J Nutrition Nov, 2005
[carrots help prevent cancer] Joost H. van Delft et al Vegetables Affect the Expression of Genes Involved in Carcinogenic and Anticarcinogenic Processes in the Lungs of Female C57Bl/6 Mice J. Nutr. 2005 135: 2546-2552. Worldwide, lung cancer is the most prevalent and lethal malignant disease. In addition to avoidance of the most predominant risk factor, i.e., tobacco use, consumption of high amounts of vegetables and fruits could be an effective means of preventing lung cancer. ..The results of this study suggest that individual vegetables have a higher potential of modulating genes (5 from the 8 modulated genes) in favor of lung cancer risk prevention, in comparison with the vegetable mixture (2 from the 7 modulated genes); the other gene modulations are expected to enhance lung cancer risk. .. carrots were able to modulate most gene expressions, and most of these effects occurred in processes that favored lung cancer risk prevention. The current study provides more insight into the genetic mechanisms by which vegetables, in particular carrots, can prevent lung cancer risk. [fish oil helps prevent diabetes] Vani Acharya et al, Dietary (n-3) Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Prevent Sucrose-Induced Insulin Resistance in Rats J. Nutr. 2005 135: 2634-2638. This study was designed to determine the effect of substituting (n-3) long-chain PUFAs (LCPUFAs) for linoleic acid and hence decreasing the (n-6):(n-3) fatty acid ratio on sucrose-induced insulin resistance in rats. ..These results suggest that (n-3) LCPUFAs at a level of 2.6 g/kg diet [0.56% energy (n-3) LCPUFAs, (n-6):(n-3) ratio = 10] may prevent sucrose-induced insulin resistance by improving peripheral insulin sensitivity. [how “omics” are changing science and nutrition] Norman G. Hord et al, Nutritional “Omics” Technologies for Elucidating the Role(s) of Bioactive Food Components in Colon Cancer Prevention, J. Nutr. 2005 135: 2694-2697. In this symposium, the role of bioactive food components in colon cancer susceptibility was used to exemplify the application of “omic” technologies for cancer prevention. Topics that were addressed included dietary changes and gene polymorphisms (nutrigenetics), DNA methylation (nutritional epigenomics), gene expression (nutritional transcriptomics), altered formation or bioactivation of proteins (proteomics), and characterizing how the quantity and timing of exposure influence small molecular weight cellular constituents (metabolomics). .. The goal of the symposium was to provide an example of each of the “omic” technologies as they relate to nutrition, cancer risk, and tumor behavior, and to help the participants understand that an integrated framework that simultaneously examines all of the “omic” technologies is needed. [epidemic of vitamin D deficiency, get 1,000 IU daily] Michael F. Holick, The Influence of Vitamin D on Bone Health Across the Life Cycle, J. Nutr. 2001 135: 2726-2727. in the Nutrition and Bone Health Working Group of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, we learned that vitamin D has important ramifications for health, not only throughout life, but even during fetal development…Children born to mothers who had suboptimal vitamin D status had significantly reduced whole body bone mineral content at age 9 y. .. Dr. Holick followed, reminding the audience that vitamin D deficiency is epidemic, not only in the elderly, but is also commonly seen in prepubertal children, adolescents, and young and middle-aged adults. Vitamin D deficiency has insidious consequences for the skeleton…vitamin D deficiency causes a mineralization defect of the collagen matrix resulting in osteomalacia. Unlike osteoporosis, which is a painless disease until fracture occurs, osteomalacia is often associated with aching, throbbing bone pain. Dr. Holick noted that this is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia. ..He also noted that vitamin D appeared to play an important role in the prevention of many chronic diseases, including common cancers, such as breast, colon, and prostate; cardiovascular heart disease; and common autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and type I diabetes. He noted that most children and adults obtain their vitamin D requirement from casual, sensible exposure to sunlight. In the absence of sunlight, 1000 IU of cholecalciferol per day is needed to satisfy the body’s requirement and to maintain a 25(OH)D in a healthy range of above 30 ng/mL. [link to vitamin D] [not enough comes from sunlight] [Get annual checkup for vit D blood level above 30ng/mL] Michael F. Holick, The Vitamin D Epidemic and its Health Consequences, J. Nutr. 2005 135: 2739-2748. Vigilance of one’s vitamin D status by the yearly measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D should be part of an annual physical examination.