Archive for the ‘Diet & Nutrition’ Category

Some cosmetic surgeons say that gum chewing can lead to facial wrinkles, as reported by MSNBC this week.  The surgeons contend that chronic, extensive gum chewing “promotes muscle over-activity and potentially breaks down support tissue within the skin.” Although this may be true, there are no studies that have been done which link gum chewing with wrinkling. Nor does money need to be spent on such a study – would it really matter? This makes me wonder whether we should tell perpetually happy people to stop smiling, or habitual snackers to quit munching. Yes, perhaps maniacal gum chewers should be warned, but personally, I’ll take my gum with all it’s wrinkle risks in stride. [via MSNBC]

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A new study released this week of over 30 thousand US children found that, on average, kids snack three times a day. What’s more, over half of these children snack 4 times a day. Compared with data from the 1970s which show children consuming over 400 daily calories from snacks, kids today consume nearly 600 daily calories from snack food alone. “My underlying fear is that we’re moving away from being hungry and eating for satiation to just eating,” said Dr. Barry M. Popkin, co-author of the study and director of nutrition epidemiology at the University of North Carolina. Although caloric intake from snacks have increased over time, the average child’s total daily calories have only increased by 113 calories. This means that snack calories have replaced mealtime calories, which is not a good thing since sweet snacks (cookies and cakes) and salty snacks (chips and pretzels) are the top two most consumed categories of snack. [via New York Times]

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Green tea has been touted for various health benefits (such as fighting against heart disease and cancer) largely due to it’s high level of antioxidants called catechins. Now, Chinese scientists have found that the catechins appear to be able to penetrate into the tissues of the eyes, especially into the retina, which is the light-sensing tissue that lines the back of the eye. The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, demonstrated that this antioxidant activity can last for up to 20 hours after drinking green tea extract. The authors theorize that the readily absorbed antioxidants help to protect the delicate tissues of the eye from glaucoma and other eye diseases. However, it must be noted that East Asians experience the highest rate of blindness from one common type of glaucoma, despite being among the largest consumers of green tea. Therefore, further studies will definitely be needed to confirm any protective ocular effects of green tea in humans. [Via WebMD]

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In light of First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to combat childhood obesity, updated data shows that the rate of childhood obesity has, indeed, not declined. According to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2007-2008), the percentage of obese children, defined by BMI, has remained steady with nearly 17% of children having BMIs above the 95th percentile. This figure is identical to a decade ago when childhood obesity skyrocketed from approximately 5% to 17% between 1980 and 1999. Does this mean that the rate of childhood obesity has plateaued? Are we finally seeing the result of years of effort in attempting to curb childhood obesity? Perhaps, but one thing we know is that the rate has not declined and continued effort is much needed in order to reduce the future health burden obesity can confer on these children. [via Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine]

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A study published in the latest issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, examines the New York City Department of Education’s 2004 decision to eliminate whole and flavored milk from its schools. The study states the substitution of low-fat and fat-free milk for whole milk in schools can greatly reduce students’ consumption of calories and fat and help combat the childhood obesity epidemic (40% of New York City children are obese by the age of 11).  This simple change means that a milk-drinking student was exposed to 33 fewer calories and 3.4 fewer grams of fat per school day, which is equivalent to 5,960 fewer calories and 619 fewer grams of fat per year. Initially, the consumption of milk by students declined, but by 2009 had increased to 1.3% above the rate at the start of the initiative. But will decreasing caloric intake from milk reduce overall caloric intake and make a dent in the childhood obesity epidemic? It’s a great idea, but there are many more high-calorie foods out there beyond milk to contend with. [via HealthDay]

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Two of the world’s foremost metropolitan cities have joined together to fight childhood obesity. In a report titled “A Tale of Two ObesCities” researchers from London Metropolitan University and City University of New York have found demographic similarities between obese children in both cities. Notably, both cities are characterized by high levels of income disparity with the poorest children having the highest rates of obesity. In London 36.3% of children are obese by the age of 11, compared with 40% in New York. The report demonstrates that the two cities can benefit from collaboration and learning from each other’s experiences in combating childhood obesity. The main recommendations of the report include:

- Build active design principles into building codes, housing strategies

-Promote and support urban agriculture as a sustainable and health promoting use of green spaces

-Promote access to places where people can by physically active and promote walking and cycling

-Implement a universal free school meal program with nutritional standards

-Promote research to help cities understand how the beat health inequalities

[via Medical News Today]

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You’ll likely be hearing (if not already) juice makers and berry growers tout the benefits of blueberry juice on memory. For the first time researchers have shown that a few daily glasses of blueberry juice can boost memory in older adults with early signs of memory loss. Blueberries, like tomatoes, grapes and tea, contain polyphenols which are known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it’s theorized that these substances can combat oxidative stresses that can lead to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The recent study is published in the current issue of the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. However, it must be noted that the researchers only studied a total of 18 patients – 9 were given blueberry juice and 9 given placebo – making this an extremely small study which may not necessarily extrapolate to an entire population of people. Therefore, the jury is still out on this one. Although drinking blueberry juice will likely not worsen your memory, there are other means that have been shown to slow memory loss, including keeping mentally active, exercise, cultivating a strong social network, stopping smoking, and getting plenty of sleep. [via Medical News Today]

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This past week new data suggested that some people taking the anti-obesity drug Meridia (sibutramine) are at greater risk of heart attacks and strokes than people taking a placebo. It also raised blood pressure and heart rate among users. What is interesting is how two large regulatory agencies responded to this data. The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has already advised physicians and pharmacists to stop prescribing and dispensing the medication, while the U.S. FDA has urged pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories, the maker of Meridia, to place a stronger warning on the drug. The warning is to caution against the use of the drug by people who are already at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Was the EMEA too hasty in its decision or is the FDA not forceful enough? Proponents of the drug agree that it shouldn’t be given to those with cardiovascular disease or diabetes, while critics are in favor of an overall ban. In the drug’s twelve years on the market it has been linked to more than 80 deaths, including 30 people under age 50. [via New York Times]

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After tackling high-calorie fast foods and trans fats, the New York City Health Department is teaming up with other municipalities and companies to reduce the amount of salt in prepackaged and restaurant foods over the next five years. “Salt is a huge problem in our diets,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. “The majority of us consume too much salt, which increases blood pressure and puts us at risk for heart attack and stroke.” Most people need about 1,500 mg of salt per day. However, the average American adult consumes upwards of 3,500 mg, mostly from prepackaged and restaurant-served meals. The goal of the New York City initiative is to reduce sodium levels in prepared foods, so as to allow consumers to add salt if desired. Subway, one of the participating restaurants, has already committed to reducing salt in their sandwiches nationwide. “If salt is reduced gradually, we won’t notice a difference in our palate,” Angell said. “Our palate will adjust and we’ll enjoy foods as much as we do now.” [via CNN]

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New research appearing in next month’s Annals of Family Medicine suggests that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the disparity seen between whites and blacks in regards to rates of heart attacks and strokes. After looking at data from over 15,000 Americans the researchers found that vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher death rates among all subjects. However, blacks had a 38% higher risk of death than whites – this did not change even when taking into account socioeconomic status. The researchers also found that the risk of death decreased as vitamin D levels increased. It should be noted that this is only an observational study, not a controlled trial. But, given these findings further studies are warranted especially if vitamin replacement, which is relatively easy to do, could reduce the risk of death.

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a chronic inflammatory state that is associated with heart disease and cancer. Since vitamin D is produced in the skin in a process involving sunlight, dark-skinned individuals may produce less of it because their skin pigment blocks the UV light needed for vitamin D synthesis. [via Medical News Today]

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