A team of Dutch researchers led by LPL van de Vijver studied 2078 men and 2159 women aged 55-69 years, and found that higher whole grain consumption was associated with lower BMI and a reduced risk of overweight and obesity. For every additional gram of whole grain consumption, men’s risk dropped 10% and women’s risk dropped 4%.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2009; 63, 31–38
Carotenoids are plant pigments that act as antioxidants, and are especially associated with eye health. Scientists at Purdue University studied yellow maize (corn) to better understand the bioavailability of the carotenoids therein. They found that lutein and zeaxanthin were the major carotenoids, making up about 70% of total carotenoid content. They also found that bioavailability of different carotenoids varied according to the type of foods (breads, extruded corn puffs, porridge).
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. November 12, 2008; 56(21): 9918-26. Epub Oct 21, 2008.
Whole grain consumption lowers heart failure risk, while eggs and high-fat dairy raise risks. That’s the finding of researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of North Carolina, who followed more than 14,000 people for over 13 years. “It would be prudent to recommend that those at high risk of HF increase their intake of whole grains and reduce intake of high-fat dairy and eggs,” said lead researcher Jennifer Nettleton, PhD.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, November 2008; vol 108(11)
The prevalence of allergies has consistently increased in Africa over the past 7-10 years. Studies have shown that as an African country’s gross national income increases, so does the link between IgE, skin reactivity to allergens and allergic symptoms. Whereas Africans in rural Africa seem to suffer less from allergies, people of African descent in affluent countries have a higher prevalence and greater severity of allergic symptoms compared with the natives of those host countries. A study conducted at Leiden University in the Netherlands has identified the shift to a more ‘urban diet’ as a marker for increased skin reactivity to allergens, and therein a compromiser to the immune system.
Current Opinion in Clinical Immunology. Oct. 2008 (Obeng et al.)
The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) being carried out by researchers around the U.S. and in Norway, has found that eating a “low risk food pattern” including more whole grains, fruits, green leafy vegetables, low-fat diary, and nuts/seeds, was associated with a 15% lower diabetes risk. Researcher Jennifer Nettleton, PhD, stressed that the interplay of a variety of healthy foods likely contributes to the reduced risk.
Diabetes Care, Sept 2008; 31(9):1777-82. Epub June 10, 2008.
In Ankara, Turkey, scientists at Hacettepe University’s Department of Food Engineering compared 18 ancients wheats (12 emmer, 6 einkorn) with 2 modern bread wheats, to assess their total phenolics and flavonoids, phenolic acids, lutein, total yellow pigment, and total radical scavenging capacities. Results showed “remarkably higher total antioxidant activity” in emmer varieties, and “quite high levels of lutein” in the einkorn samples. In conclusion, the findings were considered to be key to “breeding wheat varieties for higher concentration and better composition of health-beneficial phytochemicals.”
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, August 27, 2008; 56(16): 7285-92
It is known that the healthfulness of the Latino diet deteriorates during the acculturation process, as Latino immigrants adopt the habits of their new culture. A meta-analysis was conducted to review the literature available on the effect of acculturation on the Latino diet. The analysis concluded that there was no relationship between acculturation and dietary fat intake or percent energy from fat, despite evidence that fat-related behaviors seem to differ between those who are less or more acculturated. It also concluded that less acculturated Latin Americans consumed more fruit, rice, beans, and less sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages than more acculturated Latin Americans.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, August 2008; 108:1330-1344 (Ayala G et al.)
Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) are increasingly implicated in the complications of diabetes. A study from the University of Georgia Neutraceutical Research Libraries showed that sorghum brans with a high phenolic content and high anti-oxidant properties inhibit protein glycation, whereas wheat, rice or oat bran, and low-phenolic sorghum bran did not. These results suggest that “certain varieties of sorghum bran may affect critical biological processes that are important in diabetes and insulin resistance.”
Phytotherapy Research. 2008 Aug;22(8):1052-6
After following 72,113 women for almost twenty years, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that eating a “prudent” diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish and poultry may reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and for overall mortality. The study divided the women into two groups, those eating the “prudent” diet and those consuming a typical “Western” diet with high levels of red meat, processed meat, refined grains, french fries, and sweet or desserts.
Circulation, July 15, 2008; 118(3):230-7. Epublished June 23, 2008.
Nigeria is facing an increasing prevalence of obesity, with a particularly strong occurrence in populations with hypertension and diabetes. A Nigerian study of these increases says that the rise of obesity rates can easily be attributed to rapid unplanned urbanization, change from local dietary pattern to western style diet which is driven by the proliferation of fast food outlets in major cities across the country. This study makes that connection.
Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 54 No 1, 2008 (11-5). (Akpa et al.)
Scientists at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala decided to investigate whether whole grains keep people full and satisfied longer than refined grains – and whether specific types of whole grains are more satisfying than others. Working with 22 healthy adults, they fed their subjects either rye porridge or refined wheat bread for breakfast and then whole wheat pasta or refined wheat pasta for lunch. In both cases, the two options offered equal amounts of energy (calories). They found that the two pastas varied little in their subsequent effects on appetite, but that the rye porridge had “prolonged satiating properties up to 8 hours after consumption, compared to refined wheat bread.” (However, even though the rye breakfast made subjects feel full longer, it did not diminish subsequent food consumption.)
Food & Nutrition Research, 2008; 52. Doi 10.3402/fnr.v52i0.1809. Epub Jul 28.
Researchers at Loma Linda University investigated a cohort of peri- and post-menopausal women over a period of 25 years to compare incidences of wrist fracture with diet type. They found that vegetarians who consumed low amounts of protein suffered the most wrist fractures. However, increasing levels of plant-based protein foods decreased risk by 68% and increasing meat intake decreased risk by 80%. These findings suggest that dietary protein plays a significant role in bone health among middle-aged and elderly females.
Public Health Nutrition. 2008 June 1;11(6):564-572. (Thorpe et al.)
