You must read and accept the disclaimer to use this site. Updated for monthly, 2011

J Nutrition September, 2008

SUMMARY - To read excerpts of a fabulous speech on the future of nutrition, click here .  Green tea, especially the EGCG in it, inhibits obesity, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome.  And a few glasses of red wine helps your heart too, providing enough resveratrol to help maintain general health also.  Daily consumption of dark chocolate and nuts will reduce your blood pressure and improve your health, too.  And if you want a healthy colon, taking a supplement of 1,000 IU of vitamin D each day is necessary.  Finally, there's a symposium on infection and allergy in infants - Allergic diseases, particularly in childhood, have become one of the epidemics of the 21st century! Breastfeeding and exposure to non-hazardous allergens when still an infant may be very important. For longer summaries and links to the actual peer-reviewed journal articles, please look below.

SYNOPSIS OF ARTICLES THIS MONTH:
1. New direction for 21st century nutrition research - I start with a link to a lengthy essay. When I argued with him at a meeting in 2006, right afterwards someone pointed out that he is "the world's top authority on nutrition". I was arguing with him about endpoints, particularly about whether nutrition should now be focusing on long term health now, instead of just avoiding short term deficiencies. These notes from his recent lecture explain beautifully the transition of nutrition that now helps us obtain long term health. Please click here and enjoy.

2. a. Green tea reduces hypertension - We previously documented a clear-cut antihypertensive effect of green teat extract (GTE), which was associated with correction of endothelial dysfunction and prevention of left ventricular hypertrophy...specifically by regulating ROS [free radical] production and the Src/EGFR/Akt signaling pathway activated by Ang II
b. And it inhibits obesity! - EGCG in green tea inhibits high-fat–induced obesity, symptoms of the metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver. These effects may be mediated by decreased lipid absorption, decreased inflammation, and other mechanisms.

3. A few glasses of red wine [or red grape juice] provide beneficial levels of resveratrol - studied before and after 15 d of controlled white or red wine intake (300 mL/d)...This activity may contribute to the beneficial effects of moderate wine intake on ischemic cardiovascular disease. (red grape juice has the reservatrol too)

4. Quercetin - Quercetin is one of the major flavonoids, ubiquitously distributed in (edible) plants, and one of the most potent antioxidants of plant origin (1). Consumption of flavonoids in general and quercetin in particular may be associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease and other degenerative diseases (1). The daily intake of quercetin with a typical Western diet was estimated to range between 0 and 30 mg, with a median of 10 mg. The primary dietary sources of quercetin in Western populations are tea, red wine, fruits, and vegetables (2,3). In some countries, quercetin is available as a dietary supplement with daily doses of 200–1200 mg quercetin (manufacturers' recommendations).

5. Regular calcium intake and vitamin D supplements are promising anti-cancer agents - Among dietary constituents, calcium and cholecalciferol have emerged as promising chemopreventive agents.

6. Reduce blood pressure by eating dark chocolate regularly - at 100 g/d for 15 d, flavanol-rich dark chocolate ameliorated insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, decreased BP, and increasflow-mediated dilation in impaired glucose tolerance hypertensive patients. These findings suggest flavanol-rich, low-energy cocoa food products may have a positive impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors.

7. Diabetes related to excess saturated fat and sodium, insufficient fiber in the diet - The objective of this article was to evaluate how well American Indians with diabetes met dietary recommendations and to compare adherence to dietary recommendations with those of U.S. adults with diabetes in the NHANES[major NIH nutrition survey].

NUTS AND HEALTH SYMPOSIUM list of topics - CONCLUSION:EATING NUTS IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL TO YOUR HEALTH
On any 1 d, about one-third of Americans report eating nuts. Most of the nuts were consumed as snacks (60%), and peanuts were eaten more frequently than any other nut. ..The density of several nutrients per 1000 kcal (4184 kJ) is higher in the diets of consumers than in those of nonconsumers. The phytonutrients in nuts also increase dietary antioxidant levels... Although nut consumers tend to have higher energy intakes, epidemiological and clinical studies show that the body weight of consumers is not higher than that of nonconsumers...The role of nuts in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease was first reported in 1992 (3). Since then, that finding has been verified by a number of studies (4). Including nuts in a heart-healthy diet enhances the cardioprotective effects beyond merely lowering cholesterol levels. ..the role of nuts in reducing the risk of diabetes and cancer has recently been identified...the role of nuts in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation may contribute to their impact on diabetes incidence as well as heart disease...

INFLUENCE OF DIET ON INFECTION AND ALLERGY IN INFANTS - list of topics
...there is a consensus that during the postnatal period human milk stimulates the development of the chemical and physical intestinal barrier functions and modulates the immune system...There are many compounds of breast milk that are involved in this process, such as antibodies, hormone-like peptides, prebiotic and antiinfective oligosaccharides, and lipids that provide the precursors for leukotriene synthesis. ..In recent years an increase in prevalence of atopy and asthma has been observed in industrial countries, and the maturation of the fetal and postnatal development of the immune system in relation to the development of allergy and, most important, strategies for atopy prevention have been discussed...
Allergic diseases, particularly in childhood, have become one of the epidemics of the 21st century.

I AM SURE GLAD THAT YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY. PLEASE HELP YOUR FRIENDS TO PAY ATTENTION TOO!