Nutrition News

Nutrition Updates
August 2008
Barbara Quinn, MS, RD, CDE

How do stress and hunger affect weight and the quality of the food we eat? This analysis of American eating habits by the United States Department Agriculture (USDA) finds that “when individuals extend the period between meals or consume more of their food away from home, they are significantly more likely to consume more calories and lower diet quality.”
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR62/

In the interest of food safety, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently announced its final rule to allow for irradiation of fresh lettuce and spinach. Find the announcement at:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cfsup185.html

What are the long-term benefits of breastfeeding? This qualitative review of observational studies finds that infants who were breastfed initially may have improved blood cholesterol levels later in life.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/2/305

“Vitamin D and health in the 21st Century: An Update” was the topic of this recent conference sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Find the summary at:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/2/483S

What effect does dietary fiber have on intestinal transit time and body weight? This study tested the effects of specific dietary fibers in 10 overweight patients to demonstrate that palatable mixtures of dietary fibers can help decrease body weight and normalize stool consistency.
http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowAbstract&ArtikelNr=138127&Ausgabe=238713&ProduktNr=223977

Are B-vitamin supplements helpful in the treatment of coronary artery disease? This randomized double-blind controlled trial on 3096 adults with coronary artery disease in 2 Norwegian hospitals found no significant effect of treatment with folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ or vitamin B₆ on total mortality or cardiovascular events. The authors conclude: “Our findings do not support the use of B vitamins as secondary prevention in patients with coronary artery disease.”
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/300/7/795

What are the characteristic risk factors associated with obese children? This retrospective medical review of young children ages 1-4 years referred to a medical clinic found that severely obese children more frequently had an obese mother, had not been breastfed, and had a higher reported intake of juice than normal-weight children. Find the complete report at:
http://www.nmanet.org/images/uploads/Publications/OC884.pdf

Moderate wine consumption appears to have a healthful effect on cardiovascular health. But what is the mechanism? This study on 20 healthy volunteers found several positive effects of resveratrol—the primary polyphenol in wine. Moderate intakes (300 milliliters per day) of red or white wine showed positive effects on vascular function.
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/138/9/1602

This supplemental edition of the Journal of Nutrition reviews proceedings from a recent symposium on the effects of nuts on health:
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/138/9S-I/1736S

Other juices besides grapefruit juice may change the effectiveness of certain medications, according to this research presented at the American Chemical Society. Orange juice and apple juice, among others, can lower the body’s absorption of some medications.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68317.html