AJCN February, 2010 - SUMMARY - See this, longer synopses, and links to published articles further down this page at DETAILS at www.nutritioninvestigator.org.

EVERYONE 1. 4-legged diet diet causes acid stomach and osteoporosis - Nearly all the genes and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms we carry today were originally selected for behaviorally modern humans who appeared in Africa between 100,000 and 50,000 y ago. Results: As Plant:Animal ratios in the diet decreased from 85:15 to 5:95, the net endogenous acid production increased from –178 to +181 mEq/d.
2. Nutrition education [like reading this] improves dietary habits, physical activity, and weight control during pregnancy.
3. Dietary fiber reduces BMI and waistline - Total fiber was inversely associated with subsequent weight and waist circumference change.
4. Excess salt may be very slightly ( increased risk for heart disease 19% and cancer 4%) harmful for many - For almost a century, cardiovascular disease has been the number one cause of death in the United States, and hypertension is a leading risk factor. Salt and salted foods may have slight hazardous effects.
5. Gastric cancer risk is significantly reduced by consuming the Mediterranean diet - Review details of that diet in my summary.
6. Low vitamin B-6 status (which a healthy diet prevents) is associated with inflammation, higher oxidative stress, and metabolic conditions.
7. Eating out twice a week for hamburgers and fried chicken is associated with diabetes.

CONTROVERSIES CONTINUE
8. Controvery continues on soy - [Health hazard ] OR [Health benefit ]
9. One study indicating vitamin C supplements increase cataract risk among women. But this study and many others have concluded the opposite.

OVER AGE 70 ADDITION
From Journal of the Am. Geriatrics Society - "Adults aged over 70 years who are classified as overweight (BMI 25-30) are less likely to die over a ten year period than adults who are in the 'normal' weight range"


Have a Happy Valentine Day and a joyful Fastnacht/Mardi Gras! -Roc, Nutrition Investigator

Intelligence is "the ability to relate different unconnected pieces of information in new ways and to apply the results in an adaptive manner" H. Markl (1985)

To add a friend to my mailing list, email ordman@beloit.edu, SUBJECT: add to nutrition list.

AJCN February, 2010 -DETAILS
1. 4-legged diet diet causes acid stomach and osteoporosis - Nearly all the genes and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms we carry today were originally selected for behaviorally modern humans who appeared in Africa between 100,000 and 50,000 y ago. Genetic evolution during subsequent millennia has continued, as shown by pigmentation changes (hair, eyes, skin), intestinal lactase retention beyond infancy, and adaptive defenses against microorganisms ...In this part of the world, the Stone Age plant-to-animal subsistence ratio is retrodicted to have been {approx}1:1, with fish and shellfish providing a significant proportion of the animal component (3, 4). In contemporary affluent nations, complex degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis, numerous cancers, and hypertension reflect discordance between ancient genes and current diets, whereas the "epidemics" of obesity and diabetes can be largely attributed to our unholy (and unpaleolithic) alliance of sedentism and hypernutrition (7)...late Paleolithic plant-to-animal energy intake ratios would have approximated 50:50, and diet-dependent net endogenous acid production (NEAP) would have been alkaline—the norm for human biochemistry, physiology, and bone health. In contrast, for traditional Inuit HGs, whose subsistence derived overwhelmingly from aquatic and animal sources, NEAP would have been acidic, contributing to their osteoporosis. Results: As Plant:Animal ratios in the diet decreased from 85:15 to 5:95, the net endogenous acid production increased from –178 to +181 mEq/d

2. Nutrition education [like reading this] improves dietary habits, physical activity, and weight control during pregnancy.

3. Dietary fiber reduces BMI and waistline - Results: Total fiber was inversely associated with subsequent weight and waist circumference change. For a 10-g/d higher total fiber intake, the pooled estimate was –39 g/y for weight change and –0.08 cm/y for waist circumference change.

4. Excess salt may be very slightly ( increased risk for heart disease 19% and cancer 4%) harmful for many - For almost a century, cardiovascular disease has been the number one cause of death in the United States, and hypertension is a leading risk factor. The relation between sodium intake and blood pressure is positive, continuous, and well established (1) as is the need to reduce population sodium intake to lower blood pressure and save lives (1, 2). Although sodium reduction efforts were first introduced 30 y ago in the United States, the average daily adult intake far exceeds the recommended daily limit of 2300 mg/d and is >2 times the recommended limit of 1500 mg/d for those with hypertension, who are black, and/or who are middle-aged and older (3). ..Salt and salted foods may have slight hazardous effects.

5. Gastric cancer (GC) significantly reduced by Mediterranean diet - The Mediterranean diet is a term that encompasses the traditional dietary patterns found during the 1960s in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (1). Despite some regional variation, the pattern is commonly defined as the high consumption of fruit, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, olive oil as the main fat source, moderate alcohol consumption (particularly red wine), a low-to-moderate consumption of dairy products (mainly cheese and yogurt), and a relatively low consumption of red and processed meat (2, 3). Conclusion: Greater adherence to this diet is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of incident GC.

6. Low vitamin B-6 status is associated with inflammation, higher oxidative stress, and metabolic conditions.

7. Eating out twice a week for hamburgers and fried chicken is associated with diabetes

8. Controvery continues on soy - [Health hazard ] Objective: We examined the risk of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers relative to phytoestrogen intake...Conclusion: Dietary phytoestrogens may contribute to the risk of colorectal cancer among women and prostate cancer among men. [Health benefit ] Conclusions: Oral isoflavone supplementation does not improve endothelial function in postmenopausal women with high baseline flow-mediated dilation (FMD) levels but leads to significant improvement in women with low baseline FMD levels.

9. A study indicating vitamin C supplements increase cataract risk - Conclusion: Our results indicate that the use of vitamin C supplements may be associated with higher risk of age-related cataract among women. But this study and many others have concluded the opposite: "Conclusion: Higher intakes of vitamin C or the combined intake of antioxidants had long-term protective associations against development of nuclear cataract in this older population."

*To be added or removed from the nutrition research Email List . *To review the disclaimer. *To ask Roc a question.