March 2010
View or print a copy of the entire March 2010 issue of Environmental Nutrition
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Research Roundup: March 2010
Subscribers Only A review investigating the link between coffee and tea consumption and diabetes risk included 18 studies with information on 457,922 participants. Researchers discovered that every additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a seven percent reduction in the risk of diabetes. Similar associations were found with decaf coffee and tea.
Quinoa, Nutritious Mother Grain of the Incas
Subscribers Only Known in the Inca language as the "mother grain," quinoa (keen-wah) sustained the people of the Andes mountains of Bolivia, Chile and Peru for the past 5,000 years. This nutritious seed was highly regarded in Incan culture, and was believed to provide stamina to warriors. During the European conquest of South America, Spanish colonists squelched quinoa cultivation because of its sacred status in a non-Christian society, but this super-grain was not suppressed for long. While it was essentially unheard of in the U.S. a couple of decades ago, the popularity of this ancient grain is gaining momentum.
Omega-3 Enriched Eggs—an “Eggs-traordinary” Choice for Heart Health?
Subscribers Only The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in coldwater fatty fish and fish oil have been widely studied and linked with important health benefits, such as decreased risk of heart disease. Preliminary research has even associated EPA and DHA with protection against cognitive decline and improvements in depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that people with heart disease should get 1,000 mg of EPA+DHA per day. Although the short-chain omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) found in plant sources like walnuts and flaxseed also has been linked with heart-health benefits, the bulk of positive scientific findings belong to the long-chain omega-3s, making EPA and DHA the omega-3 superstars.
Turning Up the Heat on Supermarket Mexican Food
Subscribers Only Need to spice up your life? Your local supermarket can help. Back in the day, the Mexican section of the grocery store included a few boxes of hard taco shells, some taco seasoning packets, and, if you were lucky, a couple of jars of salsa. But as Americans’ desire for more international flavors, and our quest for heat increased, the size of that spicy little section of the market has exploded. Now you can find almost any kind of South of the Border food you desire in boxes, bags, cans, and frozen pouches, some ready to be eaten in only minutes. Ole! Don’t Get Burned.
Go Ahead, Take the “Small Steps” Challenge to Discover a Healthier You
Subscribers Only Did you know that shaving off 100 calories per day—that’s skipping a small cookie or swapping eight ounces of sweetened soda for water—can amount to a 10 pound weight loss over a year? Little changes like these are at the heart of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) public health program, aptly named Small Steps.
Rising Obesity Rate Among Older Adults Complicates Health Issues
Subscribers Only It seems as if no age group, from young children to older adults, has escaped the clutch of obesity. The most recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006 found that 68.6 percent of adults aged 60 and over are overweight or obese (body mass index over 25), up from 60.1 percent in NHANES 1988-1994. (There was no significant change in obesity rate between 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.) The weight concerns of older adults pose unique challenges, according to a review performed by researchers from the Sticht Center on Aging at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in November 2009.Unique concerns.
Cultivate a Nutrient-Rich Approach to Eating—for Life
Subscribers Only The latest buzzword in healthful eating is not low-calorie, low-sodium or low-fat: It’s "nutrient-rich." What’s nutrient-rich eating? Just consider a 100 Calorie Pack of Hostess Twinkie Bites. Sure, they only contain 100 calories, 2.5 grams (g) fat, 1 g saturated fat and 160 milligrams of sodium in three tiny cakes, but what kind of nutritional reward do you get for that 100-calorie investment? Check out the ingredient list and you’ll find a string of processed, refined ingredients, cuing you to the fact that those 100 calories are basically empty ones.
Hot Spices Take on Breast Cancer
Subscribers Only Emerging evidence links spices—turmeric, in particular—with cancer protection. A new laboratory study from the Department of Internal Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Michigan is one of the first to find that turmeric (the spice found in curry) and black pepper compounds might work to fight breast cancer by hampering the growth of stem cells. Scientists hypothesize that stem cells might be the force behind the growth in a tumor. The researchers applied solutions of the turmeric polyphenol, curcumin, and the black pepper polyphenol, piperine, on breast cells, and observed a decrease in the number of stem cells with no effect on normal cells.
Paying the High Price of Food Waste
Subscribers Only "We waste enough food to fill the Rose Bowl every day," says Jonathan Bloom, M.A., who spoke at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo in Denver on October 20, 2009. As a result of researching food waste for the past five years, Bloom started the website, www.WastedFood.com, and is currently writing a book on food waste in America. If the size of the Rose Bowl is hard to fathom, here’s another shocking number: more than 40 percent of the food produced for consumption in the U.S. will never be eaten. In fact, food waste in America has increased by about 50 percent since 1974, reaching more than 1,400 calories per person per day. That’s almost half of the daily calorie requirement for the average person. These were the findings of researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, published in November 2009 in the Public Library of Science (PLOS.)
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sugar; EN Gives You the Facts
Subscribers Only Seems everyone’s got an opinion about sugar. It’s a safe bet that many people have resolved to give it up this year, because they think sugar negatively impacts their health. The relationship of sugar to health is an emotionally charged issue, with people taking sides for or against it with little, if any, scientific support for their beliefs. "Sugar has an undeserved bad reputation. This may be due, in part, to the fact that sugar is often used in combination with other ingredients, such as fat, which are known to have adverse health effects," says Richard Surwit, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. Since confusion abounds on the subject of sugar, EN answers your most pressing questions about this sweet stuff.