July 2008 Healthwatch
Stay up-to-date on the latest health and nutrition information with Virtual Health Info's monthly HealthWatch bulletin, America's premier source for health information. The July issue of HealthWatch features the following articles:Nature's Pharmacy Anthocyanins, National Cancer Institute Encourages Eating Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables, Study Concludes Fruit/ Blueberry Consumption May Prevent Cardiovascular Disease. Click here for more information.
Nature's Pharmacy ANTHOCYANINS
Mother Nature provides a full spectrum of beautifully colored fruits and vegetables. Walking into a farmer's market is like walking into an artist's studio where color pallets display bursting bright reds, greens, oranges, yellows, blues, and even purples. It's a feast for the eyes. Scientists are now gathering evidence that the rainbow of color pigments in fruits and vegetables may do more than simply attract attention or please the eye; they in fact possess a wide array of health-promoting properties. Studies to date suggest that certain of these phytochemicals, or plant chemical pigments, appear to defend and enhance health. They do so by boosting our bodies' support mechanisms - helping reduce inflammation, pulling toxins out of the system, and fighting free radicals before they have a chance to wreak havoc on our cells. Click here for more information.
National Cancer Institute Encourages Eating Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the national health authority that encourages all Americans to eat 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit a day to promote health and reduce risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, is strongly urging all Americans to eat blue and purple fruits and vegetables. This is because fruits such as blueberries contain disease-fighting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics. NCI states that anthocyanins and phenolics are powerful antioxidants that help reduce the risk of such diseases as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. They may even help to slow the aging process. NCI also encourages eating a wide variety of other colorful foods in order to take advantage of other types of healthful phytonutrients they contain. For more information, go to www.5aday.gov or Read More Here.
Red Grape Juice Proves Beneficial In Human Study
In a recent study involving twenty-six patients receiving hemodialysis and 15 healthy subjects who drank 100 mL of red grape juice for 14 days, red grape juice proved to have a variety of healthful benefits. Researchers concluded that dietary supplementation with red grape juice improves the lipoprotein profile, reduces concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers and oxidized LDL, and may favor a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk. Additional studies would help to confirm these findings. For more information go to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 84, July 2006. Read More.
Fruit Intake During Childhood May Help Curb Cancer Later In Life
According to a long term study involving almost 4,000 people in the United Kingdom, it appears that a childhood diet rich in fruit may protect against the development of certain cancers. The findings, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, are based on a 60 year follow-up with a group of individuals who completed a food inventory checklist sometime in the 1930’s. The researchers successfully traced almost all of the men and women who had been children in the 1930’s and were able to assess their death and cancer records to arrive at their conclusions. Further prospective studies, with individual measures of diet are required to fully explain the researchers conclusions.
Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2003, Volume 57
Bone Mineral Density May Get Boost From Fruit Consumption
Recently, researchers in the United Kingdom set out to study the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and fruit and vegetable consumption during the adolescence years. Several groups of boys and girls were measured for BMD and interviewed for their history of fruit and vegetable consumption. After an analysis of the gathered information was made, scientists concluded that high intakes of fruit may be important for bone health in girls. They also concluded that fruit's alkaline-forming properties mediate the body's acid-base balance. To confirm the findings from this observational study, researchers state that intervention studies are required.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 80, October 2004
USDA Unveils Food Pyramid for Kids
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns recently unveiled a child-friendly version of the new MyPyramid Food Guidance System called MyPyramid For Kids. This new system provides age-appropriate information about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System released in the early part of 2005. It is specifically designed for 6 to 11-year-old children, with the hope that sound dietary advice combined with an interactive computer game featuring a rocket ship will help combat the growing obesity epidemic among children. The key messages of MyPyramid For Kids are to be physically active every day and to choose a wide variety of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good sources of fat, and some dairy and lean meats. Source: United States Department of Agriculture. Read More.
Fruit Consumption May Reduce Smokers' Risk of Bladder Cancer
According to a 2005 study completed by the Department of General Practice, Comprehensive Cancer Institute Limburg, fruit consumption may decrease the risk of bladder cancer in long-time smokers. The Belgian study followed 200 cases of long-time smokers and incorporated 385 controls to increase accuracy. It evaluated the interaction between fruit and vegetable intake and bladder cancer risk in its subjects. The study revealed no significant correlation between vegetable consumption and decreased bladder cancer risk. What it did uncover was a significant correlation between fruit intake and decreased bladder cancer risk. By increasing smokers’ daily fruit intake they were able to lower their risk of developing bladder cancer. The study concluded that antioxidants found in fruit may protect smokers from free radicals in cigarette smoke. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings. Source: International Journal of Cancer, December 2005. Read More.
Anthocyanins and Polyphenolics May Have Protective Effect
Because of the growing interest both from consumers and researchers in the role that berries play in human health, a research study was conducted to find out if anthocyanins and other phenolics present in black current and other dark fruits are effective in protecting cells against the oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide. Results showed that the compounds do have a protective effect in cultured neuronal cells. More research in this area would help to confirm these findings. For more information go to the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, published online January 2006. Source: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Read More.
Bone Health Impacted by Fruits at any Age
It's no surprise or secret that regular intake of fresh fruits and vegetables can have a healthy impact on the bones of older people. But researchers in Cambridge, United Kingdom, recently studied the impact of fruits and vegetables on young people's bones as well. Fruit seemed to play a bigger role in bone health than vegetables, with "significant positive associations" between fruit intake and bone health in adolescent boys, girl, and older women. The study concluded, "Higher fruit and vegetable intakes may have positive effects on bone mineral status in both younger and older age groups." For more information go to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2006, Vol. 83. Read More.