Research Highlights - April

Am Journal of Clinical Nutrition

• With a similar amount of total weight loss, lean mass is preserved, but there is not a preferential loss of abdominal fat when either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise is performed during caloric restriction.

• Calcium and magnesium intakes may protect against the development of Type 2 Diabetes in 65,000 Chinese women.

• Multiple micronutrient supplements increased the length of children who consumed them regularly from 3 to 24 mo. Strategies that promote compliance through effective delivery of micronutrient interventions are needed.

• A diet characterized by a low intake of meat/starches and a high intake of legumes is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in Asian Americans.
  
  
• A meta-analysis of the association between consumption of soy foods and prostate cancer risk in men showed lower incidence (26%) between men who consume them as opposed to those that do not. The risk was lower in men who consumed fermented soy foods as opposed to nonfermented. While we are always wary of meta-analyses, this should be another example of why fermented soy is preferred to nonfermented.
  

Journal Nutrition

Quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin seem to act as dietary-derived inhibitors of Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, suggesting that this inhibitory effect may contribute to chemopreventive properties of these molecules.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Adolescent and young adult vegetarians may experience the health benefits associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake and young adults may experience the added benefit of decreased risk for overweight and obesity. However, current vegetarians may be at increased risk for binge eating with loss of control, while former vegetarians may be at increased risk for extreme unhealthful weight-control behaviors. It would be beneficial for clinicians to inquire about current and former vegetarian status when assessing risk for disordered eating behaviors.

Food and Chemical Toxicology

Ginseng is found to be protective against cadmium-induced hepatic injuries.