September 2009
View or print a copy of the entire Septmeber 2009 issue of Environmental Nutrition
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Reseach Roundup: September 2009
Subscribers Only High selenium levels in the body linked with diabetes. In a study of 917 U.S. adults at least 40 years of age, high blood selenium levels were linked with a higher rate of diabetes and higher blood glucose. Since Americans consume high levels of selenium through supplements and naturally-occurring sources (U.S. soil is rich in selenium), the researchers suggested that people not use selenium supplements until there is a better understanding of risks and benefits.
Asian Pears, A Pear by Any Other Name
Subscribers Only The Folklore. The Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) is known by many names such as apple-pear, Chinese pear, Nashi and sand pear. The oldest known of cultivated pears, the Asian pear dates back 3,000 years to China and Japan, perhaps even back to the Stone Age. Chinese railroad workers brought the seeds to California during the Gold Rush. It is the Chinese symbol of immortality (pear trees live a very long time) and prosperity, and is believed to carry medicinal properties.
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Health-Protective Effects of Olive Oil
Subscribers Only So what’s the special ingredient in olive oil that confers health properties? It may be more than one. First, olive oil is comprised of 77 percent monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is known to lower blood cholesterol levels. One study showed that two tablespoons a day of olive oil added to an unchanged diet resulted in significant drops in total and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
What’s with Isolated Fibers, Do They Live Up to Their High-Fiber Status?
Subscribers Only The Dietary Guidelines suggests that you get 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories—about 28 grams a day on average. But most of us get about half that amount. Fiber has many documented health benefits, including helping to maintain a healthy weight, lowering blood cholesterol and glucose levels and reducing the risk of certain cancers. Good sources of fiber include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts.
A Taste of the Orient—How Asian Convenience Foods Rate
Subscribers Only These days, if you’ve got a craving for some pad Thai or General Tso’s chicken, you need look no further than your grocer’s shelves. Over the last couple of years, the quantity and variety of delicious and convenient Asian foods at the supermarket has skyrocketed. In the past, your only choice might have been between chicken- or beef-flavored ramen noodles. Now, in a matter of minutes you can be dining on a miso soup bowl, pot stickers, or vegetable lo mein.
Update Diet and Prostate Cancer Prevention
Subscribers Only Since EN’s last coverage on diet and prostate cancer risk, some new findings have come to light. During the past several years, a large number of studies have looked at the potential role that diet can play in preventing prostate cancer, sometimes with conflicting results. Australian researchers hoped to clarify this issue in their systematic review published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics in June 2009. Scientific data for promising dietary therapies in prostate cancer prevention were reviewed. The researchers concluded that the best diet for preventing prostate cancer is one that is low in fat and high in vegetables and fruits, and avoids high-calorie intake and excessive meat, dairy products and calcium.
Food, Inc.
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Study Puts BPA in Plastics Under New Scrutiny
Subscribers Only The hottest environmental toxin on the block is bisphenol A (BPA), the chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate drinking bottles, baby bottles, and other plastics, as well as dentistry composites and sealants and the lining of aluminum cans. Scientists express concerns about our widespread exposure to BPA through foods and drink. Health Concerns. Scientific evidence links low-level concentrations of BPA in animals and possibly humans to endocrine disruption, and recently with chronic disease in humans, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and markers of liver disease. BPA-free advocates campaign for the ban of the chemical, but the American Chemistry Council (an industry group) reports that BPA concerns are not based in science. Last year, Canada banned BPA in baby bottles.
Nutrition Profiling—Can It Help You Make Better Choices?
Subscribers Only From red hearts on oatmeal boxes to yellow suns on cracker packages, dozens of nutrition symbols developed by manufacturers, trade groups and health organizations hope to draw your attention to healthier foods. Supermarkets are now getting in on the act, adding their own nutrient profiling to shelf tags beneath foods. But do such programs work? Many people seem to have doubts about nutrition messages on foods. According to the American Dietetic Association’s Nutrition and You: Trends 2008 survey, 67 percent of consumers think diet and nutrition is very important, yet only 35 percent cite food labels as credible information sources. Fewer than 10 percent listed food manufacturers as credible sources. People are more likely to trust nutrition symbols endorsed by third parties such as health organizations, according to a study published in the scientific journal, Appetite.
Global Report: One-Third of U.S. Cancers are Preventable
Subscribers Only A landmark global report revealed some amazing findings: 45 percent of colon cancer and 38 percent of breast cancer in the U.S. are preventable through diet, physical activity and weight maintenance. Overall, one-third of the most common cancers in the U.S. could be prevented. The report examined how policy change can affect cancer risk. The bottom line? Everyone needs to make health a higher priority.
The Pleasure Principal—Can You Really Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too?
Subscribers Only Eating well has always hinged on balancing three equally important variables: nutrition, convenience and pleasure. However, a couple of decades worth of dire nutrition headlines, scary food recalls and health experts acting as the food police have just about squelched the pleasure principle of eating for many people. For those who do find eating good food to be a pleasurable experience, it can often be accompanied with a fair share of worry and guilt. It’s easy to just throw up your hands and stop listening to nutrition advice altogether, if it means you can’t partake in the joy of eating.
The Best Catch of the Day: EN’s Guide to Eco-friendly, Healthy and Safe Fish
Subscribers Only There’s a tidal wave of scientific evidence that eating fish regularly is a healthy habit worth adapting. Fish is low in saturated fats and is the main source of the omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These omega-3 fatty acids have many health benefits, including lowering trigylcerides and blood pressure, slowing the buildup of plaque in the arteries, tamping down inflammation, and reducing the risk of death, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms and stroke in people with heart disease. No wonder the American Heart Association suggests that you eat fish twice a week. And some research findings indicate that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may help reduce joint pain, the symptoms of depression, and protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Stretching way back in time, eating fish has been an important part of human health—some scientists believe that our early ancestors relied upon fish as a large part of their diet, which may have supported brain growth.