Todays Newsbites

I f youve got the sniffes, echinacea probably wont help much, accord- ing to the latest randomized, controlled trial to report disappointing results from the popular herbal remedy. Uni- versity of Wisconsin researchers divided 719 cold sufferers into four groups: One group got echinacea (10.2 grams the frst day and 5.1 grams for 4 ad- ditional days) without being told about the treatment, a second group knew they were getting the herb, a third got a placebo and a fourth got nothing. Du- ration of symptoms ranged from 6.34 days in the blinded echinacea group to 7.03 days in the no-treatment group, with almost no difference between the unblended echinacea group (6.76) and the placebo group (6.87). Investigators found no statistically signifcant differ- ence in secondary outcomes, including infection markers and various self-re- ported symptoms. Although echinacea was associated with about a half-day beneft trend and 10% reduction in overall severity, researchers said only about one in four people would see relief likely to be worth the expense and effort of taking the herb. These re- sults, they concluded, do not support the ability of this dose of the echinacea formulation to substantively change the course of the common cold.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which regulates product advertising, will impose strict new limits on claims for Dannon probiotic yogurt products as part of a $21 mil- lion settlement of an investigation into the companys marketing. Dannon, however, insists the settlement means business as usual, stating, Our claims remain intact. The agreement with the FTC states that Activia, a spoonable yogurt touting digestive health benefts, can only claim to relieve temporary irregularity or help with slow intestinal transit time if it also states that three daily servings are required for this ben- eft. And Dannon, which has marketed its drinkable yogurt DanActiv as an immune-system booster, must not claim that any yogurt, dairy drink or probi- otic food or drink reduces the likelihood of getting a cold or the fu, unless the claim is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The company insisted it had never made such claims. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz commented, These types of misleading claims are enough to give consumers indigestion.

I f you remember the great saccharin scare of the late 1970s, it may come as a sweet surprise to learn that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has removed the artifcial sweetener from its list of hazard- ous substances. The switch clears the last offcial blemish from saccharins reputa- tion, with the FDA having given it an OK in 2000. Following studies linking saccharin with cancer in rats, the EPAs Carcinogen Assessment Group listed the sweetener as a possible human carcinogen in 1980. Now, in response to a petition from an artifcial- sweetener trade group, the agency has reversed that listing, saying theres insuffcient evidence that saccharin causes cancer in humans. Although not as popular in the US in part because of lingering can- cer fears, inexpensive saccharin remains the largest-volume artifcial sweetener in the world, primarily used in Asia.

I s traffc pollution clouding your brain? Harvard researchers report that a doubling of exposure to black carbon-a marker for pollution from automotive exhaust-was associated with a 30% greater chance of scoring badly on a standard test for dementia. The poorer results, plus lower scores on a composite of six other tests of cognitive function, were the equivalent of adding almost two years to subjects age. Researchers analyzed data on 680 Boston-area men, average age 71, from the VA Normative Aging Study. The in- vestigators said this was the frst study to link traffc-related air pollution and cognition in older men, and only the second study of such a relationship in older adults. Tiny particles in exhaust, researchers suggested, might lodge in the brain, or could cause cardiovascular damage that in turn affects the brain.

More than seven months after the report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) on the latest scientific evidence about eating right, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 were finally released-in 2011. Federally mandated to be updated every five years, the 112-page seventh edition of the guidelines, from the USDA and Department of Health & Human Services, will be followed by a revised food pyramid to help put the recommendations into action

The American Heart Association has joined the chorus of health experts calling for even lower limits on daily salt intake. In a new advisory, the association said all Americans should aim for no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. Previously, that guideline had been 2,300 mg, although people with high blood pressure

Are you bored with the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods? The latest National Eating Trends survey from market-research firm the NPD Group finds that usage of the government-mandated nutrition labeling has declined

Zinc really might work to prevent the common cold and lessen the severity of symptoms, according to a new review, but the prevalence of side effects might make you think twice about taking it. Scientists searched for randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials conducted since 1984

Consumers know that whole grains are good for you-but after that, knowledge tends to give way to confusion, according to a new General Mills study of 1,010 US adults. More than half of those surveyed said they specifically shop for whole-grain products

Speaking two languages, researchers report, may help delay the effects of Alzheimers disease. Canadian scientists studied 450 patients, all with similar degrees of impairment from Alzheimers disease