Fructose linked to fatty artery deposits, study says
By Neil Merrett
6/28/2007 - Overweight males consuming fructose-sweetened drinks have a higher risk of developing fatty deposits in the arteries compared to those drinking products containing glucose, according to a new study.
The findings could put further pressure on the industry to rethink how it formulates its products, particularly as consumers have become increasingly concerned about the effects of additives and ingredients.
In the University of California at Davis study participants were put on a balanced diet of 30 per cent fat and 55 per cent complex carbohydrates. Of the study group, 13 drank glucose-sweetened drinks as well, while the other 10 consumed only fructose-based products.
After just two weeks of the nine week study, Kimber Stanhope and his fellow researchers found that post-meal blood fat levels had increased in the fructose group, while levels in those consuming glucose-sweetened dropped.
Continue reading "Fructose linked to fatty artery deposits, study says" »
Low-carb diet bad for gut health?
By Stephen Daniells
6/19/2007 - Eating a low-carbohydrate diet, like the once fashionable Atkins diet, may adversely affect the numbers of certain types of bacteria in the gut of obese men, Scottish researchers have reported.
The study, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, again raises concerns about the impact of the prolonged use of very low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets on gut health.
Low carb diets have lost popularity amongst the public with critics saying that the approach puts followers at a higher risk of clogged arteries and heart attack in the long-term.
Food allergies rise 12-fold in Australian children
By George Reynolds
6/19/2007 - Food allergies in Australian children have risen 12-fold since 1995 and there is an "urgent need" for further research into the trend, according to a new study.
The study provides processors with a view of the dietary requirements of consumers of the future and the potential scale that a contamination problem involving allergy-triggering ingredients could have.
A "dramatic increase" in the number of children hospitalized as a result of anaphylaxis - the most severe and potentially deadly type of food allergy, was also found during the study, published this month.
Continue reading "Food allergies rise 12-fold in Australian children" »
Cocoa Powder Reduces Cholesterol Levels
06/13/2007
by Kyle Bradley
SAITAMA, Japan—Polyphenols in cocoa powder such as catechins and procyanidins may contribute to a reduction in “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, an elevation in beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and the suppression of oxidized LDL, according to research published in The Journal of Nutrition (137:1436-1441, 2007). A study from Food and Health R&D Laboratories here evaluated plasma LDL cholesterol and oxidized LDL concentrations following the intake of different levels of cocoa powder in normocholesterolemic and mildly hypercholesterolemic humans. The comparative, double-blind study examined 160 subjects who ingested either cocoa powder containing low-polyphenolic compounds (placebo-cocoa group) or 3 levels of cocoa powder containing high-polyphenolic compounds (13, 19.5 and 26 g/d for low-, middle- and high-cocoa groups, respectively) for four weeks. Blood samples were collectedat baseline and four weeks after intake of test beverages forplasma lipid measurement.
Plasma oxidized LDL concentrations decreased in the low-, middle- and high-cocoa groups comparedwith baseline. A stratified analysis performed on 131 subjects with LDL cholesterol concentrations of 3.23 mmol/L or higher at baseline showed decreases in plasma LDL cholesterol, oxidized LDL, and apo B concentrations, while plasma HDL cholesterol concentration increased relative to baseline in the low-, middle- and high-cocoa groups.
September 28-30, 2007 - Annual Celiac Sprue Association Conference
In recognition of October as Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Celiac Sprue Association invites experts from a broad spectrum of disciplines relating to celiac disease and the required gluten-free diet to share current information. Researchers, healthcare professionals, dietitians, authors, chefs, restaurant owners, and gluten-free food vendors from across the United States participate in this annual educational event.
Calcium + D May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
by Heather Granato
BOSTON—Higher intakes of calcium and vitamin D appear to be related to a lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer, according to researchers from Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School (Arch Intern Med, 167:1050-59, 2007). Using data from the Women’s Health Study, researchers evaluated total calcium and vitamin D intake in relation to breast cancer incidence among 10,578 premenopausal and 20,909 postmenopausal women aged 45 years or older who were free of cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline. During an average of 10 years of follow-up, 276 premenopausal and 743 postmenopausal women had a confirmed diagnosis of incident invasive breast cancer. An inverse association was seen between total calcium and vitamin D intake and premenopausal breast cancer; the hazard ratios in the group with the highest relative to the lowest quintile of intake were 0.61 for calcium and 0.65 for vitamin D. The researchers also suggested the apparent protection in premenopausal women may be more pronounced for more aggressive breast tumors. No protective associations were seen in the postmenopausal group.
Recent Posts
- Fructose linked to fatty artery deposits, study says
- Low-carb diet bad for gut health?
- Food allergies rise 12-fold in Australian children
- Cocoa Powder Reduces Cholesterol Levels
- September 28-30, 2007 - Annual Celiac Sprue Association Conference
- Calcium + D May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk