Health news worldwide

Parents who want their kids to consume fewer calories and eat more vegetables might find a healthy solution with “stealth vegetables.” A Penn State study shows that decreasing the calorie density of foods by adding vegetables and other lower-calorie ingredients leads to a reduction in children’s calorie intake and an increase in vegetable consumption.

“To combat the epidemic of childhood obesity, the World Health Organization recommends reducing children’s consumption of calorie-dense foods. Many children are not eating enough foods that are low in calorie density, such as fruits and vegetables,” said Dr Barbara Rolls, who holds the Helen A. Guthrie chair of nutritional sciences at Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development. “Parents often find it difficult to get their kids to eat vegetables.”

The researchers developed two variations of pasta, and served the dishes to 61 children between 3-5 years of age on different occasions. One dish had a higher calorie density (1.6 kilocalories per gram), while the second dish was 25 percent lower in calorie density (1.2 kilocalories per gram) and had a larger amount of vegetables.

“We blended broccoli and cauliflower and incorporated it into the pasta sauce,” said Kathleen E. Leahy, doctoral candidate and lead author of the study. “The kids could not really tell the difference and ate a consistent weight of pasta.”

Leahy and her colleagues Rolls, Leann Birch, Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State University, and Jennifer Fisher, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, presented their findings on May 1, 2007 at the Experimental Biology Conference in Washington, D.C.

When served the lower-calorie pasta, children consumed 17 percent fewer calories and ate significantly more vegetables, compared to the higher-calorie pasta. Results from preference tests also suggest that for the most part, the children showed no clear preference for either dish.

The fact that we got the reduction in caloric intake is absolutely great,” said Rolls. “And the increase in vegetable intake suggests a strategy for improving diet quality,” she added.

Leahy, however, notes that parents should still actively promote the consumption of vegetables by serving them regularly and eating them with their children. “You not only want to increase their vegetable intake but also want to ensure that your kids will acquire a taste for vegetables,” she added.

Dietary guidelines and choosing how you eat

Healthy eating tips

Public release date: 30-Apr-2007

Cherries may help reduce metabolic syndrome and heart disease risk factors

New study finds cherry-enriched diets lowered blood cholesterol, insulin levels and other factors linked to this 'silent epidemic'. Increasing intake of antioxidant-rich cherries may help lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, suggests a new study(1) presented today at the Experimental Biology annual meeting.

Researchers say the animal study is encouraging and will lead to further clinical studies in humans.

"Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of traits that can greatly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes, so it's a serious condition that significantly affects public health," said study co-author Dr Steven F. Bolling, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center who also heads the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory, where the study was performed. "Lifestyle changes have been shown to lower the odds of developing metabolic syndrome, and there is tremendous interest in studying the impact of particular foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as cherries."

Metabolic syndrome (also called insulin resistance syndrome) has become increasingly common in the United States, especially among adults in their mid-30s.

The American Heart Association estimates that 50 million American adults have it, and many of them don't even know it. That's why metabolic syndrome is frequently called a "silent epidemic."

The study, presented by University of Michigan researchers, used cherry powder derived from tart cherries – the variety frequently sold as dried, frozen or juice. These cherries contain a compound known as anthocyanins, which provide the deep rich red color and have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and other health benefits.

In the new study, whole tart cherry powder was fed to two groups of rats as either 1 percent or 10 percent of their diet for 90 days. Other rats received diets with no cherry powder, but with an equal amount of carbohydrates and calories to those that received cherry powder.

Results showed that the cherry-enriched diets significantly lowered total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, insulin and fasting glucose levels after 90 days. All of these measures are factors that are linked to metabolic syndrome. The study also showed the cherry-fed groups had lower levels of a plasma marker of oxidative damage and increased blood antioxidant capacity – not surprising since cherries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants.

Additionally, the cherry-enriched diets reduced "fatty liver" or the accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver.

The amount of cherries used in the study is estimated to be about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of whole frozen cherries or a little more than ½ cup of dried cherries.

People with metabolic syndrome – characterized by abdominal obesity (or belly fat), high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels – are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, which remains the nation's top killer.

Previous studies have shown that the compounds in cherries may offer protection against heart disease due to enhancements in blood vessel health. Other studies suggest that cherries have anti-inflammatory benefits that may help ease the pain of arthritis and gout.

Food value and smart eating

Public release date: 24-Apr-2007

Study shows food preparation may play a bigger role in chronic disease than was previously thought

How your food is cooked may be as important to your health as the food itself. Researchers now know more about a new class of toxins that might soon become as important a risk factor for heart disease and metabolic disorders as trans fats.

This class of toxins, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), are absorbed into the body through the consumption of grilled, fried, or broiled animal products, such as meats and cheeses. AGEs, which are also produced when food products are sterilized and pasteurized, have been linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, vascular and kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine reveals that AGE levels are elevated in the blood of healthy people, and even more so in older individuals than in younger people. Of particular interest was the finding that a major determinant of the blood levels of AGEs is the amount of AGEs in the diet, not dietary calories, sugar, or fat. The study, which was done in collaboration with, and supported by, the National Institute on Aging (NIA), is published in the April issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

"AGEs are quite deceptive, since they also give our food desirable tastes and smells," says Helen Vlassara, MD, senior study author, Director of the Division of Experimental Diabetes and Aging, and Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "So, consuming high amounts of grilled, broiled, or fried food means consuming significant amounts of AGEs, and AGEs in excess are toxic. People should be given information about their AGE intake and be advised to consider their intake in the same way they would think about their trans fats and salt intake. They should be warned about their AGE levels the way they are about their cholesterol levels or cigarette smoking."

Inflammation and oxidative stress are more common in older age, so the goal of the study was to assess whether AGEs played a significant role in age-related inflammation and oxidative stress by measuring AGE levels in both young and older individuals. The study involved 172 healthy men and women who were divided into two age groups—those between the ages of 18 and 45 and those between the ages of 60 and 80. Dr Vlassara and her team also wanted to assess whether AGE levels correlated with dietary intake. To do this, her team recorded the patient’s body weight, body fat, three-day dietary information, and collected blood samples to measure biomarkers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP). Blood samples were used to test for two common AGEs, called carboxymethyllysine (CML) and methylglyoxal (MG), which latch on to proteins and fats.

The blood tests showed that AGE levels were 35 percent higher in individuals age 65 and older compared with those younger than age 45. The study also showed that in all of the participants, the higher the consumption of foods rich in AGEs, the higher the blood levels of AGEs, and higher the levels of CRP and other markers of inflammation.

Much to the researchers’ surprise, the study also showed that AGE levels could be very high in young healthy people. In fact, high AGE levels found in some healthy adults in this study were on par with AGE levels observed in diabetic patients in their earlier studies. The fact that healthy adults had levels similar to those seen in diabetic patients may suggest that early and prolonged exposure to these substances in the diet could accelerate the onset of diseases. Dr Vlassara notes that the availability and consumption of AGE-rich foods is high and correlates with rising rates of diabetes and heart disease.

"Excessive intake of fried, broiled, and grilled foods can overload the body’s natural capacity to remove AGEs," Dr Vlassara notes, "so they accumulate in our tissues, and take over the body’s own built-in defenses, pushing them toward a state of inflammation. Over time, this can precipitate disease or early aging." Once AGEs enter the body, it becomes more difficult to get them out, especially as people age. Older people have a reduced capacity for removing AGEs from the body, the researchers explain, most likely because kidney function slows down as the body ages.

As Dr Vlassara cautions, "although the accumulation of AGEs pose an immediate and significant health threat to the older adult population, they are also an invisible, lingering danger especially for younger people and this needs to be addressed. AGE levels should be shown on nutrition labels so everyone is aware of them when buying or preparing meals – and our studies explain why."

A Simple Solution: Steam, Boil, Stew Despite the ubiquity of AGEs, Dr Vlassara and her team offer simple, safe, and economic solutions that echo the recommendations given concerning trans fats—watch what you eat. New methods of cooking to reduce AGE intake, particularly steaming, boiling or making stews, can make a difference. "Keeping the heat down and maintaining the water content in food reduces AGE levels," Dr Vlassara says. A 50 percent reduction in AGE intake could have a significant and positive impact on overall health and may even help extend one’s lifespan, according to Dr Vlassara. In other studies, the team has found that cutting AGE intake in half, but maintaining a diet comprised of the same calories and fat, increased the lifespan of animals when compared with animals fed their usual diet.

At the moment, changing one’s approaches to cooking is the only defense against excessive AGE consumption. There is no routine clinical test to inform individuals of their blood or dietary AGE levels nor established treatment to reduce high AGE blood levels. "The concept that food-related AGE intake is harmful is new to the general public," says Dr Vlassara, "and scientists are now seeing how AGE intake fits with the current trends of disease epidemics. Hopefully, these wake-up signals, together with other gathering evidence at the cellular and molecular level, will accelerate our efforts to develop effective measures against excessive dietary AGEs. This issue, however, should be dealt with as an important health hazard now, rather than later."

Nutrition

Public release date: 12-Apr-2007

Research shows men and women look at sexual photographs differently

Results may take societal expectations by surprise A study funded by the Atlanta-based Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN) analyzed the viewing patterns of men and women looking at sexual photographs, and the result was not what one typically might expect.

Researchers hypothesized women would look at faces and men at genitals, but, surprisingly, they found men are more likely than women to first look at a woman's face before other parts of the body, and women focused longer on photographs of men performing sexual acts with women than did the males. These types of results could play a key role in helping researchers to understand human sexual desires and its ultimate effect on public health.

The finding, reported in Hormones and Behavior, confirmed the hypothesis of a previous study (Stephen Hamann and Kim Wallen, et al., 2004) that reported men and women showed different patterns of brain activity when viewing sexual stimuli. The present study examined sex differences in attention by employing eye-tracking technology that pinpoints individual attention to different elements of each picture such as the face or body parts.

"Men looked at the female face much more than women, and both looked at the genitals comparably," said lead author Heather Rupp, Ph.D., a fellow at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, who conducted the study in partnership with Kim Wallen, Ph.D., a Dobbs Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology at Emory University and the Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

"The eye-tracking data suggested what women paid most attention to was dependent upon their hormonal state. Women using hormonal contraceptives looked more at the genitals, while women who were not using hormonal contraceptives paid more attention to contextual elements of the photographs," Rupp said. Although it is commonly assumed males have more interest in visual sexual stimuli, researchers are working to figure out what characteristics are important to men and women in their evaluations of sexual stimuli.

The answer may lie within a small section of the brain called the amygdala, which is important in the processing of emotional information. In Dr Hamann and Wallen's previous fMRI study, men showed more activation in the amygdala in response to sexual vs. neutral stimuli than did women. From the fMRI study alone, the cause of the increased activity was unclear, but Rupp and Wallen's study suggests the possibility that higher amygdala activation in men may be related to their increased attention to faces in sexual photographs.

Your sexuality

Public release date: 1-May-2007

Eating soup will help cut calories at meals

Eating low-calorie soup before a meal can help cut back on how much food and calories you eat at the meal, a new Penn State study shows. Results show that when participants in the study ate a first course of soup before a lunch entree, they reduced their total calorie intake at lunch (soup + entrée) by 20 percent, compared to when they did not eat soup.

"This study expands on previous studies about consuming lower-calorie soup as a way to reduce food intake," says co-author Dr Barbara Rolls, who holds the Guthrie Chair of Nutrition at Penn State. "Earlier work suggests that chunky soup may be the most filling type of soup, so the purpose of this study was to determine whether different forms of soup might have different effects on food intake. "

The study tested whether the form of soup and the blending of its ingredients also affected food intake and satiety. All of the soups tested in the study were made from identical ingredients: chicken broth, broccoli, potato, cauliflower, carrots and butter. However, the methods used to blend the ingredients varied, so that the form of the soup changed. Soups tested included separate broth and vegetables, chunky vegetable soup, chunky-pureed vegetable soup, and pureed vegetable soup.

While researchers thought that increasing the thickness or the amount of chewing required may have made certain forms of soup more filling, results of the study show that low-calorie soup is filling regardless of its form.

Julie Flood, a doctoral student in nutritional sciences at Penn State, and Rolls presented their findings today (May 1, 2007) at the Experimental Biology Conference in Washington, D.C.

"Consuming a first-course of low-calorie soup, in a variety of forms, can help with managing weight, as is shown in this research and earlier studies. Using this strategy allows people to get an extra course at the meal, while eating fewer total calories," says Flood. "But make sure to choose wisely, by picking low-calorie, broth-based soups that are about 100 to 150 calories per serving. Be careful of higher-calorie, cream-based soups that could actually increase the total calories consumed."

Food value and smart eating

Public release date: 23-Apr-2007

A steady, high-fat diet is bad, but the news gets worse

A single high-fat meal plus stress equals physical harm So much for the adage, ‘All things in moderation.’ Researchers at the University of Calgary have found that people who consume a single, high-fat meal are more prone to suffer the physical consequences of stress than those who eat a low-fat meal.

Published this month in the Journal of Nutrition, the study looked at the stress responses of two groups of students: one group consumed a fast-food breakfast from McDonald’s, the other ate dry cereal with skim milk, cereal bars and non-fat yogurt.

"What’s really shocking is that this is just one meal," says Dr Tavis Campbell, a specialist in behavioural medicine and senior author of the study.

"It’s been well documented that a high-fat diet leads to artherosclerosis and high blood pressure, and that exaggerated and prolonged cardiovascular responses to stress are associated with high blood pressure in the future. So when we learn that even a single, high-fat meal can make you more reactive to stress, it’s cause for concern because it suggests a new and damaging way that a high-fat diet affects cardiovascular function."

In the study, 30 healthy young adults fasted the night before, then consumed either a high- or low-fat breakfast. Both meals had the same number of calories and the low-fat breakfast included supplements to balance it for sodium and potassium.

Two hours later the two groups were subjected to standard physical and mental stress tests while having their cardiovascular responses measured. They performed a mathematical test designed to be stressful, completed a public speaking exercise about something emotionally provocative, held an arm in ice water, and had a blood pressure cuff inflated around an arm, which gradually causes a dull ache.

"Regardless of the task, we recorded greater reactivity among those who consumed the high-fat meal in several cardiovascular measures we recorded, including blood pressure, heart rate and the resistance of blood vessels," says Fabijana Jakulj, a U of C student who used the study as the basis for her honours thesis.

Campbell cautions that despite the grim message that even one high-fat meal is unhealthy, more research is needed to fully understand how the mechanisms work. "Telling people to never eat something is probably not a good way to promote a better diet," he says. "At the same time we do have an epidemic of obesity in North America and it’s important that people try to make informed choices."

Dietary guidelines and choosing how you eat

Public release date: 9-May-2007

Study confirms health benefits of whole grains

A diet high in whole grain foods is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

"Consuming an average of 2.5 servings of whole grains each day is associated with a 21 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to consuming only 0.2 servings," said Philip Mellen, M.D., lead author and an assistant professor of internal medicine. "These findings suggest that we should redouble our efforts to encourage patients to include more of these foods in their diets."

These results were published on line in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases and will appear in a future print issue.

The findings are based on an analysis of seven studies involving more than 285,000 people. By combining the data from these seven studies, researchers were able to detect effects that may not have shown up in each individual study. The studies were conducted between 1966 and April 2006.

Mellen said the findings are consistent with earlier research, but that despite abundant evidence about the health benefits of whole grains, intake remains low. A nutrition survey conducted between 1999 and 2000 found that only 8 percent of U.S. adults consumed three or more servings of whole grain per day and that 42 percent of adults ate no whole grains on a given day.

"Many consumers and health professionals are unaware of the health benefits of whole grains," said Mellen.

A grain is "whole" when the entire grain seed is retained: the bran, germ and the endosperm. The bran and germ components are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. These are the parts removed in the refining process, leaving behind the energy-dense but nutrient-poor endosperm portion of the grain. Examples of whole grain foods include wild rice, popcorn, oatmeal, brown rice, barley, wheat berries and flours such as whole wheat.

In addition to protecting against cardiovascular disease, which accounts for one-third of deaths worldwide, there is evidence that whole grains also protect against diabetes and other chronic conditions.

"Years ago, scientists hypothesized that the higher rates of chronic diseases we have in the West, including heart disease, are due, in part, to a diet full of processed foods," Mellen said. "Subsequent studies have born that out – especially with whole grains. Greater whole grain intake is associated with less obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol – major factors that increase the risk for heart disease and stroke."

According to nutritionists, consumers should look for "100 percent whole grain" on food labels or look for specific types of whole-grain flour as the main ingredient, such as "whole wheat."

Eating through life

Public release date: 9-May-2007

Coarse particulate matter in air may harm hearts of asthma sufferers, UNC study finds

Breathing air containing coarse particulate matter such as road or construction dust may cause heart problems for asthma sufferers and other vulnerable populations, according to a new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.

The researchers found that in people with asthma, a small increase in coarse particulate matter in outdoor air raised bad cholesterol and increased the count of inflammation-linked white blood cells, among other changes.

“This research was all done with study participants just being outside and breathing outdoor air,” said Dr Karin Yeatts, research assistant professor of epidemiology at the UNC School of Public Health, a member of the UNC Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, and the study’s principal investigator. “Our results indicate that susceptible people really need to pay attention to air pollution warnings and stay inside when the air pollution is bad. This is particularly the case for people with asthma.”

The study, published in the May 2007 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, was a collaboration by researchers from the School of Public Health, the School of Medicine’s Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The team found that when adult asthma sufferers were exposed to a one microgram per cubic meter increase in coarse particulate matter in ambient air their triglyceride levels increased by nearly five percent. Elevated levels of triglycerides have been shown to increase one’s risk of coronary heart disease. The amount of eosinophils in study participants’ blood also increased by 0.16 percent after exposure to the higher levels of coarse particulate matter. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell created by the human body to fight infections, allergies and diseases like asthma among other things. Finally, the same increase in coarse particulate matter resulted in a three percent decrease in a measure of heart rate variability, the variation of the beat-to-beat intervals of the heart. A healthy heart has wide heart rate variability, while decreased variability can indicate stress or cardiac disease.

Surprisingly, there was no relationship between coarse particulate matter and rescue medication use, asthma symptoms, lung function or airway inflammatory markers, Yeatts said. However, 10 of the 12 adult asthmatics in the study were taking anti-inflammatory controller medication for their disease, and nine of the 12 had mild disease. It is possible that anti-inflammatory treatment mitigated the effects in their airways, or that adults with asthma are less susceptible to the effects of coarse particulate matter.

Study participants consisted of 12 adults between the ages of 21 and 50 with persistent asthma. All lived within a 30-mile radius of the study’s particulate matter monitor, located on the EPA Human Studies Facility at the Carolina campus. Each study participant took part in nine clinic visits: five the first week, and four spaced randomly over the subsequent six to 11 weeks. Data collection took place between September 2003 and July 2004. During the study, outdoor air levels of coarse particulate matter ranged between zero to 14.6 micrograms per cubic meter and did not exceed safety levels set by the EPA of 150 micrograms per cubic meter.

Other study authors include Lawrence Kupper, Alumni Distinguished Professor of biostatistics in the UNC School of Public Health; Dr David Peden, director of the UNC Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology; Neil Alexis and Margaret Herbst, UNC Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology; Erik Svendsen, John Creason, James Scott, Lucas Neas, Robert Devlin and Ronald Williams of the EPA; and Dr Wayne Cascio of Eastern Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.

Questions and Answers - Understand your health

Public release date: 8-May-2007

100 percent juice not associated with overweight in children

National database used by CDC shows juice drinkers have healthier diets

Using the same database that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses to confirm the rise in obesity rates, researchers have concluded that 100 percent juice is not associated with young children being overweight or at risk for becoming overweight

The research abstract, presented today at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting in Toronto, looked at dietary intakes of 3,618 children ages 2-11 using the well-known National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

According to Dr Theresa Nicklas, “We did not find a relationship between 100 percent juice consumption and overweight among children.” She adds, “Even among the children who consumed the most juice, we found no association at all with the children being overweight or at risk for overweight.” Dr Nicklas, a child nutrition researcher at the USDA Children’s Nutrition Research Center at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, found that 100 percent juice consumption also did not decrease the amount of milk consumed in children’s diets, which appears to be a common misconception.

The mean consumption for this childhood population was 4.1 ounces (about ½ cup), an amount that is keeping with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Although there were a few children (13 percent) in this age group who consumed larger amounts of juice (12 ounces or more), their increased consumption was not associated with overweight or at risk for being overweight. In fact, children in the 2-3 year old category who drank the most juice were nearly three times less likely to be overweight or at risk for overweight than children who drank no juice at all.

Nicklas and her colleagues also found that children 2-11 years old had healthier overall diets, and those who drank any amount of 100 percent juice (“juice consumers”) ate less total fat, saturated fat, sodium, added sugars and added fats. Juice consumers had higher intakes of a number of key nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folate, B6 and iron. Similarly, juice consumers also were found to eat more total fruit (including whole fruit) servings than non-juice consumers.

Dr Nicklas said she was shocked to see that 57 percent of the children in this 2-11 age group drank no juice at all. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee, of which she was a member, that Committee’s report recommended that at least one of the fruit servings come from 100% fruit juice. Factors used by NHANES to determine bodyweight calculations include body mass index, waist circumference, tricep skinfold, and percentile of a weight-for-age and z-scores (both are measurements designed for children).

Food value and smart eating

Public release date: 1-May-2007

Recommended doses of ginseng, ginko biloba do not interfere with drug absorption

Recent findings that the widely-used herbal supplement Saint John’s wort could dramatically affect the absorption and metabolism of many prescription and non-prescription drugs raised concerns that other popular herbal supplements might cause similar changes, thus significantly altering drugs’ therapeutic or toxic effects.

What, for example, about ginseng and ginkgo biloba, two of the most widely used herbal supplements in this and other countries?

Speaking on May 1 at Experimental Biology 2007, University of Kansas Medical Center scientist Dr Gregory Reed reports a study that found daily use of ginseng or ginkgo biloba supplements at the recommended doses, or the combination of both supplements, are unlikely to alter the pharmacokinetics - by which drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body - of the majority of prescription or over-the counter drugs. Dr Reed’s presentation was part of the scientific program of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

The research team, led by Dr Reed and the late Dr Aryeh Hurwitz, recruited 72 healthy non-smoking adults (31 men and 41 women, ages 20 to 59) who were not taking any prescription drugs or dietary supplements. The participants were given a “cocktail” of five drugs, each drug in the cocktail chosen because it provides a measure of the activity of a key drug metabolism pathway. Taken together, the five drugs in the cocktail provide measurements of the pathways that determine the pharmacokinetics of over 90 percent of prescription drugs. The scientists then measured the presence of these drugs or their metabolites in each subject’s blood and urine in order to establish a baseline for how each individual absorbed and metabolized the different prescription drugs in the absence of herbal supplements.

The 72 individuals next were randomly assigned to one of four groups. For four weeks, the first group received a ginseng supplement and a placebo for ginkgo biloba; the second received ginkgo biloba and a placebo for ginseng; the third received both ginseng and ginkgo biloba supplements; and the fourth received placebos for both supplements. The prescription drug cocktail was again administered and blood and urine samples taken in order to determine the absorption and metabolism of these drugs in the presence of either or both of the herbal supplements.

The scientists found no significant differences between those who received one, both, or none of the ginseng and ginkgo biloba supplements in how their bodies absorbed or metabolized any of the five prescription drugs. This suggests, says Dr Reed, that neither ginseng nor ginkgo biloba will affect the pharmacokinetics of the majority of prescription or over-the counter drugs. He does note, however, that the team did not investigate any possible effects of the herbal supplements on pharmacodynamic interactions: the way drugs produce desired therapeutic effects or cause adverse side effects. The possibility of these pharmacodynamic, as opposed to pharmacokinetic, interactions remains to be investigated.

Variety is the spice

Public release date: 9-May-2007

Majority of herb users don't follow evidence-based indications, researchers find

Sales of herbal dietary supplements have skyrocketed by 100 percent in the United States during the last 10 years, but most people don’t consider evidence-based indications before using them, according to a University of Iowa study published in this month’s Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Two-thirds of people who use herbs don’t do so in accordance with scientific guidelines, according to the article. Meanwhile, sales of herbal supplements reached $18.8 billion in 2003, up 100 percent from $8.8 billion in 1994. Those sales are subject to minimal federal regulations.

Physicians are concerned, says Aditya Bardia, M.D., lead author of the study and a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, because herbal supplements can have adverse side effects and interact negatively with therapeutic drugs. Physicians should ask patients about herb use during every clinical visit and hospital admission to better inform patients about potential benefits and harm, agree the study’s authors.

“Physicians, pharmacists and other health professionals should proactively educate consumers and advocate for public health policies that would disseminate evidence-based information regarding the appropriate use of herbs,” Dr Bardia says.

To generate their findings, physicians culled information from a 2002 National Health Interview Survey taken among U.S. adults. The final study population, 609 adults, took a single herb and said they were taking it to treat a specific health condition.

The study found that only one-third of this population took the herbal preparation for a known scientific indication. Dr Bardia cautions that further study is warranted as the efficacy of herb use evolves and says much more needs to be learned about the clinical indications for individual herbs.

Variety is the spice

Public release date: 26-Apr-2007

Over time, more women are developing MS than men

Over time, more women are developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than men, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 – May 5, 2007.

In 1940, the ratio of women to men with MS in the United States was approximately two to one. By 2000, that ratio had grown to approximately four to one.

“That’s an increase in the ratio of women to men of nearly 50 percent per decade,” said study author Gary Cutter, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. “We don’t yet know why more women are developing MS than men, and more research is needed.”

Cutter said researchers will need to explore multiple changes that have occurred for women over the last several decades, including the use of oral contraceptives, earlier menstruation, obesity rates, changes in smoking rates, and later age of first births.

“We also need to ask the general questions about what women do differently than men, such as use of hair dye and use of cosmetics that may block vitamin D absorption,” he said. “At this point we’re just speculating on avenues of research that could be pursued.”

Cutter said the largest increase in the ratio has been for those whose MS started at younger ages.

For the study, researchers examined a database (the North American Research Committee On Multiple Sclerosis, or NARCOMS, hosted at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz.) of 30,336 people with MS and determined the male/female ratio according to the year the disease was diagnosed and the age of the person when the disease started.

Understand your health

*The inclusion of the above articles does not imply any endorsement of the research or information by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health.

See Information.

Content created June 12, 2007
Page updated April 29, 2008

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