May 2009
View or print a copy of the entire May 2009 issue of Environmental
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Research Roundup: 05/09
Subscribers Only Omega-3 supplements can reduce blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) as much as statin medications. CRP is a marker for inflammation and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the University of California, Davis and the U.S. Department of Agriculture studied 34 middle-aged men with elevated blood triglyceride levels. Half took three grams a day of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid; the other half got olive oil as a placebo. After 90 days, those taking DHA saw their CRP levels drop by 15%—almost as much as the 15% to 25% seen with statins.
Much (Well Deserved) Ado About Mangoes
Subscribers Only The most popular fresh fruit on the planet, mangoes originated in South Asia, where it was once revered as sacred. Every part of the mango tree and its fruit have been used in folk remedies there. It may surprise you to learn that the mango (Mangifera indica) is in the same family as cashews and pistachios. The sweet yellow-orange flesh of a mango is packed with a powerful cocktail of 20 different health-protective nutrients. A one-cup serving of sliced mango is an excellent source of vitamins A and C plus 3 grams of fiber. In addition, mangoes provide a variety of antioxidant carotenoids like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, which lend mangoes the sunny color of their flesh.
No Matter How You Shake It, All Salts Are Mostly Sodium Chloride
Subscribers Only One level teaspoon of table salt contains about 2,400 milligrams sodium, about the maximum recommended daily. Based on much research, some experts believe that half that—1,200 milligrams a day or ½ teaspoon—is best for lowering high blood pressure. Keeping sodium intake that low is not necessarily dependent on the salt you shake, because 70% of intake is from processed foods. Kosher salt and some sea salts have larger crystals than regular table salt, so you get less actual salt—and therefore sodium—per teaspoon. Kosher salts, for example, contain anywhere from one-fifth to one-half the amount of sodium per teaspoon as in regular salt.
Multiple Sclerosis Diet Still an Elusive Goal
Subscribers Only In the late 1980s, Roy L. Swank, M.D., Ph.D., proposed a diet for MS, sparking a bestseller. More recently, The MS Recovery Diet (Avery Press, 2007) has made a splash. Both diets advise limiting saturated fats while increasing polyunsaturated fats. Swank’s diet singles out omega-3 fats as beneficial. And it makes sense that omega-3s, a type of polyunsaturated fat, might be beneficial because their actions are anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive. In fact, one study found that a very low-fat diet (15% of calories), supplemented with omega-3s, provided moderate benefit to people with the type of MS that flares up and remits over time.
Think Red, Not Pink or White, for a Healthful Pasta Sauce
Subscribers Only It’s been 85 years since Chef Hector Boiardi packaged and sold his restaurant’s popular seasoned tomato sauce, along with pasta and grated cheese—all for 66 cents. Because his name was difficult to pronounce, he called it Chef Boyardee. Today, convenience, economy and family-wide appeal are still three main reasons why store-bought sauces sell well. But they can be nutritious too; tomato-based sauces are an excellent source of the carotenoid lycopene. A little fat in the sauce—or elsewhere in the meal—aids absorption of this powerful antioxidant. Store shelves these days include organic sauces, "no salt added" options and innumerable variations with onions, garlic, mushrooms, spinach or peppers, all of which add flavor and nutrition. But watch out for hidden dangers, like sky-high sodium levels and added sugar. Beware the new trend of restaurant sauce wannabes, like Alfredo and vodka sauces; often they are too high in fat and calories. The latest packaging innovation features sauces in microwavable pouches. Touted for their convenience, these plastic pouches are not recyclable and are twice the price of jarred sauces.
Balancing Alcohol’s Unique Mix of Health Benefits and Health Risks
Subscribers Only The controversy over alcohol rages on. Researchers found out long ago that moderate consumption, especially of wine, can benefit the heart. But they also found out that, in women, even moderate alcohol can raise the risk of breast cancer. Now, several seemingly conflicting studies may only add to the controversy. EN offers perspective on the issues. More Bad News. New findings from the Million Women Study of 1,280,296 middle-aged women in the U.K. reveal that for every 1,000 women who drink one alcoholic beverage a day, there are about 15 additional cancers that wouldn’t have developed otherwise. The increase included breast cancer and cancer of the rectum and liver. The findings were the same regardless of the type of alcohol consumed.
Americans Only Vaguely Aware Where to Find Trans Fats; Do You Know?
Subscribers Only A recent survey in the February Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that while most Americans have heard of trans fats and know they should avoid them, nearly 4 of 5 people can’t name three sources of the artery-clogging fats and half of those surveyed couldn’t name even one. How trans savvy are you? Trans Fats: Artificial vs Natural. Most trans fats you encounter are those created artificially when food manufacturers add hydrogen to polyunsaturated vegetable oils in a process called hydrogenation. Foods that contain these "partially hydrogenated fats" are, in essence, artificially saturated, which gives them a longer shelf life and greater flavor stability. Small amounts of trans fats actually occur naturally as well, in animal foods like beef and dairy products. Unlike artificial trans, some natural trans fats, which include conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), may actually provide health benefits. Health Consequences. Like saturated fats, artificial trans fats raise low-density lipoproteins (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol), increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. What’s worse is that these fats also lower high-density lipoproteins (HDL, the "good" cholesterol), further increasing risk.
Regular Snacking Is Smart Snacking: Making It Happen
Subscribers Only Snacking has a bad reputation; more often than not, it’s viewed as little more than an opportunity to ingest excessive calories, fat, sugar and sodium. And it’s seen as something most of us do far too often. But snacking—smart snacking—has an important place in a healthful diet. In fact, research has found that making healthful snacks a regular part of your routine can help maintain a healthy weight and prevent unhealthy highs and lows in blood sugar. Here’s what you need to know to get on the smart snack track. Snacking Improves Your Diet. If you make smart choices, snacking can make significant contributions to the nutritional quality of your diet. The trick is sticking with nutrient-rich basics—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and reduced-fat and fat-free dairy—and if you do, you’ll boost your diet’s nutrient count even more, for the fewest calories. Snacking Aids Weight Loss. As counterintuitive as it may sound, studies show that smart snacking can dampen hunger pangs and prevent overeating at meals. It can also play an important role in controlling cravings, by creating predictable frequent eating times. And it can help you maintain your weight loss. Research suggests that allowing for snacks helps stack the odds in your favor for long-term weight-loss success more than a strict three-meals-a-day approach. That’s because if you snack right, you won’t eat any more calories than you do now.
Vitamin C May Help Prevent Gout in Men
Subscribers Only In the first study of its kind, researchers have found that high levels of vitamin C may lower the risk of gout in men. Researchers with the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, an ongoing study of 51,529 male health professionals, found that as vitamin C intake from foods and supplements increased, the risk of gout decreased. Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in men. Specifically, for those with a vitamin C intake of 500 to 999 milligrams a day, the risk of gout was 34% less than those who got less than 250 milligrams daily. For those who took in 1,500 milligrams a day or more, the risk was 45% less. (EN does not recommend routinely exceeding 1,000 milligrams daily.)
7 Reasons To Aim For More Vitamin B12 Than You’re Probably Getting Now
Subscribers Only For many people, vitamin B12 brings to mind injections to boost energy. While this relates to the vitamin’s traditional role of keeping red blood cells healthy, emerging research reveals that B12 offers many other benefits (see "Vitamin B12’s Links to Better Health," page 6). Moreover, recent evidence reveals that even the low end of so-called "normal" B12 levels can create havoc with health, prompting scientists to view this nutrient in a whole new light. Some experts even suggest that B12 could rival vitamin D as the latest key nutrient that many Americans—especially older people—don’t get enough of and could benefit from more. Most people, however, don’t need injections." Inadequate B12 levels are quite common—and harmful—but fortunately are easily treated," says neurologist J. David Spence, M.D., a B12 researcher at Robarts Research Institute in Ontario, Canada. Here’s what an examination of the latest research suggests that B12 can do, followed by tips to help you get enough of this important vitamin.
Keys To Good Health: Why Whole Foods Have The Edge Over Supplements
Subscribers Only A 2008 survey by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a Washington, D.C.-based group representing supplement makers, revealed that 64% of American adults now take dietary supplements. Yet, headlines this past year proclaimed little measurable health benefit from B vitamins, vitamins C and E or multivitamins. What to do? Giving up supplements may not be the answer, especially considering the low-risk diet insurance a daily multivitamin/mineral provides. The smartest nutrition move may be shifting your diet toward whole foods, which provide combinations of important nutrients the way nature intended. The lesson? Don’t subtract supplements, add whole foods.Are Supplement Benefits a Bust? The latest study to question the benefits of supplements appeared in the February 9 Archives of Internal Medicine. After eight years of following more than 160,000 postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative, researchers could find no evidence that multis had any influence on the incidence of common cancers, cardiovascular disease or death from any cause. Even oft-lauded antioxidant supplements seem to be losing their luster. The Physician’s Health Study II, which followed more than 14,000 male physicians for 10 years, found that supplementing with vitamins C and E did not reduce the risk of prostate cancer, cancers in total or major cardiovascular events. And the Women’s Health Study, which evaluated nearly 40,000 female health professionals for 10 years, showed that vitamin E supplements did not prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer.