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Mild exercise – walking, gardening, etc. – for as little as 20-30 minutes a day is good for mental as well as physical health, according to new U.S. research. A systematic review of 26 years’ of scientific research – 25 clinical studies – found that regular moderate exercise not only helps relieve depression, it can help prevent the onset of depression later in life. “From a population health perspective, promoting physical activity may serve as a valuable mental health promotion strategy in reducing the risk of developing depression,” the researchers concluded.
"Physical Activity and the Prevention of Depression", American Journal of Preventive Medicine, October 28, 2013
Do people care whether their food ingredients or food packaging are made using nanotechnology? Apparently so. They’re not opposed to nanofood or nanomaterials, they just want to be fully informed, and that means better labeling showing reliable, research-based information, according to a new U.S. study. Researchers told focus groups about the use of nanotechnology in food products and packages, then asked if they thought such products should be labeled. The answer was a definite yes, though participants were careful to note they did not oppose nanofoods, and they’d be willing to pay more for nanofoods if dependable information were made available.
"Hungry for Information: Public Attitudes Toward Food Nanotechnology and Labeling", Review of Policy Research, October 28, 2013
A Canadian study has found that people with abdominal obesity – and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol – can reduce that risk by participating in high-intensity interval training coupled with nutritional counseling on the Mediterranean diet. Researchers reported an average reduction in waist circumference of eight centimeters, a reduction in systolic blood pressure of 6 mm Hg and an aerobic fitness improvement of 15 percent over the first nine months of the study. On average, blood sugar levels improved by 23 percent in diabetic participants; the improvement was about 10 percent in individuals with pre-diabetes.
"Training Mediterranean Diet Cuts Health Risks in Obese Individuals", News release, study released at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, October 24, 2013
U.S. researchers have found that an FDA-approved food additive known as tert-butyl hydroquinone “attaches to the Achilles heel” of the deadly H7N9 virus, disabling a special protein and making infection impossible. Flu viruses enter host cells via the protein hemagglutinin, which acts as a "key" that opens receptors on the cell surface. Existing drugs do not target the protein, but in lab experiments tert-butyl hydroquinone prevented the virus from infecting human lung cells. Tert-butyl hydroquinone is used in many foods as a preservative and stabilizer, but it is unknown whether it is safe when consumed in very high doses.
"Inhibition of Influenza H7 Hemagglutinin-Mediated Entry", PLoS ONE, October 23, 2013
Anemia, a condition in which the body does not produce enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells, affects one in five children at least once in their lives. Studies have found severe vitamin D deficiency in about a tenth of U.S. children; 70 percent have suboptimal levels. Now new U.S. research has found a link between vitamin D deficiency and a child’s risk of anemia. The researchers acknowledge that their findings do not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. But the study, which examined blood samples from 10,400 children, nevertheless showed that vitamin D levels were consistently lower in anemic children compared to non-anemic children. Left untreated, chronic anemia and vitamin D deficiency can lead to organ damage, skeletal deformities, frequent fractures, and premature osteoporosis.
"Vitamin D, Race, and Risk for Anemia in Children", The Journal of Pediatrics, October 21, 2013
Data collected in the field by U.S. researchers has linked certain cultivation practices on farms to either an increased or decreased likelihood of Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes contamination of produce. The two bacteria sicken an estimated 9.4 million people – and kill 1,300 – each year. They found, for example, that applying manure to fields in the year before cultivation boosted the odds of Salmonella contamination. However, establishing a buffer zone between fields and potential pathogen reservoirs such as livestock operations or waterways protected produce. When fields were irrigated within three days before collection of soil samples, the risk of listeria contamination ballooned six-fold. In addition, soil cultivation within the week before sampling also increased the chances of contamination.
"Risk Factors Associated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes Contamination of Produce Fields", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 21, 2013
Scientists whose passion is early detection of pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella before it spreads have come up with a novel design for a real-time, hand-held biosensing device. The device is unique because it uses a magneto-elastic biosensor that is low-cost and based on wireless acoustic wave technology combined with a surface-scanning coil detector. The biosensors are coated with a bacteria-specific recognition layer containing particles of a virus that naturally recognizes bacteria. The new system – the U.S. creators are seeking a patent – is a handheld device that can be passed over food to determine if its surface is contaminated.
"Design of a surface-scanning coil detector for direct bacteria detection on food surfaces using a magnetoelastic biosensor", Journal of Applied Physics, October 18, 2013
Despite findings from earlier studies, vitamin D supplementation does not increase the risk of developing kidney stones, according to a U.S. study. Researchers looked at data collected from 2,012 participants of all ages over 19 months. The news should come as a relief for many patients because evidence is growing that a vitamin D serum level in the therapeutic range of 40 to 50 ng/mL reduces the risk of many diseases, including breast and colorectal cancer. The study did show that older males with higher body mass index were more likely to develop kidney stones.
"25-Hydroxyvitamin D in the Range of 20 to 100 ng/mL and Incidence of Kidney Stones", American Journal of Public Health, October 17, 2013
Scientists in Mexico who wondered whether the hormone prolactin – critical for stimulation of postnatal milk production – could benefit the liver have found in an animal study that indeed it does. The liver has the body’s highest number of prolactin receptors, which signal liver cells to multiply and tell new blood vessels to grow. The study found that animals with extra prolactin had larger livers. They also regenerated their livers faster after partial removal, and were significantly more likely to survive liver surgery compared to animals that couldn’t process prolactin. The researchers said medications known to increase prolactin production after childbirth could provide “potential therapeutic options in liver diseases, liver injuries, or after liver surgery”.
"Prolactin promotes normal liver growth, survival, and regeneration in rodents: effects on hepatic IL-6, suppressor of cytokine signaling-3, and angiogenesis", American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, October 15, 2013
Americans whose diet lacks sufficient fiber could reduce that fiber deficit by adding citrus fiber to ground beef without harming the quality and taste of the meat. U.S. researchers prepared three batches of meatballs – which normally contain no fiber– each with a different percentages of sweet and tangy citrus powder substituted for meat. They found that citrus fiber boosted the cooking yield of the meatball recipe. The texture and color of the meatballs remained acceptable at the one and five percent levels. The ten percent level proved unacceptable. A serving of the citrus meatballs, containing two percent citrus powder, contains approximately five grams of fiber.
"Adding Citrus Fiber to Meatballs Improves Nutritional Quality, Does Not Affect Taste", News release, ongoing research, University of Missouri, October 15, 2013
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Nature Communications, October 25, 2013
NPR (The Salt), October 24, 2013
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