Healthy Heart

Advocates of health-conscious menu labeling have their work cut out for

If you studied the headlines this spring about the latest report on dietary sodium and concluded you could stop worrying and maybe have an extra bag of chips, think again. True, thats certainly how most of the news coverage of the report from the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM) read: No Benefit Seen in Sharp Limits on Salt in Diet, headlined the New York Times. Report questions reducing salt intake too dramatically was the take in USA Today. And CNN announced, Report questions benefits of salt reduction.

Alarge new Spanish study has found that men who drink alcohol in almost any quantity are nearly one-third less likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD). The results are also among the first to separate former drinkers from nondrinkers, thereby avoiding what skeptics of previous research dubbed the sick quitters error.

I f you saw the headlines about a recent study-Multivitamins Shield from Heart Attack, Multivitamins Keep Heart Attack at Bay-you may be tempted to join the estimated 75 million Americans who take a daily multivitamin. But not so fast. Even the lead researcher on the new study, Susanne Rautiainen, MSc, of Swedens Karolinska Institute, cautions, The question of whether multivitamins are good for you still remains.

The omega-3 fatty acids from fsh oil that protect your heart might also be good for your teeth and gums. A new study reports that relatively modest amounts of omega-3s in the diet were associated with signifcant decreases in risk of periodontitis (gum disease). Re- searchers looked at data on more than 9,000 US adults from national nutrition surveys. People consuming the most DHA, one of the principle omega-3 fatty acids found in fsh, were 22% less likely to suffer periodontitis. EPA, the other important fsh-oil omega-3, and linolenic acid, found in vegetable oils, were also associated with lower risk, but not as strongly. Although the study cant prove cause and effect, its possible that omega-3s might suppress the infammatory response that leads to gum disease. Such a dietary therapy, researchers said, might be a less expen- sive and safer method for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.

Laboratory tests have revealed strik- ing variability in the active ingredi- ents in Chinese red yeast rice, a supple- ment touted as an alternative to statin drugs for improving cholesterol. Among 12 popular brands, levels of monacolin, which is related to the prescription cho- lesterol medication lovastatin, ranged from 0.31 mg to 11.15 mg per capsule. The type of monacolin (K) thats most similar to lovastatin varied from 0.10 mg to 10.09 mg per pill. Four samples also contained citrinin, which can dam- age the kidneys. Researchers noted that, as a dietary supplement rather than a drug, red yeast rice is largely unregulated and lacks the quality controls of pre- scription medications. Therefore, physi- cians should be cautious in recommend- ing red yeast rice to their patients. Long used in China, red yeast rice has recently soared in sales in the US, up 80% from 2005 to 2008.

A lpha-carotene, the often-overlooked cousin of more familiar beta-caro- tene, may help you live longer-and further explain the health benefts of eating vegetables and fruits. Researchers at the CDC, studying data on more than 15,000 adults from a national nutrition survey, report that people with the highest blood levels of alpha-carotene were 39% less likely to die from all causes over almost 14 years.

A new review of more than 50 clinical trials, designed to update prevention recommendations for physicians, fnds exercise and vitamin D supplements are the most effective ways to prevent falls in older adults. The report says exercise was associated with a 13% reduction in the risk of falling, while trials of vitamin D supplementa- tion saw a 17% reduction in falls. The review will be used to update the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations for strate- gies to prevent falls.

I f you want to eat a healthier diet, cut out the fat-right? Wrong, according to experts at the American Dietetic As- sociation (ADA) Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, in a panel on The Great Fat Debate. If you replace dietary fat, even saturated fat such as butter and whole milk, with sugar and other carbohydrates, you could actually be increas- ing your risk of heart disease.

C ould a couple of glasses of tomato juice help you avoid osteoporosis? Thats the suggestion of a small new study at the University of Toronto that found lycopene-an an- tioxidant carotenoid that helps give tomatoes and some fruits their red color-reduces oxidative stress and bone resorption linked to osteoporosis.