BC CAM

The father of psychoneuroimmunology

2012-01-02T21:02:00.003-05:00

Science

Robert Ader, Who Linked Stress and Illness, Dies at 79

By Paul Vitello

Published: December 25, 2011

Dr. Ader’s findings, now widely accepted, contradicted a previous principle of biochemistry that the immune system was autonomous.

The Fat Trap

2011-12-28T15:22:00.004-05:00

The Fat Trap

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Published: December 28, 2011

In the battle to lose weight, and keep it off, our bodies are fighting against us.

This is one of the best articles I have seen that examines the difficulty overweight individuals face in their quest for thinner bodies.

Patterns: Less Salt Isn’t Always Better for the Heart

2011-12-28T15:13:00.001-05:00

Patterns: Less Salt Isn’t Always Better for the Heart

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: November 28, 2011

A study of 28,880 people showed that people who consumed too little sodium were at greater risk for heart problems than people who took in a moderate amount. But too little sodium was almost as bad as too much. Compared with those who excreted 4 to 6 grams of sodium daily, people who excreted 2 to 3 grams were at 19 percent greater risk for death from a cardiovascular event, and the less they consumed the greater their risk.

It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12

2011-12-28T15:06:00.003-05:00

It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12

By Jane Brody

Published: November 28, 2011

Low levels of the essential vitamin can bring on symptoms including muscle weakness, fatigue, shakiness, unsteady gait, incontinence, low blood pressure and depression.

A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day

2011-11-27T19:17:00.004-05:00

A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day

By JOHN TIERNEY
Published: November 21, 2011
A new series of experiments and studies shows, for the first time, that the feeling of gratitude is linked to lower rates of aggression.

A Watch-and-Wait Prostate Treatment

2011-11-27T19:10:00.001-05:00

Health

A Watch-and-Wait Prostate Treatment

By Jane Brody

Published: November 14, 2011

A doctor has proposed the least invasive approach for most men with early-stage cancers that are not particularly aggressive.

In Body’s Shield Against Cancer, a Culprit in Aging May Lurk

2011-11-27T19:07:00.001-05:00

Science

In Body’s Shield Against Cancer, a Culprit in Aging May Lurk

By Nicholas Wade

Published: November 21, 2011

Senescent cells seem to be a benign by-product of the body’s defense against cancer, but researchers are growing suspicious of their culpability in aging.

When We See What We Want

2011-07-06T23:02:00.002-04:00

Head Case: Jonah Lehrer

In 1981, Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould published "The Mismeasure of Man," a fierce critique of various scientific attempts to measure human intelligence. Mr. Gould began the book with a takedown of "craniometry," a popular 19th-century technique that attempted to find correlations between skull volume and intellect.

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Even scientific measurements can be thrown off by our preconceived notions.

His harshest criticisms were directed at Samuel Morton, an American physician who became famous for demonstrating, in 1839, that different human races had different skull sizes. This led many of Morton's contemporaries to conclude that intelligence was a racial trait and that some races were inherently smarter than others.

Needless to say, Mr. Gould, who died in 2002, despised Morton's racist ideology. But he went further than that, delving into Morton's raw data to show that his beliefs had warped his science. Because Morton knew what he wanted to find—that whites had the biggest heads—he ended up mismeasuring the skulls of his subjects.

Before long, Morton became a case study in scientific bias, a warning to researchers that their preconceived notions can dramatically influence what they discover. Although Morton considered himself objective, he was a shoddy observer, blinded by his own beliefs.

Or so we thought. A new study by a team of anthropologists led by Jason Lewis of Stanford has reanalyzed Morton's data, measuring more than 300 of the skulls used in the original research. To their surprise, the anthropologists discovered that the overwhelming majority of Morton's skull data was accurate. Although they strongly criticize Morton's racial theories, and note that variations in skull size are largely determined by climate (not by genetics or innate intelligence), they conclude that he did not fudge the facts.

How, then, did Mr. Gould come to his harsh conclusion? According to the anthropologists, Mr. Gould was guilty of the very same flaw he saw in Morton. By reanalyzing Mr. Gould's own analysis, they demonstrate that he cherry-picked data sets, misused statistics and ignored inconvenient samples. As the scientists note, "Ironically, Gould's own analysis of Morton is likely the stronger example of a bias influencing results."

The larger lesson of the Gould-Morton affair is that bias is everywhere, that many of our studies are shot through with unconscious errors and subtle prejudices. To Paul Simon, we see what we want to see and disregard the rest.

In recent years, it's become clearer that these psychological shortcomings are a serious societal problem. Because we believe we're impervious to bias—we're blind to our own blind spots—we assume that our judgment isn't affected by financial incentives or personal opinions. But we're wrong.

This problem has been most convincingly demonstrated in medical clinical trials. A 2005 study of psychiatric drug trials found that when academic researchers were funded by a drug company, they were nearly five times as likely to report that the treatment was effective. (A similar pattern was found with oncology drugs.) What makes this result so disturbing is that all of these studies were randomized, double-blind trials, which are typically regarded as the gold standard of medical evidence. And yet the financial incentives seemed to decisively influence the data.

Sometimes, even small amounts of money can have big consequences, shaping our views of the evidence. A 1994 study of physicians who requested that drugs be added to the list of approved hospital medications showed that they were far more likely to have accepted free meals or travel funds from drug makers. Other studies have found that the rate of drug prescriptions spikes after doctors meet with a pharmaceutical sales representative, especially when the representatives are bearing gifts.

Such biases don't just influence scientists and doctors. A 2003 study by economists at Carnegie Mellon and Harvard looked at how "independent" auditors are biased by their relationships with clients. (In most instances, auditors are hired and fired by the firms they are supposed to investigate.) The economists found that professional auditors were significantly more likely to approve of questionable accounting practices when they were done by the firm paying their bills.

What this depressing research demonstrates is that the only way to get objective data is to have institutions that assume objectivity doesn't exist. It's not enough to force scientists and doctors to declare conflicts of interest, because our biases seep in anyway. Rather, we need to do a better job of funding truly independent studies and approaching with extra skepticism those that are not. We should also encourage researchers to make their raw data public, as Samuel Morton did, so that others can check it. As Stephen Jay Gould proved all too well, men are inveterate mismeasurers.

Strawberries Fight Cancer, Study Finds

2011-06-12T02:35:00.002-04:00

Researchers found that freeze-dried strawberries slowed the growth of dysplastic, or precancerous, lesions in about 30 people who consumed the fruit for six months.

http://online.wsj.com

Can Needles Soothe Wounded Warriors?

2011-06-12T02:29:00.002-04:00

Military doctors in Afghanistan are using acupuncture to treat brain injuries, with promising results.

http://online.wsj.com/article

Out Front in the Fight on Fat

2011-06-12T02:08:00.005-04:00

http://online.wsj.com/article

Bigger the Belly, the Bigger the Risk

2011-06-12T02:01:00.004-04:00

Extra-Large Waistlines Carry a Greater Chance of Having a Heart Attack; 'Fat Is Not Created Equal'

By Ron Winslow

A new study offers fresh evidence that belly fat is the chief culprit in the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The report also raises the possibility that people can be overweight without significantly raising their heart risk, so long as they carry the extra fat in places other than their belly. In fact, a few extra pounds may even lower the risk of death from heart disease, researchers found.

http://online.wsj.com/article

Eighty Years Along, a Longevity Study Still Has Ground to Cover

2011-06-12T01:08:00.001-04:00

By KATHERINE BOUTON

Published: April 18, 2011

Researchers find conscientiousness might be the key to a long life.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/science/19longevity.html

My Unhealthy Diet? It Got Me This Far

2011-06-12T00:07:00.000-04:00

By HENRY ALFORD

Published: February 28, 2011

Constantly badgered by doctors, family and friends to adopt a healthier approach, older gourmands chow down anyway.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Elder.html

Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World

2011-06-12T00:02:00.001-04:00

By MELISSA CLARK

After gaining a bad reputation at theater concession stands in the ’90s, coconut oil is back.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html

Look Who’s Meditating Now

2011-06-11T23:54:00.000-04:00

By IRINA ALEKSANDER

Published: March 18, 2011

Interest in Transcendental Meditation is spiking, with the help of celebrities.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/fashion/20TM.html

Government Says 2 Common Materials Pose Risk of Cancer

2011-06-11T23:50:00.001-04:00

By GARDINER HARRIS

Published: June 10, 2011

Government scientists listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen and said styrene may cause cancer, but the main threat is to workers in manufacturing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/health/11cancer.html

Well: From Farm to Fridge to Garbage Can

2010-11-20T19:32:00.003-05:00

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Published: November 1, 2010

A quarter to half of all food produced in the United States goes uneaten, a lot of it scraped into the garbage or forgotten until it spoils.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/from-farm-to-fridge-to-garbage-can/

Weight Index Doesn’t Tell the Whole Truth

2010-09-06T12:09:00.001-04:00

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: August 30, 2010

A frequent question among people of a certain age, including yours truly, is “Why, when I weigh the same as or less than I did when I was younger, does my waist keep getting bigger?” Phrased another way, the question could be “Why, when my body mass index has not changed, am I fatter than I used to be?”

The simple answer is that the index, usually called B.M.I. for short, is a crude measure of fatness in individuals. Calculated by dividing one’s weight in kilograms by the square of one’s height in meters, it doesn’t differentiate between fatty and lean tissue.

“The B.M.I. tables are excellent for identifying obesity and body fat in large populations, but they are far less reliable for determining fatness in individuals,” explained Dr. Carl Lavie, a cardiologist at the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans.

Fat Tissue, Lean Tissue

Fat takes up about four times the space of muscle tissue, for example, so it is quite possible to look and feel fatter even if your height and weight remain the same. This is particularly common among women past 50 and men past 60, and the results are likely to show around the middle.

For children and the elderly, body mass values can be especially misleading because the relationship of lean body mass to height changes as they get older.

B.M.I. charts pop up all over the place, in popular publications, exercise facilities and doctors’ offices. The charts are widely used by doctors to determine if their patients are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. Thus, a body mass of less than 18.5 is considered underweight; 18.5 to 24.9 is considered a healthy weight; 25 to 29.9 is overweight; 30 to 39.9 is obese; and 40 or more is morbidly obese.

If you fall into the “healthy weight” or “underweight” range, you can easily be lulled into a false sense of security. But thinness is not necessarily healthy — recall the 97-pound weakling from the Charles Atlas ads of yore. A low B.M.I. could be indicative of malnutrition, anorexia, cancer or a wasting disease. On the other hand, if you are an athlete or body builder, your B.M.I. could mistakenly put you in the range for overweight or obese.

Degree of body fatness is a better way than body mass to classify individuals. Both the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health define obesity as more than 25 percent body fat in men and more than 35 percent body fat in women. So “a woman who is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 120 to 125 pounds could be quite fat,” Dr. Lavie told me, “even though her weight and B.M.I. seem O.K.”

Among Americans in general, he said, “a six-foot, 250-pound man will be obese, but if he were an N.F.L. lineman of 6-foot-3 weighing 280 pounds, he might be solid muscle with only 2 percent body fat.”

The Obesity Paradox

Of course, most Americans with a body mass index in the overweight or obese range carry around too much fat in relation to muscle. And a study that followed 527,265 American men and women ages 50 to 71 in 1995-96 found that those rated overweight based on a body mass reading of 25 to 29.9 were 20 to 40 percent more likely to die within 10 years, and those rated obese, at 30 or higher, were two to three times as likely to die within a decade as those who had a lower reading in midlife.

In an editorial in the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Dr. Lavie and colleagues discussed what has been termed the “obesity paradox” among patients with heart failure. The paradox refers to the repeated finding that while overweight people are more prone to heart failure, patients with heart failure have lower mortality rates if they are obese. The reason for this paradox is far from clear, though Dr. Lavie suggested that one explanation could be that once people become ill, having more bodily “reserve” could be to their advantage.

The editorial was prepared in response to a report in the same journal by Antigone Oreopoulos of the University of Alberta and her colleagues. The authors compared the B.M.I. of 140 heart failure patients with a more accurate, though more involved, measure of fat and lean body mass using a DEXA scan (DEXA stands for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry). They found that B.M.I. value alone misclassified the degree of body fatness in 41 percent of the patients.

Their conclusion: Having more lean tissue and less fat may more accurately predict a patient’s survival chances. Thus, among patients with heart failure, these authors stated, “body mass index may not be a good indicator of adiposity.”

Dr. Lavie and coauthors wrote, “Although B.M.I. is the most common method to define overweightness and obesity in both epidemiological studies and major clinical trials, clearly this method does not necessarily reflect true body fatness, and B.M.I./body fatness may differ considerably among people of different age, race and sex.”

What to Measure

A more reliable, but still relatively simple, assessment of fatness would rely on a skin-fold score based on measurements taken with a caliper at several areas (in men, the thigh, midchest and abdomen, and in women, the thigh, triceps and area above the hip bone) that reflects the amount of fat under the skin.

Or, since abdominal fat is more hazardous, simply take a tape measure around the widest part of the abdomen and another at the hips and calculate the waist-to-hip ratio. For men it should be no higher than 0.90, and for women no higher than 0.83.

An oversize abdomen is symptomatic of too much metabolically active visceral fat, which increases the risk of heart attack and premature death. If just waist measurements are used, Dr. Lavie said, a man’s waist should be less than 40 inches and a woman’s less than 35.

Exercise is the best way to minimize an age-related rise in body fat, the doctor said. Aerobic exercise, though important at all ages, is not enough. You must also do weight training to build and maintain muscle. And since the body’s production of testosterone, the hormone that favors muscle-building, diminishes with age in both men and women, you may have to increase the amount of strengthening exercises as you get older just to stay in place.

When Food and Pills Clash

2010-06-26T23:13:00.005-04:00

Fresh Concerns on How Diet and Medicines Interact, From Pepper to Pomegranate

Americans increasingly view the food they eat as medicine to help lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure and control blood sugar. But as with prescribed drugs, the health-improving qualities of foods such as olive oil, nuts and fruit can interact with other medications, causing possible problems.

Pharmacists often warn people not to mix anti-cholesterol drugs known as statins with grapefruit juice. Newer research suggests that other fruit juices, including cranberry and pomegranate, as well as olive oil may also interfere with how statins work in the body. Other laboratory studies show that certain popular teas can block the effect of some medications, including the flu drug Tamiflu. And switching to a low-fat diet, itself a healthy lifestyle change, could reduce the potency of some medications.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704256304575320743052254682.html?KEYWORDS=shirley+s+wang#articleTabs%3Darticle

2010-06-26T23:07:00.000-04:00

WSJ, June 1, 2010

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When ingested, ginger can help to relieve muscle pain.

Pain Relief: Ginger appears to reduce exercise-induced muscle pain, according to a study in the Journal of Pain. Researchers randomly assigned 74 adults to consume two grams of either ginger (raw in one experiment and heat-treated in another) or a placebo for 11 consecutive days. On the eighth day, the participants performed series of bicep exercises tailored to mildly damage the muscle in their non-dominant arm. One day later, participants who had been given ginger reported feeling about 25% less pain, on a scale from "no pain" to the "most intense pain imaginable," than subjects in the placebo group. Though the precise pain-fighting mechanism is unknown, animal studies have shown that several chemicals in ginger reduce inflammation and the transmission of pain signals. The results also jibe with previous trials of smaller doses of ginger extract over a longer treatment period, which reportedly reduced joint pain in arthritis patients.

Caveat: By the second day after the exercise, the differences in pain between the test groups were statistically insignificant.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Reduces Muscle Pain Caused by Eccentric Exercise

Excess Salt, and a Way to Avoid It

2010-06-23T02:22:00.002-04:00

Opinion

Excess Salt, and a Way to Avoid It

null

Published: June 4, 2010

Readers respond to a recent article on salt.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/opinion/l06salt.html

The Claim: Rosemary Helps Reduce Toxins in Grilled Meat

2010-06-06T01:33:00.000-04:00

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR

THE FACTS

Cooking meat at high temperatures is known to create toxins called heterocyclic amines, which have been linked to some cancers. Marinating lowers the risk by preventing the formation of the toxins. But one ingredient that makes a big difference is rosemary. Studies show that adding it to ground beef and other types of muscle meat before grilling, frying, broiling or barbecuing significantly reduces heterocyclic amines.

In a study published in The Journal of Food Science in March, scientists tested extracts of rosemary on ground beef patties that were cooked at temperatures from 375 degrees to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The extract was added to both sides of the meat before cooking. The higher the concentration, the greater the reduction in heterocyclic amines (in some cases by over 90 percent.

Scientists attribute this to specific antioxidants in rosemary: rosmarinic acid, carnosol and carnosic acid. Another study two years ago compared several marinades and found that the one that was most protective was a Caribbean mixture, which, they wrote, “contained considerable amounts” of the same three antioxidants.

If rosemary is not your thing, or you have an allergy, try marinades with garlic, onion and lemon juice. They have also been shown in studies to be effective (garlic and onion much more so than lemon juice).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Studies show that marinades with rosemary help eliminate some carcinogens in grilled meat.

scitimes@nytimes.com

Regimens: Eat Your Vegetables, but Not Too Many

2010-06-06T01:30:00.001-04:00

By RONI CARYN RABIN

They say you can never be too rich or too thin. But is it possible to eat too many leafy green vegetables?

Last year, an 88-year-old woman was admitted to NYU Langone Medical Center in a nearly comatose state, unable to walk or swallow and barely able to breathe. Though she had no history of thyroid disease, she was given a diagnosis of myxedema coma a life-threatening condition caused by extreme hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function.

The culprit, it turned out, was raw bok choy. The patient had been eating two to three pounds of it every day for several months, in the belief it would help control her diabetes. Instead, the vegetables may have suppressed her thyroid, according to NYU physicians who described the case in a letter in the May 20 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Bok choy contains compounds called glucosinolates that have been found to inhibit thyroid function in animals.

“I don’t want to say people shouldn’t be eating raw vegetables, but everything in moderation — even things that are good for us,” said Dr. Michael Chu, an NYU resident physician who was one of the letter’s authors. “This probably wouldn’t have happened if the vegetables were cooked.”

Blueberries Slow Tumor Growth

2010-05-23T20:04:00.003-04:00

Jeremy Singer-Vine

Blueberry extract slows the spread of a difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer, according to a small study of mice in Cancer Research. So-called triple-negative breast cancers, which account for 10% to 15% of all breast-cancer cases, lack the three receptors that most cancer drugs target. In a preliminary test-tube experiment, researchers discovered that blueberry extract, compared with other fruit and vegetable extracts, had the greatest effect on these tumors without harming healthy cells. The researchers randomized 16 mice to receive either blueberry extract—a daily dose of unadulterated juice extracted from blueberries that was roughly equivalent to five ounces of blueberries a day for a 150-pound person—or a placebo. One week after the first dose, the mice were injected with triple-negative breast-cancer cells. Six weeks after that, necropsies revealed that the tumors of blueberry-fed mice were about 70% smaller than those in placebo-fed mice. The tumors of the blueberry-fed mice also had less potential to spread to other parts of the body.

Caveat: Many successful cancer-fighting therapies in mice have been difficult to replicate in humans.

Read the Study: Blueberry Phytochemicals Inhibit Growth and Metastatic Potential of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells through Modulation of the Phosphatidylinositol Kinase Pathway

• Emotional Memory: Emotions can outlast the memory of the facts on which those feelings are based, according to a study of amnesiac patients in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Five patients with severe anterograde amnesia, which largely prevents the creation of new memories, watched a 19-minute video of film clips about death and loss. (The clips included scenes from "Sophie's Choice" and "Forrest Gump.") Several times during the study, researchers asked the subjects how they felt. Five to 10 minutes after the final scene, the amnesiacs remembered nearly nothing they had seen. They were asked to rate their emotions on several scales, including to what degrees they felt happy, sad, amused and "bad/unpleasant" versus "good/pleasant". The responses showed that the amnesiacs' negative emotions were stronger and lasted longer, than a control group of subjects who had no brain damage. The researchers repeated the experiment with humorous film clips, finding that positive emotions also outlasted specific memories. The results contradict the popular concept that "erasing" painful memories can ease the distress associated with those memories, the researchers said

Caveat: Larger studies are needed to confirm the findings. It's unclear whether emotions are equally persistent among people with other forms memory loss, such as Alzheimer's.

Read the Study: Sustained experience of emotion after loss of memory in patients with amnesia

• Pregnancy: Weight-reduction surgery appeared to reduce obese women's odds for blood-pressure disorders during future pregnancies, according to a study in BMJ. Obesity is a major risk factor for pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders, which can cause low birth weight and premature birth, as well as increase the mother's risk for cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Researchers examined insurance claims from 585 U.S. women who had weight-loss surgery and gave birth within a four-year window. About half of the women underwent the surgery before giving birth, with an average of two years between the two events. Fewer than 10% of these women experienced pre-eclampsia (a sudden spike in blood pressure and in protein in the urine) and other hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, while these complications occurred in 31% of women who delivered before weight-reduction surgery. Women who delivered pre-surgery were twice as likely to develop gestational diabetes, which may lead to Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Caveat: Researchers relied on insurance claims and didn't have access to the mothers' height, weight or blood pressure. They also were unable to link the data on mothers to their infants' health.

Read the Study: Impact of bariatric surgery on hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: retrospective analysis of insurance claims data;

• Immune Responses: Visual signs of disease, independent of physical proximity, appear to jump-start our immune systems, according to a study in Psychological Science. Researchers took blood samples from 28 subjects before and after they watched a 10-minute slide show depicting photographs of furniture, a neutral subject. Later, the researchers divided the same subjects into two groups; one watched a slide show of visible disease symptoms—including pictures of people sneezing or infected with skin lesions—while the other group saw photographs of guns. The white blood cells of participants in the first group produced nearly 24% more interleukin-6, a protein used to judge immune response, after seeing the photographs of disease. There was no statistically significant increase, however, in interleukin-6 after the furniture or gun slide shows.

Caveat: The study was small. It's unclear what effect these cues have in a non-laboratory setting, or in relation to other sensory signals.

• Emergency Care: Uninsured patients who have a heart attack, despite being guaranteed treatment, take significantly longer to arrive at the hospital than insured patients, according to a study in JAMA. Greater delays between a heart attack and hospital treatment decrease the odds of survival, previous studies have shown. Researchers in this study examined the medical records of 3,721 heart attack patients at 24 U.S. hospitals, and then interviewed them about their insurance status and financial concerns. One-fifth of all participants were uninsured. Of those, more than 48% arrived at the hospital six hours or longer after the heart attack occurred, compared with 39% of insured patients without financial concerns about their coverage, and about 45% of insured patients with financial concerns. After adjusting for a host of factors such as age and disability, the researchers determined that delays were nearly 40% more likely among uninsured patients than among patients with insurance and no financial concerns.

Caveat: Traffic and geographic distance from the hospital likely affected these delays, but the researchers were unable to collect this data. The researchers also didn't determine whether lack of insurance was a factor in patients themselves delaying going to the ER. The study was conducted solely in urban areas, so the findings don't necessarily apply to other regions.

Read the Study: Health Care Insurance, Financial Concerns in Accessing Care, and Delays to Hospital Presentation in Acute Myocardial Infarction

• Sexually Transmitted Infections: Human papillomavirus, known for its link to cervical cancer and other tumors, appears also to increase the risk of HIV infection, according to a study in PLoS ONE. Researchers followed 2,040 HIV-negative Zimbabwean women for approximately two years. Every three months, the women were tested for HIV and 29 known strains of HPV. About one-quarter of the women had HPV at the beginning of the study. By the end of the study, 88 women (4.3%) developed HIV. But women who began with either of two particular HPV strains were twice as likely as other women to acquire HIV. Remarkably, women with the least persistent HPV infections were the most likely to get HIV. These findings suggests that the immune response to HPV—rather than abnormal cell growth—predisposes women to HIV infection, the researchers said.

Caveat: Unlike other strains of HPV, vaccines aren't available for the types associated with HIV infection. The researchers were unable to distinguish between biologically active HPV and inactive virus DNA deposited by a recent sexual partner.

Read the Study: Type-Specific Cervico-Vaginal Human Papillomavirus Infection Increases Risk of HIV Acquisition Independent of Other Sexually Transmitted Infections

• Migraines: Aspirin can provide adequate relief for many migraine sufferers who lack access to prescription medication, according to meta-analysis by the Cochrane Library. The authors analyzed results from 4,222 participants in 13 studies that compared the effectiveness of aspirin—alone or in tandem with a generic anti-nausea drug—with a placebo. Within two hours, one-gram doses of aspirin reduced the severity of migraine headaches in 52% of participants, while a placebo worked for only one-third of migraneurs. Aspirin also significantly reduced nausea and vomiting, which the addition of the anti-nausea drug further diminished.

Caveat: Frequent aspirin use can cause stomach and intestinal ulcers, and may contribute to hearing loss and other symptoms. As with all meta-analyses, the underlying studies have their own limitations.

Read the Study: Aspirin with or without an antiemetic for acute migraine headaches in adults

• Digestion: An intestinal bacterium apparently abundant among Japanese has evolved to improve the digestion of seaweed, according to a study in Nature. The human gut harbors trillions of bacteria, many of which help digest molecules that human enzymes cannot. Researchers identified a new class of enzyme that breaks down porphyran, a carbohydrate found exclusively in red algae. They then tested intestinal bacteria samples from 13 Japanese volunteers and 18 North American volunteers for the genetic sequence that creates the porphyran-breaking enzyme. The gene was common in the Japanese samples, but entirely absent from the North American samples. This string of DNA likely migrated from marine microbes to intestinal bacteria, though it's difficult to estimate when this happened, the researchers said.

For Nut Benefits, More Is Better Two handfuls a day may do more to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides than one

2010-05-23T20:02:00.001-04:00

Jennifer Corbett Dooren

More research backing up the cholesterol-lowering benefits of eating nuts indicates that for most people, consuming two handfuls of nuts a day appears to work better than one.

The findings apply to tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, macadamias, hazelnuts and peanuts.

Although peanuts actually belong to the legume family, they are considered to have many of the same nutritional components as walnuts, almonds and other tree nuts.

Getty Image

Researchers found that, for the average person, about two servings of tree nuts did a better job of reducing blood cholesterol and triglycerides than one serving. Researchers who examined the results of 25 previous studies on the health effects of nut consumption found a dose-related improvement in participants' blood-lipid levels.

The results are published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The lead author of the latest research, Joan Sabaté, says the study "confirms that nuts, indeed, lower cholesterol." A professor and the chairman of the department of nutrition at Loma Linda University, in Loma Linda, Calif., Dr. Sabaté was among the group of researchers that first linked nut consumption to a lower risk of heart attack several years ago.

That finding and others led the Food and Drug Administration in 2003 to allow processors to state on labels that "eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts ... as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."

Dr. Sabaté said the research indicated that for the average person, a slightly higher amount of nuts—about 2.4 ounces, or two servings—does a better job than one serving of lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of fat in the blood.

Still, he said, "we do not need many to get the benefit." One serving of almonds is about eight nuts; a serving of smaller nuts such as peanuts is about 15 to 20 nuts.

Dr. Sabaté's analysis involved nearly 600 people with high or normal blood cholesterol levels. None of the study participants were taking cholesterol-lowering medications.

The analysis compared a control group with two groups assigned to consume two different quantities of nuts.

People in one of the nut groups consumed an average of 67 grams of nuts, or about 2.4 ounces, per day.

These people had an average reduction in total blood cholesterol concentration of 5.1%, and a reduction in low-density lipoprotein, or so-called LDL or "bad" cholesterol, of 7.4%.

For the people who consumed about 1.5 ounces of nuts, total cholesterol fell by 3.2%, while "bad" cholesterol fell by 4.9%—suggesting a dose-related response.

Those who consumed about one ounce daily of nuts, total cholesterol fell by 2.8% while LDL cholesterol fell by 4.2%.

Significantly, however, the drops in cholesterol weren't seen in people considered obese—a new finding.

More studies are needed to understand why nuts are less effective at lowering blood cholesterol concentration among obese people, the researchers said.

Dr. Sabaté said the biggest improvement in blood lipid levels were seen among people who started out with higher cholesterol levels, as well as among those who consumed a "Western" diet of high-fat meats, dairy products and refined grains, compared with people consuming a "Mediterranean" diet emphasizing whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, fish and relatively little red meat.

"For the general population consuming a Western diet, the incorporation of nuts into their daily diet will result in greater improvement of blood lipid levels than for individuals already following a healthy Mediterranean or low-fat diet," researchers wrote.

Of the 25 studies, about two-thirds of them involved almonds or walnuts. The other one-third of studies looked at either macadamia, pistachio, hazelnuts or peanuts. The studies didn't include pine nuts or Brazil nuts.

The study was funded by Loma Linda University in California and by the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, an international group that represents the tree nut industry.

Sun-Kissed or Sunburned?A Sun-Lover Sees Bright Side, Mood Boost, Vitamin D

2010-05-23T19:43:00.003-04:00

HEALTH JOURNAL

APRIL 26, 2010

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703465204575208011470022100-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwMzEyNDMyWj.html

A Shade-Seeker Finds New Ways to Block UV Rays

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704388304575202110726832690-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwMzEyNDMyWj.html

There's solid evidence that basal and squamous cell cancers, which account for 90% of skin cancers, are directly linked to cumulative UV exposure, cancer experts say. Basal cell cancers mostly occur on the face and have a very small risk of spreading. Squamous cell, which occur on the ears, lips, temples, can spread and cause about 1,200 deaths per year. The relationship between UV exposure and melanoma is less clear, since some melanomas occur in parts of the body that rarely get sun. Experts say about 65% of cases are UV-related. Recent studies of the melanoma genome have found that most mutations—changes or errors in the genes that lead to cancer—were caused by UV radiation.

Study Sees ADHD-Pesticide Link

2010-05-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

An analysis of U.S. health data links children's attention-deficit disorder with exposure to common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables.

While the study couldn't prove that pesticides used in agriculture contribute to childhood learning problems, experts said the research is persuasive.

"I would take it quite seriously,'' said Virginia Rauh of Columbia University, who has studied prenatal exposure to pesticides and wasn't involved in the new study, published Monday in Pediatrics. More research will be needed to confirm the tie, she said.

Children may be especially prone to the health risks of pesticides because they are growing, and they may consume more pesticide residue than adults relative to their body weight.

Pesticides break down in the body into compounds that can be measured in urine. Almost universally, the study found detectable levels: The compounds turned up in the urine of 94% of the children.

Children with higher levels had increased chances of having ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a common problem that causes students to have trouble in school. The children may have eaten food treated with pesticides, breathed pesticides in the air or swallowed them in their drinking water. The study didn't determine how they were exposed.

Experts said it's likely that children who don't live near farms are exposed through what they eat.

"Exposure is practically ubiquitous. We're all exposed,'' said the study's lead author, Maryse Bouchard, of the University of Montreal.

She said people can limit their exposure by eating organic produce. In one government report, frozen blueberries, strawberries and celery had more pesticide residue than other foods.

A 2008 Emory University study found that in children who switched to organically grown fruits and vegetables, urine levels of pesticide compounds dropped to undetectable or close-to-undetectable levels.

Because of the known dangers of pesticides in humans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits how much residue can stay on food.

But the new study shows it is possible that even tiny, allowable amounts of pesticide may affect brain chemistry, Dr. Rauh said.

Exact causes of the children's reported ADHD, though, are unclear. Any number of factors could have caused the symptoms, and the link with pesticides could be by chance.

The new findings are based on one-time urine samples in 1,139 children and interviews with their parents to determine which children had ADHD.

The children, ages 8 to 15 years old, took part in a government health survey from 2000 to 2004.

As reported by their parents, about 150 children in the study either showed the severe inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity characteristic of ADHD, or were taking drugs to treat it.

The study dealt with one common type of pesticide called organophosphates. Levels of six pesticide compounds were measured.

For the most frequent compound detected, 20% of the children with above-average levels had ADHD. In children with no detectable amount in their urine, 10% had ADHD.

"This is a well conducted study,'' said Lynn Goldman of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former EPA administrator.

However, relying on one urine sample for each child, instead of multiple samples over time, wasn't ideal, Dr. Goldman said.

The study provides more evidence that the government should encourage farmers to switch to organic methods, said Margaret Reeves, senior scientist with the Pesticide Action Network, an advocacy group that has been working to end the use of many pesticides.

"It's unpardonable to allow this exposure to continue,'' Ms. Reeves said.

Doctor Leads Quest for Safer Ways to Care for Patients

2010-03-14T22:33:00.000-04:00

Science

By CLAUDIA DREIFUS

Published: March 8, 2010

Dr. Peter J. Pronovost, medical director of the Quality and Safety Research Group at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, travels the country advising hospitals on innovative safety measures.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/science/09conv.html

Even More Reasons to Get a Move On

2010-03-14T22:26:00.002-04:00

Personal Health

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: March 2, 2010

What evidence will be enough to convince people to start exercising?

When It Comes to Salt, No Rights or Wrongs. Yet.

2010-03-14T22:17:00.000-04:00

Findings

By JOHN TIERNEY

Published: February 23, 2010

There’s plenty of menacing talk about the perils of excess sodium. But where’s the evidence?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/science/23tier.html

One Bowl = 2 Servings. F.D.A. May Fix That

2010-02-07T01:12:00.001-05:00

By WILLIAM NEUMAN

Published: February 6, 2010

The F.D.A. may update serving sizes for foods like chips, cookies and ice cream to reflect how Americans really eat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/business/06portion.html

Vitamin D, Miracle Drug: Is It Science, or Just Talk?

2010-02-07T01:05:00.003-05:00

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Published: February 2, 2010

Imagine a treatment that could build bones, strengthen the immune system and lower the risks of illnesses like diabetes, heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure and cancer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/health/02well.html

How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young

2010-01-30T20:38:00.000-05:00

NYT

Published: January 27, 2010

Regular physical activity can have a profound effect on cellular aging.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/phys-ed-how-exercising-keeps-your-cells-young/

Medical News: Fish Oils May Slow Genetic Aging - in Primary Care, Diet & Nutrition from MedPage Today

2010-01-30T20:37:00.000-05:00

Medical News: Fish Oils May Slow Genetic Aging - in Primary Care, Diet & Nutrition from MedPage Today

Fructose Converts Quickly to Lipids Triggering Hyperlipidemia

2010-01-01T14:53:00.001-05:00

By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: July 25, 2008
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

DALLAS, July 25 -- Lipogenesis increased significantly when glucose was replaced with fructose on a gram-for-gram basis in energy drinks consumed by six healthy volunteers, researchers here found.

Action Points

Explain to patients that this study suggests that fructose ingestion may cause hyperlipidemia after meals at least in part through the synthesis of fatty acids.
Emphasize that the findings came from a study involving just six patients.

Conversion of fructose to lipid occurred quickly, usually within four hours after ingestion, Elizabeth Parks, Ph.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and colleagues reported in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

Moreover, consumption of a high-fructose drink for breakfast increased liver-mediated fat storage after lunch, the researchers said.

"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose," said Dr. Park. "Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down."

The findings provide strong support for clinical guidelines that recommend limiting processed carbohydrates, which often contain high-fructose corn syrup, she added.

Studies involving controlled feeding have shown that fructose could increase serum triacylglycerol levels and maintain the increase throughout the day in healthy individuals and in patients with diabetes. Chronic elevation of triacylglycerol levels could lead to accumulation of atherogenic lipoprotein remnants, the authors said.

Replacement of glucose with fructose in a fat-containing breakfast drink has been shown to increase the four-hour appearance of the meal's fatty acids in VLDL, suggesting increased reesterification of breakfast fat in the liver, they continued.

So the authors hypothesized that a fructose-induced rise in lipogenesis in the morning would further increase triacylglycerol concentrations following lunch. They also sought to determine the lipogenic effects of two different doses of fructose in healthy, relatively lean individuals.

Four men and two women volunteered for the study. Their mean age was 28 and they had a mean body mass index of 24.3 and mean serum triacylglycerol level of 1.03 mmol/L.

On separate days, the volunteers consumed breakfast energy drinks sweetened with 100% glucose, a 50-50 mix of glucose and fructose, and a 25-75 mix of glucose and fructose. The volunteers ate a standardized lunch four hours after consuming the drink.

Lipogenesis was assessed by serial testing for four hours after breakfast, and postprandial lipemia was measured following the lunch meal.

The drink containing only glucose led to a peak fractional lipogenesis of 7.8%. In contrast, the 50-50 mix and the 25-75 mix more than doubled peak fractional lipogenesis (15.98% and 16.9%, respectively, P<0.02).>

Fructose consumption at breakfast induced a dramatic rise in postprandial lipemia after the lunch meal. Consumption of the fructose-containing drinks was associated with an increase in postprandial serum triacylglyerols of 11% to 29% compared with the glucose-only drink.

Concentrations of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins increased by 76% to 200% with the 50-50 and 25-75 mix of glucose and fructose.

"The message from this study is powerful because body fat synthesis was measured immediately after the sweet drinks were consumed," Dr. Parks said. "The carbohydrates came into the body as sugars, the liver took the molecules apart . . . and put them back together to build fats. All this happened within four hours after the fructose drink. As a result, when the next meal was eaten, the lunch fat was more likely to be stored than burned."

The message should not be misconstrued by people who are trying to lose weight, she continued. Specifically, they should not eliminate dietary fruits, which have high fructose concentrations.

Overeating and excess caloric consumption remain the principal drivers of weight gain and obesity, she concluded.

The biggest limitation of the study, the researchers acknowledged, is its small sample size. However, they said, the repeated measures design supports the notion that the differences were real and would be reproducible.

Another limitation is the fact that the drinks were consumed first thing in the morning when participants were in the fasting state. That could lead to an underestimation of lipogenesis.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Cargill Higher Education Fund, and the Sugar Association.

The authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Primary source: Journal of Nutrition
Source reference:
Parks EJ, et al "Dietary sugars stimulate fatty acid synthesis in adults" J Nutr 2008; 138: 1039-1046.

Good News in the Daily Grind

2010-01-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

To judge by recent headlines, coffee could be the latest health-food craze, right up there with broccoli and whole-wheat bread.

But don't think you'll be healthier graduating from a tall to a venti just yet. While there has been a splash of positive news about coffee lately, there may still be grounds for concern.

The Latest Findings on Coffee

Hector Sanchez for The Wall Street Journal

Diabetes: Many studies find that coffee—decaf or regular—lowers the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but caffeine raises blood sugar in people who already have it.
Cancer: Earlier studies implicating coffee in causing cancer have been disproven; may instead lower the risk of colon, mouth, throat and other cancers.
Heart disease: Long-term coffee drinking does not appear to raise the risk and may provide some protection.
Hypertension: Caffeine raises blood pressure, so sufferers should be wary.
Cholesterol: Some coffee—especially decaf—raises LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol.
Alzheimer's: Moderate coffee drinking appears to be protective.
Osteoporosis: Caffeine lowers bone density, but adding milk can balance out the risk.
Pregnancy: Caffeine intake may increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth-weight babies.
Sleep: Effects are highly variable, but avoiding coffee after 3 p.m. can avert insomnia.
Mood: Moderate caffeine boosts energy and cuts depression, but excess amounts can cause anxiety.

Source: WSJ research

This month alone, an analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who drink three to four cups of java a day are 25% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who drink fewer than two cups. And a study presented at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting found that men who drink at least six cups a day have a 60% lower risk of developing advanced prostate cancer than those who didn't drink any.

Earlier studies also linked coffee consumption with a lower risk of getting colon, mouth, throat, esophageal and endometrial cancers. People who drink coffee are also less likely to have cavities, gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, or to commit suicide, studies have found. Last year, researchers at Harvard University and the University of Madrid assessed data on more than 100,000 people over 20 years and concluded that the more coffee they drank, the less likely they were to die during that period from any cause.

But those studies come on the heels of older ones showing that coffee—particularly the caffeine it contains—raises blood pressure, heart rate and levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in blood that is associated with stroke and heart disease. Pregnant women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day have a higher rate of miscarriages and lower birth-weight babies; caffeine has also been linked to benign breast lumps and bone loss in elderly women. And, as many people can attest, coffee can also aggravate anxiety, irritability, heartburn and sleeplessness, which brings its own set of problems, including a higher risk of obesity. Yet it's just that invigorating buzz that other people love and think they can't get through the day without.

Why is there so much confusion about something that's so ubiquitous? After all, some 54% of American adults drink coffee regularly—an estimated 400 million cups per day—and coffee is the second most widely traded commodity in the world, after oil.

For starters, the vast majority of coffee studies to date have been observational, in which researchers examine large sets of data over many years, looking for patterns in peoples' habits and their health.

But subjects don't always remember or report accurately on how much they drink. Cup sizes can range from 6 to 32 ounces; caffeine loads can vary from 75 to nearly 300 milligrams. Loading up with sugar, flavored syrup and whipped cream can turn a no-fat, almost no-calorie drink into the equivalent of an ice-cream soda.

Even carefully constructed observational studies that correct for such variables can only find correlations, not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. There may be other, hidden reasons why people who drink a lot of coffee have a lower risk of illness—such as jobs that provide a steady income and access to health care, exercise and healthier food. Conversely, "people who don't feel that healthy may be less likely to drink six cups of coffee a day. ... It's just a possibility," says Jim Lane, a psychophysiologist at Duke University Medical Center who has studied the effects of caffeine for more than 25 years.

Risks Disappear

Indeed, many studies from earlier decades that linked coffee drinking to a higher risk of cancer were apparently detecting related habits instead. Once researchers started adjusting for study subjects who also smoked cigarettes, the additional cancer risk disappeared.

"When I went to medical school, I was told that coffee was harmful. But in the '90s and this decade, it's become clear that if you do these studies correctly, coffee is protective in terms of public health," says Peter R. Martin, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University and director of the school's Institute for Coffee Studies, founded in 1999 with a grant from coffee-producing countries.

Still, many researchers believe that the only way to draw firm conclusions about something like coffee is through experimental trials in which some subjects are exposed to measured doses and others get a placebo, with other variables tightly controlled. When that's been done, says Duke's Dr. Lane, "the experimental studies and the [observational] studies are in very sharp disagreement about whether caffeine is healthy or not."

Harmful Effects

His own small, controlled studies have shown that caffeine—administered in precise doses in tablet form—raises blood pressure and blood-sugar levels after a meal in people who already have diabetes. Other studies have found that caffeine and stress combined can raise blood pressure even more significantly. "If you are a normally healthy person, that might not have any long-term effect," says Dr. Lane. "But there are some groups of people who are predisposed to get high blood pressure and heart disease and for them, caffeine might be harmful over time."

Epidemiologists counter that such small studies don't mirror real-world conditions, and they can't examine the long-term risk of disease.

The prostate-cancer study, for example, compared the coffee-drinking habits of 50,000 men working in medical professions with their incidence of prostate cancer over 20 years, and also took into account family history of prostate cancer and how frequently they had screenings. Roughly 5,000 of the men developed prostate cancer during that period, including 846 cases of the most advanced and lethal kind. But the more cups of coffee the men drank, the less likely they were to be in that most lethal group. "You can't do a randomized controlled trial on men starting in their 20s and following them until they are old enough to get prostate cancer," says lead investigator Kathryn Wilson, a research fellow in epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health. "For some of these questions, observational studies are the best we are going to get."

As for diabetes, at least 18 studies have found that drinking three or more cups of coffee a day is linked with a lower risk of developing the disease. The more such findings are repeated, particularly with different populations, the stronger the evidence is.

Beyond Caffeine

In both the prostate and diabetes studies, the health benefits were found for caffeinated as well as decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that some other component in coffee is responsible. Coffee contains traces of hundreds of substances, including potassium, magnesium and vitamin E, as well as chlorogenic acids that are thought to have antioxidant properties.These may protect against cell damage and inflammation that can be precursors to cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease.

One theory gaining credence is that some of those beneficial components may counterbalance some of the harmful effects of caffeine. For example, while caffeine keeps people awake in part by blocking adenosine, a brain chemical that brings on sleep, the chlorogenic acid in coffee keeps adenosine circulating in the brain longer.

And while caffeine seems to boost adrenaline that primes the body for action, coffee itself may have a calming effect. Even the aroma of coffee beans can help ease stress in rats, researchers at Seoul National University in South Korea showed in a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry last year. Chlorogenic acid also slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal, which may counteract caffeine's glucose effect.

Benefits Cloaked in 'Mays'

"It's a yin and yang effect," says Vanderbilt's Dr. Martin, an addiction psychiatrist who also notes that former alcoholics who drink coffee are more apt to stay sober than those who don't. Even though these studies are just associations, he says, "they may provide leads for us to better understand some of the most common illnesses that affect mankind as well as developing ways to treat them. But everything is cloaked in 'mays.' "

Most researchers agree that there isn't enough evidence about the benefits of coffee to encourage non-coffee drinkers to acquire the habit. And no one has come close to finding a recommended number of cups per day for optimum health. People's reactions to coffee are highly individual. One small cup can give one person the jitters while others can drink 10 cups and sleep all night.

At the same time, people who love coffee probably don't need to worry that they are harming their health by drinking it -- unless they already have high blood pressure or are pregnant or are having trouble sleeping, in which case it's prudent to cut down.

Even Dr. Lane, who thinks the risks of caffeine outweigh coffee's potential benefits, concedes he drinks several cups a day. "Why do I do it?" he muses. "I ask myself that question ..."

—Email healthjournal@wsj.com.

Correction & Amplification:

Peter R. Martin, a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and director of the Institute for Coffee Studies there, is an addiction psychiatrist. An earlier version of this column incorrectly stated that he is an addiction psychologist.

Toast to Your Health With a Supplement

2010-01-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

Red wine has long been touted as a health elixir. Now wine's purported health-giving ingredient, resveratrol , is available in daily supplements, beverages and even a new nutritional bar claimed by sellers to help you live longer and help prevent cancer and other diseases. Until recently, the evidence for resveratrol has been animal data, but preliminary human testing has yielded intriguing results.

wsj, Dec 22, 209

***

Tim Foley

Resveratrol is a substance found in grapes and other plants. Many of the supplements on the market extract it from the Japanese knotweed plant, which is a plentiful and inexpensive source. Switzerland's Royal DSM NV sells a synthetic version called resVida, which is found in supplements, a nonalcoholic fruit-flavored beverage and the new Winetime chocolate-fruit bar.

Resveratrol has found been found in animal studies to prevent or slow progression of illnesses from cancer to cardiovascular disease—and even to extend the life span of some organisms. Since 2008, at least five human studies have been presented at scientific meetings showing human benefits, ranging from improved blood flow to the heart to better control of diabetes.

The newest results are exciting, but some scientists say it is too early for the public to begin taking supplements, which contain as much resveratrol in one pill as dozens or hundreds of bottles of wine, depending on the dose. The proper dose for humans isn't yet known—and more isn't necessarily better.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington found that lower doses of resveratrol protected rats' hearts from artificially induced heart attacks while high doses actually made the attacks worse.

While some safety studies have been conducted on humans, it is too early to know if there are long-term side effects of high doses, says S. Jay Olshansky, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "I cannot emphasize enough: Do not experiment on your own body," he says.

Joseph C. Maroon, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who has written a book on resveratrol, agrees that more studies are needed but doesn't think it's unreasonable to take a moderate dose of resveratrol. "I don't see any significant downside," he says.

Dr. Maroon says animal data suggest 50 to 1,000 milligrams a day is an effective dose; he takes 300 milligrams daily—which he says contains the amount of resveratrol in some 150 bottles of wine.

No one knows exactly how resveratrol works, but scientists believe it activates a wide range of genes, creating a cascade-like effect on a variety of body functions. Human data include a 100-person placebo-controlled study by Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. that found lowered blood-glucose levels in diabetics who took the GlaxoSmithKline unit's proprietary formulation, SRT501, not yet on the market.

A 19-person study presented earlier this month at a British scientific conference, sponsored by Royal DSM, found that "flow mediated dilation," a measure of cardiovascular health, increased an hour after taking resVida. At an American College of Sports Medicine conference last year, Dr. Maroon and colleagues reported that a three-month study of 51 people found a resveratrol-containing supplement not currently on the market increased endurance on a stationary bicycle compared with a placebo, and also increased verbal memory scores on a standardized test.

And in a report published earlier this month in the journal Optometry, researchers found that five months' therapy with a Longevinex, a supplement sold by Resveratrol Partners LLC of Las Vegas, resulted in significant improvement of vision of an 80-year-old man who was having difficulty with night driving. The visual measures were subjective but researchers also found a significant decrease in lipofuscin, a granular substance that builds up in aging tissues and is linked to vision decline, says researcher Stuart Richer, chief of optometry at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Chicago. Resveratrol Partners provided the supplements taken by the patient, says Dr. Richer, and he has agreed to conduct a company-funded 24-person follow-up study.

One person isn't enough to prove resveratrol can help age-related vision decline, says Dr. Richer, but "we want to do this in a controlled situation with many patients."

The Calorie-Restriction Experiment

2009-11-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

By JON GERTNER

Published: October 11, 2009

Eating much, much less helped rats live longer. Will it work on humans?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11Calories-t.html

Can Meditation Curb Heart Attacks?

2009-11-21T23:49:00.000-05:00

By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: November 20, 2009

Transcendental meditation may help lower blood pressure and lower the risk of heart attacks, a new study suggests.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/can-meditation-curb-heart-attacks/

Popcorn’s Dark Secret

2009-11-21T23:42:00.004-05:00

By KAREN BARROW

Published: November 19, 2009

A review of the nutritional contents of movie-theater popcorn reveals an alarming amount of fat, salt and calories in even the smallest sizes.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/popcorn/

Phys Ed: Why Doesn’t Exercise Lead to Weight Loss?

2009-11-21T23:38:00.000-05:00

By By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

Published: November 4, 2009

Few people, an overwhelming body of research shows, achieve significant weight loss through exercise alone, without changing their eating habits.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/phys-ed-why-doesnt-exercise-lead-to-weight-loss/

Path to Alternative Therapies Is Littered With Obstacles

2009-11-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

By WALECIA KONRAD

Published: November 14, 2009

Trying unconventional remedies is a bold move, let alone trying to get an insurer to cover the expense and knowing what pills to buy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/health/14patient.html

Vitamin D Shows Heart Benefits in Study

2009-11-21T23:22:00.002-05:00

RONI CARYN RABIN

Published: November 16, 2009

Many adults are deficient in vitamin D, a study found, and may be at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/vitamin-d-shows-heart-benefits-in-study/

New York study says menu labeling affects behavior

2009-10-28T21:50:00.000-04:00

By David Morgan Mon Oct 26, 3:57 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New York's mandate that fast-food restaurants post calorie information on their menus has changed consumer habits, the city said on Monday, contradicting a recent independent study showing no effect.

The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released preliminary data showing evidence that people bought food with fewer calories at nine of the 13 fast-food and coffee chains included in a study on the effects of menu-labeling laws that went into effect in 2008.

Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 customers at 275 locations in early 2007 and another 12,000 this year.

They found statistically significant decreases at four chains -- McDonald's, Au Bon Pain, KFC and Starbucks -- and said diners who saw and acted on calorie information bought food containing 106 fewer calories on average than those who did not notice the postings.

All told, 56 percent of fast-food customers reported seeing the calorie information, researchers told the annual meeting of the Obesity Society in Washington.

The earlier study by researchers at New York University and Yale University, which included 1,156 adults who ate at Burger King, KFC, McDonald's and Wendy's immediately before and after the rule went into effect, found no change to consumer habits in low-income neighborhoods.

The city's researchers said their study was more representative of dining habits because it included more people over a longer period of time and not limited to outlets in low-income neighborhoods.

In July 2008, New York became the first U.S. city to require fast food restaurants to post calorie counts in large type on menu boards.

The system has since become a model for similar rules intended to combat obesity and promote good nutrition in California, other parts of New York state, the cities of Seattle and Portland, and elsewhere.

Health advocates see menu labeling as a tool for fighting obesity. About one-third of U.S. adults are obese, a condition that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other medical problems, and another one-third are overweight.

Both the city and New York University studies were funded by the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Lynn Silver, assistant commissioner for New York's Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, said government findings show diners are noticing and acting on the labels.

"Dietary change is likely to come gradually; it will start with consumers interested in making informed, healthy eating decisions and we hope industry will respond by offering more healthier choices and appropriate portion sizes," she said in a statement.

But city researchers also found that the labeling laws' influence can be overcome by restaurant marketing.

The privately held Subway restaurant chain, which has promoted its menu as a vehicle for weight loss and healthy eating, posted calorie information on some of its menus before the labeling laws went into effect in 2008.

The number of calories purchased at Subway more than doubled during the study period, which coincided with an advertising campaign to promote larger 12-inch sandwiches. The calorie gain at Subway was roughly the same as losses at seven other food chains, researchers said.

Scientists say curry compound kills cancer cells

2009-10-28T21:47:00.000-04:00

Wed Oct 28, 12:15 pm ET

LONDON (Reuters) – A molecule found in a curry ingredient can kill esophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment, scientists said on Wednesday.

Researchers at the Cork Cancer Research Center in Ireland treated esophageal cancer cells with curcumin -- a chemical found in the spice turmeric, which gives curries a distinctive yellow color -- and found it started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours.

The cells also began to digest themselves, they said in a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Previous scientific studies have suggested curcumin can suppress tumors and that people who eat lots of curry may be less prone to the disease, although curcumin loses its anti-cancer attributes quickly when ingested.

But Sharon McKenna, lead author of the Irish study, said her study suggested a potential for scientists to develop curcumin as an anti-cancer drug to treat esophageal cancer.

Cancers of the esophagus kill more than 500,000 people across the world each year. The tumors are especially deadly, with five-year survival rates of just 12 to 31 percent.

McKenna said the study showed curcumin caused the cancer cells to die "using an unexpected system of cell messages."

Normally, faulty cells die by committing programed suicide, or apoptosis, which occurs when proteins called caspases are 'switched on' in cells, the researchers said.

But these cells showed no evidence of suicide, and the addition of a molecule that inhibits caspases and stops this "switch being flicked' made no difference to the number of cells that died, suggesting curcumin attacked the cancer cells using an alternative cell signaling system.

U.S. researchers said in 2007 they had found curcumin may help stimulate immune system cells in the Alzheimer's disease.

F.D.A. to Clarify Standards for the Front of Food Labels

2009-10-24T20:50:00.001-04:00

By WILLIAM NEUMAN

Published: October 21, 2009

The government said it wants nutrition labels to be more frank, and that could be a challenge for the Smart Choices program.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/business/21food.html

Rules to Eat By

2009-10-11T23:09:00.002-04:00

The Food Issue

BY MICHAEL POLLAN

Published: October 11, 2009

For all the authority we grant to science on nutrition, culture has a lot to teach us.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11food-rules-t.html

Calorie Postings Don’t Change Habits, Study Finds

2009-10-11T22:30:00.000-04:00

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS

Published: October 6, 2009

A study of New York City’s pioneering law suggests that people’s stomachs are more powerful than their brains.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/nyregion/06calories.html

In Schools, New Rules on Snacks for Sale

2009-10-11T22:29:00.000-04:00

By JENNIFER MEDINA

Published: October 7, 2009

The new snacks and drinks will be more nutritious — but probably less popular, as the estimate of future income for schools from vending machines is revised downward.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/nyregion/07contract.html

Kids Eat Few Fruits, Veggies .

2009-10-01T00:02:00.001-04:00

Fewer than 10% of U.S. high-school students are eating the combined recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables, a finding that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called "poor" in a report.

The report, based on 2007 data, found that 13% of U.S. high-school students get at least three servings of vegetables a day and just 32% get two servings of fruit. Fewer than one in 10 get enough of both combined.

Some states—including Arkansas and North Carolina—were significantly below those averages. But some New England states, particularly Vermont, were notably better.

The CDC said the report was the first to give such detailed information on adolescents' fruit and vegetable consumption. The data come from a national survey of about 100,000 high-school students.

CDC officials said the findings indicate a disheartening gap between how people should be eating and what they are actually consuming in an era of rampant obesity.

Federal nutrition goals for 2010 call for at least 75% of Americans to eat two servings of fruit each day and at least 50% to eat three vegetable servings.

"This is a call for states, communities, schools and families to support increased fruit and vegetable consumption," said Heidi Blanck, a CDC senior scientist who worked on the report.

The CDC also released data on a survey of adults. It found fruit and vegetable consumption was basically unchanged from when a similar survey was done in 2005: About 27% got at least three servings of vegetables a day, and 33% got two servings of fruit.

People who participated in the survey were asked, essentially, how many times a day they had fruits or vegetables.

Vermont and other states that had higher rates of fruit and vegetable consumption were also more likely to have fruit available in school vending machines or at snack shops, Ms. Blanck said.

Congress, Concerned About Steroids, Reviews Law on Dietary Supplements

2009-09-30T23:33:00.001-04:00

By NATASHA SINGER and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT

Published: September 30, 2009

Congress is investigating whether laws, health agency resources and manufacturing guidelines are adequate to protect the public from products that illegally contain steroids but masquerade as dietary supplements.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/business/30supplement.html

Melanoma on the Rise, or Is It Just Diagnoses?

2009-09-30T22:24:00.001-04:00

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: September 29, 2009

A study found evidence that an epidemic of malignant melanoma might be due in part to a growing tendency to identify and treat benign lesions as malignant cancers.

....“Squamous and basal cell carcinomas are no doubt caused by sunlight,” he said, “and those increases are concentrated on the face and neck.” But the diagnoses of melanoma in the registry were mostly on the back, trunk and limbs, areas not consistently exposed to the sun. This means that exposure to sunlight cannot explain the increased number of lesions reported as malignant, he said."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/29mela.html

Probiotics: Looking Underneath the Yogurt Label

2009-09-30T22:19:00.002-04:00

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Published: September 29, 2009

Health-food claims about a type of live micro-organisms may, or may not, outstrip the science.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/29well.html

Quest for a Long Life Gains Scientific Respect

2009-09-30T22:12:00.002-04:00

By NICHOLAS WADE

Published: September 29, 2009

Who would have thought it? The quest for eternal life, or at least prolonged youthfulness, has now migrated from the outer fringes of alternative medicine to the halls of Harvard Medical School.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/science/29aging.html

How Safe Are Osteoporosis Drugs?

2009-09-28T23:54:00.001-04:00

HEALTH MAILBOX
SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

Columnist Melinda Beck answers readers' questions

Q: I read your article on osteoporosis ("Saving Your Bones: Hard Choices," Sept. 15) with great interest. My older sister and I both have osteoporosis, and I've been reluctant to go on bisphosphonates for the very reasons you mention. My sister, who lives in France, is taking strontium ranelate. How is it different from a bisphosphonate, and is it safe?

—J.R.

A: Strontium is a natural element similar to calcium. A compound called strontium ralenate has shown promise in both delaying the resorption of old bone and stimulating growth of new bone. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2004 found that strontium ranelate reduced vertebral fractures by 41% and hip fractures 36% compared with placebos in elderly women with osteoporosis, with no more gastrointestinal effects. And unlike bisphosphonates, strontium ralenate generally comes in a powder form that can be dissolved in water and taken at bedtime, with no need to stand or sit upright for 30 minutes afterward.

A prescription version made by the French company Seriver with the brand name Protelos has been approved for use in 27 European countries, but not yet in the U.S.

Prescriptions: Partisan Politics, Bipartisan Holistics

2009-09-28T23:23:00.001-04:00

September 24, 2009

By David M. Herszenhorn

In a debate over an amendment that would have extracted billions of dollars from major drug manufacturers, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, decided Thursday to share his personal experience in fighting high cholesterol.

Mr. Schumer said his doctor had directed him to take Lipitor, which is manufactured by Pfizer, and then, after his cholesterol levels had dropped, suggested that he try a less expensive, generic medication instead. But he switched back after his cholesterol levels went back up. “I’m taking Lipitor even though it’s more expensive,” Mr. Schumer said.

Mr. Schumer also hastened to add that Pfizer has its headquarters in New York -– a local shop, in other words.

That prompted Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, to suggest that Mr. Schumer try a more natural remedy: red yeast rice. “I’ll bring the pills for you tomorrow,” he told Mr. Schumer.

Red yeast rice contains cholesterol-lowering compounds, called monacolins, and has been a dietary staple in China for more than 1,000 years. It is made from yeast, grown on rice, and is the ingredient used to give the popular dish Peking duck its trademark red tint.

Presumably, Mr. Grassley who hails from a state famous for corn, had no geographic interest in promoting a rice product. (The federal Food and Drug Administration has also banned some versions of red yeast rice supplements because of concerns that they can cause kidney and muscle problems).

The exchange between Mr. Schumer and Mr. Grassley inspired Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, who was the sponsor of the amendment under debate, to make a pitch for his own locally grown remedy for high cholesterol. “Grapefruit might do the same thing for you,” Mr. Nelson said.

“How about a pastrami sandwich?” Mr.Schumer replied. “How would that do?”

It’s unclear if any senators will be changing their breakfast habits, but Mr. Nelson’s other pitch, for his amendment, failed by a vote of 13 to 10.

In One Study, a Heart Benefit for Chocolate

2009-09-21T17:44:00.001-04:00

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: September 15, 2009

People who eat chocolate have increased survival rates after a heart attack, researchers in Sweden found in an observational study.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/health/15choc.html

A Doctor for Disease, a Shaman for the Soul

2009-09-21T17:36:00.001-04:00

By PATRICIA LEIGH BROWN

Published: September 20, 2009

A California hospital’s attempts to cater to its immigrant patients resulted in a policy allowing for Hmong shamans to practice within their walls.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/us/20shaman.html

Saving Your Bones: Hard Choices

2009-09-21T17:30:00.002-04:00

Osteoporosis Drugs Prevent Fractures, but Patients Worry About Side Effects; Weighing the Risks

MELINDA BECK WSJ Sept 15, 2009

Osteoporosis has haunted my family for generations, as it has many other families.

My great-grandmother was bent nearly horizontal from collapsed vertebrae. My grandmother lost a foot in height as her spine deteriorated, and broke her hip just pushing a grocery cart. I made her a new backbone out of papier-mâché when I was 4.

My mother did everything she could to avoid the family curse, but she also suffered painful collapsed vertebrae. All three women died, directly or indirectly, as a result of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis has expanded the gaps in the spongy tissue within a spinal vertebra, increasing the bone’s brittleness and probability of fracture.

That was before the bone-building drugs called bisphosphonates became widely available in the mid-1990s. Thanks in part to them, the number of hip fractures has dropped significantly in the U.S. and Canada in recent years.

Osteoporosis remains a serious health problem for the 10 million Americans who have it and the 34 million who are at risk due to low bone mass; 80% of sufferers are women. It's estimated that one half of women and one-quarter of men over age 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture.

But reports of scary side effects from bisphosphonates including Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva are circulating on the Internet and in medical journals. Hundreds of lawsuits allege that the drugs cause a rare condition in which part of the jaw bone dies. The first case to be tried against Merck & Co.'s Fosamax ended in a hung jury last week in federal court in New York City. And some critics say the drugs with sales of $8.3 billion a year in the U.S. are being oversold to women who may never need them.

All that leaves women facing a difficult dilemma: Powerful osteoporosis drugs known to prevent future debilitating injuries are also suspected of increasing the risk for other terrible conditions. Balancing the risks and benefits is different for every woman, and depends on factors such as genetic history, diet and lifestyle. Figuring out how to proceed also requires having a very careful discussion with a qualified physician.

A good place to start is with your family tree. Having a parent with osteoporosis raises your own risk significantly. Caucasians, Asians and Hispanics also have higher rates of osteoporosis than African-Americans. So far, scientists have identified 15 related genes but there isn't likely to be a predictive genetic test anytime soon.

Health Blog: Updates on Potential New Drugs

That's because environmental factors also play a big role. The more bone you build up during the peak building years before age 30, the more reserves you'll have when net bone loss sets in. For women, that happens very rapidly after menopause when estrogen levels decline. Men lose bone far more slowly, although hormone-deprivation drugs for prostate cancer can also set them up for osteoporosis, as can a very strong hereditary load.

A diet rich in calcium (from dairy products and vegetables), plenty of exposure to vitamin D and weight-bearing exercise all help to build strong bones. Too little of those can weaken them, as can smoking, drinking alcohol, and a taking a variety of medications, including corticosteroids, anticonvulsants and antidepressants. Excessive dieting and exercising and being very thin with a body-mass index of less than 20 can also leave your bones with little reserve. Being obese actually lowers your risk, though it can overstress your joints.

But some people can do everything right and still develop osteoporosis if they have a strong genetic predisposition.

A bone-mineral-density test can give you one indication of how strong your bones are. Women with several risk factors should have one at menopause; or at least at age 65. The most common such test, called a DEXA (for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) is quick and painless and measures the amount of bone in your hip, spine or wrist. Results, called T-scores, compare that density with an average peak at age 30.

A T-score of minus 2.5 or below indicates osteoporosis. A T-score between minus 1 and minus 2.4 is considered osteopenia meaning low bone density but not full-blown osteoporosis.

You and your doctor can also assess your risk by using an online tool developed by the World Health Organization called FRAX, for Fracture Assessment Risk Tool. (See www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX.) It asks your sex, age, weight, height, hip-bone density and factors such as smoking, drinking, and parental hip fractures. It computes your chances of suffering a major bone fracture in the next 10 years.

What to do with that information is still somewhat controversial. "If you already have severe osteoporosis, you don't need a FRAX score to tell you you need treatment," says Bess Dawson-Hughes, director of the Bone Metabolism Lab at Tufts University, who has advised many of the drug makers. "Where we have struggled is what to do with that large group of healthy people who have low bone mass."

The National Osteoporosis Foundation's latest guidelines say that women who have a 3% risk of developing a hip fracture or 20% risk of other major fracture in the next 10 years are candidates for treatment, on cost-effectiveness grounds. In studies of older women with osteoporosis, Fosamax has been found to reduce the chance of hip and spine fractures as much as 50% . But it's less clear to what extent such drugs can prevent osteopenia from becoming osteoporosis.

Experts say that individual patients should never be treated based on T-scores or FRAX probabilities alone. Many other considerations apply.

Are You at Risk?

The more "yes" answers, the greater your risk for developing osteoporosis:

Do you have a small, thin frame and/or are you Caucasian or Asian?
Have you or a member of your immediate family broken a bone as an adult?
Are you a postmenopausal woman?
Have you had an early or surgically-induced menopause?
Have you taken high doses of thyroid medication or used glucocorticoids 5 mg a day (for example, prednisone) for three or more months?
Have you taken, or are you taking, immunosuppressive medications or chemotherapy to treat cancer?
Is your diet low in dairy products and other sources of calcium?
Are you physically inactive?
Do you smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol in excess?

The National Osteoporosis Foundation

"You need to consider the unique characteristics of this lady in front of you," says Ethel Siris, director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, who has also consulted for the drug makers. For example, a 50-year-old woman with osteopenia may not be a candidate for treatment based on her FRAX alone. But if she falls a lot and her mother suffered spinal fractures, which the FRAX doesn't ask about, it may make sense to treat her for a few years and see how her bone density does, Dr. Siris says. Meanwhile, a 70-year-old who has the same T-score probably started out with better bone density, but she has had 20 more years for her bone architecture to erode, so her bones are more fragile, even though they weigh the same.

The official guidelines also don't take into account potential side effects of the bisphosphonates, which are also highly individual. Gastrointestinal upsets are the most common; the oral medications aren't recommended for patients who can't sit upright for at least a half-hour because these drugs can irritate the esophagus. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) can make such discomfort worse. A woman with severe GERD might fare better on Reclast, a once-a-year injection of bisphosphonate.

Some patients have also reported severe bone and muscle pain while taking bisphosphonates. The Food and Drug Administration alerted doctors last year that they might see this and consider discontinuing the drugs at least temporarily. Who is most affected and how long it lasts seems unpredictable. "I treat a gazillion patients and I see this rarely," says Dr. Siris. "When I do, we stop and re-evaluate."

Cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in which parts of bone become exposed during dental work and don't heal are more serious but very rare. No one knows the exact incidence. Estimates range from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100,000 patients taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. (It's far more common in cancer patients on much higher doses.) Merck and other manufacturers say there is no evidence that the drugs cause ONJ at doses used for osteoporosis, but some dentists have become wary of doing invasive dental work on women taking bisphosphonates.

"We often advise patients who need extensive, invasive dental work to get that done first, then start the drugs and the issue disappears," says Ian Reid, a professor at the University of Auckland in New Zealand who has written on biosphosphonate safety.

A few doctors have reported unusual fractures of the thigh bone in women taking bisphosphonates for many years. One theory is that because the drugs inhibit the breakdown of old bone, they may be maintaining bone that is unusually brittle. Here too, the incidence seems extremely rare and the link remains unproven. But experts agree that it warrants further study and that patients and doctors should investigate any unusual thigh pain which has preceded several of the fractures.

On balance, most experts say that women with confirmed osteoporosis face a much higher risk of fractures if they don't treat their condition than if they do. "These horrible cases are incredibly rare, whereas hip fractures are not rare in the aging population and they can kill you," says Dr. Siris. She notes that there are still many unknowns about drugs, including how long it is safe for women to stay on them. Many doctors are using them with patients only about five years at a time and then re-evaluating.

Other osteoporosis drugs on the market work differently and carry different risks. Evista (raloxifene) acts on estrogen receptors and can cut the risk of breast cancer as well as spinal fractures in some women, although it doesn't prevent hip fractures. Forteo (teriparatide) is a daily injection for women with severe osteoporosis, but has been linked with bone malignancies in rats. Last month an advisory panel recommended that the FDA approve denosumab, a biological agent that blocks the production of osteoclasts that break down bone. It would be a twice-yearly injection.

Estrogen-replacement therapy can also help women postpone the rapid loss of bone mass that occurs after menopause. It's no longer recommended for bone protection alone in part because of the added risk of heart disease and breast cancer found in older women in the Women's Health Initiative studies. But the risk-benefit profile seems more favorable for younger women who want relief from menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. "If you hate your life without estrogen, you can go back on it and that's your bone-loss drug as well," says Dr. Siris.

Some clinics urge women to fight osteoporosis with lifestyle changes rather than pharmaceuticals. Many experts agree that sufficient calcium (at least 1,200 mg per day from food or supplements) and vitamin D (800 to 1,000 IUs per day) and weight-bearing exercise (at least 30 minutes, three times a week) are critical for building and maintaining strong bones, but they may not be sufficient for reversing serious bone loss once it's set in.

All camps agree that the very best way to strong bones is to build them well to begin with. Nearly 90% of bone mass in females is built by age 18, yet few adolescent girls are getting the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

Beyond the Heart, What Else Can Omega 3s Do?

2009-09-21T17:23:00.002-04:00

By JEANNE WHALEN

WSJ Sept. 15, 2009

Many a carton of milk or yogurt now brags of its fortification with omega 3s, a trend that has made the dietary additive seem like just the latest marketing gimmick for health-minded consumers.

But omega 3s, a family of unsaturated fatty acids, have been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. And now, the compounds are being studied by scientists around the world as potential treatments for a wide range of other serious conditions, ranging from Alzheimer's disease to epilepsy and rheumatoid arthritis. Further research also is being done on omega 3s' role in preventing heart disease to determine the full range of potential benefits.

University of Birmingham

In an experiment, omega 3s block white blood cells from moving out of a blood vessel (left). Without omega 3s (right), the cells move readily.

Omega 3s are found naturally in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, and in some botanical sources such as flaxseed and kiwi fruit. A variety of firms also sell omega 3s as dietary supplements. Scientists say the benefit to the body should be the same whether they are consumed through food or capsules. Many scientists believe omega 3s provide health benefits in part by reducing inflammation, which can contribute to heart disease, arthritis and other ailments. But researchers are still attempting to understand how exactly omega 3s interact with the body. And studies for a number of medical conditions aren't far enough along to know whether the fatty acids could be beneficial.

One research team in the U.K. recently experimented on human cells in artificial blood vessels to try to understand what role omega 3s play in inflammation. The researchers used a glass tube to mimic a blood vessel. Normally, inflammation occurs when white blood cells migrate from the blood, through the blood-vessel wall and into surrounding tissue. The researchers coated their glass tube with endothelial cells, which normally line the interior walls of blood vessels. Then they added omega 3s to the endothelial cells.

Later, when the researchers pumped white blood cells into the tube, they saw under a microscope that the cells couldn't get across the endothelial barrier—the omega 3s were blocking them, according to a paper published in online journal PLoS Biology last month. When they performed the same experiment without the added omega 3s, the white blood cells easily penetrated the endothelial barrier.

More Research Needed

More research is needed to determine if the omega-3 blockade similarly occurs in actual blood vessels. But Ed Rainger, a cellular immunologist at the University of Birmingham Medical School, who led the research, says the experiment shed light on how inflammation works in the body and how tweaking the diet might affect it. He added that the discovery could eventually help scientists develop new medicines that block inflammation, which could be useful in treating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

Inflammation plays a role in many areas of heart disease, which is probably at least partly why clinical trials have shown that omega 3s can reduce rates of heart attacks and strokes and slow the buildup of harmful plaque in the arteries, says Stephen Nicholls, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Omega 3s appear to have benefits beyond reducing inflammation. They also lower levels of potentially harmful blood fats called triglycerides, which are unrelated to inflammation but can increase risk for heart disease, Dr. Nicholls adds. A prescription-strength pill called Lovaza, made from omega 3-containing fish oil, is approved for sale in the U.S. for reducing triglycerides.

Many scientists also believe that omega 3s might help stabilize cells and prevent them from generating erratic electrical signals in the heart and brain, which can cause irregular heartbeats, seizures and other problems.

Christopher DeGiorgio, professor of neurology at University of California, Los Angeles, has been testing this theory in epilepsy, with mixed success. In past studies, omega 3s haven't helped much to reduce seizures, he says. In a new study of 30 epileptics, he hopes to show that omega 3s reduce rates of sudden death. Sudden death—when an epileptic dies suddenly with no clear cause—accounts for about 20% of all deaths among epileptics, and irregular heartbeat can contribute to it, Dr. DeGiorgio says. He wants to test whether omega 3s help stabilize the heart and thus reduce cases of sudden death.

Some experiments on animals have suggested that omega-3 consumption can reduce brain levels of the amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. These findings have helped drive researchers to study omega 3s in Alzheimer's patients, too.

One study involving 400 Alzheimer's patients, presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Vienna this summer, showed mixed results. A daily dose of two grams of DHA, one type of omega 3 fatty acid, for 18 months did not help patients perform better than those taking a placebo on standard tests used to assess the disease.

But in an interesting twist, patients taking DHA who didn't have a gene variant called ApoE4 did experience a slower rate of decline on one test of mental function compared with patients taking a placebo. Joseph Quinn, associate professor of neurology at Oregon Health & Science University and the leader of the study, cautions against making too much of this finding for now. But he says it's "encouraging and intriguing" that at least some patients seemed to benefit from omega 3s and says he hopes to conduct new studies to "look at that genotype more carefully." At least one-third of people with Alzheimer's disease lack this gene variant, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Dietary supplements usually contain about 200 milligrams of omega 3s per capsule, while a fatty salmon steak can contain up to one gram, according to Maria Makrides, an expert on omega 3s at Women's and Children's Health Research Institute in Australia.

Dietary Advice

The American Heart Association recommends that people without coronary heart disease eat a variety of fish at least twice a week, and include other foods such as flaxseed and walnuts in the diet. It says people with documented heart disease should eat about one gram of omega 3s a day. The AHA says that while omega 3s are generally safe, some side effects can include a fishy aftertaste, gastrointestinal disturbances and nausea. It says that while most omega-3 supplements are "essentially" free of mercury, the toxic metal sometimes found in fish, some poorly made supplements can contain "appreciable amounts."

2009-09-13T01:45:00.001-04:00

Regulators and Physicians Raise Alarms About Dangerous Ingredients in Many Herbal Remedies

By ANNA WILDE MATHEWS

Mark Matcho

When Dan Gerkey was trying to get into better shape a few years ago, he tried out a dietary supplement from a local store that promised to help build his strength. At first, the stuff worked. But after several weeks the police officer, who lives in Fraser, Mich., started feeling exhausted, and his wife noticed a yellowish tinge in his eyes.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204731804574390840811949538.html#

Jury Deadlock Ends a Trial Over Merck’s Bone Drug

2009-09-13T01:08:00.000-04:00

By NATASHA SINGER

Published: September 12, 2009

Jurors sent the judge desperate hand-scrawled notes saying they were deadlocked over a verdict in the trial, which had been monitored as a bellwether for hundreds of other similar lawsuits against Merck.

In the case in United States District Court in Manhattan, a 71-year-old retired deputy sheriff from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Shirley Boles, contended that taking Fosamax from 1997 to 2006 cause her jawbone tissue to die.

Millions of women have taken Fosamax, made by Merck, to offset bone loss associated with menopause.

During the trial, lawyers for Mrs. Boles used expert witnesses, reports in medical journals and internal company documents to bolster their argument that Merck knew or should have known that Fosamax can cause osteonecrosis of the jaw, or jawbone death.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/12/business/12drug.html

The Claim: Cinnamon Oil Kills Bacteria.

2009-09-13T01:00:00.002-04:00

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Published: September 7, 2009

THE FACTS

In a country obsessed with germs and sickness, antibacterial soaps and sanitizers are becoming more and more common. But because such products contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, some researchers recommend sanitizers made with cinnamon oil, which has been shown in many studies to have powerful antimicrobial properties.

A recent study by a team of surgeons, for example, found that a solution made with cinnamon oil killed a number of common and hospital-acquired infections, like streptococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. The study found it was just as effective as several antiseptics widely used in hospitals. Another study by French researchers in 2008 had similar results, showing that at concentrations of 10 percent or less, cinnamon oil was effective against Staphylococcus, E. coli and several antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

Dr. Lawrence D. Rosen, a pediatrician in New Jersey who dispenses natural health advice on his blog, wholechildcenter.org, recommends a tried-and-true recipe for homemade hand sanitizer called thieves oil. “I add cinnamon bark, lemon oil and eucalyptus,” he said, adding, “The recipe goes back to the Middle Ages, where it was used by these thieves who would go around stealing jewelry from dead bodies, and they never got sick.”

Cinnamon oil, when applied topically, is generally safe. But in some people it can cause an allergic reaction.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Cinnamon oil has antiseptic properties.

Late Night Eating Linked to Weight Gain

2009-09-13T00:56:00.000-04:00

By By Tara Parker-Pope

Published: September 3, 2009

A new study in mice suggests that it's not just how much you eat, but when you eat it, that influences weight gain.

Researchers at Northwestern University wanted to test whether the timing of meals could influence body weight. Many diet books advise would-be weight losers to stop eating after 6 or 7 p.m. However, it’s never been clear if the strategy works as a behavioral change — we tend to overeat in the evenings in front of the television and the computer. Or is there some physiological reason late-night eating adds extra pounds?

To test whether time of feeding alone can affect body weight, the researchers studied two groups of mice who were fed identical diets of food that contained 60 percent fat. Mice are nocturnal, and they typically consume the vast majority of their calories at night and sleep during the day. For the study, half the mice were fed the diet during the daylight hours when they would normally be sleeping — simulating late-night eating in humans. The other half were given the same food on their regular eating schedule.

At the end of the six week study period, mice in both groups had consumed about the same amount of calories and performed the same amount of exercise. However, the mice who ate when they normally would have been sleeping hours posted an average 48 percent increase in body weight. The mice who ate on a regular schedule had an average increase of 20 percent of body weight. The findings will be published in the October issue of the journal Obesity.

Fred Turek, director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology at Northwestern and the study’s senior author, said that human studies are needed to determine if timing of food intake influences body weight, but the study suggests that late-night eating may be worse, in terms of weight gain, than eating during normal waking hours. The findings would be particularly important for shift workers, who are known to be at higher risk for obesity, diabetes and other health problems. But he notes that it’s not just shift workers who are eating late. Most people eat a large percentage of their calories in the evening and continue eating late into the night.

Dr. Turek notes that humans evolved from a situation where they ate and foraged between sunrise and sunset. “After sunset, there were no refrigerators, no food just hanging around,” he said. “You didn’t eat. But today, people eat most of their calories after sunset.”

Letters

2009-09-13T00:50:00.000-04:00

Putting America on a Healthier Diet

Published: September 12, 2009

To the Editor:.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/12/opinion/l12pollan.html

2009-09-13T00:48:00.002-04:00

By MICHAEL POLLAN

Published: September 10, 2009

The American way of eating has become the elephant in the room in the debate over health care.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html

For Your Health, Froot Loops

2009-09-05T23:37:00.002-04:00

Published: September 5, 2009

A seal meant to flag healthier food has been granted to the likes of Froot Loops and full-fat mayonnaise, alarming nutritionists.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/business/05smart.html

Food Contest Helps Hospital Chefs Move Beyond 'First, Do No Harm'

2009-09-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

No Jell-O or Broth for Winner Daniel Skay: Machaca Steak With Sauce, Minus Some Butter

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125192498549680871.html

New Targets in the Fat Fight: Soda and Juice

2009-09-02T01:39:00.002-04:00

By SEWELL CHAN

Published: September 1, 2009

Officials believe an ad’s graphic, in-your-face approach will make New Yorkers think twice before drinking a soda.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/nyregion/01fat.html

Sweet Surrender: Sugar Curbs Urged

2009-08-25T21:26:00.000-04:00

By RON WINSLOW and SHIRLEY S. WANG

Sergio Capursi/The Wall Street Journal

Most women should limit sugar intake to 100 calories, or six teaspoons, a day. Men should limit their consumption to 150 calories. That won’t be easy. A 12-ounce can of cola has 130 calories, or eight teaspoons.

The American Heart Association is taking aim at the nation's sweet tooth, urging consumers to significantly cut back on the amount of sugar they get from such foods as soft drinks, cookies and ice cream.

In a scientific statement issued Monday, the organization says most women should limit their sugar intake to 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, a day; for men, the recommendation is 150 calories, or nine teaspoons.

The recommendations are likely to prove challenging for many consumers to meet. Just one 12-ounce can of cola has about 130 calories, or eight teaspoons of sugar.

Data gathered during a national nutrition survey between 2001 and 2004 suggest that Americans consume on average 355 calories, or more than 22 teaspoons, of sugar a day.

"We're trying to make reasonable recommendations around the amount of sugar in a diet that enables people to achieve or maintain a healthy weight," said Rachel Johnson, associate provost and professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington and lead author of the statement.

As the heart association's statement acknowledges, the science directly linking added sugar consumption to obesity is inconsistent. This in part reflects, the impact of such things as genetics, physical activity and diet have on weight.

The heart association has encouraged consumers to moderate sugar consumption, but the new statement is the first time it has suggested specific limits. The recommendations apply only to what are known as added sugars—those that are added to foods during manufacturing, or by consumers. They don't include sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other foods.

Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University who wasn't involved with the document, said it was a significant departure from previous recommendations, in part because "nobody has ever said it quite so forcefully."

The statement heightens the battle against foods that many public-health officials say contribute to the higher risk of such problems as diabetes and cardiovascular disease among the nation's overweight and obese consumers. A recent unrelated study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the medical costs associated with treating obesity-related conditions may have reached $147 billion last year, up from $74 billion a decade ago.

Major Sources

The chief sources of added sugar in the diet include soft drinks, candy, desserts such as cakes and cookies, fruit drinks and sweetened dairy products, including ice cream and yogurt, the statement says. Sugar in alcoholic beverages also counts as added sugar, Dr. Johnson said.

Added sugars "offer no nutritional value other than calories to the diet," Dr. Johnson said. "The majority of Americans could reduce their risk of heart disease by achieving healthy weight and the evidence is fairly clear that reducing the amount of sugars can help with that."

While many studies associate increased consumption of soft drinks with higher calorie intake, weight gain and obesity, others have failed to support the connection. Similarly, research investigating added sugar's impact on blood pressure, heightened inflammation and on changes in blood fats called triglycerides is inconclusive. And there are no studies linking the recommended limits to preventing weight gain or promoting weight loss.

Instead, Dr. Johnson and her colleagues on the heart association's nutrition committee based the suggestions on the concept of discretionary calories that are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's dietary guidelines called Mypyramid. Discretionary calories are those allotted to a person beyond what are necessary to consume nutrients essential to a healthy diet while still maintaining a proper weight.

Under the Mypyramid guidelines, people on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet have 267 discretionary calories. Active young people on a 3,000-calorie-a-day-diet have 512 discretionary calories.

Health Blog: How to Figure Out How Much Sugar Is Added to Foods

Dr. Johnson said the committee decided that allocating half of the discretionary calories for added sugar was a proper course. More than that risks displacing necessary nutrients with calories from added sugar, she said.

For a moderately active middle-aged woman on a 1,800 calorie-a-day diet, the recommendations translate to about 100 calories for added sugar. For a sedentary middle-aged man consuming 2,200 calories a day, the allotment is about 150 calories.

Dr. Johnson said the statement doesn't tell people to eliminate sugar from their diets. She does recommend using the allotment to make healthier foods more tasty, such as adding sugar to whole-grain cereal, instead of using it on candy. People who get regular exercise, she said, can consume higher quantities of added sugar.

William Dietz, director of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity at the CDC, said the guidelines are reasonable, but he said it may be difficult for the public to understand the recommendation in terms of grams of sugar intake.

'Sugar Burden'

Instead, "I think it's easier to talk to people about what types of foods are likely to contribute to the sugar burden," with sugar-sweetened beverages like soft drinks and fruit juices at the top of the list, he said.

Consuming added sugar in drinks is particularly problematic, he said, because it doesn't make you feel as full as when you eat solid food.

Quillian Haralson, 38, of Waldorf, Md., says he would try to adhere to the recommendations and pay special attention to the sugar intake of his two children.

But, he said, it would be challenging to figure out how much added sugar is in different foods.

Mr. Haralson, a high-school teacher, said he is attentive to his three-year-old son's sugar intake, for instance, but he said he couldn't estimate how much the child is currently consuming.

"That's the sad part; I can't tell you," he said.

Current food labels don't list sugar content in calories or teaspoons and don't distinguish between natural and added sugars, Dr. Johnson said.

—Valerie Bauerlein contributed to this article.

Write to Ron Winslow at ron.winslow@wsj.com and Shirley S. Wang at shirley.wang@wsj.com

The Claim: Some Foods Can Ease Arthritis Pain

2009-08-25T14:47:00.000-04:00

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Published: August 24, 2009

THE FACTS

Patients with arthritis are often encouraged to steer clear of all sorts of foods. But few of these diets are supported by any evidence.

In one of the largest analyses of diet and various types of arthritis, researchers looked at data on more than 800 patients from 15 studies. They examined several diets popular among arthritis patients and found that the one that had the greatest effect was a Mediterranean-type diet emphasizing foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and olive oil, while limiting red meat. In 12 weeks, people on the diet reported about 15 percent less pain, but no improvement in physical function or morning stiffness. A vegetarian diet that allowed eggs and dairy products had a similar effect.

In other studies, patients who were given daily capsules of fish oil to take along with their antirheumatic medications saw greater benefits for swollen and tender joints than patients given a placebo, apparently because of the oil’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Meanwhile, vegetables in the nightshade family, like potatoes and tomatoes, have long been said to contribute to arthritis pain. Some researchers have speculated that a group of compounds in the vegetables called alkaloids might worsen inflammation in sensitive people. But so far no solid studies have demonstrated this. Experts say a diet in which suspect foods are gradually removed should help patients identify any problematic foods.

THE BOTTOM LINE

There is some evidence that certain diets may help with arthritis symptoms.

The Claim: Stress Can Make Allergies Worse

2009-08-23T11:11:00.001-04:00

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Published: August 17, 2009

THE FACTS

Leif Parsons

This year’s allergy season has not been an easy one, with pollen counts at record highs in several major cities. But for many sufferers, a less stressful life may ease the allergy burden.

In recent years, studies have shown that psychological stress and anxiety — even at slight or moderate levels — can worsen allergy symptoms. Scientists suspect that it has something to do with the way stress affects the immune system, causing elevated levels of compounds that heighten the allergic response and remain unaffected by standard treatments for hay fever, like antihistamines.

One of the most recent and striking studies was published this year by scientists at Ohio State University. On two different days the scientists subjected hay fever sufferers to a series of skin prick tests to measure their responses to allergens, including the size of the wheals they developed. On one day the subjects gave speeches to a panel and then had to solve math questions in their heads. On the other day they had less stressful tasks, like reading magazines.

“Wheal diameters increased after the stressor,” the scientists wrote, “compared to a slight decrease following the control task.”

Even a day after the stressor, the most anxious subjects continued to show severe symptoms, suggesting a lingering response from the anxiety.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Studies show that psychological stress can heighten and possibly prolong allergic responses.

Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop

2009-08-23T11:07:00.001-04:00

Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop

By NATALIE ANGIER

Published: August 18, 2009

Chronic stress changes the brain, but relaxation can change it back.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18angier.html

Tests Begin on Drugs That May Slow Aging

2009-08-23T09:37:00.001-04:00

Science

Tests Begin on Drugs That May Slow Aging

By NICHOLAS WADE

Published: August 18, 2009

Excitement among some researchers has picked up with the apparent convergence of lines of inquiry involving genes and restricted diets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18aging.html

Mercury Found in Every Fish Tested, Scientists Say

2009-08-23T09:22:00.000-04:00

By CORNELIA DEAN

Published: August 19, 2009

When government scientists went looking for mercury contamination in fish in 291 streams around the nation, they found it in every fish they tested, the Interior Department said, even in isolated rural waterways. In a statement, the department said that some of the streams tested were affected by mining operations, which can be a source of mercury pollution, so the findings, by scientists at the United States Geological Survey, do not necessarily reflect contamination levels nationwide. But Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the findings underlined the need to act against mercury pollution. Emissions from coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury contamination in the United States. A quarter of the fish studied had mercury levels above safety levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency for people who eat the fish regularly, the Interior Department said.

Tossing Out the Diet and Embracing the Fat

2009-07-18T23:55:00.000-04:00

By MANDY KATZ

Published: July 16, 2009

A loose alliance of therapists, scientists and others explore whether ignoring dieting will make weight go away.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/health/nutrition/16skin.html

To Eat Well, Be Instinctive

2009-07-18T23:53:00.000-04:00

By MANDY KATZ

Published: July 16, 2009

We all knew how to eat intuitively once: Infants don’t binge or starve themselves, and presumably, cavemen didn’t either. But instincts become twisted in an environment where you can hold a Twinkie in one hand and the remote in the other, surrounded by images of skinny starlets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/health/nutrition/16skinside.html

Calorie Disclosures Fail to Weigh Whole Enchilada

2009-07-13T00:02:00.001-04:00

Laws Requiring Restaurants to Post Nutritional Data Lean on Slim Research, Overlook 'Compensation' Meals

JULY 8, 2009
Joey Chestnut likely wasn't counting calories when he wolfed down a record 68 hot dogs at Saturday's annual eating contest in Nathan's Famous in Coney Island. But thanks to a new law requiring New York City restaurants to post nutritional information, it's easy to calculate that Mr. Chestnut's meal amounted to nearly 20,200 calories, or 297 per frankfurter.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124700756153408321.html#

Dieting Monkeys Offer Hope for Living Longer

2009-07-12T23:55:00.001-04:00

By NICHOLAS WADE

Published: July 10, 2009

A study of monkeys suggests that people could in principle extend their life span by following a calorie-restricted diet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/science/10aging.html

Fortified Foods: How Healthy Are They?

2009-06-21T01:58:00.001-04:00

Care for a dose of probiotics in your salsa? Or some omega-3 fatty acid -- derived from Peruvian sardines -- with your orange juice? In recent years there's been a boom in the number of foods enhanced to have health benefits, and consumers' appetite for the trend has been large.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124267976477131801.html

2009-06-21T01:51:00.001-04:00

Skin Deep
A Slimmer You May Be a Whiff Away
By ABBY ELLIN
Published: June 18, 2009
Can the manipulation of smell really lead to weight loss? A handful of niche products would have you believe just that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/fashion/18skin.html

It's Salad Days for Weeds

2009-05-31T00:09:00.002-04:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124338226000356493.html

see video
http://online.wsj.com/video/gardener-advocates-eating-your-weedies/622FE67E-CD5A-41B2-97A0-771B0FB09D42.html

Navigating Health Food Claims

2009-05-10T00:45:00.002-04:00

Many Americans assume they are on a healthy diet these days. But it's easy to be fooled. WSJ's Health Columnist Melinda Beck looks at whether some products are really as healthy as they say they are.

http://online.wsj.com/video/navigating-health-food-claims/37D74522-99B3-4A7F-9853-C4BBBFC92D4F.html

Mercury in corn syrup? Food made with ingredient may have traces of toxic metal

2009-02-11T11:31:00.002-05:00

New study is bitter news for soda and candy lovers

A swig of soda or a bite of a candy bar might be sweet, but a new study suggests that food made with corn syrup also could be delivering tiny doses of toxic mercury.For the first time, researchers say they have detected traces of the silvery metal in samples of high-fructose corn syrup, a widely used sweetener that has replaced sugar in many processed foods.

The study was published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health. Eating high-mercury fish is the chief source of exposure for most people. The new study raises concerns about a previously unknown dietary source of mercury, which has been linked to learning disabilities in children and heart disease in adults. The source of the metal appears to be caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, which manufacturers of corn syrup use to help convert corn kernels into the food additive.A handful of plants across the nation still make the soda and acid by mixing a briny solution in electrified vats of mercury. Some of the toxic metal ends up in the final product, according to industry documents cited in the study.Corn syrup manufacturers insisted their products are mercury-free.

But the study said at least one maker of caustic soda that has used the mercury-based technology listed the corn syrup industry as a client."This seems like an avoidable source of mercury that we didn't know was out there," said David Wallinga, one of the study's co-authors and a researcher at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a Minnesota-based advocacy group.

The researchers cautioned that their study was limited. Only 20 samples were analyzed; mercury was detected in nine.Still, the impact of the findings could be significant. High-fructose corn syrup has become such a staple in processed foods that the average American consumes 12 teaspoons of it daily, according to federal estimates. Teenagers and children tend to eat more of it than adults.There is no established safe dose for elemental mercury, the type discovered in corn syrup. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says an average-sized woman should limit her exposure to 5.5 micrograms a day of methylmercury, the kind found in fish. If that same woman regularly ate corn syrup contaminated at the highest level detected in the study—0.57 micrograms per gram—the researchers estimated that she could end up consuming an amount of mercury that is five times higher than the EPA's safe dose.

www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-mercury-corn-syrupjan27,0,2801323.story

See our full article in Environmental Health:
http://www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/2

America’s Diet: Too Sweet by the Spoonful

2009-02-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

Personal Health
By JANE E. BRODY
Published: February 10, 2009
The average American has a daily intake of more than twice the recommended amount of sugar.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/health/nutrition/10brod.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Bug Crazy: Assessing The Benefits of Probiotics

2009-02-02T14:16:00.003-05:00

WSJ Jan 13, 2009

Bacteria are everywhere, and in the view of many people that's a good thing.

Many medical experts believe that consuming healthy bacteria, called probiotics, improves the body's overall balance of good versus bad micro-organisms, boosting general health. But nutritionists warn that not all the probiotic-containing products found on store shelves provide the health benefits they claim.

Companies have sought to attract health-conscious consumers in recent years by putting probiotics in products as diverse as yogurt, juices, muffins and even pizza, as well as in dietary supplements. Last year, 231 new probiotic-containing products hit grocery and pharmacy shelves, up from just 34 in 2005, according to market-research firm Datamonitor PLC.

Probiotics are found in products ranging from yogurt and ice cream to snacks and supplements.
To be sure, some regular foods contain healthy bacteria, from common yogurt to naturally fermented pickles. But pasteurization has eliminated much of the flora found in modern foods. The recent boom in probiotic products reflects an effort to re-introduce bacteria believed to promote good health. Probiotics are generally considered safe to eat, but scientists say people with immune deficiencies should consult their doctor first.

Companies that sell products with added probiotics claim they offer a range of health benefits, from helping with digestion to boosting the immune system and preventing cavities. Some of the claims are based on reputable scientific study. But others are unproved, and advertising pitches are sometimes exaggerated. The quality of probiotic supplements also varies widely. As a result, consumers might have a difficult time choosing among a host of products.

Of several hundred probiotic-product lines on the market in North America, "15 to 20 have clinical studies behind them," says Gregor Reid, a professor of microbiology at the University of Western Ontario's Lawson Research Institute.

Probiotics are defined as "live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit," according to 2002 guidelines developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations. Exactly how this works isn't fully understood, but scientists believe that good types of bacteria have long lived in symbiosis with humans and that the positive health effects may have evolved over time.

In choosing a probiotic, consumers should look for products that list a specific strain of bacteria on their label or on a Web site. Look for three names -- in Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, for example, the final two letters identify the strain. The GG strain has been well tested scientifically and has shown health benefits. A product that simply uses the first two names may include a similar, but not identical, bacterium that doesn't have the same science behind it.

The best evidence is when the actual product -- not just the bacterium -- has been tested in humans. Such studies are sometimes posted on manufacturers' Web sites. Otherwise, consumers can do an Internet search of the specific bacterial strain to see if there is credible evidence of a product's health claims. This can take some legwork.

Say, for example, you want information on the active bacteria in Activia, a probiotic-enhanced yogurt from Dannon Co. The product label identifies the strain as Bifidus Regularis, but this is only a marketing name. The Activia Web site, under the tab "for health-care professionals," links you to summaries of scientific papers that use the scientific name, Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010, which has been found to hasten digestion. For additional information, you can do an Internet search of that name and many of the scientific studies on the strain pop up.

Probiotic dietary supplements also may be confusing. In a 2006 study, ConsumerLab.com, which tests nutritional products, found that just eight of 13 probiotic supplements met its quality standards. While there's no guarantee, consumers stand a better chance of getting quality products from well known, reputable manufacturers, scientists say.

Some additional tips when buying probiotic foods: Look for the word "live" on the package, since organisms killed by processing won't be helpful, says Gary B. Huffnagle, a professor at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Respecting the expiration date is particularly important, because even if a product still tastes good the bacteria may no longer be alive. For maximum benefit, scientists say, try to consume a variety of different bacteria, as each may contribute something slightly different.

Here are some claims probiotic manufacturers make for their products:
Faster Digestion: Dannon's Activia yogurt and Yoplait Yo-Plus yogurt, made by General Mills Inc., contain bacteria that have been shown in scientific studies to reduce "transit time" of waste through the intestines. Slow digestion isn't necessarily bad but can cause discomfort, such as bloating or constipation.

Dannon points to four published studies testing a formulation similar to its product in humans. General Mills says a large body of scientific evidence backs up the efficacy of the bacteria in Yo-Plus. And the company says a recent study, presented at a conference of the American College of Gastroenterology, found that a dairy drink with the same active ingredients as a four-ounce container of Yo-Plus reduced transit time to 21 hours from 31 hours, compared with no change with a placebo. The study was funded by General Mills.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: This disorder, including cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea, can be disabling. A scientific task force, which published its findings in the American Journal of Gastroenterology this month, concluded that certain probiotic bacteria -- primarily bifidobacteria -- have shown "some efficacy" in treating the condition. One bacterium with solid science behind it is Bifidobacterium infantis 35624, the main ingredient in Procter & Gamble Co.'s Align dietary supplement. In a 2006 published study, partially funded by P&G, a daily dose of the product was shown to relieve a wide range of symptoms better than a placebo.

Colic: When babies scream or cry with no apparent reason, it's called colic. A study of 83 infants, published last year in the journal Pediatrics found that five drops a day of a probiotic supplement from Sweden's BioGaia AB reduced median crying time from 197 minutes a day to 51 minutes. A control group of babies was given a liquid medication commonly used to treat colic but not widely viewed as effective; this group's crying fell to a median of 145 minutes a day.

Immune Health: Studies have long found that probiotics help regulate the immune system on a biochemical level. A small but growing number of studies are showing concrete health benefits in humans. Among them is an Israeli study that looked at Lactobacillus reuteri 55730 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12. Published in 2005 in Pediatrics, the three-month study of 201 infants found that babies fed with either of the two probiotic formulas had fewer episodes of fever and diarrhea than babies fed a control formula. Of the two bacteria, L. reuteri was more effective in preventing illness, the study found. B. lactis Bb-12 is available in Yo-Plus yogurt and Nestle SA's Good Start Natural Cultures infant formula. The L. reuteri strain is in BioGaia's dietary supplements, as well as in Nestle's Boost Kid Essentials boxed dairy drink. The bacteria are in the straw and are intended to be ingested with the juice. Other bacteria with scientifically demonstrated immune-health properties include Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001, the bacteria in Dannon's DanActive dairy drink, and L. rhamnosus GG, in Dannon's Danimals children's drink.

Oral Health: A small number of studies have found benefits for probiotics in preventing cavities and easing gum disease. A two-week, 42-patient study published last year found that daily chewing of gum with BioGaia's L. reuteri strains improved gum health compared with a placebo gum. The study was funded in part by BioGaia. The gum product is not available in the U.S. But the company sells lozenges that BioGaia says it believes will be as effective as the gum.
A seven-month Finnish study of 594 children, published in 2001 in the journal Caries Research, found that children who drank milk infused with L. rhamnosus GG had significantly fewer cavities than those who drank regular milk. The study received funding from Valio Ltd., a Helsinki company that supplies the bacteria to food and dietary supplement companies, including

Dannon for use in Danimals.
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea: Regular yogurt has long been used to stave off this unpleasant side effect of taking antibiotics. However, supplements and foods fortified with additional probiotics may provide further relief, scientists say. So far there is good scientific evidence for several strains, including L. rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii lyo, a yeast sold by France's Laboratoires Biocodex SA as a dietary supplement under the brand name Florastor. Dannon's DanActive drink has also been shown effective.

New Thinking on How to Protect the Heart

2009-02-02T14:14:00.001-05:00

Personal Health
By JANE E. BRODY
Published: January 13, 2009
Some newer suggestions for how to protect your heart may surprise you.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/health/13brod.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Alternative' Medicine Is Mainstream

2009-01-11T17:04:00.002-05:00

By DEEPAK CHOPRA , DEAN ORNISH , RUSTUM ROY and ANDREW WEIL

The evidence is mounting that diet and lifestyle are the best cures for our worst afflictions.

In mid-February, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Bravewell Collaborative are convening a "Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public." This is a watershed in the evolution of integrative medicine, a holistic approach to health care that uses the best of conventional and alternative therapies such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture and herbal remedies. Many of these therapies are now scientifically documented to be not only medically effective but also cost effective.

President-elect Barack Obama and former Sen. Tom Daschle (the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services) understand that if we want to make affordable health care available to the 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance, then we need to address the fundamental causes of health and illness, and provide incentives for healthy ways of living rather than reimbursing only drugs and surgery.

Heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer and obesity account for 75% of health-care costs, and yet these are largely preventable and even reversible by changing diet and lifestyle. As Mr. Obama states in his health plan, unveiled during his campaign: "This nation is facing a true epidemic of chronic disease. An increasing number of Americans are suffering and dying needlessly from diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and HIV/AIDS, all of which can be delayed in onset if not prevented entirely."

The latest scientific studies show that our bodies have a remarkable capacity to begin healing, and much more quickly than we had once realized, if we address the lifestyle factors that often cause these chronic diseases. These studies show that integrative medicine can make a powerful difference in our health and well-being, how quickly these changes may occur, and how dynamic these mechanisms can be.

Many people tend to think of breakthroughs in medicine as a new drug, laser or high-tech surgical procedure. They often have a hard time believing that the simple choices that we make in our lifestyle -- what we eat, how we respond to stress, whether or not we smoke cigarettes, how much exercise we get, and the quality of our relationships and social support -- can be as powerful as drugs and surgery. But they often are. And in many instances, they're even more powerful.
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These studies often used high-tech, state-of-the-art measures to prove the power of simple, low-tech, and low-cost interventions. Integrative medicine approaches such as plant-based diets, yoga, meditation and psychosocial support may stop or even reverse the progression of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, prostate cancer, obesity, hypercholesterolemia and other chronic conditions.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that these approaches may even change gene expression in hundreds of genes in only a few months. Genes associated with cancer, heart disease and inflammation were downregulated or "turned off" whereas protective genes were upregulated or "turned on." A study published in The Lancet Oncology reported that these changes increase telomerase, the enzyme that lengthens telomeres, the ends of our chromosomes that control how long we live. Even drugs have not been shown to do this.

Our "health-care system" is primarily a disease-care system. Last year, $2.1 trillion was spent in the U.S. on medical care, or 16.5% of the gross national product. Of these trillions, 95 cents of every dollar was spent to treat disease after it had already occurred. At least 75% of these costs were spent on treating chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, that are preventable or even reversible.

The choices are especially clear in cardiology. In 2006, for example, according to data provided by the American Heart Association, 1.3 million coronary angioplasty procedures were performed at an average cost of $48,399 each, or more than $60 billion; and 448,000 coronary bypass operations were performed at a cost of $99,743 each, or more than $44 billion. In other words, Americans spent more than $100 billion in 2006 for these two procedures alone.

Despite these costs, a randomized controlled trial published in April 2007 in The New England Journal of Medicine found that angioplasties and stents do not prolong life or even prevent heart attacks in stable patients (i.e., 95% of those who receive them). Coronary bypass surgery prolongs life in less than 3% of patients who receive it. So, Medicare and other insurers and individuals pay billions for surgical procedures like angioplasty and bypass surgery that are usually dangerous, invasive, expensive and largely ineffective. Yet they pay very little -- if any money at all -- for integrative medicine approaches that have been proven to reverse and prevent most chronic diseases that account for at least 75% of health-care costs. The INTERHEART study, published in September 2004 in The Lancet, followed 30,000 men and women on six continents and found that changing lifestyle could prevent at least 90% of all heart disease.

That bears repeating: The disease that accounts for more premature deaths and costs Americans more than any other illness is almost completely preventable simply by changing diet and lifestyle. And the same lifestyle changes that can prevent or even reverse heart disease also help prevent or reverse many other chronic diseases as well. Chronic pain is one of the major sources of worker's compensation claims costs, yet studies show that it is often susceptible to acupuncture and Qi Gong. Herbs usually have far fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals.

Joy, pleasure and freedom are sustainable, deprivation and austerity are not. When you eat a healthier diet, quit smoking, exercise, meditate and have more love in your life, then your brain receives more blood and oxygen, so you think more clearly, have more energy, need less sleep. Your brain may grow so many new neurons that it could get measurably bigger in only a few months. Your face gets more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. Your heart gets more blood flow, so you have more stamina and can even begin to reverse heart disease. Your sexual organs receive more blood flow, so you may become more potent -- similar to the way that circulation-increasing drugs like Viagra work. For many people, these are choices worth making -- not just to live longer, but also to live better.

It's time to move past the debate of alternative medicine versus traditional medicine, and to focus on what works, what doesn't, for whom, and under which circumstances. It will take serious government funding to find out, but these findings may help reduce costs and increase health.

Integrative medicine approaches bring together those in red states and blue states, liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, because these are human issues. They are both medically effective and, important in our current economic climate, cost effective. These approaches emphasize both personal responsibility and the opportunity to make affordable, quality health care available to those who most need it. Mr. Obama should make them an integral part of his health plan as soon as possible.

Dr. Chopra, the author of more than 50 books on the mind, body and spirit, is guest faculty at Beth Israel Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ornish is clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Mr. Roy is professor emeritus of materials science at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Weil is director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.

Miracle Tax Diet

2008-12-21T01:27:00.001-05:00

Op-Ed Columnist
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: December 18, 2008
The new soda tax proposed by Gov. David Paterson of New York is a breakthrough. It could raise $400 million a year but could also help make us healthier

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/opinion/18kristof.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Now on the Menu, Full Disclosure, and It’s Not Appetizing

2008-12-21T01:24:00.000-05:00

By JIM DWYER
Published: December 20, 2008
Look closely at those seven-digit numbers posted next to items on the menu.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/20/nyregion/20about.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

About 1 in 9 US kids use alternative medicine

2008-12-10T16:21:00.002-05:00

By MIKE STOBBE
ATLANTA – More than one in nine children and teens use herbal supplements or some other form of alternative medicine, the government said Wednesday, citing a new national survey. It's the first time children's use of such remedies, including acupuncture, meditation, and chiropractic care, has been measured. Adult use of alternative treatments remains about the same as it was in 2002 — more than one in three.

Herbal remedies were the top type of alternative medicine for both adults and those under 18. Leading the list for children were echinacea, used for colds, and fish oil, sometimes given for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Such therapies were most often given for head or neck pain, colds and anxiety. Body aches and insomnia were other top reasons kids got alternative therapies, the study found.

Given that children are generally pretty healthy, the finding that one in nine uses alternative medicine is "pretty amazing," said one of the study's authors, Richard Nahin of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

However, it's difficult to say if that level of use is harmful or beneficial because many therapies have not undergone rigorous scientific testing to gauge their effectiveness, Nahin added.

The study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based on a 2007 survey of more than 23,000 adults who were speaking about themselves and more than 9,000 adults who were speaking on behalf of a child in their household.

Vitamin and mineral supplements were not counted as alternative medicine, nor were folk medicine practices or religious healing.

The adults most likely to report using alternative medicine include women, those with advanced college degrees and those who live in the West. Among non-elderly adults, it was used about equally by those with private insurance and those with no health insurance at all.

Kids were five times more likely to use alternative therapies if a parent or other relative did. And those covered by private health insurance were more likely to use it than children who were uninsured or covered by public programs, the government study found.

It's a bit surprising adult use didn't rise more, given other trends, said Michael Cohen, a lawyer who teaches health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health. Adult use was 36 percent in 2002, compared to 38 percent last year.

U.S. supplement sales grew about 6 percent from 1998 to 2007, totaling $23.7 billion last year, according to industry data.

Also, in this decade, many academic medical centers and other mainstream health care providers have integrated alternative medicine into their research and patient services. Acupuncturists now work with anesthesiologists, and chiropractors can be found in general hospitals. Insurance coverage and licensing of alternative therapies also is rising, experts said.

"I definitely see a trend," said Cohen, who in his legal work represents doctors who provide complementary and alternative medicine.

There were some differences in how the 2002 and 2007 surveys were done. On the topic of herbal remedies, the 2007 study asked people whether they'd used such a product in the previous 30 days, while the 2002 study asked if they'd taken it in the past year.

In both studies, herbal remedies were the most popular form of alternative medicine in adults; in the latest survey, nearly one in five adults said they had taken a supplement in the previous month.

Among the most common were glucosamine, used for joint pain, and fish oil, often taken by adults to reduce the risk of heart disease.

For adults, pain was by far the main reason adults tried massage, chiropractic care and other alternative therapies.

Many adults say they had trouble getting back pain relief from mainstream medicine. "Some facet of conventional care is not satisfying and they're looking at other options," he said.

The CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs

A Call for Caution in the Rush to Statins

2008-11-30T12:30:00.003-05:00

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Is it time to put cholesterol-lowering statin drugs in every medicine cabinet?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/health/18well.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Scientists Find Clues to Aging in a Red Wine Ingredient’s Role in Activating a Protein

2008-11-30T12:29:00.001-05:00

By NICHOLAS WADE
Published: November 27, 2008
Researchers have discovered that a compound in red wine may reverse the chromosomal aging process.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/health/27aging.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Bulging Waist Carries Risk

2008-11-21T12:08:00.002-05:00

A bulging waistline may be a stronger predictor of premature death than a person's overall weight, according to a large-scale European study that bolsters the findings of earlier research.
For the study, published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, researchers tracked nearly 360,000 men and women in nine European countries for about a decade. Study participants ranged in age from 25 to 70.

At the outset, researchers calculated participants' so-called body-mass index. The BMI has been the standard formula for assessing weight. It uses a person's height and weight to come up with a score. A person with a BMI of between 25 and 29.9 points is considered overweight; those with higher scores are deemed obese.
The researchers also measured the circumference of participants' waists as well as the ratio of their waist and hip measurements. In recent years, various studies have shown that the location of body fat -- particularly if it is in the waist area -- can be an important factor in assessing the risk of various diseases and death. Men with waists measuring over 40 inches are considered at a higher-risk; for women, the figure is 35 inches.

A big waist may predict premature death better than overall weight.
Current treatment guidelines call for physicians to measure patients' waists but usually only when their BMI indicates they are overweight, said Tobias Pischon, the study's lead author and a researcher at the German Institute of Human Nutrition, in Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany.
For the study, patients were divided into groups according to their BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hips ratio. During the course of the research, more than 14,723 of them died from various causes.

Researchers found that even patients who would be considered at normal weight, according to their BMI, faced increased risk of death if they had a large waist.
Normal-weight male participants with waists measuring 102.7 centimeters (about 40 inches) or more were twice as likely to die as those with waists measuring 86 centimeters (34 inches) or less. Women who weighed in the normal BMI range but had waists that were 89 centimeters (35 inches) or more were 79% more likely to die than those with waists measuring 70.1 centimeters (28 inches) or less.
The researchers also calculated that, for a five-centimeter, or about two-inch, increase in waist size for patients with any given BMI score, the risk of death increased by 17% for men and by 13% for women. The researchers found similar trends when they compared waist-to-hips ratios.

Rob M. van Dam, a Harvard Medical School professor not involved with the research, said that while the European study doesn't break new ground, its size and breadth make it a "very important" contribution to the field. "They really put it on the table in a very convincing way," said Mr. van Dam, who has been involved in similar research.

Dr. Pischon, the study's lead author, said in an email that the research didn't focus on why larger waists mean a higher death rate, but added that the fat in the abdomen tends to be so-called visceral fat, which builds up around the organs and secretes certain hormones that contribute to the onset of various diseases.
He said future research should focus on whether treatment for weight problems should focus on preventing increases in waist size rather than holding down weight overall.
NOVEMBER 13, 2008
WSJ ROBERT TOMSHO

Some Patients Are Saying ‘Om,’ Not ‘Ah’

2008-11-01T23:58:00.000-04:00

In One Section of Beth Israel Hospital, Some Patients Are Saying ‘Om,’ Not ‘Ah’
By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS
Published: October 30, 2008
A foundation run by Donna Karan has donated $850,000 for a yearlong experiment combining Eastern and Western healing methods at Beth Israel Medical Center.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/nyregion/30yoga.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Calories Do Count

2008-11-01T23:57:00.000-04:00

By KIM SEVERSON
Published: October 29, 2008
Complex diet regimens are starting to look like exotic mortgages and, just like a reliable savings account, good old calorie counting is coming back into fashion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/dining/29calories.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Applying Science to Alternative Medicine

2008-10-15T23:30:00.000-04:00

By WILLIAM J. BROAD
Published: September 30, 2008
While sweeping claims are often made for alternative medicine treatments, the scientific evidence for them often lags behind.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/health/research/30tria.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Searching for Clarity: A Primer on Medical Studies

2008-10-15T23:28:00.001-04:00

By GINA KOLATA
Published: September 30, 2008
There are three basic principles that underlie the search for medical truth and the use of clinical trials to obtain it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/health/30stud.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

The Claim: Grape Juice Has the Same Benefits as Red Wine

2008-10-15T23:26:00.001-04:00

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Published: September 23, 2008
Many teetotalers wonder whether they can reap the cardiovascular benefits from wine’s unfermented sibling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/health/23real.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

BC CAM

The father of psychoneuroimmunology

The Fat Trap

Patterns: Less Salt Isn’t Always Better for the Heart

It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12

A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day

A Watch-and-Wait Prostate Treatment

In Body’s Shield Against Cancer, a Culprit in Aging May Lurk

When We See What We Want

Strawberries Fight Cancer, Study Finds

Can Needles Soothe Wounded Warriors?

Military doctors in Afghanistan are using acupuncture to treat brain injuries, with promising results.

Out Front in the Fight on Fat

Bigger the Belly, the Bigger the Risk

Extra-Large Waistlines Carry a Greater Chance of Having a Heart Attack; 'Fat Is Not Created Equal'

By Ron Winslow

A new study offers fresh evidence that belly fat is the chief culprit in the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Eighty Years Along, a Longevity Study Still Has Ground to Cover

My Unhealthy Diet? It Got Me This Far

Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World

Look Who’s Meditating Now

Government Says 2 Common Materials Pose Risk of Cancer

Well: From Farm to Fridge to Garbage Can

Weight Index Doesn’t Tell the Whole Truth

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: August 30, 2010

When Food and Pills Clash

Excess Salt, and a Way to Avoid It

The Claim: Rosemary Helps Reduce Toxins in Grilled Meat

Regimens: Eat Your Vegetables, but Not Too Many

By RONI CARYN RABIN

Blueberries Slow Tumor Growth

Jeremy Singer-Vine

For Nut Benefits, More Is Better Two handfuls a day may do more to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides than one

Jennifer Corbett Dooren

Sun-Kissed or Sunburned?A Sun-Lover Sees Bright Side, Mood Boost, Vitamin D

Sun-Kissed or Sunburned?A Sun-Lover Sees Bright Side, Mood Boost, Vitamin D

Study Sees ADHD-Pesticide Link

Doctor Leads Quest for Safer Ways to Care for Patients

Even More Reasons to Get a Move On

When It Comes to Salt, No Rights or Wrongs. Yet.

One Bowl = 2 Servings. F.D.A. May Fix That

Vitamin D, Miracle Drug: Is It Science, or Just Talk?

How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young

Medical News: Fish Oils May Slow Genetic Aging - in Primary Care, Diet & Nutrition from MedPage Today

Fructose Converts Quickly to Lipids Triggering Hyperlipidemia

Good News in the Daily Grind

The Latest Findings on Coffee

News Hub: Evidence of Coffee's Health Benefits

Risks Disappear

Harmful Effects

Beyond Caffeine

Benefits Cloaked in 'Mays'

Toast to Your Health With a Supplement

***

The Calorie-Restriction Experiment

Can Meditation Curb Heart Attacks?

Popcorn’s Dark Secret

Phys Ed: Why Doesn’t Exercise Lead to Weight Loss?

Path to Alternative Therapies Is Littered With Obstacles

Vitamin D Shows Heart Benefits in Study

New York study says menu labeling affects behavior

Scientists say curry compound kills cancer cells

F.D.A. to Clarify Standards for the Front of Food Labels

Rules to Eat By

Calorie Postings Don’t Change Habits, Study Finds

In Schools, New Rules on Snacks for Sale

Kids Eat Few Fruits, Veggies .

Congress, Concerned About Steroids, Reviews Law on Dietary Supplements

Melanoma on the Rise, or Is It Just Diagnoses?

Probiotics: Looking Underneath the Yogurt Label

Quest for a Long Life Gains Scientific Respect

How Safe Are Osteoporosis Drugs?

Columnist Melinda Beck answers readers' questions

Prescriptions: Partisan Politics, Bipartisan Holistics

In One Study, a Heart Benefit for Chocolate

A Doctor for Disease, a Shaman for the Soul

Saving Your Bones: Hard Choices

Osteoporosis Drugs Prevent Fractures, but Patients Worry About Side Effects; Weighing the Risks

MELINDA BECK WSJ Sept 15, 2009