Health News Tidbits

Health News Tidbits – October 2002

Soy Protein May Lower Estrogens Associated With Breast Cancer -
According to a study published in the September issue of Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, blood sample analyses of 144 healthy postmenopausal Chinese women showed 15% lower estrone levels among those consuming the highest quantity of soy protein. Estrone, the predominant form of estrogen in women following menopause, has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer at high levels.

Long-Term Effects of Depo-Provera Questioned -
In a study done on 13 women who had used the contraceptive for more than a year and a "control group" of 10 women who were not taking the contraceptive, researchers performed two tests on blood vessels and arteries. Researchers found that a major artery in the arm did not open as wide in women who had taken the contraceptive. Circulation 2002

Doctor's Patients Deprived of Nutritional Counseling -
A cross-sectional study of 84 family physician practices in northeast Ohio, nutritional counseling was measured by direct observation on two days for all consecutive ambulatory visits. Among 138 physicians, only 6% included nutrition counseling in the majority of patient encounters. The average time spent on nutrition counseling was 55 seconds. Am J Prev Med; Volume 23, Issue 3, 174-179

Low Meat-Eating Teens May Be Damaging Their Health -
Vegetarianism or low meat consumption is mainly a female phenomenon among adolescents in the study. Female low-meat consumers more frequently used smokeless tobacco, reported having more sick days during the year, attached less importance to "being healthy," and had been depressed more often than normal meat eaters. Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 31, Issue 2, 190-198

Fish Oil Reduces Frequency and Severity of Migraines in Adolescents -
87% of the participants experienced reduction in headache frequency, 74% experienced reduction in headache duration, and 83% experienced reduction in headache severity. Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 31, Issue 2, 154-161

Antibiotic Use By Mother During Pregnancy Associated With Asthma in Child -
A large 24,690 child participant British study reports that exposure to antibiotics in a mother's womb, was associated with an increased risk of asthma in the child. 20% of the children were diagnosed with asthma, and just over 31% were diagnosed with eczema. Antibiotics can cross the placenta and enter the fetal circulation.
J Amer Tho Soc; Sept 2002.

FDA Insider Points to Ties With Pharmaceutical Industry -
A former senior consultant at the FDA has criticized their close relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. Specifically, the consultant attacks the FDA's decision to remarket the controversial drug Lotronex, an IBS drug taken off the market for adverse reactions and deaths. British Medical Journal; Sept 13, 2002

Wine Drinking Linked to Lower Lymphoma Risk -

According to a new study that appears in American Journal of Epidemiology (2002;156:454-462), men who consume moderate amounts of wine on a regular basis (one ore more glasses wine daily) seem to have less chance of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

New Dietary Recommendations for Infants -
The National Acadamies Institute of Medicine has recommended a daily intake of specific polyunsaturated fatty acids for infants in US and Canada. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), in particular, was mentioned in the report for its beneficial role in supporting brain and retina development in infants.

Tea May Reduce Risk of Cancer, Heart Disease -
At a recent conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Tea Council, and the American Cancer Society, experts agree that it is time to add tea to the list of fruits and vegetables to reduce their risk of disease. Tea is loaded with phytochemicals that act as antioxidants.

Green Tea May Fight Allergies -
According to the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, new evidence suggests that a compound in green tea, the antioxidant EGCG, blocks a key cell receptor involved in producing an allergic response. The Japanese study will appear in the 10/9 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Plant Compounds Keep Disease Away -
A Finnish study done on 10,000 men and women, individuals who consumed more of plant compounds called flavanoids, one type that is most abundant in apples, were less likely to die from heart disease or develop a variety of chronic diseases like lung cancer, asthma, stroke and diabetes. The flavanoid quercetin, which is believed to be the primary beneficial antioxidant in apples, showed the strongest and most consistent effects in the study.
Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:560-568

Common Foods Worsen Hayfever Symptoms -
Experts at the Asthma Allergy and Research Center say that most of us do not take into account dietary cross-reactors as common hayfever allergens. While most people know if they are ragweed allergic, what they don't know is that chamomile, common in many body care products, foods, and teas, is a ragweed and can be exacerbating hayfever symptoms. In addition, foods like cantaloupe, bananas, and honeydew melons are all in the ragweed family. Experts suggest to avoid these cross reactors during the heightened allergy seasons.

Vitamins C & E Support Breathing Following an Operation -
Patients who have recently undergone an operation experience less breathing problems after being given a cocktail of vitamin C and E, according to researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center.

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