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AJCN December, 2009 - SUMMARY - See this, longer synopses, and links to published articles at http://campus.beloit.edu/nutrition/aln/1209ajcn.htm. Sorry this is so long. Here is plenty to enhance your life during the holiday season.

EVERYONE 1. Study of 90,000 finds amount and type of fat intake unrelated to weight gain -We found no significant association between the amount or type of dietary fat and subsequent weight change in this large prospective study. These findings do not support the use of low-fat diets to prevent weight gain. But MUFA (e.g.olive oil) instead of saturated fat (SFA e.g. butter) reduces inflammation and metabolic syndrome.
2. Being short on sleep decreases exercise and promotes obesity
3. Dietary protein does not effect bone strength - Overall, the authors could find little support for a negative relation between dietary protein and bone. Our understanding of the role that dietary calcium and vitamin D plays in skeletal health has grown tremendously. Let us make it a goal to add a small protein source to the "tea and toast" meals of many of our frail older adults.
4. Green tea associated with less depression - Green tea beneficial effects: anti–stress response, antiinflammatory effects, and a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms.
5. Organic foods have many nutritional and health advantages
6. Mediterranean diet promotes health -improves insulin resistance, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides and HDL
7.Plasma Triglycerides reduced by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs e.g. plant oils) in diet
8. Risk of macular degeneration 30% lowers in those with highest omega-3 [fish oil] diet

PREGNANCY AND BIRTH 9. Evaluation of how much weight to gain during pregnancy - Background: Gestational weight gain (GWG) has been shown to be directly associated with birth weight.
10. Birth weight affects puberty and disease risk - Background: Early age at puberty onset may predispose an individual to many currently prevalent diseases, including cancer and adiposity. Results: Children who weighed between 2500 and <3000 g at birth were {approx}7 mo younger at puberty than were the other children
11. Design for a prenatal nutritional supplement

CHILDREN 12. Multivitamins for infants may reduce allergic disease at school age
13. Milk intake correlates with reduced youth weight gain - We showed no association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, juice consumption, and adolescent weight gain over a 5-y period. A direct association between diet beverages and weight gain appeared to be explained by dieting practices. Adolescents who consumed little or no white milk gained significantly more weight than their peers who consumed white milk.

MATURE ADULTS 14. Elderly must be careful to get enough vitamin B12 - This is the primary cause why 1.4% have pernicious anemia.
15. It is important to maintain your muscles as you age

OBESITY - please see first study for everyone about fat intake
16. Increased energy intake explains obesity epidemic. Decreased intake and increased exercise could reverse it
17. MUFA dramatically reduces obesity in sensitive people - The protective effect was only present when MUFA (especially found in olive oil) intake was >13.2% of energy. The deleterious effect of gene variants on waist circumference was only found with high saturated fatty acid intakes (>11.8%).
18. About 1 in 5 people have a gene prompting overeating of fatty foods
19. Fish oil reduces serum triglycerides and obesity [study of HIV]

There's going to be three more messages this month. I will be sharing links to research posters on a variety of topics completed this semester, a summary of the latest Linus Pauling Institute Nutrition Newsletter, and a link to my recently accepted peer-reviewed publication reviewing evidence of the effects of taking vitamin C twice a day.
*To be added or removed from the nutrition research Email List . *To review the disclaimer. *To ask Roc a question.

"The question of consciousness has been rather like the holy grail of neuroscience" = M. Gazzaniga, Human pg 278