says a new study that showed women who get most of their daily calcium from dietary sources have stronger bones than those whose calcium comes mostly from supplements—even when the pill-poppers consume more milligrams per day.…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    DECEMBER 2007

A new study in the UK has shown that a diet rich in fish, fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fats— the main components of what is sometimes called the “Mediterranean diet”…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    JUNE 2006

Level 1: Water The Beverage Guidance panel notes that all beverage needs for adults can be met with water. RECOMMENDATION: 20-50 ounces per day.…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    MAY 2006

Latest advice from the Women’s Health Initiative for menopausal women…

Buy>>

JULY 2008

A brisk walk may not exactly lead you to the fountain of youth—but a new research review suggests it’s a good start. According to the report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, vigorous walking for about an hour a day, five times a week, can boost your maximal oxygen intake by as much as 25% within just three months. That’s enough to turn back the clock on 12 years of natural decline with aging. For seniors, it could also add a dozen years of functional independence.…

Read>>

AUGUST 2008

ARE YOU GETTING enough fruits and vegetables to keep your muscles strong as you age? If you’re like most Americans, the answer is probably no.Although you surely already know something about the health benefits of foods from plants, that mention of muscles may surprise you. But new Tufts research suggests that fruits and vegetables rich in potassium may help preserve muscle mass in older adults.Loss of muscle mass with aging leads tosarcopenia, a condition first identified by Tufts scientists that’s associated with frailty and increased risk of dangerous falls.…

Read>>

DECEMBER 2008

There’s more to bone health than you think. A new Tufts study has uncovered a surprising new force in the fight against osteoporosis: vitamin C.…

Read>>

MARCH 2009

Here’s yet another reason to steer your grocery cart down the produce aisle: Fruits and vegetables may protect your bones by balancing an excess of acid in your body, a common condition as you age. In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endo -crin ology and Metabolism, Tufts researchers report that bicarbonate supplements reduced the bone resorption and calcium excretion that occur when the acid/base (alkaline) balance of the body is tilted to the acidic. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables would have the same effect, explained Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of the Bone Meta bolism Labo - ratory at Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.

Read>>

APRIL 2009

Natural pigments found in plants, called carotenoids, may help protect against bone loss in older men and women, according to new research led by Tufts epidemiologist Katherine Tucker, PhD. In addition to the familiar beta-carotene, Tufts researchers and colleagues at Boston University and Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston examined potential effects on bone mineral density of carotenoids including alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene and lutein plus zeaxanthin.

Read>>

JUNE 2009

Add another finding to the confusing cocktail of research on alcohol and health: Moderate drinking, particularly beer and wine, is associated with greater bone density, which could help combat osteoporosis and reduce the risk of disabling fractures. Researchers led by Tufts’ Katherine L. Tucker, PhD, report that postmenopausal women who consumed two drinks a day or more had 5%-8.3% better hip and spine bone-mineral density (BMD) than nondrinkers. Men who drank one or two alcoholic beverages a day had 2.4%-4.5% better hip BMD than their teetotaling peers.…

Read>>

AUGUST 2009

Although other research has raised hopes that vitamin D might help protect against certain cancers, the news about vitamin D and skin cancer from the recent Society for Investigative Dermatology conference was decidedly mixed. On the one hand, researchers reported that people with the highest blood levels of vitamin D seem to enjoy some protection against non-melanoma skin cancer. In a second study, however, increased vitamin D intake failed to protect against melanoma. In any case, the “sunshine vitamin” doesn’t seem to compensate for the sun’s damaging effects on the skin.…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    SEPTEMBER 2009

Can calcium help you lose weight? With purveyors of dairy products and nutritional supplements alike marketing calcium as close to a “magic bullet” for weight loss, many a desperate dieter might hope so.…

Buy>>

JANUARY 2010

Could your hip bones use a little tofu? Scientists report that moderate intake of soy—at least the amount found in about 1.75 ounces of tofu—was associated with reduced risk of hip fractures among women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. That’s an amount of soy “higher than the low levels of consumption in the West,” noted lead researcher Woon-Puay Koh, MD, of the National University of Singapore.…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    MARCH 2010

Cutting back on salt to fight high blood pressure may have a happy side effect: reducing calcium loss, thereby benefiting bone health and helping ward off osteoporosis. A new Australian study of 92 women, ages 45 to 75, with pre- or stage-1 hypertension found that those who reduced dietary sodium intake also reduced urinary calcium excretion.…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    APRIL 2010

The quintessential vegetable of spring, asparagus has been credited in folklore with curing everything from toothaches to infertility. In more recent Internet lore, asparagus has been touted as a remedy for hangovers and a cure for cancer.…

Buy>>

MAY 2010

Vitamin D’s important role in bone health, already linked to protection against osteoporosis, may extend to joints and prevention of the most common form of arthritis. A new study reports that men with insufficient vitamin D levels were twice as likely to have hip osteoarthritis as those with normal vitamin D.…

Read>>

JULY 2005

CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS, which many people take to help ward off osteoporosis, may have a beneficial side effect: A new study reports that calcium supplements protect against the development of colon polyps, which can turn cancerous. Perhaps most surprisingly, this protective effect seems to persist for as long as five years after people discontinue taking the calcium supplements.…

Read>>

MAY 2006

OSTEOPOROSIS SCREENING can lead to drug or hormone treatment that reduces the risk of debilitating fractures. But the women who could most benefit from such screening are the least likely to get it, according to a new study. Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee found that as women age—and become at greater risk for osteoporosis—they are less likely to be screened for the bone-thinning condition. In an analysis of 44,000 women, the investigators found that 27% of those age 66 to 70 got screened in a three-year period. But less than 10% of the oldest women, ages 80 to 90, were screened.…

Read>>

DECEMBER 2007

IF YOU’RE ATTRACTED by the idea of trying magnets for pain relief, a new British meta-analysis says to save your money.…

Read>>

MARCH 2007

IN OTHER LABELING NEWS from the FDA, the agency announced plans to simplify one of the very first health claims authorized in 1993 by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, on the benefits of calcium in preventing osteoporosis. …

Read>>

AUGUST 2005

BESIDES THE many other benefits of getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D, researchers now suggest that combination may reduce women’s likelihood of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Although previous studies had found calcium might reduce the severity of PMS, this is the first evidence that calcium plus vitamin D—which helps the body absorb calcium—could actually help ward off the syndrome.…

Read>>

DECEMBER 2008

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is catching up with the importance of vitamin D in building strong bones (see the Special Report in the October 2008 Healthletter). …

Read>>

JUNE 2010

Despite advances in pharmaceutical treatments for osteoporosis, diet and lifestyle remain women’s first line of defense, according to a new statement by the North American Meno - pause Society. The society recommended periodic review of seven key measures plus annual assessment of fall risk after menopause.…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    JANUARY 2006

SOMETIMES IT SEEMS science moves in zigzags, taking a step backwards for every two steps forward. What once appeared a promising breakthrough turns out to be a disappointment—or worse. This past year, for instance, was filled with news dashing scientists’ once-high hopes for vitamin E as a weapon against an array of ailments.…

Buy>>

…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    FEBRUARY 2007

THE BUZZ at last fall’s SupplySide West, a new-product showcase that drew 7,200 foodindustry professionals to Las Vegas, was all about “functional” foods. That’s a term—along with “nutraceuticals,” another catchprase for such food products—you’ll be hearing a lot more about this year.…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    MARCH 2008

THIS ISSUE marks the completion of the 25th year of publishing for the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter—a quarter-century that’s seen nutrition science not only make repeated breakthroughs but also take firm hold in the public’s mind.…

Buy>>

AUGUST 2005

FOR YEARS, dermatologists have taught us to view the sun as a big, bright cancer-causing machine. We’ve been taught to slather on sunscreen at everhigher SPF levels, don hats and dodge those deadly solar rays. In case that message has been lost on anyone, earlier this year the American Academy of Dermatology launched a “Don’t Seek the Sun” campaign, reminding us of the grim statistics: 1 million cases of skin cancer annually associated with the sun, including some 7,700 deaths from melanoma.…

Read>>

JANUARY 2008

MOST OF US heard the dire warnings about coffee when we were growing up: Drinking coffee would “stunt your growth,” mom lectured, her tone darkly hinting this was perhaps the least of coffee’s health hazards.…

Read>>

$ 1.95   |    JANUARY 2005

A new surgeon general’s report warns of a coming osteoporosis crisis. Simple lifestyle changes you make now can help keep you from becoming part of the problem.…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    JANUARY 2005

How do you know if you’re at risk for osteoporosis? While everyone should be aware of the importance of healthy bones, scientists have identified several key factors that put a person at i n c reased risk of osteoporosis, says Dr. Dawson-Hughes:…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    JANUARY 2005

The best-known prevention step against osteoporosis is of course getting plenty of calcium—it’s also probably the easiest lifestyle step to achieve. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, depending on your age, the right amount of calcium is between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams daily.…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    JANUARY 2005

The emphasis on calcium to build s t rong bones sometimes obscures the i m p o rtance of another essential ingredient in bone health and osteoporosis prevention: vitamin D.…

Buy>>

$ 1.95   |    JANUARY 2005

The third key to osteoporosis pre v e ntion is weight-bearing exerc i s e . “Weight bearing,” Dr. Dawson- Hughes explains, means any activity done in a full standing-upright position.…

Buy>>

FEBRUARY 2005

Getting older does not mean inevitable loss of strength, energy and vigor. The frailty we associate with aging is largely due to muscle loss, which results mainly from inactivity. Here are seven exercises designed to get you started on your journey to greater strength, balance and coordination.…

Read>>

MAY 2006

Aging does not have to be synonymous with illness or disability. The onset of most chronic degenerative conditions we associate with old age is governed by your genetic heritage – which you’re stuck with – and your lifestyle, which you can do something about. Understanding these ten “biomarkers” is a crucial first step towards making the changes essential to extending your life span.…

Read>>

OCTOBER 2008

If you’re concerned about calcium, you may be worrying about the wrong thing.
Everywhere you turn these days, marketers and medical experts alike seem to be pushing calcium. Especially as you get older, you’re constantly reminded to get enough calcium. Store shelves teem with calcium supplements, and even antacid makers promote their benefits for bones as well as tummies.…

Read>>

July 2010

Confirming a previous observational study by Tufts researchers, results from a small randomized controlled trial show that drinking diet cola may cause your body to lose calcium, putting you at greater risk for bone fractures and osteoporosis. Noelle Larson, MD, of Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported the findings at a conference of the Endocrine Society. Concerned about possible harm as she observed women drinking two-dozen or so diet colas a week, Dr. Larson recruited 20 healthy women, ages 18 to 40, and randomly assigned them to drink 24 ounces of either diet cola or water on two study days. Three hours after the beverage, urine was collected and analyzed. Among the 16 participants on whom data was analyzed, excretion of calcium as well as phosphorus was significantly higher in the diet-cola group. A negative calcium balance in the body is a marker of risk for low bone-mineral density. The earlier Tufts study, which focused on older people, found that drinking cola — but not other soft drinks — was associated with lower bone-mineral density in women, though not in men.…

Read>>

July 2010

The jury's still out on mental "exercises" to protect your aging brain, but evidence keeps mounting that physical activity does help prevent cognitive decline. A new Canadian study suggests that the earlier in life you get off the couch and get moving, the better for your brain in later years. Researchers analyzed data on 9,344 women, average age 71.6, participating in an osteoporosis study who were also assessed using a standard test for cognitive ability. Women who reported that they were physically active in their teens — even if they slacked off later in life — were the least likely to have developed cognitive impairment. But if you started your workout routine late, don't despair: Women who were inactive as teens but began exercising at age 30 or age 50 also had lower odds of cognitive impairment compared to lifelong couch potatoes, although not to the degree seen among those active as teens. Researchers cautioned that the study wasn't designed to show cause and effect. Given the proven health benefits of exercise, however, knowing your brain might also benefit is more motivation to break a sweat. — Journal of the American Geriatrics Society…

Read>>

April 2010

Despite advances in pharmaceutical treatments for osteoporosis, diet and lifestyle remain women's first line of defense, according to a new statement by the North American Menopause Society. The society recommended periodic review of 7 key measures plus annual assessment of fall risk after menopause. The 7 diet and lifestyle keys to reducing postmenopausal risk of bone loss and osteoporotic fractures cited by the organization are:
* Maintaining a healthy weight
* Eating a balanced diet
* Obtaining adequate calcium (1,200 mg per day at age 50 and beyond) and vitamin D (800 to 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per day)
* Participating in appropriate exercise
* Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption
* Not smoking
* Taking measures to prevent falls.
…

Read>>

February 2010

Vitamin D's important role in bone health, already linked to protection against osteoporosis, may extend to joints and prevention of the most common form of arthritis. A new analysis of data on 1,104 older men in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study reports that men with insufficient vitamin D levels were twice as likely to have hip osteoarthritis as those with normal vitamin D. Participants, who averaged almost 78 years old, had their blood levels of vitamin D measured and then, about 4.5 years later, underwent pelvic radiography to look for signs of arthritis in the hips. Men with insufficient vitamin D were also found to have slower walking speeds and greater hip pain. More research is needed on the relationship between vitamin D and arthritis, the investigators noted. One previous study failed to find a link between vitamin D levels and worsening of knee osteoarthritis, while a second study did find an association, especially in patients with decreased bone mineral density in the spine. — Arthritis & Rheumatism…

Read>>

November 2009

Cutting back on salt to control high blood pressure may have a fortuitous side effect: reducing calcium loss, thereby benefiting bone health and helping ward off osteoporosis. A new Australian study of 92 women, ages 45 to 75, with pre- or stage-1 hypertension found that those who reduced dietary sodium intake also reduced urinary calcium excretion. The 14-week trial put one group of women on a high-carbohydrate, low-fat regimen, while the others followed a diet similar to the low-sodium DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan. All the women got 800 milligrams of calcium per day. The DASH group's diet was also designed to lower the body's acidic levels, while the other diet was acid-promoting. While calling for further research, scientists concluded, "The fall in urinary calcium with the lower-sodium, lower-acid load diet is likely to have long-term beneficial effects on bone." — British Journal of Nutrition …

Read>>

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 …

Read>>

June 2009

What helps your heartburn may be bad news for your hip bones, according to new research. A study comparing 40,000 people on acid-reducing medications with 130,000 not on the drugs found that victims of hip fractures were 30% more likely to be taking proton-pump inhibitors, such as Prevacol, Nexium and Prilosec. People who'd suffered fractures were 18% more likely to be on H2RA heartburn medications such as Zantac. Even short-term use increased the fracture risk, researchers reported at the Digestive Disease Week conference. The findings follow a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that linked use of proton-pump inhibitors for five years or more to a greater risk of hip fractures. Scientists advised patients taking heartburn drugs to use the lowest effective dose, noting that the new study found risks lower for lesser doses. Those at risk for osteoporosis should consult their physicians about other treatment options.— Digestive Disease Week …

Read>>

January 2009

Natural pigments found in plants, called carotenoids, may help protect against bone loss in older men and women, according to new research led by Tufts epidemiologist Katherine Tucker. The four-year study tracked changes in bone mineral density at two areas of the hip and lumbar spine of 603 volunteers, average age 75, participating in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. Intake of carotenoids, particularly lutein, was associated with protection against bone loss at the hip in men and at the lumbar spine in women. The researchers concluded that carotenoids may explain, in part, the previously observed protective effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on bone mineral density.—American Journal of Clinical Nutrition …

Read>>