Wednesday April 8, 2009

Depression increases risk for heart disease more than genetics or environment
NewsRx.com 04-06-09
A history of major depression increases the risk of heart disease over and above any genetic risks common to depression and heart disease, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the VA. The findings are reported this week at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society this week in Chicago (see also Washington University School of Medicine).
The researchers analyzed data gathered from more than 1,200 male twins who served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The men were surveyed on a variety of health issues in 1992, including depression, and were assessed again in 2005.
In the study, investigators looked at the onset of heart disease in depressed study participants between 1993 and 2005. Men with depression in 1992 were twice as likely to develop heart disease in the ensuing years, compared to men with no history of depression.
"Based on our findings, we can say that after adjusting for other risk factors, depression remains a significant predictor of heart disease," says first author Jeffrey F. Scherrer, Ph.D., research assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine and the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. "In this study, we have demonstrated that exposure to depression is contributing to heart disease only in twins who have high genetic risk and who actually develop clinical depression. In twins with high genetic risk common to depression and heart disease, but who never develop depression itself, there was no increased risk for heart disease. The findings strongly suggest that depression itself independently contributes to risk for heart disease."
The investigators were looking for evidence of what they call incident heart disease, an event such as a heart attack, heart surgery, stent placement or medical treatment for angina. Those who had evidence of heart disease prior to the original survey in 1992 were excluded from this study.
Because twins were studied, the researchers could divide participants into risk groups: twins with high genetic and environmental risk for depression, those with moderate risk and those with a low risk. The risk groups then were compared for incident heart disease adjusting for other influences on heart disease such as smoking, obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
"By separating the twins into these groups based on their genetic and environmental risks, we are able differentiate the genetic risks common to depression and heart disease and the risks for heart disease from exposure to depression," says co-investigator Hong Xian, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics in medicine at Washington University and health science specialist at the VA.
Twins automatically are matched by age. They normally grow up in the same family environment, and in the case of identical twins, they share identical DNA.
"If one twin has depression, but his twin brother does not, both twins will share genetic vulnerability for depression, but it turns out the twin who was not depressed has less risk for heart disease," says Scherrer. "In sum, depression itself remains a significant contributor to incident heart disease after controlling for genes, environment and mental and physical risk factors."
Scherrer and Xian plan to follow these twins as they age. They also plan to study the effects of successful depression treatment on heart disease risk.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=8105&Section=Disease

Exercise needed to stave off Type II diabetes: Healthcare faces crisis

Ventura County Star, Calif. 04-06-09
Apr. 6--If obese or overweight Americans don't begin to eat right and fit more exercise into their schedules, there could be another economic crisis on the horizon, according to Dr. Joseph Donnelly, director of the Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management at the University of Kansas.
"No one, and I mean no one has any idea how we're going to financially deal with this when we wind up with 35 to 50 percent of Americans with Type II diabetes," Donnelly said. "It will bankrupt the healthcare system."
About 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, he said, a condition that can lead to a multitude of health conditions including Type II diabetes, heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and arthritis.
"It's a disaster and it's not waiting to happen, it's happened," Donnelly said. "I don't believe there's another medical condition or disease that affects 66 percent of the population."
Donnelly and a team of researchers recently released a study that says adults need 250 to 400 minutes of exercise a week to lose weight. That's about 35 to 60 minutes a day.
The report prompted the American College of Sports Medicine to update its 2001 physical activity guidelines for weight loss, which had recommended 150 to 300 minutes of exercise per week for overweight and obese adults, or about 20 to 43 minutes a day.
If you're of normal weight and you don't want to gain, the 2009 guidelines say you need to exercise about 150 to 250 minutes per week or about 20 to 35 minutes a day.
The exercise should be moderate intensity, which can be compared to brisk walking, Donnelly said.
The study, called "Appropriate Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults" examined exercise only, but to lose weight, you must also restrict calories, Donnelly said.
Resistance training (weight or band exercise) is not effective in weight loss, but important to maintain muscle mass during weight loss, Donnelly said.
There are a constellation of weight loss/diet combinations, but the bottom line is, "good things happen" when you burn 2,000 to 2,500 calories a week with exercise, Donnelly said.
Is it realistic?
Her husband was watching the kids, so Mary Wong, 31, of Ventura was able to slip off to an evening spinning class at the Ventura Family YMCA.
"Today's a treat for me; I get to come for an hour," Wong said.
Spinning is a high intensity form of stationary bicycling done in a group setting. Amy Bruns, 43, of Ventura, goes to spin class two to three times a week because she can get more intense exercise into a shorter period of time. Like many Americans, time is at a premium for Bruns. The dietician was not surprised to hear that exercise guidelines had been increased. But she wondered whether it was realistic for people to follow them.
"I don't believe it's particularly achievable with our American lifestyle," Bruns said. "People have children, jobs, sports and other commitments."
Jerome Kahler, 64, of Ventura doubts he'll be able to follow the new guidelines.
"I'm an Episcopal priest. I'm not able to spend that kind of time exercising," he said. "I'm able to put in 30 minutes, six days a week and one hour on the weekend."
Ventura Family YMCA Healthy Lifestyles Director Rich Gross believes the most important thing is to get moving for 15, 20, 30 minutes. Just get started.
"I would rather people take small steps in the right direction rather than set themselves up to fail," he said. "By shooting for seven days a week and attaining only four or five and feeling like they didn't attain their goal, they get discouraged and quit."
Donnelly believes the 35 to 60 minute-per-day exercise goal is realistic. It's a matter of re-setting priorities.
"The average American watches four hours of television a day," he said. "Both (former President George W.) Bush and President (Barack) Obama are dedicated exercisers. I mean, they've got nothing to do? I don't buy that at all."
'The Weight of the Nation'
How much our obesity epidemic will cost us will be released in a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a national conference in July in Washington, D.C., called "The Weight of the Nation."
Dr. Beth Tohill, lead epidemiologist for the CDC's Obesity Guidelines and Recommendation team, gave a preview.
"I can tell you that the obesity prevalence has continued to go up the past couple of years," she said. "Not one state has slowed down."
According to the CDC, 59 percent of adults in California were overweight in 2007 and about 50 percent said they were not engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity.
The last time the CDC released data about the national cost of obesity was 2000, when the obesity-related illnesses contributed an extra $117 billion to the national medical bill.
Tohill said the CDC is holding its conference in Washington to encourage lawmakers to create policies to help Americans cut the fat.
"The CDC's direction is, we want to understand the behaviors," she said. "We know what to do. Why aren't we doing it? It's going to be environmental or policy change."
The CDC also has physical activity guidelines, but only for those seeking the health benefits of exercise, and not necessarily weight loss. Its guideline is 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week.
The experts all agree that it doesn't matter what kind of exercise you choose, as long as you get moving.
"I'm not saying people have to come to a gym," the YMCA's Gross said. "If you can do it at home, find what works."
Donnelly reminded those on the road to weight loss about the real work that begins once the weight is off.
"The key of course is maintaining the weight you have lost and for that, physical activity is king," Donnelly said.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=8103&Section=Disease

Omega-3, vit C, and zinc may ease childhood asthma

Nutraingredients.com, 07-Apr-2009

A combination supplement containing omega-3, vitamin C and zinc may improve symptoms of asthma, a condition on the rise, suggests a new study from Egypt.
The trio of nutrients were associated with improvements in asthma measures, lung function, and markers of inflammation in the lungs, according to findings of a randomised, double blind, placebo-self-controlled crossover trial published in Acta Pædiatrica.
“Children with moderately persistent bronchial asthma may get benefit from their diet supplementation with omega- 3 fatty acids, Zn and vitamin C,” wrote the researchers, led by Mohammed Al Biltagi from Tanta University in Egypt.
The study adds to a growing body of science linking fish consumption and fruit and vegetable intakes to a reduction in the risk or asthma, or improvements in the symptoms associated with the condition.
Asthma stats
According to the European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Association (EFA), over 30m Europeans suffer from asthma, costing Europe €17.7bn every year. The cost due to lost productivity is estimated to be around €9.8bn.
The condition is on the rise in the Western world and the most common long-term condition in the UK today
According to the American Lung Association, almost 20m Americans suffer from asthma. The condition is reported to be responsible for over 14m lost school days in children, while the annual economic cost of asthma is said to be over $16.1bn.
Study details
Dr Al Biltagi and his co-workers recruited 60 children (average age 8, average BMI 17 kg/m2) with moderate persistent asthma and randomly assigned them to alternating phases of supplementation with omega-3 (1000 mg of a triglyceridic oil containing about 30 per cent EPA/DHA), zinc (15 mg), and vitamin C (200 mg), either singly or in combination for six weeks.
Asthma was analysed using the childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), while lung function and inflammatory markers were also assessed. The Egyptian researchers report significant improvement of C-ACT for all four interventions (three single nutrients or a combination of the nutrients). The combination of all three was associated with an increase in C-ACT scores from 16.5 to 22.1, said the researchers.
Mechanism
Commenting on the potential mechanisms at work, the research note that omega-3 and zinc have anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, vitamin C is an antioxidant and this may “counteract oxidant stress and reduce the external attacks (bacteria, virus, toxins and xenobiotics) in the lung,” said the researchers. “The antioxidant effect of vitamin C may modulate the development of asthma and the impairment of pulmonary functions.”
Zinc may work via different mechanisms, they said, including the regulation of T-cell lymphocytes, which are part of the bodies allergy response. “It also inhibits the activation of NF-kB, a transcription factor implicated in the expression of many proinflammatory genes,” they added.
Source: Acta Pædiatrica
April 2009, Volume 98, Issue 4, Pages: 737-742
“Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn supplementation in asthmatic children: a randomized self-controlled study”
Authors: M. Al Biltagi, A.A. Baset, M. Bassiouny, M. Al Kasrawi, M. Attia
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/
Omega-3-vit-C-and-zinc-may-ease-childhood-asthma

Red seaweed extract may cut NSAIDs need for arthritis sufferers

Nutraingredients.com, 07-Apr-2009

A natural, multi-mineral ingredient derived from the red seaweed Lithothamnion Corallioides may allow osteoarthritis sufferers to reduce their use of NSAIDs by 50 per cent, say the results of a new pilot study.
Daily doses of Marigot’s Aquamin ingredient allowed patients with osteoarthritis of the knee to partially withdraw their use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), while also producing improvements in the range of motion of the knee, and during walking exercises.
The study, published in the open access Nutrition Journal and funded by Irish company Marigot, builds on previous studies indicating benefits for bone health.
“Aquamin cannot entirely replace NSAIDs […] for osteoarthritis,” wrote the researchers, led by Joy Frestedt from Frestedt Incorporated in Minnesota. “However, Aquamin may allow for a reduced need for NSAIDs which may have substantial health benefits including a reduction in many of the adverse and well documented side effects of NSAIDS.”
Some NSAIDs, which are among the most frequently prescribed medications worldwide, have been linked with gastrointestinal toxicity, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“NSAIDs are a daily necessity for many osteoarthritis sufferers to control pain and allow them to carry out their everyday activities,” said David O’Leary, commercial manager at Marigot. “These preliminary results are another feather in the cap for Aquamin, which has been the subject of a number of positive recent studies in the area of joint health and inflammation.”
Approximately seven million people in the UK alone are reported to have long-term health problems associated with arthritis. Around 206 million working days were lost in the UK in 1999-2000, equal to £18 billion (€26 billion) of lost productivity.
Study details
Frestedt and her co-workers recruited 22 people with an average age of 62.7 and moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. The volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either the red seaweed extract (Aquamin, 2400 mg/d) or placebo for up to 12 weeks.
After two weeks the use of NSAID was reduced to 50 per cent at two weeks and eliminated completely at four weeks.
Fourteen volunteers completed the study, and no significant changes were observed in scored on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) pain, function and stiffness subscales.
However, after one month of supplementation with the red seaweed extract people in the Aquamin group demonstrated a higher range of motion for the knee.
Furthermore, in the six minute walking test, the Aquamin group demonstrated an improvement of 45.7 metres (150 feet), compared to only 3.8 metres (12.5 feet).
“These results indicate Aquamin has the potential to help manage osteoarthritis symptoms when NSAID use is reduced to 50 per cent,” wrote the researchers.
6 MWD (150 ± 48 ft vs. 12.5 ± 31.5 ft; difference, 136 ± 57 ft, p = 0.03) in the Aquamin group compared to the placebo group; respectively, following a 50% reduction in NSAID use. The treatments were well tolerated and the adverse event profiles were not significantly different between the groups.
Conclusion: This small preliminary study suggests Aquamin may increase range of motion and walking distances in subjects with OA of the knee and may allow partial withdrawal of NSAIDs over 12 weeks of treatment. Additional research is needed to confirm these preliminary observations
Active ingredients
“Aquamin is composed of multiple minerals and the 'active ingredient' for the complex is difficult to determine,” wrote Frestedt in the Nutrition Journal. “A number of the minerals in Aquamin may have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties which might directly and/or indirectly influence the efficacy of this unique complex.”
Calcium is reportedly the main mineral present, and at the dose used in this study the red seaweed extract would provide 80 per cent the US RDA. Important concentrations of magnesium, manganese, and selenium were also quoted by the researchers as potentially playing an active role.
Specifically, the extract contains 74 trace minerals. The red seaweed is harvested off the coast of Ireland and Iceland.
Source: Nutrition Journal
2009, 8:7
“A natural seaweed derived mineral supplement (Aquamin F) for knee osteoarthritis: A randomised, placebo controlled pilot study”
Authors: J.L. Frestedt, M.A. Kuskowski, J.L. Zenk
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/
Red-seaweed-extract-may-cut-NSAIDs-need-for-arthritis-sufferers

Flavanol-rich chocolate drink helps maths performance

Nutraingredients.com, 07-Apr-2009

Chocolate makers seeking to leverage sales through health-positioned products could find a fresh direction with new research from the UK suggesting cocoa drinks rich in flavanols could help consumers do maths.
Following a small study, researchers at the UK's Northumbria university found the high level of cocoa flavanols anchored in chocolate improved cognitive performance in arithmatic tests.
"The drink rich in cocoa flavanols significantly improved aspects of cognitive performance and levels of fatigue during this mentally demanding task," said Crystal Haskell at the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research centre at Northumbria university.
This latest research builds on a plethora of studies in recent years that have probed the area of cocoa flavanols and their potential positive impact on health, from heart disease to depression.
Flavanols, the building blocks for proanthocyanidins, are a class of flavonoids that exist naturally in cacao. They have attracted increasing attention from the scientific community, and the food industry, due to their potent antioxidant properties and the role they could potentially play in combatting the rising incidence of cardiovascular disease in today's society.
Consumers have become passionate about looking and feeling good with food and drink products neatly slotting into this trend, and new product development from food makers squarely positioned to piggy-back the emerging health and wellness trend.
But in terms of chocolate, the functional chocolate trend is still at the beginning of the curve and only a handful of makers to date, such as Mars' CocaVia and Barry Callebaut's Acticoa, have rolled out products that directly target this area.
However, the double-digit growth seen in the functional category does make for compelling figures and an understandable motivation to drive new product development further down the functional chocolate path. Market analyst Euromonitor reports that in the past four years the functional market has grown on average by 15 per cent a year.
And one in four Western consumers are interested in chocolate with physical or emotional health benefits, according to data gathered on behalf of Barry Callebaut in Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, the UK and the US.
UK cocoa drink study uses high levels - 520 mg and 993mg - of cocoa flavonols
“Foods containing high levels of cocoa flavanols, found in chocolate, have been shown to increase cerebral blood flow, and it has also been proven that consumption of plants that have these properties improves performance on mentally demanding tasks. We wanted to discover whether cocoa flavanols produced the same effect,” commented Haskell.
For this study, 30 adults consumed cocoa drinks on different days containing 520 mg of cocoa flavanols, 993 mg of cocoa flavanols or a control drink.
The participants were given a number of mentally demanding tasks to complete, such as counting backwards from 999 in threes.
On the days the participants drank the beverages containing 520mg or 993mg of cocoa flavanols "they performed significantly better at the arithmetic task", report the researchers.
Further, the participants recorded they were also less mentally tired during the task after drinking the cocoa-flavanol rich beverage.
Commenting on the findings Professor David Kennedy from Northumbria university added: “The results presented in the symposium show that medicinal herbal extracts and plant-derived chemical compounds from common foodstuffs can also improve cognitive performance and mood.”
The findings were presented as part of a symposium highlighting the potential of plant-based treatments presented this week at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton, UK.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/
Flavanol-rich-chocolate-drink-helps-maths-performance

Is the food industry following in tobacco’s footsteps?

Foodnavigator-USA.com  02-Apr-2009

A recent joint study from Yale University and the University of Michigan has compared the food industry’s marketing strategies to those of the tobacco industry in the 1950s.
“Because obesity is now a major global problem, the world cannot afford a repeat of the tobacco history, in which industry talks about the moral high ground but does not occupy it,” the authors wrote.
There is no doubt that the food and beverage industry has been making efforts to reformulate towards healthier products in recent times, reducing saturated and trans fats, sugar and salt.
But is this evidence of industry shouldering its share of the obesity burden, or is it simply reacting to market trends so it can continue to make a profit?
In other words, as joint-author Kelly Brownell put it: “Can you count on industry to do this out of goodwill, or will the market just demand these changes because people want better foods?”
The authors also suggest that the food industry emphasizes consumers’ personal choice as the cause of obesity, playing on deep-seated values of personal responsibility and freedom.
Does the food industry take enough responsibility for the potential health impacts of its products, or is it guilty of ‘framing’ obesity as an issue of individual accountability?
Meanwhile the public has become increasingly skeptical of food manufacturers’ claims and Mintel analysts have claimed that ‘rebuilding trust’ will become a top industry priority. Could this skepticism lead to public opinion turning against the food industry in the same way as it turned against tobacco?
What about funding of scientific studies – while it may be a necessity for cash-strapped researchers, does it also skew the available science?
The authors claim that food manufacturers “plant doubt when concerns are raised about the industry” and “criticize studies that hurt industry as ‘junk science’”.
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/
Is-the-food-industry-following-in-tobacco-s-footsteps

Living Near Power Lines Linked to Alzheimer's Disease: New Research

by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) Living near power lines may significantly increase a person's risk of death from Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study is the first to definitively link exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields to elevated mortality from dementia.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by progressive cognitive decline.

Researchers examined residential census data for more than 95 percent of Switzerland's population for the years 1990 and 2000, and compared this information with mortality figures for 4.7 million people over the age of 29 between 2000 and 2005. They found that people who lived within 50 meters (160 feet) of a long-distance power transmission line were 1.24 times more likely to die of Alzheimer's disease than those who lived 600 meters (2,000 feet) or more away.

Those who had lived near the power line for five years or more had 1.51 times the risk of those living farther away. This risk was increased 1.71 times for those who had lived close to a power line for 10 years, and two times for those who had lived within 50 meters for 15 years or more.

The figures for senile dementia were similar to those for Alzheimer's disease.

Long-distance power lines transmit power at 220-380 kilovolts. They do not give off radiation at the same frequency as other power lines, which transmit smaller amounts of electricity shorter distances.

The researchers noted that the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields created by long-distance power lines are also created by many household electrical appliances and even the wiring within buildings. The World Health Organization has classified these fields as possible carcinogens.

Due to the fact that household appliances are probably more significant sources of ELF field exposure than power lines, the researchers recommend precautionary measures such as not sleeping too close to active electric appliances, such as clock radios or electric blankets, for long periods of time.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026008.html

Is There A Seat Of Wisdom In The Brain?

ScienceDaily (Apr. 7, 2009) — Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have compiled the first-ever review of the neurobiology of wisdom – once the sole province of religion and philosophy.
The study by Dilip V. Jeste, MD, and Thomas W. Meeks, MD, of UC San Diego's Department of Psychiatry and the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, is published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
"Defining wisdom is rather subjective, though there are many similarities in definition across time and cultures," said Jeste, who is the Estelle and Edgar Levi Chair in Aging, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience and chief of geriatric psychiatry at UC San Diego. "However, our research suggests that there may be a basis in neurobiology for wisdom's most universal traits."
Wisdom has been defined over centuries and civilizations to encompass numerous psychological traits. Components of wisdom are commonly agreed to include such attributes as empathy, compassion or altruism, emotional stability, self-understanding, and pro-social attitudes, including a tolerance for others' values.
"But questions remain: is wisdom universal, or culturally based?" said Jeste. "Is it uniquely human, related to age? Is it dependent on experience or can wisdom be taught?"
Empirical research on wisdom is a relatively new phenomenon. Meeks and Jeste noted that in the 1970s, there were only 20 peer-reviewed articles on wisdom, but since 2000, there have been more than 250 such publications. However, the researchers found no previous studies using the keyword "wisdom" in combination with the terms neurobiology, neuroimaging or neurotransmitters.
In order to determine if specific brain circuits and pathways might be responsible for wisdom, the researchers examined existing articles, publications and other documents for six attributes most commonly included in the definition of wisdom, and for the brain circuitry associated with those attributes.
Meeks and Jeste focused primarily on functional neuroimaging studies, studies which measure changes in blood flow or metabolic alterations in the brain, as well as on neurotransmitter functions and genetics. They found, for example, that pondering a situation calling for altruism activates the medial pre-frontal cortex, while moral decision-making is a combination of rational (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in sustaining attention and working memory), emotional/social (medial pre-frontal cortex), and conflict detection (the anterior cingulate cortex, sometimes also associated with a so-called "sixth sense") functions.
Interestingly, several common brain regions appear to be involved in different components of wisdom. The UC San Diego researchers suggest that the neurobiology of wisdom may involve an optimal balance between more primitive brain regions (the limbic system) and the newest ones (pre-frontal cortex.) Knowledge of the underlying mechanisms in the brain could potentially lead to developing interventions for enhancing wisdom.
"Understanding the neurobiology of wisdom may have considerable clinical significance, for example, in studying how certain disorders or traumatic brain injuries can affect traits related to wisdom," said Jeste, stressing that this study is only a first step in a long process.
The study was supported in part by grants from the National Institute on Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at UC San Diego and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Thomas W. Meeks; Dilip V. Jeste. Neurobiology of Wisdom: A Literature Overview. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2009; 66 (4): 355 DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.8
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406192244.htm

Can Organic Cropping Systems Be As Profitable As Conventional Systems?

ScienceDaily (Apr. 7, 2009) — Which is a better strategy, specializing in one crop or diversified cropping? Is conventional cropping more profitable than organic farming? Is it less risky?
To answer these questions, the University of Wisconsin’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Michael Fields Agricultural Institute agronomists established the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WICST) in 1990. This research is funded by USDA-ARS.
Systems ranging from species-diverse pasture and organic systems to more specialized conventional alfalfa-based forage and corn-based grain systems were compared at two sites in southern Wisconsin from 1993 to 2006.
Crop production analysis was published in the 2008 March–April issue of Agronomy Journal while this companion article focuses on the net returns and associated risk exposure of these systems. Full research results from this current study are presented by Chavas et al. in the 2009 March–April issue of Agronomy Journal.
"In our study we found that diversified systems were more profitable than monocropping," explains Joshua Posner, University of Wisconsin.
With feed grade premiums the organic systems were more profitable than the Midwestern standards of continuous corn, no-till corn and soybeans, and intensively managed alfalfa.
Rotational grazing of dairy heifers was as profitable as the organic systems. And to our surprise, including risk premiums into the evaluation did not change the ranking of the systems.  This study indicates that governmental policy that supports mono-culture systems is outdated and support should be shifted to programs that promote crop rotations and organic farming practices.
Chavas, Jean-Paul, Posner, Joshua L., Hedtcke, Janet L. Organic and Conventional Production Systems in the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial: II. Economic and Risk Analysis 1993-2006. Agronomy Journal, 2009; 101 (2): 288 DOI: 10.2134/agronj2008.0055x
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406132600.htm

Food may contain environmental estrogens

A discovery that two commonly used food additives are estrogenic has led scientists to suspect that other ingredients added to the food supply may be capable of altering hormones. The FDA, however, doesn't require testing.
By: Jessica A. Knoblauch
Environmental Health News, March 27, 2009
 A discovery that two commonly used food additives are estrogenic has led scientists to suspect that many ingredients added to the food supply may be capable of altering hormones.
More than 3,000 preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients are added to food in the United States, and none of them are required to undergo testing for estrogenic activity, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
 “We need to be mindful of these food additives because they could be adding to the total effect of other estrogen mimicking compounds we're coming into contact with,” said Clair Hicks, a professor of food science at the University of Kentucky and spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit scientific group.
 “The benefits of using these additives in food need to be weighed against the risks they present,” Hicks said.
In a study published in December, Italian researchers screened 1,500 food additives using computer-modeling software, a much faster and cheaper approach than testing lab rats.
The researchers first used modeling to identify 13 molecules that could hypothetically bind with an estrogen receptor, a group of molecules activated by the hormone. Like a clenched fist that fits into the palm of a hand, potentially estrogenic molecules will “fit” inside the receptor, indicating they could interact and alter hormones.
Then, the researchers exposed cells to the 13 food additives, which confirmed that two have estrogen-mimicking properties. Known as “xenoestrogens,” these substances have been linked to reproductive problems in animals and perhaps humans.
The first food additive, propyl gallate, is a preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling that can be found in a range of foods including baked goods, shortening, dried meats, candy, fresh pork sausage, mayonnaise and dried milk.
The second additive, 4-hexyl resorcinol, is used to prevent shrimp, lobsters, and other shellfish from discoloring.
 “Some caution should be issued for the use of these two additives,” said Pietro Cozzini, one of the researchers who conducted the study and a chemistry professor at the University of Parma in Italy.
He added that further tests on rats are necessary to determine whether these additives could harm humans.
Paul Foster, whose research focuses on the potential human health effects of endocrine disruptors, agreed. He said there is a big difference between adding estrogenic molecules to cells in a culture dish and actually seeing what happens when that dose is administered to an animal.
 “There are a lot of compounds that give quite strong responses in a culture dish that really don’t produce any adverse effects on lab rats,” said Foster, who is deputy director of the National Toxicology Program's Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
The major concern, Foster said, is what happens when people are exposed to mixtures of these estrogenic compounds.
 “There are examples where you can take dose levels of compounds on their own that won’t produce an effect, but when you put these compounds together, you may get something different,” he said.
However, Foster said people should keep in mind that they already ingest significant numbers of fairly potent estrogens in their diets by consuming foods like tofu and milk, so findings like these shouldn’t necessarily scare people until more research has been conducted.
 “It’s clear that humans are exposed to a mixture of these estrogenic compounds,” Foster said. “But you have to try to balance out what might already be present in your diet or your lifestyle with these things that might be coming from some other sources,” such as food additives.
Systems like the one used by the Italian researchers are useful for screening potentially estrogenic additives, Foster said, adding that it’s a “good first step” towards identifying compounds that should be subjected to further testing.
Of the estimated 3,000 additives used in the United States to preserve foods or improve their taste and appearance, only about 2,000 have detailed toxicological information available, according to the FDA.
"Our results are part of a bigger, more important problem, which is that there could be other additives used in foods that could have estrogenic activity," Cozzini said.
Globally, the market for additives is expected to reach more than $33 billion by 2012. There are five main reasons that companies add compounds to food: to emulsify, to preserve, to add nutritional content, to add flavor or color and to balance alkalinity and acids.
"With some 3,000 compounds being used in food formulations there may be other additives with estrogenic properties that come to light with these types of studies," Hicks said.
Using the traditional animal testing system, “it would be impossible to test all of the additives in a short time,” Cozzini said. “Every day we discover new molecules, and we must continue to identify new ways to study them.”
Propyl gallate is considered “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) by the FDA, a title given to food additives that don’t require approval because they have a proven track record based on either a history of use before 1958 or on published scientific evidence. Examples of other GRAS substances include salt, sugar, spices and vitamins.
The other estrogenic one, 4-hexyl resorcinol, which is used on raw shelled seafood to inhibit melanosis, or black spots, was petitioned in 1990 for GRAS status. Its status is still pending, according to Michael Herndon, an FDA press officer.
The FDA’s lack of testing for estrogenic compounds doesn’t stop at additives. In 2008, an independent advisory board said the FDA ignored critical evidence concerning another estrogenic compound, bisphenol A, a plasticizing chemical found in polycarbonate baby bottles and the linings of metal foods cans.
 “What we’ve seen with the FDA’s handling of BPA is that it’s had its head in the sand,” said Renee Sharp, director of the Environmental Working Group’s California office. “If you look at its assessments, what you see is that it has consistently ignored independent science and consistently used outdated methods in its assessments.”
As concern about the cumulative impacts of these chemicals grows among the scientific community, some studies are suggesting that the effects of these compounds could extend to future generations.
For example, investigators at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have found that adverse effects can be seen in both the granddaughters and grandsons of mice who were developmentally exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic form of estrogen that caused reproductive problems in pregnant women and their fetuses. While DES was taken off the market in 1971, there are many other compounds that have similar, estrogenic effects.
 “This study is the flagship of estrogen mimickers and why we worry about them,” said Shanna Swan, director of the University of Rochester's Center for Reproductive Epidemiology and a leading expert on reproductive effects of environmental exposures. “The fact that these chemicals can effect future generations has been a huge lesson for the science community.”
Other research has found that low doses of these chemicals can cause significant changes in those exposed to them and their developing offspring. One recent study published inEnvironmental Health Perspectives found that when rats are exposed to low levels of BPA during lactation, their offspring had an increased chance of breast cancer.
As the evidence that synthetic estrogens may pose a health risk mounts, researchers are uncovering these compounds in new places.
Earlier this month, researchers in Germany found traces of an unknown estrogenic substance leaching into mineral water stored in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, a commonly used plastic for storing foods and beverages.
The study is the first to find that these containers are leaching synthetic estrogens. 
 “We already knew that BPA was leaching from polycarbonate baby bottles, so we decided to test bottles of mineral water to see if there was any estrogenic activity,” said Martin Wagner, a PhD student in aquatic toxicology at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt.
The scientists tested 20 brands of mineral water and found that 60 percent of the samples tested positive, with estrogenic activity in plastic bottles appearing twice as high as compared to activity in water from glass bottles.
In addition, the researchers found that mud snails placed inside the bottles filled with fresh water experienced reproduction rates double of control snails, which suggests that substances from the packaging, and not the water itself, caused the reproductive change.
 “The results show that these leached chemicals are important enough to change reproduction in only eight weeks,” Martin said.
Further testing is needed to identify the source of the estrogenic activity, but Wagner said the study’s significance is that it shows people are exposed to more environmental endocrine disruptors than what was previously thought.
 “We’re dealing with this chemical mixture, a cocktail effect, and I would say that if you look at a single compound then you might underestimate the exposure to these environmental estrogens,” he said.
Ralph Vasami, executive director of a plastics industry group, the PET Resin Association, said ongoing research on the safety of PET for the past three decades has revealed no safety issues or reasons for concern. 
"PET has been proven through considerable research to be a safe packaging material for water and other food and beverage items,” he said. “The PET industry stands on its record of safety and reliability as a packaging material.”
Swan said that the studies reinforce the need for precautionary action when dealing with these types of chemicals, such as avoiding plastic products whenever possible to decrease exposure.
 “If you’re taking several hits of something, even if it’s safe at a low dose, it’s going to add up,” Swan said.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/estrogenic-food-additives

Pesticides blamed for some childhood brain cancers.

Apr 07, 2009
Shim Y, SP Mlynarek and E van Wijngaarden. Parental exposure to pesticides and childhood brain cancer: United States Atlantic Coast Childhood Brain Cancer Study. Environmental Health Perspectives doi:10.1289/ehp.0800209.
Little is known conclusively about what causes brain cancer in children, but research studies are consistently finding links to prebirth pesticide exposure.

A new study finds that children who live in homes where their parents use pesticides are twice as likely to develop brain cancer versus those that live in residences in which no pesticides are used. Herbicide use appeared to cause a particularly elevated risk for a certain type of cancer.
It is well established that many pesticides cause cancer in animals.
This study highlights a new and compelling reason to avoid or limit pesticide use and take necessary precautions during exposure. It also adds to a growing body of research that finds that pesticide exposure -- especially with farm life and pesticide use -- might be contributing significantly to this deadly disease.
Brain cancer is the second most common cancer in children, yet why it develops is not clear. Genetics plays a role in some cases, but researchers believe those not due to associated genes are related to environmental factors and exposures.
The authors explain that "parental exposures may act before the child’s conception, during gestation, or after birth to increase the risk of cancer." Exposures at each time period may trigger different changes that lead to cancers, such as genetic mutations or changes in gene expression or hormone and immune function.
The study evaluated more than 800 fathers and more than 500 mothers that lived in residential areas in four Atlantic Coast states (Florida, New Jersey, New York (excluding New York City) and Pennsylvania). Researchers match and compare every person that is "exposed" to an "unexposed" person of the same age and status. In this case, more than 400 fathers and 250 mothers of exposed children were included.
Researchers assessed -- through telephone interviews with the mothers -- parental exposure to insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides at home and at work beginning two years prior to their child's birth.
Brain cancer cases in children under 10 years old, diagnosed between 1993 and 1997, were included in the study. The children had participated in the original Atlantic Coast childhood brain cancer study. Their illnesses represented a range of cancers, including astrocytomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumours (PNET). Astrocytomas was associated with herbicide use in this study.
The risk of childhood brain cancer was significantly lower for fathers who washed immediately after the pesticide exposure or wore protective clothing versus those who never or only sometimes took precautions.
The parents assessed in this study were generally in contact with the pesticides through residential exposure, including lawn and garden care.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/
pesticides-linked-to-child-brain-cancer/