Findings from a recent study in Pediatrics demonstrate:
- An association of vitamin D deficiency with respiratory disease is due to an impact on lung development.
- A significant association with language development at ages 5 and 10 years. The risk of having a child with clinically significant language impairment was increased by nearly twofold in women with the lowest vitamin D levels at 18 weeks' gestation compared with those in the highest percentage of the 25-OH-D distribution.
- An increased risk for high scores in early adulthood on the Attention Switching subscale of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient for children of vitamin D-deficient mothers.
- A significant predictive relationship between lower maternal vitamin D status and eating disorder risk in female offspring.
- A significant association between maternal vitamin D deficiency and lower peak bone mass in offspring at 20 years. Total body bone mineral content was reduced by 2.7% and total body bone mineral density was reduced by 1.7% compared with children of vitamin D-sufficient mothers.
A study of more than 80,000 women has uncovered different risks of developing type 2 diabetes associated with different blood groups, with the biggest difference a 35% increased risk of type 2 diabetes found in those with group B+. Published in Diabetologia, researchers found that compared with women with group O blood, women with group A were 10% more likely to develop T2D, AB group was 17% more likely, and those with group B 21% more likely.
Bonnie: Because group B's cannot handle corn properly, and it is endemic the western diet, I am not surprised it led the group.
Despite the rising consumption of coffee worldwide, few studies have assessed the association of coffee intake with mortality including total and major causes of death. A study in the March issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigated the association between habitual coffee drinking and mortality from all causes, cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, injuries, and other causes of death in a large-scale, population-based cohort study in Japan.
The results showed an reduced association between coffee intake and total mortality in both men and women. Total death in subjects who consumed coffee compared with those who never drank coffee were The strongest association seen were in those drinking 3–4 cups/day and more than 5 cups/day.
Specifically, coffee was reduced mortality from heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and respiratory disease.
Bonnie: Sorry folks, black coffee only!
Endocrinology groups are applauding a new recommendation from a dietary-supplement trade association that calls for iodine supplementation in all prenatal vitamins prescribed for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
In addition, the public health committee of the American Thyroid Association (ATA) recently published a statement reiterating the ATA recommendation that women take a daily multivitamin containing 150 mg of iodine during prepregnancy, pregnancy, and lactation. The statement also warns of the potential risks of excess iodine consumption and exposure, particularly through the use of unregulated kelp supplements.
The US Council for Responsible Medicine's new guidelines call for all dietary-supplement manufacturers and marketers to begin including at least 150 μg of iodine in all daily multivitamin/mineral supplements intended for pregnant and lactating women in the United States within the next 12 months.
According to a study in the upcoming April issue of Food and Chemical Toxicity, the common food additive carrageenan, vilified by some in the food industry, does not bind to Toll-Like-Receptor 4, does not stimulate NF-KB inflammatory responses, and is tightly bound to protein, which limits interactions with cells.
Carrageenan (CGN) is widely used in the food manufacturing industry as an additive that stabilizes and thickens food products. Standard animal safety studies in which CGN was administered in diet showed no adverse effects. However, several in vitro studies have reported that intestinal inflammation is caused by CGN and that this effect is mediated through Toll-Like-Receptor 4 (TLR4). The purpose of the study was to evaluate this issue.
The results show that CGN does not bind to TLR4 and is not cytotoxic to the HEK293 cells at the concentrations and experimental conditions tested and that CGN binds tightly to serum proteins. Thus, intestinal inflammation is not a byproduct of CGN consumption in this study.
Consuming a wider variety of nutrient-dense foods may promote adherence to healthful dietary patterns, leading to improved dietary quality and enhanced metabolic health.
Higher-protein diets are associated with lower BMI and waist circumference and higher HDL cholesterol compared to protein intakes at RDA levels. According to a study in the March issue of The Journal of Nutrition, data suggest that Americans who consume dietary protein between 1.0 and 1.5 grams/kilogram of body weight have a lower risk of developing cardiometabolic disease.
In a second study from the same issue, greater healthful food variety was associated with lower odds of Metabolic Syndrome and some Metabolic Syndrome components in the total population. Steve: the problem is that the majority of the Standard American Diet is made up of soy, wheat, corn, and dairy, basically monolculture!
Recent data suggest that an increased level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is not protective against heart disease on its own, but sub-phenotypes of HDL are. Prior work on the effects of dietary intakes has focused largely on HDL-C. The goal of a Nutrition and Metabolism study was to identify the dietary intakes that affect HDL-related measures: HDL-C, HDL-2, HDL-3, and apoA1. Here's the results:
- Dietary folate intake was positively associated with HDL-C, HDL-3, and apoA1.
- Alcohol intake and myristic acid, a saturated fat, were each significantly associated with increased levels of all HDL-related measures studied.
- Dietary carbohydrate and iron intake were significantly associated with decreased levels of all HDL-related measures.
- Magnesium intake was positively associated with HDL-C, HDL-2, and HDL-3 levels, but not apoA1 levels
- Vitamin C was only associated with apoA1 levels.
- Dietary fiber and protein intake were both positively associated with HDL-3 levels alone.
Given the shifting focus away from HDL-C, these first-of-its-kind data will prove valuable for future epidemiologic investigation of the role of diet and multiple HDL phenotypes in heart disease.
Diets rich in animal protein and cereal grains and deficient in vegetables and fruits may cause low-grade metabolic acidosis, which may impact exercise and health. Researchers in the March issue of European Journal of Clinical Nutrition hypothesized that a normal-protein diet with high amount of vegetables and fruits induces more alkaline acid–base balance compared with a high-protein, high-cereal grain diet with no vegetables and fruits and diet composition has a greater impact on acid–base balance. Hence, a high intake of vegetables and fruits increases blood and pH in young adolescents, who may be more sensitive to diet-induced acid–base changes.
Bonnie: It should come as no surprise that fruits and vegetables naturally alkalize. A diet rich and protein, high in fruit and veggies, and low gran carbs is the ideal balance.
Eating a modest amount of nuts appears to lower the risk for teens of developing conditions that raise the chances of heart disease later in life. By "modest," investigators mean eating at least three small handfuls of nuts a week. In the study, presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, nut-eating teens had less than half the risk for developing metabolic syndrome as those who did not eat nuts.
The bad news? Roughly 75 percent of U.S. teens eat no nuts, the study authors said.
Adults who closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease over a 10-year period compared to similar adults who did not closely follow the diet, according to a study to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.
Among the study's participants, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was more protective than physical activity. The study, conducted in Greece, bolsters evidence from earlier studies pointing to the diet's health benefits and is the first to track 10-year heart disease risk in a general population.
The study shows that the Mediterranean diet is a beneficial intervention for all types of people--in both genders, in all age groups, and in both healthy people and those with health conditions.
