Physically Fit Children Learn And Retain Information Better Than Less Fit Peers

Children aged nine and ten who were physically fit performed better on learning and memory tests than less-fit peers, according to a study by U.S. researchers. Forty-eight children were asked to memorize names and locations on a fictitious map. They were allowed to study the information or were tested as they studied. Half the children were in the top 30 percent of their age group on a test measuring aerobic fitness; the other half scored in the lowest 30 percent. When the children were asked to recall the information they had studied, those who were physically fit performed better than those who were not as fit.

"The Influence of Childhood Aerobic Fitness on Learning and Memory", PLoS ONE, September 11, 2013

Positive Attitude Means More Exercise, Longer Lives, For Heart Disease Patients

Researchers in Denmark and The Netherlands who assessed the moods of 600 heart disease patients hospital found after five years that patients who maintained a positive attitude exercised more and had a 42 percent less chance of dying for any reason. Patients with a less positive attitude were nearly twice as likely to die. Positive mood and exercise also cut the risk of heart-related hospitalizations. The researchers advised that heart patients should be encouraged to exercise, no matter their mood, because exercise tends to improve attitude of patients.

"Exercise Mediates the Association Between Positive Affect and 5-Year Mortality in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease", Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, September 10, 2013

Copper And Its Alloys Destroy Infectious, Costly Norovirus Pathogen

The highly infectious norovirus bug is responsible for 267 million cases of acute gastroenteritis worldwide each year, costing millions of dollars in health care expenses. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus, which is contracted from contaminated food or water, and from human and surface contact. But scientists in the U.K. have found that norovirus is rapidly destroyed on copper and its alloys, especially on alloys containing more than 60 percent copper. The researchers said using antimicrobial surfaces containing copper in clinical and community environments, such as cruise ships and care facilities, could help reduce the spread of the costly pathogen.

"Inactivation of Norovirus on Dry Copper Alloy Surfaces", PLoS ONE, September 09, 2013

U.K. Commercial Baby Foods Are Pushed On Infants Too Early, Study Finds

Commercial baby foods in the U.K. that are promoted as a way to wean children from breast milk are actually sweet foods that provide little extra nutritional benefit over breast milk or formula,  according to new research. British government guidelines say infants should not be weaned before six months, and the foods they eat – cereals, vegetables, fruits and proteins – should be introduced gradually. The researchers looked at products from four manufacturers, finding that commonly used commercial foods supplied no more energy than breast or formula milk and are promoted at an age – four months– when babies should be consuming breast or formula milk.

"Nutritional content of infant commercial weaning foods in the U.K.", Archives of Disease in Childhood, September 09, 2013

Millions Of American Children Are Classified As “Severely Obese”

The American Heart Association issued a scientific statement declaring that five percent of American children over the age of two, as well as teenagers, fall into a new classification of health risk called “severely obese”. These children – between three and four million – have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems at younger issues., with few treatment options. Severely obese children are defined as those whose body mass index (BMI) is 20 percent higher than the 95th percentile for their gender and age, or the BMI score is 35 or higher. According to ChildStats.gov, there are about 74 million children between the ages of one and 17.

"Severe Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Identification, Associated Health Risks, and Treatment Approaches: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association", Circulation, September 09, 2013

Studies That “Prove” A Link Between Breakfast And Weight Loss Are Faulty

U.S. researchers say that studies designed to find an association between eating a nutrient-dense breakfast and losing weight do not prove that one causes the other. The researchers examined 92 studies that looked at the effect of breakfast on obesity, finding that many were either biased or simply did not advance knowledge about the issue beyond the status quo. They said a number of the research articles tended to overstate the strength of study designs and “ignored evidence that did not support” their hypothesis.

"Belief beyond the evidence: using the proposed effect of breakfast on obesity to show 2 practices that distort scientific evidence", American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 09, 2013

Hydrogel Particles Could Someday Be Used To Reduce Caloric Content Of Fatty Foods

Many emulsion-based food products – sauces, dressings, desserts, etc. – are fairly high in fat-derived calories. Reducing their caloric content is difficult without damaging texture, flavor, and other critical characteristics. But U.S. scientists who collaborated with ConAgra foods on a new study report that hydrogel particles could easily be used to develop reduced-calorie foods without harming those characteristics. They came up with a simplified way to make oil-filled hydrogel particles from a concoction of fat droplets, caseinate and pectin. The particles could someday be used to replace fat droplets or starch granules in reduced calorie products.

"Oil-Filled Hydrogel Particles for Reduced-Fat Food Applications: Fabrication, Characterization, and Properties", Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies , September 03, 2013

Program That Encourages Healthier Eating Among Low-Income Families Is Effective

Access to healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables is often limited in low-income communities. Now a study by a North Carolina medical center shows that community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs that link consumers to a local farm’s produce during the growing season may provide an solution to the problem. The small feasibility study involved low-income women with children evenly divided into an intervention group and a control group. Intervention participants – but not the control group – received a free box of fresh produce for 16 weeks, educational sessions, a farm tour and a grocery store tour. The researchers observed a significant increase in the number of different fruits and vegetables in the intervention households as well as increases in fruit and vegetable consumption.

"Feasibility of Using a Community-Supported Agriculture Program to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Inventories and Consumption in an Underresourced Urban Community", Preventing Chronic Disease, September 03, 2013

Researchers Complete Genome Sequencing Of Uruguay’s Prize Grape Variety

Scientists in Uruguay have sequenced the genome of the country’s Tannat grape, purported to produce the healthiest wines in the world because of their high concentrations of the antioxidant tannin and of the flavonoid procyanidin. The researchers, who say wines made with Tannat grapes have twice the tannins of Cabernet, Merlot or Pinot Noir, believe that sequencing the grape's genome will allow Uruguayan vintners to protect “a valuable niche in the world's $300 billion wine industry”. The scientists will now turn their attention to determining how soil conditions, minerals, sun, temperature, climate, altitude and other environmental factors affect the expression of genes in grapes and the chemistry of wine's aromas and color.

"Scientists sequence genome of high-value grape, seek secrets of wine's aroma", EurekAlert, September 02, 2013

Intensity Of Exercise, Rather Than Duration, Is More Important In Losing Weight

Even very short periods of intense physical activity can lead to weight loss, a new U.S. study finds. Current physical activity guidelines for Americans recommend 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week, which can be accumulated in eight- to ten-minute sessions. The new study shows that higher-intensity activity was associated with a lower risk of obesity, whether in bouts of fewer or greater than 10 minutes, as long as the physical activity puts the heart and lungs to work. In fact, each daily minute of higher-intensity activity lowers the odds of obesity by five percent for women and two percent for men.

"Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity and Weight Outcomes: Does Every Minute Count?", American Journal of Health Promotion, September 01, 2013

Vinegar Beats Prescription Drugs In Reducing Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

A small clinical study by U.S. researchers has found that ingesting a small amount of vinegar at mealtime twice a day may benefit people at risk for type 2 diabetes. Participants, who were otherwise healthy, either drank 750 mg (one tablespoon) of acetic acid or ingested a placebo pill at two meals each day for 12 weeks. Blood sugar was measured daily. Those who ingested the vinegar showed greater reductions in fasting blood sugar levels than those from taking diabetes drugs metformin or rosiglitazone. The researchers concluded that vinegar, “a simple addition to meals, has antiglycemic effects in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes, possibly related to carbohydrate maldigestion”.

"Vinegar ingestion at mealtime reduced fasting blood glucose concentrations in healthy adults at risk for type 2 diabetes", Journal of Functional Foods, August 30, 2013

Women Benefit More From Interval Training Than Men – Study

Interval training – alternating periods of high-intensity and low-intensity exercise – benefits women runners more than men, according to a new U.S. study. Eight men and eight women in their twenties were put through self-paced, high-intensity interval training on the treadmill with different recovery periods. Maximum oxygen consumption and heart rates were measured throughout, and the results revealed a significant difference between the sexes on both measurements. The men tended to run faster, but the women worked at a higher percentage of their maximum heart rate and a higher percentage of their maximum oxygen consumption. The findings indicated that the women got more benefit from the interval training than the men.

"Sex specific responses to self-paced, high-intensity interval training with variable recovery periods", Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, August 27, 2013

Tough Challenge: Prodding Grocery Shoppers To Make The Produce Aisle A Top Priority

Nutrition and health researchers are testing ways to prod grocery shoppers away from the processed food aisles and toward the produce aisles. Acknowledging that it’s a tough challenge – food companies and grocery stores have a huge array of tricks to get people to buy high-margin junk food and drinks – the researchers are nevertheless determined to keep at it. Among the tricks being tested: putting mirrors in shopping carts so shoppers can see they need to eat healthier; and dividing shopping carts in half using yellow duct tape and suggesting that fruits and vegetable be placed in the front of the cart. That second trick boosted average produce sales from $3.99 to $8.85.

"Nudged to the Produce Aisle by a Look in the Mirror", The New York Times, August 27, 2013

Study Shows Company’s Probiotic Product Supports Digestive Health In Seniors

Probiotics manufacturer Ganeden Biotech says a British study confirms the effectiveness of its GanedenBC30 product in supporting digestive and immune health in healthy seniors. The study showed that GanedenBC30 increased healthy bacteria in the intestines and improved immune markets in people age 65 and over. One of the researchers noted that as people age the balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut tends to change as bad bacteria increases. The result is that people experience more gastro-intestinal (GI) issues and changes in immune function because most immune cells are in the gut.

"Study Finds GanedenBC30 Probiotic Supports Digestive and Immune Health in Healthy Seniors", Nutraingredients-USA, August 27, 2013

Canada Allows Kellogg’s To Fortify More Cereals With Vitamin D

Health Canada has given Kellogg’s Canada permission to fortify its line of breakfast cereals with vitamin D, known as the “sunshine vitamin”. The company began adding the vitamin to some of its cereals last year, driven mainly by scientific reports of increased vitamin D deficiencies and the broader “functional food” trend. The Canadian government has been careful to allow fortification of some foods – especially milk and margarine – to reduce deficiencies, but not others for fear of overconsumption of the vitamin. Kellogg says the government’s decision to allow vitamin D fortification in more cereals is part of a three-year study to see if adding the vitamin to more foods “would benefit Canadians”.

"Kellogg given OK to add ‘Sunshine Vitamin’ to cereal", Toronto Star, August 24, 2013