Nutrition News

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

This study, according to the authors, “provides, for the first time, experimental evidence obtained in humans to support observational studies that diets rich in cruciferous vegetables may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and other chronic disease.”
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002568

Check out the Center for Health and Nutrition Research (http://chnr.ucdavis.edu), a new website launched by the Nutrition Department at the University of California, Davis. Its goal is “to promote the health of Californians by identifying the roles of California fruits, vegetables and nuts in providing vitamins and other phytochemicals that can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.” The site features nutrition fact sheets and ongoing updates on current nutrition research.

Get your kids to bed early. This newest study looked at the sleeping habits of young children ages 6 months to 2 years. Children in this study who averaged fewer than 12 hours a day of sleep were significantly more likely to be overweight at age 3 than those who slept longer. (You must register at this site to view the abstract.)
http://pediatrics.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2008/514/3?q=topic.nutrition&eaf

This small study on six healthy men and women investigated the magnitude at which a morning bolus of fructose-containing sugars would increase lipogenesis—the process of fat synthesis in the liver. The authors conclude: “Acute intake of fructose stimulates lipogenesis and may create a metabolic milieu that enhances subsequent esterification of fatty acids flowing to the liver to elevate triglyceride synthesis postprandially.”
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/138/6/1039

More exercise keeps off more weight, according to this study on 201 overweight and obese women involved in a weight-loss program. After six months, the women in the study who had maintained the highest weight loss were exercising an average 254 minutes a week, or 55 minutes a day 5 days a week.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67418.html

New evidence-based practice guidelines for overweight adults have recently been published by the American Dietetic Association. Access them at:
https://www.adaevidencelibrary.com/topic.cfm?cat=2798&library=EBG

When exposed to the abundance of food in our modern environment, why do some people gain weight and others don’t? This study found that children who responded more to food cues and were less responsive to feelings of satiety after eating had higher body mass index and waist circumference than children who did not exhibit these behaviors. Find details at
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/1/22

Dark chocolate really can benefit the heart. This randomized, placebo-controlled, single blind crossover trial in 45 healthy adults found decreased blood pressure and improved endothelial function (a measure of cardio protection) when subjects consumed dark chocolate containing 22 grams of cocoa powder. Sugar-free products tended to augment the beneficial effects of the cocoa. Find the study details at:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/1/58

Proceedings of the “Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health” can be found in the upcoming Supplement to the August 2008 Journal of Nutrition:
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/vol138/issue8/

This intriguing study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that 75 of 100 children with milk allergy tolerated heated milk. The researchers explain that heating milk destroys “conformational epitopes” which are often the target of IgE antibodies in milk allergy.
http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(08)01111-1/abstract