Flu Shot "Totally Worthless" at Reducing Death Rate in Elderly

 (NaturalNews) Influenza vaccination has no significant effect on death rates among the elderly, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Alberta, Canada.

Previous studies have concluded that getting a flu shot reduces an elderly person's risk of dying from any cause by 50 percent, a claim that other scientists have challenged as unlikely.

"Over the last two decades in the United Sates, even while [flu] vaccination rates among the elderly have increased from 15 to 65 percent, there has been no commensurate decrease in hospital admissions or all-cause mortality," researcher Dean T. Eurich said. "Further, only about 10 percent of winter-time deaths in the United States are attributable to influenza, thus to suggest that the vaccine can reduce 50 percent of deaths from all causes is implausible in our opinion."

Researchers compared rates of influenza, pneumonia and death among 700 people, 85 percent of them over the age of 64. Half the participants were given a flu shot, while half were not.

The researchers found that prior to adjusting for any confounding factors, 15 percent of those in the unvaccinated group died, compared with only 8 percent of those in the unvaccinated group - consistent with the previously reported 50 percent mortality reduction. However, once researchers adjusted for other predictors of mortality such as overall health and socioeconomic status, the difference between the two groups disappeared.

This suggests, the researchers said, that the previously observed decreases in mortality from flu vaccination merely come from the so-called "healthy-user effect" and have nothing to do with the vaccine itself.

"The healthy-user effect," said lead researcher Sumit Majumdar, "is seen in what doctors often refer to as their 'good' patients - patients who are well-informed about their health, who exercise regularly, do not smoke or have quit, drink only in moderation, watch what they eat, come in regularly for health maintenance visits and disease screenings, take their medications exactly as prescribed, and quite religiously get vaccinated each year so as to stay healthy."

It is thus the healthy habits that reduce the risk of death, the researchers suggested, and not the flu vaccine.

http://www.naturalnews.com/025432.html

Almonds Aid Weight Loss and Lower LDL Cholesterol

 (NaturalNews) If you want to steer clear of the devastating side effects of statin drugs and still get your cholesterol numbers looking good, eating almonds may be just the right choice. Studies have shown that eating a nutritious diet that includes almonds sends LDL numbers plummeting. And there's more. Eating almonds provides super strength protection against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and even weight gain and obesity.

Almonds are stars of cholesterol research

In a four week study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 46 healthy human subjects were divided into three groups. The control group ate a low saturated fat diet based on milled whole-wheat cereals and low-fat dairy foods. The second group ate the same diet and also took the statin drug lovastatin. The third group ate a diet high in almonds plus plant sterols, non-meat protein and fiber. LDL cholesterol decreased by 8 percent in the control group, 30 percent in the statin group, and 28 percent in the almond group.

Another study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that heart disease risk correlates not only with cholesterol levels, but also with inflammation of blood vessels. Following a diet that includes almonds effectively lowers not only LDL cholesterol levels but also C-reactive protein levels, a key marker of inflammation. Inflammation is hard on the heart because it increases the development of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and causes the heart to have to pump faster and harder to get its job done.

In this study, 34 people followed a dietary plan, called the Portfolio Eating Plan, which included almonds. In this group, C-reactive protein levels fell 24 percent from baseline, an amount similar to the reduction achieved by taking a statin drug, only without the life draining side effects of taking the drug.

Another study examining this same group and reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when directly compared to first-generation statin drugs, the Portfolio Eating Plan diet with its emphasis on almonds is just as effective in lowering LDL cholesterol below the recommended range for heart disease prevention.

Five large human epidemiological studies, including the Nurses Health Study, all found that nut consumption is linked to lower risk for heart disease. Researchers studying data from the Nurses study found that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk. They found a 45 percent reduction when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats.

Almonds protect against cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Almond's ability to reduce heart disease risk may also be due to the huge amounts of the antioxidant vitamin E found in these nuts, and the LDL lowering effect of the monounsaturated fats they contain. When almonds are substituted for more traditional fats in human feeding trials, LDL cholesterol is reduced from 8 to 12 percent.

A quarter cup of almonds contains 99 mg of magnesium and 257 mg of potassium. Magnesium is a natural channel blocker. When magnesium levels are high, veins and arteries relax, lessening resistance and allowing increased flow of oxygen and nutrient rich blood. Potassium is involved in nerve transmission and contraction of all muscles including the heart. It is another mineral essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Almonds help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent free radical producing insulin spikes.

The Journal of Nutrition reports a study of 15 healthy people who ate 5 meals with comparable amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Two meals consisted of bread only. Three meals consisted of almonds, bread, parboiled rice, and instant mashed potatoes. Blood samples taken after each meal showed levels of blood sugar and insulin were lower following the almond meal, and levels of protective antioxidants increased. This study demonstrates the powerful anti-aging effect of almonds as well as their ability to ward off diabetes.

The more almonds eaten as part of a meal, the lower will be the glycemic index of that meal, and the smaller the rise in blood sugar levels produced by that meal. The benefit of eating almonds is dose dependent.

Healthy fats in almonds aid in weight loss

Nuts contain lots of fat, and many people still operate under the idea that fat makes you fat, so nuts are often sunned. However, review of the data from the Nurses' Health Study shows that frequent nut eaters are thinner on average than those who almost never consume nuts.

One reason nuts help with weight loss is their nutrient density. A body that is well nourished no longer craves food. The traditional American diet is so depleted of the nutrients needed by the body that the body continues to send hunger signals. In response to these signals, more nutrient deficient food is eaten and more hunger signals are sent. It is a vicious circle that leads to steady weight gain as the years go by. Eating nutrient rich almonds and other nuts breaks this vicious circle allowing for the feelings of fullness and satiety to set in.

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, researchers found that adding almonds to a low calorie diet can help overweight individuals drop pounds more effectively than a low calorie diet high in complex carbohydrates. Of 65 overweight participants, those that ate the almond enriched low calorie diet consumed 39% of their calories in the form of fat. Participants that ate the low calorie diet high in complex carbohydrates consumed only 18% of their calories from fat. Both diets supplied the same number of calories and equivalent amounts of protein.

After six months, those on the almond added diet had greater reductions in weight, body fat, total body water, and systolic blood pressure. Those eating almonds had a 62 percent greater reduction in body mass index score, 50 percent greater reduction in waist circumference, and 56 percent greater reduction in body fat compared to those on the low calorie complex carbohydrate diet. Among those with diabetes, medication reductions were sustained or further reduced in 96% of those on the almond added diet.

A study reported in an WHFood's article on almonds, involving 8865 adults found that those who ate nuts at least two times per week were 31% less likely to gain weight than were those who never or seldom at them.

The British Journal of Nutrition reports a study of 43 men and 38 women whose normal eating patterns were observed for 6 months. They were then told to eat about 2 ounces or one-quarter cup of almonds daily with no other instructions. They were then followed for another 6 months at the end of which researchers found their intake of monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, vegetable protein, vitamin E, copper and magnesium significantly increased. Their intake of trans fatty acids, animal protein, sodium, cholesterol and sugars significantly decreased.

Almonds are a good source of cancer preventing laetrile

The 1990's Adventist Health Study of a large population of California Seven Day Adventists found that eating nuts was one of the four top factors for extending longevity. These beneficial effects were found for men, women, vegetarians, meat-eaters, fatter, people, thinner people, the old, the young, and those who exercised and those who did not.

One of the likely reasons behind this finding is the high levels of laetrile contained in almonds. Laetrile, otherwise known as vitamin B-17, is a cancer cure that corruption has prevented from reaching the U.S. market. Commercial preparations of laetrile are obtained from the kernels of apricots, peaches and almonds. Its active ingredient, amygdaline, comes from the Greek word for almond. Laetrile has persisted as a known cancer fighter since the 2nd century A.D.

Almonds have prebiotic properties

Recently published work by the Institute of Food Research has identified potential prebiotic properties of almonds that could help improve digestive health by encouraging gut bacteria to flourish. A healthy and abundant population of friendly bacteria in the gut form part of the body's defense against harmful bacteria and are part of the body's immune system. Prebiotics are non-digestible parts of foods that are able to get through the upper part of the intestine without being digested or absorbed.

The California Almond Board sponsored a study to subject almonds to the same conditions experienced in the stomach and small intestine. They then added the digested almonds in vitro to mimic the bacterial fermentation in the large intestine and monitored its effect on the population of intestinal bacteria. The study, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found that finely ground almonds significantly increased the levels of beneficial bacteria. This effect was not seen when the fat content was removed from the almond preparation, suggesting that the beneficial bacteria used the almond lipids for growth, thus making it the basis of the prebiotic effect of almonds.

Almonds have even more nutrients and benefits

Almonds are high in trace minerals that are essential cofactors for production of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the body's endogenous antioxidants. SOD works in the mitochondria, the cellular furnace, to keep down free radicals that interfere with cellular energy production. Almonds are also good sources of the B vitamins necessary for recycling of another endogenous antioxidant, glutathione.

Studies have shown that eating nuts can lower the risk of developing gallstones by 25 percent. It helps prevent dementia, advanced macular degeneration, and stroke.

http://www.naturalnews.com/025427.html

High PCB Exposure May Increase Risk of Diabetes

 (NaturalNews) High levels of exposure to the chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to a pair of recent studies.

PCBs are toxic, long-lived, bioaccumulative chemicals that were widely used in a variety of consumer and industrial products until they were banned in the 1970s.

In the first study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers from National Taiwan University compared the occurrence of Type 2 diabetes among 378 Taiwanese women who had been exposed to PCB-contaminated cooking oil in the 1970s with its occurrence among 370 non-exposed neighbors. They found that after 24 years, women who had been exposed to the contaminated oil had twice the risk of diabetes as non-exposed women. The women who had been exposed to the highest PCB levels had five times the diabetes risk.

The researchers found no connection between PCB exposure and diabetes risk in men.

In the second study, researchers from SUNY Upstate Medical University tested the PCB blood levels of residents of Anniston, Ala. who lived near a Monsanto factory that had illegally dumped PCBs into open pit landfills through the 1970s.

"It was just dumped into the ground, so every time there is a flood, the stuff is spread throughout the community and then the pigs and cows, vegetables, everything becomes a source," researcher Allen Silverstone said. "Diabetes is one thing that can happen and that probably happens because these chemicals can affect glucose metabolism."

The researchers found that people living near the plant had bodily PCB levels four times higher than the national average. Their diabetes risk was also two to four times higher.

"PCBs are indestructible," Silverstone said. "They stay in the cell and they keep the receptor turned on. So what you have is a problem when a switch is turned on that should be turned on and off, and that is what raises serious health problems because then the cells get deranged."

http://www.naturalnews.com/025426.html

Study Says Volunteering Improves Health

 (NaturalNews) They say that when you give, you receive. How true is it, or is it just some airy statement championed without logic or reason? There is good news, health-wise, for frequent volunteers and givers - empirical evidence is mounting, it seems, in favor of the whole notion. In a study carried out at Purdue University, it was found that regular volunteers have better cardiovascular health as well as lower blood pressure than their non-volunteering counterparts. Significantly, they also had fewer signs of depression.

Older persons seem to benefit more

Led by Kenneth Ferraro, who is a sociology professor studying health and volunteering and the director of Purdue's Center on Aging and the Life Course, the study also found that the health benefits were more pronounced in older persons - 65 years and above, as compared with those aged 45 to 64.

"The older adults who were engaged in regular volunteering had slower increases in physical disability, and they stayed independent and physically active for a longer period of time. We believe that social engagement is essential to their well-being," said Dr Ferraro.

In the 8-year long study, the study team had looked at whether regular formal volunteering cumulatively impacted mental and physical health positively. This cumulative effect is a possible explanation why older and longer term volunteers experienced more benefits.

Or perhaps older persons, with reduced activity as they wind down on their careers and become physically less able, simply need the social interaction more than younger and still very much active persons. In any case, three things we can learn here are - volunteering is good for health, long-term volunteering is even better, and older persons benefit more from it.

Formal volunteering may be necessary

Notice that, when volunteering was mentioned above, the word "formal" was attached to it. In other words, when we are talking about health benefits, it seems that structured and formal volunteering work is needed.

According to Dr Ferraro, formal volunteering usually involved non-profit organizations with well-defined tasks as well as time frames for volunteering. Participants are also made part of social networks sharing common goals. On the flip side, informal volunteering, for example helping a family member or a neighbor, "can swell into major obligations (and) introduce stress. It's a good way to help, but people may be spending hours per week and not getting much recognition for their efforts," he added.

What stops people from volunteering? Could poor health be the reason in the first place?

Could it be possible that healthier people are more likely to volunteer in the first place? In tackling this question, the study team tried to examine the factors which held people back from volunteering. And they discovered that depression was the main barrier for middle-aged people volunteering on a sustained basis, while it was older persons who found physical health to be their main barrier.

"But what was really striking, is that the older adults, even when they face some depressive symptoms, continue volunteering. It may be that people who are feeling blue [...] seek out an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life and use that as a way to reduce those depressive symptoms. Our problems seem less significant when we start helping others. It's paradoxical, but as you give, you receive," said Dr Ferraro.

http://www.naturalnews.com/025424.html

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Supports Genetic Engineering and Corporate Farming

 (NaturalNews) Agriculture Secretary Nominee Tom Vilsack is a two-term Iowa governor (1999-2007) and a trial lawyer. He sailed through his confirmation hearing last week for the position of Agriculture Secretary, but he does not enjoy the same popularity with growers and consumers of organic foods. On the same day that Barack Obama became the 44th president of the US, Tom Vilsack was unanimously confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The confirmation process that Vilsack and his other cabinet peers have recently gone through is quite simple. After being announced, the nominee then goes through a committee hearing. This is where Senate committees hold sessions to question the nominee to determine the merits of the candidate. Then the committee votes to confirm or deny the nominee. If the nominee passes this step the next step is a vote by the entire Senate. Passing this vote results in final confirmation to a cabinet position.

Vilsack owns a 590 acre Iowa farm and approximately half of his farm is planted with crops. He testified to the confirmation committee that he supports federal programs designed to assist organic agriculture. He has not demonstrated this support adequately to consumers of organic foods or persuaded them that he will safeguard their interests, however.

Vilsack has a record of supporting the genetic engineering of crops and this is considered a threat by and to organic farmers who are not able to get organic certification for their produce if it is contaminated by the pollen created by transgenic crops. The official policy of the Department of Agriculture is that GMO crops do not need to be regulated or labeled as such.

Vilsack is considered by some in the organic community to be an ally of the corporate agri-giants and their interests. For this reason, a petition drive for the purpose of expressing opposition to his nomination has begun.

A statement from the Organic Consumers Association states their disappointment in the controversial appointment of Vilsack. At this time this petition has gathered more than 100,000 emails and signatures from organic consumers and farmers who object to Vilsack`s appointment of Agriculture Secretary.

This same association has also petitioned President Obama`s team to choose Jim Riddle to lead the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (which oversees organic food, farming, and standards). Riddle is an organic farmer from Minnesota and is the former leader of the National Organic Standards Board. He also has a long history of supporting sustainable and organic farming.

In response to this petition, a group of the organic industry`s corporate executives has launched its own petition to support Vilsack`s nomination. Large corporations like Whole Foods, Stonyfield, and United Natural Foods, Inc. have signed this latter petition. This second petition has gathered approximately 500 signatures and many of these are Iowa residents wishing to support Vilsack.

The Cornucopia Institute (an advocacy group supporting family farmers) has described the USDA`s National Organic Program (NOP) as "dysfunctional" to the Obama administration and is urging the Obama administration to improve this program. In a letter, the Cornucopia Institute described the NOP`s negative relationship with most organic farmers, organic consumers, and any groups that represent them. They contend that the NOP has not been impartial in matters involving large corporations versus smaller organic farmers.

Organic farmers have many environmental issues they are concerned about, including GMO crops, clean water supplies, pest control, hormones in milk, the honeybee colony disorder, manure management, land designation for biofuels, and global warming.

In his confirmation hearings, Vilsack promised that if he is placed in the position of Secretary of Agriculture he will promote renewable energy as a means of boosting rural economies. He also included "global climate change," reducing US forest lands, and the current health care crisis in a list of issues he wants to work on.

"All of these serious challenges require a compelling new vision for the department, with the attention, dedication and leadership to make it happen," Vilsack stated. "The president-elect has called on each of us to meet these challenges."

The Risks of Eating Farmed Salmon

 (NaturalNews) Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for healthy people and those who may have or be at risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent evidence, however, has shown that one must be careful about how and where omega-3 fatty acids come from and how they are added to one`s diet. Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids are best and one of the best sources is salmon. Recent studies have concluded that not all salmon is equal, however. When choosing between wild and farm-raised salmon, the most healthy choice is wild salmon because of many of the practices utilized when raising farmed salmon.

Everyone can benefit from adding omega-3 fatty acids to their diets. It is not recommended that more than three grams of omega -3 fatty acids be taken each day unless under a physician`s supervision. This is because excessive bleeding can happen in some people over time if more than three grams of omega-3 fatty acids are taken per day. Interestingly, high dosages of synthetic omega-3 fatty acids can be dangerous, but consuming omega-3 fatty acids naturally through diet within the recommended range is beneficial for one`s health.

When the body has an adequate supply of omega-3 fatty acids at its disposal, heart attacks can be effectively stopped while still in the arrhythmia stage.

Salmon is a delicious and effective source of omega-3 fatty acids. Wild salmon is a great brain food that can naturally replenish the essential fatty acids the body requires for optimal health. Other seafood carries an inherent risk of mercury poisoning, but wild salmon appears to contain minimal amounts of mercury.

The best kind of salmon is wild salmon from Alaskan waters. This salmon is purported to be one of the purest ocean species of fish. The ocean waters are remote in this area of the world. The environment there is pure and clean compared to the environments that other species of salmon live in. The salmon from Alaskan waters also have a comparatively shorter life span and, therefore, much fewer contaminants in their bodies than the larger types of ocean fish that have longer life spans.

Farm-raised salmon have been found to have much higher levels of PCBs, dioxin, and other toxic cancer-causing chemicals than wild salmon, according to a recent study. Salmon raised in farms in Northern Europe had the highest contaminant levels. This was followed by salmon raised in North America and Chile. The reason for the higher toxin levels is thought to be because of the feed used in fish farms. Farm-raised salmon also have more antibiotics administered by weight compared to any other kind of livestock. In addition, farm raised salmon do not have the same omega 3:6 profile as wild salmon. Farm-raised fish contain considerably higher levels of omega 6 fatty acids.

Eating more than one meal of farm-raised salmon per month (depending on where it is from) may increase one`s risk of developing cancer in the future due to the increased levels of chemicals and antibiotics.

In addition to this, some Canadian salmon farmers are now being criticized for producing flabby and sloppy fish. The texture of this farmed fish is thought to be a result of adding fish oil to the salmon feed in order to increase the weight of the salmon. The salmon farmer`s goal is to fatten the salmon quickly and make them heavier. This is accomplished by feeding them a high fat diet. A result of this diet, however, is that the texture of the fish meat becomes much softer in texture and consumers have noticed a difference.

http://www.naturalnews.com/025420.html

ADHD drugs can cause hallucinations in some kids
Last Updated: 2009-01-26 9:39:22 -0400 (Reuters Health)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can cause children to have hallucinations even when taken as directed, U.S. government researchers said on Monday.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration researchers analyzed data from 49 clinical studies conducted by makers of the drugs and found they can cause psychosis and mania in some patients, including some with no obvious risk factors. In some cases, children hallucinated that worms, bugs or snakes were crawling on them.
"Patients and physicians should be aware of the possibility that psychiatric symptoms consistent with psychosis or mania" might arise in the course of treatment, Dr. Andrew Mosholder and colleagues wrote in the journal Pediatrics.
Their analysis provides fresh detail about known risks of the drugs, which include Novartis AG's Ritalin and Focalin XR, Shire Plc's Adderall XR and Daytrana patch, Johnson & Johnson's Concerta, Eli Lilly and Co's Strattera and Celltech Pharmaceuticals Inc's Metadate CD.
It also includes data on Cephalon Inc's modafinil, sold as Provigil, a narcolepsy drug that was rejected as an ADHD treatment in children.
FDA spokeswoman Sandy Walsh said the data formed the basis for recent warnings about psychiatric side effects that have been added to product labels in recent years.
Millions of children use drugs to treat symptoms of ADHD, which affects about three to seven percent of U.S. children.
ADHD is marked by restlessness, impulsiveness, inattention and distractibility that can interfere with a child's ability to pay attention in school and maintain social relationships.
"The numbers of cases of psychosis or mania in pediatric clinical trials were small," Mosholder and colleagues wrote. "However, we noted a complete absence of such events with placebo treatments."
In one account, they described a 7-year-old girl who took an 18 mg dose of Strattera or atomoxetine who started talking nonstop within hours of taking her first dose.
"Two hours after taking her second dose of atomoxetine, the patient started running very fast, stopped suddenly, and fell to the ground. The patient said she had 'run into a wall' (there was no wall there)," they wrote.
"These adverse side effects are rare," said Dr. Harold Koplewicz of New York University Child Study Center, who was not involved in the study, adding that they are reversible,
"Once you stop the medicine, the side effects go away," he said in a telephone interview.
He said children under age 10 are susceptible to negative drug side effects in the same way that older adults are.
"We know that medications that affect neurochemicals in your brain to increase your attention and make you less impulsive also can have an effect on other neurochemicals in your brain that affect mood," he said.
Both Koplewicz and FDA researchers urged doctors to discuss the potential side effects with parents and children to help ease their anxiety if such symptoms should occur.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/01/26/eline/links/20090126elin010.html

U.S. school children need less work, more play: study
Last Updated: 2009-01-26 10:22:52 -0400 (Reuters Health)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - All work and no play may be a hazard for some U.S. school children.
Researchers reported on Monday that a growing trend of curbing free time at school may lead to unruly classrooms and rob youngsters of needed exercise and an important chance to socialize.
A look at more than 10,000 children aged 8 and 9 found better classroom behavior among those who had at least a 15-minute break during the school day compared to those who did not, Dr. Romina Barros and colleagues at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York reported.
The behavior assessments were general in nature and not made at any particular time of the school day, their report said.
"The available research suggests that recess may play an important role in the learning, social development, and health of children in elementary school," the research team said in a study published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
But today many children get less free time and fewer physical outlets at school "because many school districts responded to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 by reducing time committed to recess, the creative arts, and even physical education in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics," they added.
The researchers also found that children not getting recess were more likely to be black, from poor families and attending public schools in large cities.
"This raises concern in light of evidence that many children from disadvantaged backgrounds are not free to roam their neighborhoods or even their own yards unless they are accompanied by adults," the team said. "For many of these children, recess periods may be the only opportunity for them to practice their social skills with other children."
Barros told Reuters that previously published research indicates that poor children often are deprived of recess because "those schools are located in very violent neighborhoods, and there is the concern that children may get exposed to fights or gun shooting while in recess."
In addition, she said, such schools are often overcrowded, with space designated for recess or physical activity turned into classrooms.
The study also said the growing problem of childhood obesity needs to be addressed by more activity, especially at school where children spend so much of their day.
One earlier study found that free time has shrunk for U.S. children in and out of school since the 1970s, the report said. At the same time most elementary schools in Asia provide a 10-minute break after every 40 to 50 minutes of instruction, it added.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/01/26/eline/links/20090126elin011.html

Higher A1C Levels Linked to Lower Brain Function-Study Suggests Lowering A1C Levels Could Reduce Decline in Cognitive Function

Market Wire  01-26-09
ALEXANDRIA, VA, Jan 26, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Higher average blood glucose (sugar) levels in people with type 2 diabetes are linked to lower cognitive functioning, according to a study published online today in the journal Diabetes Care.
The ongoing Memory in Diabetes (MIND) study, a sub-study of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, found that higher levels of hemoglobin A1C levels (a measure of the average blood glucose levels over a 2-3 month period) are significantly associated with poorer performance on three cognitive tasks, which require memory, speed and the ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time. A higher A1C level was also associated with a lower score on a test of global cognitive function
Previous studies have shown that people with diabetes are 1.5 times more likely to experience cognitive decline and dementia than people without diabetes. The MIND results suggest diabetes may be associated with mild cognitive impairment.
"Even a mild impairment in cognitive function is of concern for people with type 2 diabetes," said lead researcher Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaffe, of the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology & Health Policy Research, Endocrinology Institute at Sheba Medical Center & Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University in Israel. However, these results are cross-sectional so it is not yet known whether higher levels of blood sugar increase the risk for cognitive impairment or whether impairment decreases the ability to control blood sugar levels. This will be answered in the ongoing ACCORD-MIND study, in which study patients are followed over time and are tested three times during the trial. One aim of this ACCORD-MIND follow-up is to test the hypothesis that lowering A1C could result in improved cognitive function.
The ACCORD-MIND study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, in collaboration with the ACCORD trial funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Additional support came from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Eye Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To obtain a copy of the paper, please contact Dayle Kern at dkern@diabetes.org.
To reach lead researcher Tali Cukierman-Yaffe, email cukierm@mcmaster.ca.
To reach the senior author Lenore J. Launer, email nianews3@mail.nih.gov.
Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association, is the leading peer-reviewed journal of clinical research into one of the nation's leading causes of death by disease. Diabetes also is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, as well as the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure, and non-traumatic amputations.
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
Contact: Dayle Kern ADA (703) 549-1500 ext. 2290
SOURCE: American Diabetes Association
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=7822&Section=Disease

Huge Burden Of Diabetes Shown By New Survey

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2009) — In the United States, nearly 13 percent of adults age 20 and older have diabetes, but 40 percent of them have not been diagnosed, according to epidemiologists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose study includes newly available data from an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).
Diabetes is especially common in the elderly: nearly one-third of those age 65 and older have the disease. An additional 30 percent of adults have pre-diabetes, a condition marked by elevated blood sugar that is not yet in the diabetic range. 
The study compared the results of two national surveys that included a fasting blood glucose (FBG) test and 2-hour glucose reading from an OGTT. The OGTT gives more information about blood glucose abnormalities than the FBG test, which measures blood glucose after an overnight fast. The FBG test is easier and less costly than the OGTT, but the 2-hour test is more sensitive in identifying diabetes and pre-diabetes, especially in older people. Two-hour glucose readings that are high but not yet diabetic indicate a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and of developing diabetes than a high, but not yet diabetic, fasting glucose level.
"We're facing a diabetes epidemic that shows no signs of abating, judging from the number of individuals with pre-diabetes," said lead author Catherine Cowie, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a part of the NIH. "For years, diabetes prevalence estimates have been based mainly on data that included a fasting glucose test but not an OGTT. The 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, is the first national survey in 15 years to include the OGTT. The addition of the OGTT gives us greater confidence that we're seeing the true burden of diabetes and pre-diabetes in a representative sample of the U.S. population."
Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. It is the most common cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations in adults and a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Type 2 diabetes accounts for up to 95 percent of all diabetes cases and virtually all cases of undiagnosed diabetes. Pre-diabetes, which causes no symptoms, substantially raises the risk of a heart attack or stroke and of developing type 2 diabetes.
In its analysis, the team also found that:

• The rate of diagnosed diabetes increased between the surveys, but the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes remained relatively stable.
• Minority groups continue to bear a disproportionate burden. The prevalence of diabetes, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, in non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican- Americans is about 70 to 80 percent higher than that of non-Hispanic whites.
• Diabetes prevalence was virtually the same in men and women, as was the proportion of undiagnosed cases.
• Pre-diabetes is more common in men than in women (36 percent compared to 23 percent).
• Diabetes is rare in youth ages 12 to 19 years, but about 16 percent have pre-diabetes.

"These findings have grave implications for our health care system, which is already struggling to provide care for millions of diabetes patients, many of whom belong to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or minorities," said Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., director of the NIDDK. "Of paramount importance is the need to curb the obesity epidemic, which is the main factor driving the rise in type 2 diabetes."
The study is based on 2005-2006 data from the NHANES conducted by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. The survey involved 7,267 people, who represented a national sample of persons age 12 years and older. Participants were interviewed in their homes and received a physical exam. A subsample had a blood sugar reading taken after an overnight fast as well as the OGTT, sometimes called a 2-hour glucose challenge. The OGTT measures blood glucose 2 hours after a person drinks a premeasured sugary beverage. The findings were then compared to those of the last NHANES survey that included the OGTT, which was conducted from 1988 to 1994.
"These findings of yet another increase in diabetes prevalence are a reminder that a full-scale public health response is in order. Re-directing the trends in diabetes will require changing the nutritional and physical activity habits of people at risk, and also creative and substantial efforts by health systems and communities," said Ed Gregg, Ph.D., epidemiology and statistics branch chief in CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation.
"It's important to know if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, because there's so much you can do to preserve your health," said Joanne Gallivan, M.S., R.D., director of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) for the NIH. "You should talk to your health care professional about your risk. If your blood glucose is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, losing a modest amount of weight and increasing physical activity will greatly lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, controlling your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol will prevent or delay the complications of diabetes."
People over age 45 should be tested for pre-diabetes or diabetes. Those younger than 45 who are overweight and have another risk factor should ask their health care provider about testing. People are at greater risk of developing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes if they:

• are age 45 or older
• have a family history of diabetes
• are overweight
• are inactive (exercise less than three times a week)
• are members of a high-risk ethnic population (e.g., African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American, Pacific Islander)
• have high blood pressure: 140/90 mm/Hg or higher
• have an HDL cholesterol less than 35 mg/dL or a triglyceride level 250 mg/dL or higher
• have had diabetes that developed during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
• have polycystic ovary syndrome, a metabolic disorder that affects the female reproductive system
• have acanthosis nigricans (dark, thickened skin around neck or armpits)
• have a history of disease of the blood vessels to the heart, brain, or legs
• have had higher-than-normal blood glucose levels on previous testing.

The researchers report these findings in the February 2009 issue of Diabetes Care, which posted a pre-print version of the article online at http://diabetes.org/diabetescare.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126112317.htm

Mind Out Of Balance, Body Out Of Balance

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2009) — Many of the 40 million American adults who suffer from anxiety disorders also have problems with balance. As increasing numbers of children are diagnosed with anxiety, Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that the link between balance and anxiety can be assessed at an early age and that something can be done about it before it becomes a problem.
Dr. Orit Bart at Tel Aviv University’s School of Health Professions, and her colleagues, have found that a simple course of physical treatment for balance problems can also resolve anxiety issues in children.  Her work offers new hope for normal social and emotional development for children with both disorders.
Establishing the Connection
Anxiety has a significant impact on children’s personal and academic well-being. While not all kids with anxiety have balance problems, all those with balance problems do exhibit symptoms of anxiety, pointing to a link between the two conditions.
“This is a breakthrough in the field of occupational therapy,” says Dr. Bart.
Her study — done in collaboration with TAU researchers Yair Bar-Haim, Einat Weizman, Moran Levin, Avi Sadeh, and Matti Mintz, and to be published in Research in Developmental Disabilities — investigated the anxiety-balance connection in young children for the first time. Dr. Bart tracked children between the ages of five and seven who had been diagnosed with both problems to see how treatment would affect each disorder.
After a 12-week intervention of sensory-motor intervention, the children in Dr. Bart’s study improved their balance skills. The therapy also reduced the children’s anxiety to normal levels, she reports. As their balance and anxiety issues improved, the children’s self-esteem also increased.
Treating the Mind Through the Body
“You can’t treat children with anxiety in a cognitive way because of their immaturity and lack of operational thinking. Working with the body may be the answer,” Dr. Bart explains. The treatment therefore focused on letting the children use equipment to experience their environment and move in space. Dr. Bart found that by working with their bodies, children could work through their emotional problems, including anxiety.
Dr. Bart is now working on expanding the initial results through a larger study with more control groups. The goal is to explore the exact nature of the relationship between balance and anxiety in children, and to focus the results on more specific treatment types.
“Young children who have anxiety should first be assessed for balance issues to see if that is the source of the problem,” says Dr. Bart. “We can now treat these children because we have a better understanding of the relation between these disorders.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090122141226.htm

Cutting calories 'boosts memory'
Reducing what you eat by nearly a third may improve memory, according to German researchers.
They introduced the diet to 50 elderly volunteers, then gave them a memory test three months later.
The study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found significant improvements.
However, a dietician said the reduction could harm health unless care was taken.
There is growing interest in the potential benefits of calorie restricted diets, after research in animals suggested they might be able to improve lifespan and delay the onset of age-related disease.
However, it is still not certain whether this would be the case in humans - and the the levels of "caloric restriction" involved are severe.
The precise mechanism which may deliver these benefits is still being investigated, with theories ranging from a reduction in the production of "free radical" chemicals which can cause damage, to a fall in inflammation which can have the same result.
The researchers from the University of Munster carried out the human study after results in rats suggested that memory could be boosted by a diet containing 30% fewer calories than normal.
The study volunteers, who had an average age of 60, were split into three groups - the first had a balanced diet containing the normal number of calories, the second had a similar diet but with a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in olive oil and fish.
The final group were given the calorie restricted diet.
After three months, there was no difference in memory scores in the first two groups, but the 50 in the third group performed better.
Diet warning
They also showed other signs of physical improvement, with decreased levels of insulin and fewer signs of inflammation.
The researchers said that these changes could explain the better memory scores, by keeping brain cells in better health.
They wrote: "To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly.
"The present findings may help to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for maintaining cognitive health into old age."
However, care was taken to make sure that the volunteers, despite eating a restricted diet in terms of calories, carried on eating the right amount of vitamins and other nutrients.
Dr Leigh Gibson, from Roehampton University, said that the drop in insulin levels were one plausible reason why mental performance might improve.
The hormone was known to act on parts of the brain related to memory, he said, and the higher levels found in people with poorly controlled type II diabetes had been directly linked to worse memory and cognitive function.
A spokesman for the British Dietetic Association said that people, particularly those already at normal or low weight, should be "extremely careful" about attempting such a diet.
She said: "There is other evidence that, far from enhancing memory, dieting or removing meals can interfere with memory and brain function.
"A drop of 30% in calories is a significant one for someone who is not overweight, and should not be undertaken lightly.
"It could even be dangerous if the person is already underweight."

Green tea may protect against breast cancer: Study

Nutraingredients.com, 27-Jan-2009

Regular consumption of green tea may reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer by about 12 per cent, according to a new study from the US and China.
Writing in the Journal of Nutrition, scientists report that the “modest” reduction was observed for regular tea drinkers, compared to non-drinkers, after evaluating the diet of 3454 women with breast cancer and 3474 healthy controls aged between 20 and 74.
The study, led by Martha Shrubsole from Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville, adds to the ever-growing body of science supporting the anti-cancer benefits of green tea and its polyphenols.
Green tea contains between 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10 per cent. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea and is somewhere between green and black tea.
The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tealeaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC).
Study details
Shrubsole and her collaborators from the Shanghai Cancer Institute and the Shanghai Center for Disease Prevention and Control performed the study in Shanghai. All of the women were individually interviewed and their green tea drinking habits, including regularity, tea strength, and quantities consumed, were assessed.
Regular consumption of the beverage was associated with a “slightly decreased risk for breast cancer” of 12 per cent, said the researchers, compared to non-drinkers.
Furthermore, benefits for pre-menopausal women were related to the number of years they had been regular drinkers, and a dose-response was also observed
On the other hand, the researchers found no relationship between a specific genotype called COMT rs4680 AA and breast cancer risk. The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is known to catalyse tea polyphenols, and the lower activity associated with COMT rs4680 AA was hypothesised to affect the relationship between green tea and breast cancer risk.
“Drinking green tea may be weakly associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer,” concluded the researchers
Beyond cancer
In addition to the potential anti-cancer benefits, previous studies have reported a range of health benefits for green tea and its extracts, including the potential to promote weight loss, and protection against Alzheimer's.
European demand for tea extracts is currently surging, having reached 500 metric tonnes by 2003.
This has seen companies such as DSM, with its Teavigo boasting 95 per cent purity of EGCG, and Taiyo International, with its Sunphenon claiming more than 90 per cent purity, position themselves firmly in specific catechin markets.
Source: Journal of Nutrition
February 2009, Volume 139, Number 2, Pages 310-316
“Drinking Green Tea Modestly Reduces Breast Cancer Risk”
Authors: M.J. Shrubsole, W. Lu, Z. Chen, X.O. Shu, Y. Zheng, Q. Dai, Q. Cai, K. Gu, Z.X. Ruan, Y.-T. Gao, W. Zheng
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Green-tea-may-protect-against-breast-cancer-Study

Phytosterols for cholesterol cuts supported by review

Nutraingredients, 27-Jan-2009

Phytosterol-enriched foods are efficacious for reducing levels of LDL cholesterol, with no differences between stanols and sterols, or delivery in fat or non fat foods, says a new review.
By reviewing 84 trials, researchers from Unilever R&D and Wageningen University report that the science supports the incorporation of phytosterols in various food formats. The findings are published in the new issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
“For the recommended intake of two grams per day, the expected LDL-C–lowering effect of phytosterols is 29 per cent,” wrote the authors, led by Isabelle Demonty. “A reduction in LDL-C of about 10 per cent would reduce the incidence of CHD by about 10-20 per cent.
“Although no direct evidence is available yet for the ability of phytosterols to lower CHD incidence, the well-documented cholesterol-lowering effect of phytosterols is the basis for recommendations to include phytosterols into strategies to lower LDL-C concentrations,” they added.
The study is important as phytosterols are incorporated into more and more food matrices.
According to a recent market research conducted by Frost & Sullivan, phytosterols are the most heart health targeted and benefited from approved health claims in many markets (as well as recently approval from the European Food Safety Authority).
The European market was valued at €421m in 2007 and growing at 20 per cent.
Unilever has a range of cholesterol-lowering products under the Flora pro.activ brand. The range has achieved mainstream product awareness via ongoing marketing campaigns and event sponsorship such as a long-term tie-in with the London marathon. Its major rival in the area - Benecol - had also done a lot of marketing work to boost sales and awareness levels.
Study details
The researchers identified 165 trials but narrowed the list to 84 after applying stricter inclusion criteria. The review evaluated the impact of different characteristics such as phytosterol type (plant sterols or stanols) and the impact of food format (fat-based or non fat-based, dairy or non-dairy, and liquid or solid food formats) on the dose-response.
Demonty and her co-workers report that, overall, an average intake of 2.15 grams of phytosterols per day was linked to a reduction in LDL cholesterol levels of 0.34 mmol/L, equivalent to a 8.8 per cent drop.
While there were no significant differences between sterols or stanols, or fat-based or non fat-based, and dairy or non-dairy food formats, the researchers did observe a larger effect for solid foods, compared to liquid foods at phytosterol doses over two grams per day.
Furthermore, a “strong tendency” was observed for higher efficacy of multiple daily intakes, compared to a single daily intake of phytosterols.
The researchers also propose an equation to quantify the effect of specific phytosterol doses. However, they cautioned on the application of the mathematics due to large variations between the trials reviewed.
“The key outcome of this review and meta-analysis is the generation of a physiologically relevant, continuous dose-response relationship for the LDL-C–lowering effect of phytosterols,” wrote the researchers.
“By including not only fat-based foods consumed multiple times per day but also low-fat or fat-free foods and food formats intended for once-a-day use, this approach provides an updated estimation of the LDL cholesterol-lowering efficacy of phytosterols in the variety of available food formats.”
Source: Journal of Nutrition
Volume 139, Pages 271-284
“Continuous dose-response relationship of the LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of phytosterol intake”
Authors: I. Demonty, R.T. Ras RT, H.C.M. van der Knaap, G.S.M.J.E. Duchateau, L. Meijer, P.L. Zock, J.M. Geleijnse, E.A. Trautwein
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Phytosterols-for-cholesterol-cuts-supported-by-review