Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 5/12/10.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Bran Reduces Heart Disease Deaths - WebMD, 5/10/10 - "women who ate the most bran had a 35% lower risk of death from heart disease and a 28% lower risk of death from all causes than women who ate the least"

Risks associated with common acid-suppressing medications documented in series of studies - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "between 53 percent and 69 percent of proton pump inhibitor prescriptions are for inappropriate indications ... Use of proton pump inhibitors appears modestly associated with the risk of total fractures in postmenopausal women ... Daily proton pump inhibitor use is associated with an estimated 74 percent increase in infection with Clostridium difficile"

Folic acid found to improve vascular function in amenorrheic runners - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "folic acid supplement improved blood flow-mediated dilation in the brachial artery which correlates with increased blood flow to the heart"

NASA studies find omega-3 may help reduce bone loss - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "In a series of cell-based studies, scientists documented that adding a specific omega-3 fatty acid to cells would inhibit the activation of factors that lead to bone breakdown. This was true in both typical cell cultures and those designed to mimic weightlessness. The inhibited factor is known as "nuclear factor kappa B" or NFκB. NFκB is involved in immune system behavior and the inflammation process. The activation of NFκB in different tissues can lead to bone and muscle loss" - See Nutra USA article below.  It was DHA, not EPA that worked. See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

New vitamin D recommendations for older men and women - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "The estimated average vitamin D requirement of older adults to reach a serum 25OHD level of 75 nmol/l (30ng/ml) is 20 to 25 µg/day (800 to 1000 IU/day) ... Intakes may need to increase to as much as 50 µg(2000IU) per day in individuals who are obese, have osteoporosis, limited sun exposure (e.g. housebound or institutionalised), or have malabsorption ... For high risk individuals it is recommended to measure serum 25OHD levels and treat if deficient" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Grapes reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, animal study shows - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "After three months, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and reduced indicators of inflammation in the heart and the blood than rats who received no grape powder. Rats also had lower triglycerides and improved glucose tolerance" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95 at Amazon.com.

Couple of Coffees May Help Some Heart Patients - Medscape, 5/7/10 - "A study of 374 patients who had a heart attack or other acute coronary event found those with normal blood pressure drinking one or two coffees a day were 88% less likely than non-coffee drinkers to develop left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD)"

Early Cannabis Use May Contribute to Psychosis-Related Outcomes in Young Adults - Medscape, 5/7/10 - "twice as likely to develop a nonaffective psychosis, 4 times as likely to have high scores on the PDI, and 3 times as likely to develop hallucinations ... This study adds to the body of emerging literature identifying early cannabis use as a risk factor for schizophrenia ... The concordance between this study and previous epidemiologic studies strengthens the argument that adolescent cannabis use is a risk factor for the development of psychosis ... The general perception that cannabis is a 'soft' drug may not be true. There is now evidence that cannabis may affect the adolescent brain[, permanently altering] its developmental trajectory"

Rx: Take Vitamin D with Largest Meal - WebMD, 5/7/10 - "Taking your vitamin D supplement with the largest meal of the day may boost its absorption substantially"

Wrinkle Creams Revealed: Can You Trust the Hype? - ABC News, 5/7/10 - Good six and a half minute video.

Omega-3 linked to healthier, stronger bones: Rat study - Nutra USA, 5/7/10 - "According to findings of a new study with rats, DHA “appears to be a vital constituent of marrow” and enhances bone mineral content (BMC). The findings did not extend to EPA, however ... Scientists from NASA recently reported in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research that the omega-3 EPA may protect against bone loss during space flight" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Doctors 'cause blood pressure to rise' - BBC News, 5/7/10 - "The 'white-coat' effect - where blood pressure rises during a check by a doctor - is even worse in someone whose level is already high ... The effect is due to patients becoming stressed by being in a doctor's surgery or a hospital"

Environmental Cancer Risk 'Grossly Underestimated'? - WebMD, 5/6/10 - "The Panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation's productivity, and devastate American lives ... The presidential panel says this greatly underestimates the problem because it does not fully account for synergistic interactions between environmental contaminants, an increasing number and amount of pollutants, and the fact that all avoidable causes of cancer are not known ... Remove shoes before entering the house ... Filter home tap or well water. Prefer filtered water to commercially bottled water ... Store and carry water in stainless steel, glass, or BPA- and phthalate-free containers ..."

Dietary protein may reduce hip fractures in the elderly - Science Daily, 5/5/10 - "individuals who were in the lowest 25 percent of dietary protein intake had approximately 50 percent more hip fractures than those who consumed greater amounts of dietary protein (all within normal intakes). Those who suffered hip fractures consumed less than the 46 grams of dietary protein per day recommended for adults"

Aspirin Use Linked to Aging Macula Disorder in Older Individuals - Medscape, 5/4/10 - "People 65 years and older who frequently take aspirin have an increased risk of developing aging macula disorder — a loss of central vision similar to age-related macular degeneration — according to a population-based ... the odds ratios for grade 1 early aging macula disorder rose with increasing aspirin intake frequency, and reached 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]. 1.08 - 1.46; P trend < .001) for subjects who reported daily use ... Similarly, the odds ratio for grade 2 early aging macula disorder was 1.40 (95% CI, 1.16 - 1.68; P trend < .001) in daily aspirin users; for neovascular aging macula disorder, the odds ratio was 2.26 (95% CI, 1.66 - 3.08; P trend < .001) in daily aspirin users"

Chronic colitis patients could benefit from resveratrol, says Spanish study - Nutra USA 5/4/10 - "dietary administration of resveratrol reduced the severity and extension of progressive chronic colonic damage and also significantly counteracted the clinical signs reducing the inflammatory process" - [Abstract] - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Improved cognitive-cerebral function in older adults with chromium supplementation - Nutr Neurosci. 2010 Jun;13(3):116-22 - "In a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 26 older adults to receive either chromium picolinate (CrPic) or placebo for 12 weeks ... Although learning rate and retention were not enhanced by CrPic supplementation, we observed reduced semantic interference on learning, recall, and recognition memory tasks. In addition, fMRI indicated comparatively increased activation for the CrPic subjects in right thalamic, right temporal, right posterior parietal, and bifrontal regions. These findings suggest that supplementation with CrPic can enhance cognitive inhibitory control and cerebral function in older adults at risk for neurodegeneration" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.

Sex Hormones and the Risk of Incident Prostate Cancer - Urology. 2010 May 6 - "Serum testosterone, estradiol, estrone, and sex hormone-binding globulin were assayed at baseline ... the mean age was 73 years. Higher serum estrone was strongly related to an increased risk of prostate cancer: compared with men in the lower quartile, the risk of prostate cancer among those in the highest 3 quartiles (>24.9 pg/dL) was nearly 4-fold higher (adjusted heart rate = 3.93, CI: 1.61-9.57). Other sex hormones were not associated with the risk of prostate cancer" - The following results for estrone are for women.   I didn't find any results for men but see the "For Aromatization (in males):" section on my letrozole page and my Aromatization page.

• Letrozole suppresses plasma estradiol and estrone sulphate more completely than anastrozole in postmenopausal women with breast cancer - J Clin Oncol. 2008 Apr 1;26(10):1671-6 - "Letrozole reduces plasma E2 and E1S levels to a significantly greater extent than anastrozole" - See Femara (letrozole)at OffshoreRX.
• Influence of letrozole and anastrozole on total body aromatization and plasma estrogen levels in postmenopausal breast cancer patients evaluated in a randomized, cross-over study - J Clin Oncol. 2002 Feb 1;20(3):751-7 - "estrone (E(1)), estradiol (E(2)), and estrone sulfate (E(1)S) ... Treatment with anastrozole suppressed plasma levels of E(1), E(2), and E(1)S by a mean of 81.0%, 84.9%, and 93.5%, respectively, whereas treatment with letrozole caused a corresponding decrease of 84.3%, 87.8% and 98.0%, respectively. The suppression of E(1) and E(1)S was found to be significantly better during treatment with letrozole compared with anastrozole"
• Note:  Testosterone applications such as AndroGel also increase estrogen whereas letrozole increases testosterone and decreases estrogen:
  • Androgel prescribing information - androgel.com - "Serum estradiol (E2) concentrations increased significantly within 30 days of starting treatment with AndroGel® 5 or 10 G/day and remained elevated throughout the treatment period but remained within the normal range for eugonadal men"
  • Letrozole once a week normalizes serum testosterone in obesity-related male hypogonadism - Eur J Endocrinol. 2008 May;158(5):741-7 - "Isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is frequently observed in severely obese men, probably as a result of increased estradiol (E(2)) production and E(2)-mediated negative feedback on pituitary LH secretion. Aromatase inhibitors can reverse this process ... treated with 2.5 mg letrozole once a week for 6 months ... Six weeks of treatment reduced total E(2) from 123+/-11 to 58+/-7 pmol/l (P<0.001, mean+/-s.e.m.), and increased serum LH from 4.4+/-0.6 to 11.1+/-1.5 U/l (P<0.001). Total testosterone rose from 5.9+/-0.5 to 19.6+/-1.4 nmol/l (P<0.001), and free testosterone from 163+/-13 to 604+/-50 pmol/l (P<0.001). Total testosterone rose to within the normal range in all subjects, whereas free testosterone rose to supraphysiological levels in 7 out of 12 men ... Letrozole 2.5 mg once a week produced a sustained normalization of serum total testosterone in obese men with IHH. However, free testosterone frequently rose to supraphysiological levels. Therefore, a starting dose <2.5 mg once a week is recommended"
  • Comparative assessment in young and elderly men of the gonadotropin response to aromatase inhibition - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Oct;90(10):5717-22 - "As assessed after 28 d of treatment, letrozole lowered E2 by 46% in the young men (P = 0.002) and 62% in the elderly men (P < 0.001). In both age groups, letrozole, but not placebo, significantly increased LH levels (339 and 323% in the young and the elderly, respectively) and T (146 and 99%, respectively) (P value of young vs. elderly was not significant). Under letrozole, peak LH response to GnRH was 152 and 52% increase from baseline in young and older men, respectively"
  • Letrozole normalizes serum testosterone in severely obese men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2005 May;7(3):211-5 - "Six weeks of treatment decreased serum estradiol from 120 +/- 20 to 70 +/- 9 pmol/l (p = 0.006). None of the subjects developed an estradiol level of less than 40 pmol/l. LH increased from 4.5 +/- 0.8 to 14.8 +/- 2.3 U/l (p < 0.001). Total testosterone rose from 7.5 +/- 1.0 to 23.8 +/- 3.0 nmol/l (p < 0.001) without a concomitant change in sex hormone-binding globulin level. Those treated with Letrozole 17.5 mg per week had an excessive LH response"

A cross-sectional study of vitamin D deficiency among immigrants and norwegians with psychosis compared to the general population - J Clin Psychiatry. 2010 Apr 6 - "An alarmingly high percentage of immigrants and Norwegians with psychotic disorders have 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency. This has important clinical implications as it suggests possible beneficial effects of vitamin D medication/heliotherapy within this group" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Natural history of subclinical hyperthyroidism in elderly patients with TSH between 0.1 and 0.4 mIU/l: a prospective study - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2010 May;72(5):685 - "In elderly patients with endogenous SCH and TSH between 0.1 and 0.4 mIU/l progression to clinical hyperthyroidism is uncommon (approximately 1% per year), spontaneous TSH normalization may occur, and persistence of SCH for many years is the most likely"

Metabolic cardiovascular disease risk factors and their clustering in subclinical hypothyroidism - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2010 May;72(5):689-95 - "There appears to be a significant increase in a cluster of metabolic CVD risk factors among people with subclinical hypothyroidism"

A high normal TSH is associated with the metabolic syndrome - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2010 May;72(5):696-701 - "Subjects with a TSH in the upper normal range (2.5-4.5 mU/l, n = 119) had a significantly higher BMI (30.47 +/- 0.57 vs. 28.74 +/- 0.18 kg/m(2), P = 0.001) and higher fasting triglycerides (1.583 +/- 0.082 vs. 1.422 +/- 0.024 mmol/l, P = 0.023), and their likeliness for fulfilling the ATP III criteria of the metabolic syndrome was 1.7-fold increased"

The pharmacodynamic equivalence of levothyroxine and liothyronine: a randomized, double blind, cross-over study in thyroidectomized patients - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2010 May;72(5):709-15 - "This is the first study addressing the equivalency between L-T3 and L-T4 therapy measured by baseline and TRH-stimulated TSH. The therapeutic substitution of L-T3 for L-T4 was achieved at approximately 1:3 ratio"

Bone mineral content is positively correlated to n-3 fatty acids in the femur of growing rats - Br J Nutr. 2010 Apr 27:1-12 - "DHA accumulates in the osteoblast-rich and nerve-abundant periosteum of femur; DHA but not EPA appears to be a vital constituent of marrow and periosteum of healthy modelling bone; and both DHA and total n-3 PUFA strongly correlate to BMC" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Chrysin Suppresses IL-6-Induced Angiogenesis via Down-regulation of JAK1/STAT3 and VEGF: An in Vitro and in Ovo Approach - J Agric Food Chem. 2010 May 5 - "Chrysin may provide new therapeutic potential for IL-6-induced pathological angiogenesis" - See chrysin products at iHerb.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Depressive Symptoms in Older Women and Men - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 May 5 - "Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Depressed mood was defined as CES-D of 16 or higher ... Women with 25(OH)D less than 50 nmol/liter compared with those with higher levels experienced increases in CES-D scores of 2.1 (P = 0.02) and 2.2 (P = 0.04) points higher at, respectively, 3- and 6-yr follow-up. Women with low vitamin D (Vit-D) had also significantly higher risk of developing depressive mood over the follow-up (hazard ratio = 2.0; 95% confidence interval = 1.2-3.2; P = 0.005). In parallel models, men with 25(OH)D less than 50 nmol/liter compared with those with higher levels experienced increases in CES-D scores of 1.9 (P = 0.01) and 1.1 (P = 0.20) points higher at 3- and 6-yr follow-up. Men with low Vit- D tended to have higher risk of developing depressed mood (hazard ratio = 1.6; 95% confidence interval = 0.9-2.8; P = 0.1). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hypovitaminosis D is a risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms in older persons. The strength of the prospective association is higher in women than in men" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

EPA but not DHA appears to be responsible for the efficacy of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in depression: evidence from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Oct;28(5):525-42 - "Meta-regression studies showed a significant effect of higher levels of baseline depression and lower supplement DHA/EPA ratio on therapeutic efficacy. Subgroup analyses showed significant effects for: (1) diagnostic category (bipolar disorder and major depression showing significant improvement with omega3 LC-PUFA supplementation versus mild-to-moderate depression, chronic fatigue and non-clinical populations not showing significant improvement); (2) therapeutic as opposed to preventive intervention; (3) adjunctive treatment as opposed to monotherapy; and (4) supplement type. Symptoms of depression were not significantly reduced in 3 studies using pure DHA (standardized mean difference 0.001, 95% CI -0.330 to 0.332, z = 0.004, p = 0.997) or in 4 studies using supplements containing greater than 50% DHA (standardized mean difference = 0.141, 95% CI = -0.195 to 0.477, z = 0.821, p = 0.417). In contrast, symptoms of depression were significantly reduced in 13 studies using supplements containing greater than 50% EPA (standardized mean difference = -0.446, 95% CI = -0.753 to -0.138, z = -2.843, p = 0.005) and in 8 studies using pure ethyl-EPA (standardized mean difference = -0.396, 95% CI = -0.650 to -0.141, z = -3.051, p = 0.002). However, further meta-regression studies showed significant inverse associations between efficacy and study methodological quality, study sample size, and duration, thus limiting the confidence of these findings. CONCLUSIONS: The current meta-analysis provides evidence that EPA may be more efficacious than DHA in treating depression. However, owing to the identified limitations of the included studies, larger, well-designed, randomized controlled trials of sufficient duration are needed to confirm these findings" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Dietary supplementation of resveratrol attenuates chronic colonic inflammation in mice - Eur J Pharmacol. 2010 May 10;633(1-3):78-84 - "Our results demonstrated that resveratrol group significantly attenuated the clinical signs such as loss of body weight, diarrhea and rectal bleeding improving results from disease activity index and inflammatory score. Moreover, the totality of resveratrol-fed animals survived and finished the treatment while animals fed with standard diet showed a mortality of 40%. Three weeks after DSS removal, the polyphenol caused substantial reductions of the rise of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta and an increase of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Also resveratrol reduced prostaglandin E synthase-1 (PGES-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins expression, via downregulation of p38, a mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signal pathway. We conclude that resveratrol diet represents a novel approach to the treatment of chronic intestinal inflammation" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff, backup DVD's:

• Blair Spray (Matte) Coatings - BLICK art materials - Great for coating InkJet DVD's.  I use the HP Photosmart D7560 Printer.  It's got a DVD tray that's not really noticeable in the picture.  Another route is with the DVD Labels with applicator.  Also see Acoustica Label Maker software.
• DVD Shrink (freeware) along with AnyDVD will allow you to backup your DVD's to your hard drive.  Select "No Compression" before saving for reasons I'll get to.  Unless your HD is formatted for FAT32 (restricts files to < 4GB), go "Edit - Preferences - Out Files (tab) and uncheck "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks".  Rename the output .VOB file on your HD to something with a .mpg extension like avatar.mpg and delete the other files.
• Nero Multimedia Suite 10 will allow you to get it from the hard drive back to a DVD.
• Another tip:  If it's a long movie that requires a lot of compression, you'll get a much better picture and sound if you copy it back to dual layer DVD's without compression.  Most DVD players will read the dual layer.  Also Nero Multimedia Suite 10 will allow you to convert the .mpg format to the .mp4 format used in iPads, iPods and iPhones.
• See Covers | DVD and Covers Hut for DVD covers if you don't have a scanner.
• See NoteBurner  for backing up iTunes.
• See CD+G Fix Super or Power CD+G Burner for karaoke.

Health Focus (Grains):

News & Research:

• Brown rice and cardiovascular protection -Science Daily, 4/26/10 - "brown rice might have an advantage over white rice by offering protection from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries") ... a component in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice may work against angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is an endocrine protein and a known culprit in the development of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis"
• Whole Grains Take a Bite Out of Type 2 Diabetes Risk - US News and World Report, 3/25/10 - "people who ate five or more servings per week of white rice were 17 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving of white rice per month ... people who ate two or more servings of brown rice per week were 11 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving of brown rice per month ... We estimated that replacing 50 grams/day intake of white rice with the same amount of brown rice was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas the same replacement with whole grains as a group was associated with a 36 percent lower diabetes risk"
• Whole-Grain, Low-Calorie Diet Reduced Body Fat Compared With Refined-Wheat Low-Calorie Diet - Doctor's Guide, 5/14/09 - "Patients consuming whole-grain foods had a significantly larger drop in body fat percentage (assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanning) compared with patients who had eaten refined foods (-6.8% vs -4.8%; P = .03) ... Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels rose by 5% in the refined-wheat group but remained unchanged in the wholemeal-wheat group"
• Calcium And Vitamin D May Not Be The Only Protection Against Bone Loss - Science Daily, 12/3/08 - "Diets that are high in protein and cereal grains produce an excess of acid in the body which may increase calcium excretion and weaken bones ... When fruits and vegetables are metabolized they add bicarbonate, an alkaline compound, to the body ... bicarbonate had a favorable effect on bone resorption and calcium excretion ... 171 men and women aged 50 and older were randomized to receive placebo or doses of either: potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or potassium chloride for three months. Researchers found that subjects taking bicarbonate had significant reductions in calcium excretion, signaling a decrease in bone resorption"
• Eating Whole Grains Lowers Heart Failure Risk, According To New Study - Science Daily, 10/27/08 - "whole grain consumption lowered HF risk, while egg and high-fat dairy consumption raised risk. Other food groups did not directly affect HF risk"
• Brown rice bioactives identified by researchers - Science Daily, 9/24/08
• Rice bran contains high arsenic levels, study - Nutra USA, 8/26/08 - "rice bran and rice bran solubles contain inorganic arsenic levels of around 1mg/kg dry weight, which is around 10-20 times the concentration found in bulk grain ... The tests were conducted on four bran solubles, one defatted bran, one riceo-ex and three bran products ... Out of the bran solubles, testing found the highest inorganic arsenic level of 0.86mg/kg in a sample from Holistic Enterprises, Santa Ana, USA. A sample from NutraCea, USA was found to contain 0.82mg/kg. A sample from Pure Planet Products, Long Beach, CA, USA, contained 0.71mg/kg and one from Integris, RiSO Triene, USA, contained 0.61mg/kg ... The rice bran products tested were from: General Dietary, UK & Eire; The Barry Farm, Ohio, USA; and Tsuno Rice Fine Chemicals Co, Japan. They contained levels of 0.48, 0.64 and 1.65mg/kg respectively ... The defatted bran and the riceo-ex products were again sourced from Japan’s Tsuno Rice, and contained 1.16 and 1.88mg/kg respectively" - That doesn't help me out much.  I've been getting the Tinkyada brown rice noodles at Henry's.
• Whole Grains Fight Belly Fat - WebMD, 2/25/08 - "Both groups experienced a decrease in body fat, but the whole-grain group lost significantly more body fat from the abdominal region than the refined-grain group. Excessive fat around the midsection is linked to an increased risk of heart disease ... The whole-grain group experienced other benefits. For example, CRP levels dropped by 38% among those who followed a whole-grain diet"
• Whole Grain Diets Lower Risk Of Chronic Disease, Study Shows - Science Daily, 2/5/08 - "Consumption of whole grains has been associated with a lower body weight and lower blood pressure ... waist circumference and body weight decreased significantly in both groups -- between 8-11 pounds on average -- but weight loss in the abdominal region was significantly greater in the whole grain group ... the whole grain group experienced a 38 percent decrease in C-reactive protein levels ... Participants in the whole grain group also showed an increased intake of fiber and magnesium, both of which may prevent or delay the potential onset of diabetes"
• Oatmeal's Health Claims Reaffirmed, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 1/8/08 - "studies conducted during the past 15 years have, without exception, shown: ... total cholesterol levels are lowered through oat consumption ... low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol) is reduced without adverse effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, the "good" cholesterol), or triglyceride concentrations"
• More support for whole grains for healthy hearts - Nutra USA< 1/7/08 - "25 women and 25 men (average age 46, average BMI 35.8 kg per sq. m) were assigned to consume a reduced calorie diet (reduced by 500 kcal/d) with half of the subjects then randomly assigned to obtain all of their grain servings from whole grains or to avoid wholegrain foods for 12 weeks ... CRP levels fell by 38 per cent in the whole-grain"
• Whole Grains Cut Heart Failure Risk - WebMD, 10/22/07 - "the risk of heart failure among those who ate breakfast cereal at least seven times a week was 29% lower than that the risk among those who never ate cereal, after adjusting for other heart disease risk factors ... When researchers further analyzed the results they found this healthy effect was associated with whole-grain cereals only, not with refined breakfast cereals"
• Whole Grains vs. High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 8/10/07 - "Compared to women who reported eating less than half a daily serving of whole grains, women who claimed to eat at least four daily servings of whole grains were about 23% less likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure during the study"
• Grain Fiber And Magnesium Intake Associated With Lower Risk For Diabetes - Science Daily, 5/14/07 - "those who consumed the most cereal fiber had a 33 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who took in the least, while those who consumed the most magnesium had a 23 percent lower risk than those who consumed the least. There was no association between fruit or vegetable fiber and diabetes risk"
• Health Benefits Of Whole Grains Confirmed - Science Daily, 5/9/07 - "Consuming an average of 2.5 servings of whole grains each day is associated with a 21 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to consuming only 0.2 servings"
• Whole-Grain Oats Cut Cholesterol - WebMD, 4/18/07 - "people who ate whole-grain oatmeal had lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels compared with those who ate refined grain foods. The average reduction in total cholesterol levels was 7.7 mg/dL and the average reduction in LDL cholesterol levels was 7 mg/dL"
• Whole Grain Oats May Reduce Risk Factors For Coronary Heart Disease - Science Daily, 4/17/07
• Whole-Grain Cereals Cut Heart Failure - WebMD, 3/2/07 - "were followed for about 18 years, on average ... Those who reported eating at least seven weekly servings of whole-grain breakfast cereals were 21% less likely to develop heart failure during the study, compared with those who ate no whole-grain breakfast cereals"
• Starch Intake May Increase Risk for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia - Medscape, 6/27/06 - "Starch intake was directly associated with increased risk for BPH with an OR of 1.51 ... The main sources of starch in the subjects were white bread, pasta, and rice ... An inverse relationship was observed for polyunsaturated fats (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.55 - 0.93), linoleic acid (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56 - 0.94), and linolenic acid (OR, 0.71"
• Grains and Pasta (fiber content) - Intelihealth
• Whole wheat gets an image make-over - MSNBC, 5/10/06
• Wholegrains better than refined grains to lower bad fats - Nutra USA, 3/22/06 - "After eating the refined-grain diet the researchers found that serum levels of both triglycerides and apoCIII were significantly higher than after eating the whole grain diet"
• The hard truth about stone-ground flour - USA Today, 3/13/06
• How Nice, Brown Rice: Study Shows Rice Bran Lowers Blood Pressure In Rats - Science Daily, 3/3/06 - "adding rice bran to the diets of hypertensive, stroke-prone rats lowered the animals’ systolic blood pressure by about 20 percent and, via the same mechanism, inhibited angiotensin-1 converting enzyme, or ACE"
• Older Adults May Reduce Risk Of Metabolic Syndrome By Eating More Whole Grains - Science Daily, 2/6/06
• Older Adults May Reduce Risk of Metabolic Syndrome by Eating More Whole Grains - Doctor's Guide, 2/6/06 - "as whole-grain intake increased, fasting blood sugar levels were lower in these subjects. Refined grain intake, on the other hand, was associated with higher fasting blood sugar levels ... people who consumed high amounts of refined grains had twice the risk of having metabolic syndrome than those people who consumed the fewest servings of refined grains"
• Wholegrains ease metabolic syndrome in older people - Nutra USA, 1/12/06 - "Volunteers in the highest wholegrain intake group (3 servings per day) were statistically half as likely to develop MetS as those who consumed less than half a serving per day"
• Heart study strengthens interest in wholegrain products - Nutra USA, 7/28/05 - "Women with a history of heart disease who participated in a research study and reported having eaten six or more servings of per week had slower progression of atherosclerosis ... Insufficient milling breakthroughs had, until last year, prevented bakers from making a wholegrain bread with a similar taste and texture to white bread"
• How whole grains can fight disease - MSNBC, 3/4/05 - "A greater whole-grain consumption than Americans currently have is linked in several studies with lower death rates from both heart disease and cancer ... whole grain consumption can result in 17 to 35 percent fewer deaths from these two diseases"
• Whole Grains Help Your Heart - WebMD, 12/29/04 - "Eating just 25 grams of whole grains a day reduces the risk of heart disease by about 15%"
• Barley Helps Lower Cholesterol - WebMD, 12/8/04
• Eat Whole-Grain Carbs, Gain Less Weight - WebMD, 11/17/04 - "Eating 40 grams of whole grains a day cuts middle-age weight gain by as much as 3.5 pounds ... Whole grains have three parts: bran, germ, and the starchy endosperm ... all three parts of whole grains work together"
• Research: Refined Grains Expand Girths - Intelihealth, 6/21/04 - "three years they were tracked ... At the end, the white bread group had three times the fiber group's gain at the gut ... I think abdominal fat cells may be more sensitive to insulin's effects than other fat cells in the body"
• Eating Whole Grains Pays Off - WebMD, 2/19/04 - "greater consumption of whole-grain, cereal fiber, and diets with lower glycemic index were associated with better insulin sensitivity and were less likely to be affected by insulin resistant or the metabolic syndrome"
• Wholegrain intake associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome - Nutra USA, 2/18/04 - "intakes of total dietary fiber, cereal fiber, fruit fiber, and wholegrains were inversely associated, whereas glycemic index and glycemic load were positively associated with insulin resistance"
• Buckwheat May Help Manage Diabetes - WebMD, 11/21/03
• Buckwheat May Be Beneficial For Managing Diabetes - Intelihealth, 11/18/03 - "extracts of the seed lowered blood glucose levels by 12 percent to 19 percent when fed to diabetic rats ... incorporation of buckwheat into the diet could help provide a safe, easy and inexpensive way to lower glucose levels and reduce the risk of complications associated with the disease, including heart, nerve and kidney problems"
• Higher Whole-Grain Intake Associated With Increased Insulin Sensitivity - Medscape, 11/7/03 - "Given that insulin sensitivity is one of the main predictors of diabetes, our findings support previous reports on the protective effects of whole grains on the risk of developing diabetes in men and women by substantiating one of the underlying mechanisms"
• Whole Grain Cereals Prolong Life - New Hope Natural Media, 6/12/03
• Searching for ideal diet in sea of conflicting food advice - USA Today, 4/20/03 - "Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health ... Willett has assembled an "ideal" diet of his own that relies on healthier plant oils instead of animal fats, and whole grains and high-fiber carbohydrates (think brown rice and wheat pasta) over refined grains like white rice ... It emphasizes plenty of vegetables and fruits, and healthy protein sources — such as fish, poultry, nuts and legumes — instead of red meat and high-fat dairy products. Willett also recommends a daily multivitamin, moderate alcohol consumption and regular physical activity"
• Whole-Grain Cereal Lengthens Lives - thesandiegochannel.com, 3/28/03 - "men who ate one serving of whole-grain, high-fiber cereal every day were nearly 30 percent less likely to die from heart disease or other diet-related diseases ... the more whole-grain cereal the men ate, the lower their risk of death from heart disease ... Whole-grain cereals contain the kind of fiber that helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure and improves how the body processes insulin and glucose. Whole grains also have more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than refined cereal ... To make sure a cereal contains whole grains, check the ingredient list. Whole grain or bran should be listed as the first ingredient ... To be a whole-grain cereal, it must contain at least 2 grams of fiber per serving, preferably more"
• Breakfast Reduces Diabetes, Heart Disease - WebMD, 3/6/03 - "A daily breakfast may reduce the risk of becoming obese or developing signs that can lead to diabetes -- called insulin resistance syndrome -- by 35% to 50% compared with skipping the morning meal ... Their recommendation: A bowl of whole-grain cereal ... eating whole-grain cereal each day was associated with a 15% reduction in risk for the insulin resistance syndrome ... soluble fiber forms a gel-like material that prevents cholesterol and saturated fats from entering the bloodstream, where they can collect and form plaques on artery walls. The insoluble fiber in these cereals, meanwhile, helps keep bowel movement regular and may help reduce risk of colon problems"
• Whole-Grain Diet Reduces Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 9/22/03
• Breakfast Cereal and Heart Disease - WebMD, 2/26/03 - "the more whole-grain cereal the men ate, the lower their risk of death from heart disease or any other cause was. For example, men who ate at least one serving of whole-grain breakfast cereal per day had a 27% lower risk of death from any cause compared with those who rarely ate whole-grain cereal ... men who ate the most whole-grain cereals also had a 28% lower risk of death due to heart disease and a 23% lower risk of heart attack than men who ate the least whole-grain cereal ... whole grains are thought to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and improve how the body processes insulin and glucose. Compared with their highly processed and refined counterparts, whole-grain cereals also contain more beneficial micronutrients, antioxidants, minerals, and fiber"
• Whole Grain Intake Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men - New Hope Natural Media, 12/26/02 - "People who consumed the highest amount of whole grains (3.2 servings per day) had a 30% to 40% reduction in risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who ate less than 1 serving a day ... The benefits of whole grains may be due to their increased content of fiber, which is mostly removed in process of refining whole grains to white flour. However, some studies suggest that the higher amount of magnesium in whole grains also contributes to the lower risk of diabetes"
• Stuffing Rich in Antioxidants - WebMD, 11/8/02 - "In the crust, they found eight times more of an antioxidant called pronyl-lysine than in the crumbs. The original flour contained none of the compound ... Pronyl-lysine is formed during baking in both yeast-based and yeast-free bread"
• Diets High In Whole Grains May Reduce The Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes In Men - Doctor's Guide, 9/4/02
• Whole Grains Reduce Long-Term Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In Men - Intelihealth, 8/23/02
• Want to Reduce Your Diabetes Risk? - WebMD, 7/25/02 - "those who reported eating the most servings of whole grain foods tended to have lower insulin levels, lower body weights, and lower cholesterol levels ... The study is just the latest to find that foods such as slow-cooking oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice, and certain processed whole grain breads and cereals are protective against type 2 diabetes. Eating whole grain foods has also been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease ... the wildly popular weight-loss programs that restrict or eliminate carbohydrates from the diet are delivering the false message that all carbohydrates are bad"
• Millet: A Good Grain? - Dr. Weil, 7/12/02
• Buckwheat Basics? - Dr. Weil, 6/7/02
• Diet Rich In Fruits, Vegetables Lowers Risk Of Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers - Doctor's Guide, 5/24/02 - "Intake of whole grains and fibre derived from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancers"
• Food For Thought: Great Gains From Whole Grains - Intelihealth, 3/27/02
• Nutrient-Rich Quinoa Makes A Comeback - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 2/03
• Going Against the Grain, Consumers Have a Lot to Learn About Dietary Recommendations - WebMD. 3/14/01 - "the majority also incorrectly believed that 4.3 servings a day was enough. Since 1992, the USDA has recommended 6-11 servings a day, depending on age, gender, and activity level"
• Whole Grains Cut Ischemic Stroke Risk - Nutrition Science News, 12/00
• Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables May Decrease Stroke Risk - WebMD, 9/26/00
• Whole Grains Cut Stroke Risk In Women - Intelihealth, 9/26/00
• You Are What You Eat: New Theories About Rheumatoid Arthritis - WebMD, 4/18/00

Abstracts:

• Whole-Grain Intake and Cereal Fiber Are Associated with Lower Abdominal Adiposity in Older Adults - J Nutr. 2009 Sep 2 - "After adjustment for covariates, whole-grain intake was inversely associated with BMI [26.8 kg/m(2) (25.7-28.1) vs. 25.8 kg/m(2) (24.6-27.1), (95% CI); P-trend = 0.08], percent body fat [34.5% (32.7-36.3) vs. 32.1% (30.1-34.1); P-trend = 0.02], and percent trunk fat mass [43.0% (40.4-45.5) vs. 39.4% (36.7-42.1); P-trend = 0.02] in the lowest compared with the highest quartile category of whole-grain intake. Refined grain intake was not associated with any measure of body fat distribution. Cereal fiber was inversely associated with BMI [27.3 kg/m(2) (26.1-28.6) vs. 25.4 kg/m(2) (24.3-26.7); P-trend = 0.012], percent body fat [34.7% (32.8-36.6) vs. 31.5% (29.4-33.5); P-trend = 0.004], and percent trunk fat mass [42.8% (40.2-45.4) vs. 37.8% (35.0-40.6) ... Higher intakes of cereal fiber, particularly from whole-grain sources, are associated with lower total percent body fat and percent trunk fat mass in older adults"
• Whole grains and incident hypertension in men - Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jul 1 - "whole-grain intake was inversely associated with risk of hypertension, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.75-0.87) in the highest compared with the lowest quintile (P for trend < 0.0001). In the multivariate model, total bran was inversely associated with hypertension, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.92) in the highest compared with the lowest quintile"
• Intake of plant foods and associated nutrients in prostate cancer risk - Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(2):216-24 - "Plant foods and associated nutrients may impact prostate cancer (PC) risk and survival ... Reduced PC risk was associated with the highest tertile of cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.35-0.75), fiber (OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.35-0.89), vitamin C (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.41-0.88), and fruits and/or fruit juices (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.31-0.68), with significant linear trends. Increased risk of PC was associated with the highest tertile of protein (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.05-3.79) and daily servings of grains (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.23-3.22) with significant linear trends"
• The effects of a whole grain enriched hypocaloric diet on cardiovascular disease risk factors in men and women with metabolic syndrome - J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):79-90 - "Both hypocaloric diets were effective means of improving CVD risk factors with moderate weight loss. There were significantly (P < 0.05) greater decreases in CRP and percentage body fat in the abdominal region in participants consuming whole grains than in those consuming refined grains"
• Whole- and refined-grain intakes and the risk of hypertension in women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):472-9 - "Higher whole-grain intake was associated with a reduced risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women"
• Whole-grain consumption is associated with a reduced risk of noncardiovascular, noncancer death attributed to inflammatory diseases in the Iowa Women's Health Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1606-14 - "The reduction in inflammatory mortality associated with habitual whole-grain intake was larger than that previously reported for coronary heart disease and diabetes. Because a variety of phytochemicals are found in whole grains that may directly or indirectly inhibit oxidative stress, and because oxidative stress is an inevitable consequence of inflammation, we suggest that oxidative stress reduction by constituents of whole grain is a likely mechanism for the protective effect"
• Whole-grain intake and carotid artery atherosclerosis in a multiethnic cohort: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1495-502 - "carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT) ... common carotid artery (CCA) ... Whole-grain intake is inversely associated with CCA IMT, and this relation is not attributable to individual risk intermediates, single nutrient constituents, or larger dietary patterns"
• Blood glucose lowering effects of brown rice in normal and diabetic subjects - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2006 May-Jun;57(3-4):151-8 - "The total sugar released in vitro was 23.7% lower in brown rice than in milled rice. In healthy volunteers, the glycemic area and glycemic index were, respectively, 19.8% and 12.1% lower (p < 0.05) in brown rice than milled rice, while in diabetics, the respective values were 35.2% and 35.6% lower. The effect was partly due to the higher amounts of phytic acid, polyphenols, dietary fiber and oil in brown compared to milled rice and the difference in some physicochemical properties of the rice samples such as minimum cooking time and degree of gelatinisation"
• Whole-grain foods do not affect insulin sensitivity or markers of lipid peroxidation and inflammation in healthy, moderately overweight subjects - J Nutr. 2007 Jun;137(6):1401-7 - "substitution of whole grains (mainly based on milled wheat) for refined-grain products in the habitual daily diet of healthy moderately overweight adults for 6-wk did not affect insulin sensitivity or markers of lipid peroxidation and inflammation"
• Fiber and Magnesium Intake and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Study and Meta-analysis - Arch Intern Med. 2007 May 14;167(9):956-65 - "Higher cereal fiber and magnesium intakes may decrease diabetes risk"
• Muesli with 4 g oat beta-glucans lowers glucose and insulin responses after a bread meal in healthy subjects - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Apr 4 - "Muesli enriched with 4 g of beta-glucans reduces postprandial glucose and insulin levels to a breakfast based on high glycaemic index products. A total of 4 g of beta-glucans from oats seems to be a critical level for a significant decrease in glucose and insulin responses in healthy people"
• Whole-grain diets reduce blood pressure in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women - J Am Diet Assoc. 2006 Sep;106(9):1445-9 - "Systolic pressure was lower after the wheat/rice and half-and-half diets. Diastolic and mean arterial pressures were reduced by all whole-grain diets"
• Whole grains, bran, and germ in relation to homocysteine and markers of glycemic control, lipids, and inflammation 1 - Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Feb;83(2):275-283 - "Whole-grain intake was inversely associated with homocysteine and markers of glycemic control ... Inverse associations were also observed with total cholesterol (P = 0.02), HDL cholesterol (P = 0.05), and LDL cholesterol ... Whole-grain intake was most strongly inversely associated with markers of glycemic control in this population"
• Cereal fiber and whole-grain intake are associated with reduced progression of coronary-artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease - Am Heart J. 2005 Jul;150(1):94-101 - "Intakes of total, fruit, and vegetable fiber, and number of servings of refined grain, fruits, or vegetable were not associated with progression ... Higher intakes of cereal fiber and whole-grain products are associated with less progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women with established CAD"
• Changes in whole-grain, bran, and cereal fiber consumption in relation to 8-y weight gain among men - Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Nov;80(5):1237-45 - "an increase in whole-grain intake was inversely associated with long-term weight gain (P for trend < 0.0001). A dose-response relation was observed, and for every 40-g/d increment in whole-grain intake from all foods, weight gain was reduced by 0.49 kg. Bran that was added to the diet or obtained from fortified-grain foods further reduced the risk of weight gain (P for trend = 0.01), and, for every 20 g/d increase in intake, weight gain was reduced by 0.36 kg"
• Whole-grain intake and insulin sensitivity: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;78(5):965-71 - "Higher intakes of whole grains were associated with increases in insulin sensitivity"
• Why whole grains are protective: biological mechanisms - Proc Nutr Soc 2003 Feb;62(1):129-34 - "First, whole grains are concentrated sources of dietary fibre, resistant starch and oligosaccharides, carbohydrates that escape digestion in the small intestine and are fermented in the gut, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA lower colonic pH, serve as an energy source for the colonocytes and may alter blood lipids. These improvements in the gut environment may provide immune protection beyond the gut. Second, whole grains are rich in antioxidants, including trace minerals and phenolic compounds, and these compounds have been linked to disease prevention. Additionally, whole grains mediate insulin and glucose responses. Although lower glycaemic load and glycaemic index have been linked to diabetes and obesity, risk of cancers such as colon and breast cancer have also been linked to high intake of readily-available carbohydrate. Finally, whole grains contain many other compounds that may protect against chronic disease. These compunds include phytate, phyto-oestrogens such as lignan, plant stanols and sterols, and vitamins and minerals."
• Whole grains protect against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease - Proc Nutr Soc 2003 Feb;62(1):135-42 - "Generous intake of whole grains also provides protection from development of diabetes and obesity. Diets rich in wholegrain foods tend to decrease serum LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels as well as blood pressure while increasing serum HDL-cholesterol levels. Whole-grain intake may also favourably alter antioxidant status, serum homocysteine levels, vascular reactivity and the inflammatory state. Whole-grain components that appear to make major contributions to these protective effects are: dietary fibre; vitamins; minerals; antioxidants; phytosterols; other phytochemicals. Three servings of whole grains daily are recommended to provide these health benefits"
• Whole-grain and fiber intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes - AJCN, 3/1/03 - "Whole-grain consumption was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The relative risk (adjusted for age, sex, geographic area, smoking status, body mass index, energy intake, and intakes of vegetables, fruit, and berries) between the highest and lowest quartiles of whole-grain consumption was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.36, 1.18; P for trend = 0.02). Cereal fiber intake was also associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The relative risk between the extreme quartiles of cereal fiber intake was 0.39"
• Is intake of breakfast cereals related to total and cause-specific mortality in men? - AJCN, 3/1/03 - "Compared with men who rarely or never consumed whole-grain cereal, men in the highest category of whole-grain cereal intake ( 1 serving/d) had multivariate-estimated relative risks of total and CVD-specific mortality of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.94; P for trend < 0.001) and 0.80"

No pathinfo