Web of Nutrition

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Diabetics deficient in vitamin D can't process cholesterol so it builds in blood vessels, increasing heart attack and stroke risk, U.S. researchers said.

About 70 percent of U.S. children have low levels of vitamin D, which puts them at higher risk for bone and heart disease, researchers said today.

Low levels were especially common in girls, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, the obese, those who drank milk less than once a week, and those who spent more than four hours a day watching TV, playing videogames, or using computers. The deficiency was more common among the older children in the data set, too.

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Eating a curry once or twice a week could help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, research suggests.

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If you thought that your child's lunch was off-limits from the prying eyes of the state, think again.  Australian regulations, prepared by the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, will direct childcare staff to check lunches for unhealthy foods, and educate parents about food errors, in an effort to combat obesity. 

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The widespread practice of using zinc and copper supplements to treat diarrhoea may not be effective, research suggests.

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Seven in ten parents of overweight children are in denial about the problem, researchers have warned.

A study of British parents found that less than a third of those whose children were overweight realised it.

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WASHINGTON: A randomised controlled trial has shown that omega-3 fatty acids given as part of an oral nutritional supplement helps preserve muscle mass in patients undergoing surgery for oesopahageal cancer, a procedure normally associated with significant weight loss and quality of life issues.

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Some of the most sensational health claims ever advanced about a nutrient have recently been made for vitamin D. Not having enough of the sunshine vitamin has been linked to a slew of chronic ailments, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Now, the purported benefits of taking extra vitamin D are about to receive high-level scientific scrutiny through a review conducted at the behest of the Canadian and U.S. governments. But the effort is already mired in controversy.

The panel selected to analyze the health claims is being criticized for not including the medical researchers whose work prompted intense scientific interest in the nutrient in the first place.

"If you were publicly in favour of vitamin D, you were not included, and I find that outrageous," said Reinhold Vieth, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, and one of Canada's leading experts on the nutrient.

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The Australian Consumer Association surveyed tested 97 store-bought cakes and found that many cakes had more than 20 food additives, according to a report on news.com.au.  Even the more expensive cakes had high levels of food additives, many more than 20 each. 

Medpie says: do not eat fake food. 

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SAN FRANCISCO, March 25 (UPI) -- Omega-3 fatty acids appear protective against advanced prostate cancer and this effect may be modified by a genetic variant, U.S. researchers said.

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WINNIPEG, Manitoba, March 23 (UPI) -- Canadian scientists suggest a protein extracted from yellow peas may help kidney patients.

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AURORA, Colo., March 24 (UPI) -- Although low vitamin D is linked to cancer, heart disease and infection, the average U.S. blood levels of the"sunshine"vitamin decreased, researchers said.

The article highlights that only 3% of non-hispanic African Americans get sufficient vitamin D.

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KYOTO, Japan, March 23 (UPI) -- A new type of yogurt provides an almost vaccine-like effect against the bacteria that cause gastritis and stomach ulcers, researchers in Japan said.

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NEW YORK, March 21 (UPI) -- Sugar is slowly returning as a regular ingredient in food products, supplanting high-fructose corn syrup, a U.S. analyst says.

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ROCHESTER, Minn., March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers found a correlation between inadequate vitamin D levels and the amount of narcotic medication taken by patients who have chronic pain.

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A dietary supplement taken during pregnancy could cut the risk of hydrocephalus, research suggests. 

Tests on rats showed a combination of folates dramatically reduced the rates of hydrocephalus - in which fluids build up in the brain's chambers.

They even seemed to work after the condition had started to develop.

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AUGUSTA, Ga., March 13 (UPI) -- Too little vitamin D may lead to fatter adolescents, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia said.

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In an epidemiological study of men and post-menopausal women primarily over 60 years of age, regular moderate alcohol intake was associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD).  The results suggest that regular moderate consumption of beer or wine may have protective effects on bone, but that heavy drinking may contribute to bone loss.

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HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, March 5 (UPI) -- Seventy-eight percent of the children in a study in Canada did not receive adequate amounts of omega-3 EPA and DHA in their diets, researchers said.

TUCSON, March 6 (UPI) -- Personal nutrition coach and U.S. nutrition author Jack Challem is challenging a recent study on high doses of vitamin C interfering with chemotherapy drugs.

Fatty foods may play a role in reducing allergic symptoms, a study by Edinburgh scientists has shown.  Dietary saturated fat may weaken the responses of the body to allergens.

A UK study casts doubt on earlier claims that eating oily fish can protect against dementia in old age.

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Higher levels of calcium are linked to less cancer risk for women overall and lower colorectal cancer risk for men and women, U.S. researchers said.

BOSTON, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- It doesn't matter if calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat -- eating less of them leads to weight loss, U.S. researchers said.

BOSTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Taking a combination of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid appears to decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration in women, U.S. researchers said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say you're more likely to have a stroke if you live in a neighborhood populated by fast-food restaurants.

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Vitamin supplements can prevent hearing loss in laboratory animals, University of Florida researchers said.  The supplements used in the research are composed of antioxidants -- beta carotene and vitamins C and E -- and the mineral magnesium, senior author Colleen Le Prell of the University of Florida said.

DETROIT, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Arab-American women living in Detroit, whose modest dress limits their exposure to the sun, may have dangerously low serum levels of vitamin D, researchers say.

SZCZECIN, Poland, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Polish researchers suggest that acrylamide from foods such as potato chips may increase the risk of heart disease.  Marek Naruszewicz  colleagues say that acrylamide has been linked to nervous system disorders and possibly to cancer.  After ingesting large amounts of potato chips providing about 157 micrograms of acrylamide daily for four weeks, the study participants had adverse changes in oxidized low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, inflammatory markers and antioxidants that help the body eliminate acrylamide -- all of which may increase the risk of heart disease.