J Nutr, Nov 2011
If links do not work, please go to http://chemistry.beloit.edu/Ordman/nutrition/aln/1111jnutr
Nutrition Investigator comment: Since I began research into the cause of human aging around 1990, I have been a member of the American Aging Association. At an AGE conference years ago, I learned that taking melatonin supplements turns on many youthful genes that turn off in the elderly. For that reason, supplement recommendations supported by the nutrition literature include melatonin. Here is further evidence from the Journal of the American Aging Association, supporting occasional use of melatonin. FEATURE: Evidence for benefits of melatonin supplements – Melatonin is able to delay endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in aged leukocytes and may counteract, at the cellular level, age-related degenerative phenomena linked to oxidative stress. This boosts efficacy of immune cells in elderly humans to that of much younger people.
FEATURE 2 FROM SCIENCE 14 Oct pg 178 – Book Review: Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change – “There are interventions that harness the power of expressive writing and volunteerism to improve happiness and health and to lessen rates of teen pregnancy. There are interventions that reduce student failure and close gaps between minority and nonminority students by inculcating in them core positive beliefs that sustain them through hardship, such as the belief that intelligence is not a fixed entity but rather like a muscle that grows with effort. There are interventions that improve intertribal trust in Rwanda by modeling cooperative intergroup relations through radio soap operas. In the United States, interventions that defuse blacks’ and whites’ fear of interracial rejection increase their likelihood of becoming friends. And reminiscent of Lewin, there are studies that cleverly manipulate social norms to reduce teen alcohol use and encourage energy conservation.
What these interventions share is that they are grounded in science…Encourage students to see their academic fates as within their own control, and they will thrive, provided that they inhabit a classroom that provides them with opportunities for growth, such as committed teachers and quality instruction.”
SYNOPSES OF THE JOURNAL of NUTRITION ARTICLES THIS MONTH
1. Low calcium intake is associated with increased risk of obesity.
2. Lowfat dairy products reduce diabetes risk. – High yogurt consumption was associated with a significant decrease in diabetes risk, whereas there was no relationship between high-fat dairy product consumption and diabetes risk.
3. Cocoa consumption lowers cardiovascular risk factors. – A growing body of evidence suggests that the consumption of foods rich in polyphenolic compounds, particularly cocoa, may have cardioprotective effects. Data were collected for: blood pressure, pulse, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, TG, BMI, C-reactive protein, flow-mediated vascular dilation (FMD), fasting glucose, fasting insulin, serum isoprostane, and insulin sensitivity/resistance indices. Maximum effect was observed at a flavonoid dose of 500 mg/d.
4. Milk consumption does not increase body fat in kids from 10-13 – Epidemiologic studies report conflicting results for the relationship between milk intake and adiposity in children. our inconsistent findings across analyses suggest further investigation is needed to clarify the relation.
5. Policy symposium “Multiple Micronutrient Interventions during Early Childhood: Moving toward Evidence-Based Policy and Program Planning.” – The presentations highlighted the importance of an interactive platform at the country level where the scientific community and country stakeholders exchange ideas, develop a priority implementation research agenda, and clarify key issues to generate and modify policy and programs based on the best evidence available and the ability to deliver results in real time.
6. Too much fructose is hazardous – Overconsumption of fructose results in hepatic dyslipidemia, which has a documented correlation with metabolic syndrome.
7. Higher Intakes of Energy and Grain Products (5 servings daily) at 4 Years of Age Are Associated with Being Overweight at 6 Years.
8. Garlic reduces body fat. – In mice, dietary garlic (2 or 5% of diet) reduced body weight and the mass of various white adipose tissue deposits and also ameliorated the high-fat diet-induced abnormal plasma and liver lipid profiles. Garlic supplementation significantly decreased the mRNA levels of adipogenic genes in white adipose tissues (WAT).
*To review the disclaimer. *To ask Nutrition Investigator (Roc) a question.
Roc Ordman for appointments or phoning pls email 24hrs ahead
Sabbatical until Jan, 2012
Professor, Biochemistry, Beloit College
http://chemistry.beloit.edu/Ordman out of office Thursdays
“Intelligence is not a fixed entity but rather like a muscle that grows with effort.” – TD Wilson, Redirect-the surprising new science of psychological change, 2011
