Todays Newsbites

I t may still be legal (if unwise) to driv after a couple of drinks, but if youre 60 or older, you might want to think twice about walking. Even two screw drivers (vodka and orange juice) were enough to signifcantly increase the risk of stumbling and impair motor-re- sponse times in a new Dutch study. Re- searchers tested 13 volunteers, average age 61, on a treadmill with obstacles that suddenly appeared in their path. All but one of the participants showed slower response times after only one drink, and after two drinks the aver- age rate of stumbling into the obstacle almost doubled compared to testing when sober. After two drinks, partici- pants blood-alcohol levels ranged from 0.03% to 0.06%-still below the legal limit for driving. Researchers character ized the subjects obstacle-avoidance reactions at that point as inadequate, late and too small.

Hardly a news cycle goes by with out fresh evidence of the health benefts of vitamin D, and American consumers are taking notice, according to two new surveys. Research by Angus Reed Strategies found that 44% of US adults say vitamin D plays an important role in improving or maintaining health, up from 37% last year. A second poll, of almost 2,000 American adults by the supplements trade group Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), reported a sharp jump in the percentage doing something about vitamin D and their health: 27% said they take vitamin D supplements, compared to 16% in the two previous annual surveys. A CRN spokesman pointed to the ever-grow- ing body of research on vitamin Ds benefts and noted, Given that optimal levels of vitamin D are diffcult to get from diet and adequate sun exposure alone, a vitamin D supplement is the right option for many people. Overall, the CRN survey found that two-thirds of respondents take some sort of dietary supplement, little changed from previ- ous polls.

B eing fat can make you lean in the wallet. Thats the conclusion of an analysis of previous studies of the economic impact of obesity that found women especially suffer fnancially from being obese-$4,879 a year, compared to $2,646 annually in extra costs and lost income for obese men. Besides higher medical bills, George Washington University researchers added in factors such as sick days, lost productivity and wage differences, which were key to the gender difference. Obese women earn less than their skinnier peers, while wages dont differ much per pound for men. Merely being overweight carried a much smaller economic toll than obesity: $524 a year for women and $432 for men. When the dollar value of lost years of life was added to the fgures for obesity, factoring in increased mortality risk with ex- tra pounds, the annual tab for obese women shot up to $8,365 and for men to $6,518.

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.

With Americans vegetable con- sumption dropping over the past decade, drinking your vegetables could help reach dietary goals. Thats the conclusion of a randomized trial funded in part, not surprisingly, by the makers of V8 vegetable juice. Scientists at the University of California-Davis assigned 90 volunteers to follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hyperten- sion (DASH) diet regimen while also consuming 0, 8 or 16 fuid ounces of vegetable juice daily. Despite being told to follow the DASH plan and receiving nutrition education, participants fell short of the goal of four daily servings of vegetables if not counting the juice. Across all groups, non-juice vegetable intake averaged 2.6 servings daily after 6 weeks and 2.3 servings after 12 weeks. But the groups also getting juice were able to close the gap. Researchers also looked at heart-health measures, which generally didnt change; pre- hypertensive participants, however, showed a signifcant decrease in blood pressure with higher vegetable and veg- etable juice intake. While eating whole vegetables remains preferable, research- ers concluded that juice is an effective and acceptable way for healthy adults to close the dietary vegetable gap.

Your best defense this cold and fu season may be in the gym. Re- searchers at Appalachian State Univer- sity report that people who exercise more-as well as those who rate them- selves as highly ft-are less susceptible to upper-respiratory-tract infections. The study followed 1,002 adults over two 12-week periods in the fall and winter. Based on self-reported exer- cise, those who work out at least fve days a week suffered 43% fewer days with respiratory infections than those exercising no more than once a week. The one-third who rated their own ft- ness level the highest experienced 46% fewer sick days than the least-ft group. Even when they did get sick, frequent exercisers and the most ft suffered less- severe symptoms. Scientists suggested that even though the immune system returns to pre-exercise levels within a few hours, each workout may provide protection against pathogens that make the respiratory system vulnerable to infection. Other studies have actually shown that exercise may acutely sup- press immune response; this study may refect the effects of defensive responses over time.

P eople who eat more healthful diets really do spend more money on food. A new study compared the eating and grocery-spending habits of 78,191 women in the Nurses Health Study. Participants were divided into fve groups based on their scores on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), a system similar to the governments food pyramid. Compared to those with the lowest AHEI scores, the healthiest eaters spent 24% more on groceries-and had lower rates of angina, high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes. But researchers emphasized that your nutritional bang doesnt have to depend on the buck: Although spending more money was associated with a healthier diet, they wrote, large improvements in diet may be achieved without increased spending. The purchase of plant-based foods may offer the best investment for dietary health. (See our August 2010 Special Report for more on afford- able healthy eating.)

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.

Nutrition experts have been warn- ing us to watch added sugars for at least a decade, but Americans are still struggling to follow that advice. Rachel Johnson, PhD, MPH, RD, of the Univer- sity of Vermont, incoming chair of the American Heart Associations nutrition committee, told a recent conference that Americans average 475 daily calories from added sugars. Thats far more than the AHAs recommended maximum of 100 daily calories from added sugars for women and 150 for men-and equivalent to a whopping 30 teaspoons a day. So we have a long way to go, Johnson told attendees at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Added sugars and solid fats total about 35% of the calories in the average diet, she added; the recommended maximum is 5%- 15%. To start scaling back on added sugars, Johnson advised simply avoiding sugary soft drinks, the source of about 36% of added sugars in the US diet. But dont worry about naturally occurring sugars, such as in milk or plain versions of cereal or yogurt, she said. Check the label to see if sugar in any form is listed among the ingredients.

Snoring may be more serious than just keeping your partner awake: A new study says that loud snorers are at nearly double the risk of develop- ing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms associated with diabetes and heart disease. University of Pittsburgh scientists studied 812 patients, ages 45-74, in an ongoing community heart- health study. Over three years, 14% developed meta- bolic syndrome. Those reporting loud snoring, diff- culty falling asleep and unsatisfying sleep were at much greater risk of met- abolic syndrome. Among a subset of 294 patients evalutaed for sleep apnea, however, only loud snoring remained signif- cantly associated with metabolic syndrome once the data were adjusted using the apnea- hypopnea index (AHI). Research- ers concluded that healthcare profes- sionals should consider common sleep problems as possible risk factors when assessing patients. It could also be that this is a case of reverse causation, since obesity- part of metabolic syndrome-can cause snoring and other sleep problems