Vegocentric

PCRM: Fish Oil Does Not Prevent Heart Disease

jeff — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 06:34:37 +0000

People with a history of heart problems gain no benefit from fish oil supplements, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers combined data from 14 previous studies evaluating the effect of fish oil on heart disease. Based on a total of 20,485 patients, results showed that fish oil did not prevent the recurrence of heart problems. Although fish oil supplements are widely sold to heart patients, evidence fails to support their use.

Kwak SM, Myung SK, Lee YJ. Efficacy of Omega-3 Fatty acid supplements (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. Published ahead of print, April 9, 2012.

PCRM: Soy Isoflavones Help Reduce Hot Flashes

jeff — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 05:17:59 +0000

Women dealing with hot flashes have found relief from soy products, according to a new study published in the journal Menopause. Women taking soy isoflavone supplements for six weeks to 12 months reduced the frequency of hot flashes by 21 percent, compared with women taking a placebo. The severity of hot flashes in women taking supplements were reduced by 26 percent when compared with the placebo group. The amount of isoflavones taken varied, as this study was an analysis looking at 17 different studies. Researchers found that women who took more than 19 milligrams of genistein (a type of isoflavone) per day doubled their reduction in hot flash frequency, compared with women taking lower doses.

Taku K, Melby MK, Kronenberg F, Kurzer MS, Messina M. Extracted or synthesized soybean isoflavones reduce menopausal hot flash frequency and severity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. Published ahead of print March 19, 2012.

PCRM: Lifestyle Intervention for Diabetes More Cost-Effective Than Drugs

jeff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:53:02 +0000

Using diet and exercise to tackle type 2 diabetes is more cost-effective than using medications, according to a new study published in Diabetes Care. Lifestyle intervention reduced diabetes incidence by 58 percent, compared with 31 percent in the intervention group taking metformin—a drug for diabetes. Not only did lifestyle intervention provide better results, but it was cheaper long-term. The 10-year study of people at high risk for developing diabetes found lifestyle intervention was cost-effective and metformin just slightly cost-saving.

The Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. The 10-Year Cost-Effectiveness of Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin for Diabetes Prevention: An intent-to-treat analysis of the DPP/DPPOS. Diabetes Care. 2012;35:723-730.

PCRM: Red Meat Increases Risk of Dying

jeff — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:04:29 +0000

Eating red meat increases the risk of dying prematurely, including from heart disease or cancer, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health.1 Among a group of 121,342 individuals followed for up to 28 years, each daily serving of red meat increased the risk of dying by 12 percent. For processed meats (e.g., hotdogs, ham, or bacon), each daily serving increased the risk of death by 20 percent.

An accompanying editorial by Dean Ornish, M.D., highlighted how the reduction of red and processed meat would not only lead to health benefits, but would help decrease health care costs and the environmental impact of meat-based diets.2

A previous review of 12 studies showed intakes of red meat and processed meat were associated with 21 and 41 percent increased risk for diabetes, respectively.3 Other studies have linked red and processed meat to prostate cancer,4 colon cancer,5 and bladder cancer.6

1. Pan A, Sun Q, Bernstein AM, et al. Red meat consumption and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies. Arch Intern Med. Published online March 12, 2012. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.2287.

2. Ornish D.Holy cow! What’s good for you is good for our planet. Arch Intern Med. Published online March 12, 2012. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.174.

3. Aune D, Ursin G, Veierod MB. Meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Diabetologia. 2009;52:2277-2287.

4. Sinha R, Park Y, Graubard BI, et al. Meat and meat-related compounds and risk of prostate cancer in a large prospective cohort study in the United States. Am J Epidemiol. 2009;170:1165-1177.

5. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective. Washington, D.C.: AICR, 2007.

6. Ferrucci LM, Sinha R, Ward MH, et al. Meat and components of meat and the risk of bladder cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Cancer. 2010;116:4345-4353.

PCRM: Dairy Products Do Not Promote Bone Health

jeff — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:57:07 +0000

Dairy products and calcium do not prevent stress fractures, according to a new study published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Researchers followed adolescent girls for seven years, tracking their diets, physical activity, and stress fractures. Girls consuming the most dairy products and calcium had no added protection. In fact, among the most active girls—exercising more than one hour per day—those who got the most calcium in their diets (coming mostly from dairy products) had more than double the risk of a stress fracture, compared with those getting less calcium. Researchers found that vitamin D intake did help cut risk. Girls getting the most vitamin D had half the risk of a fracture, compared with girls getting less vitamin D.

Sonneville KR, Gordon CM, Kocher MS, Pierce LM, Ramappa A, Field AE. Vitamin D, Calcium, and Dairy Intakes and Stress Fractures Among Female Adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Published ahead of print March 5, 2012.

PCRM: Latest Statistics on America’s Overweight Population

jeff — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:45:25 +0000

More than two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese, according to data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Authors of recent Journal of the American Medical Association studies looking specifically at obesity found that children and adolescents (2 to 19 years old) who were screened from 2009 to 2010 had a 16.9 percent obesity rate, and adults had a 35.7 percent obesity rate. These numbers have increased significantly over the last 12 years for African-American and Mexican-American women, while all groups of men showed a significant trend toward obesity over the same period.

Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Ogden CL. Prevalence of obesity and trends in the distribution of body mass index among US adults, 1999-2010. JAMA. 2012;307:491-7.

Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesity and trends in body mass index among US children and adolescents, 1999-2010. JAMA. 2012;307:483-90.

PCRM: Dietary Fiber from Whole Grains Cuts Colorectal Cancer Risk

jeff — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:44:51 +0000

Whole grains reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. People eating three servings of whole grains each day could decrease their risk by 17 percent. One serving of whole grains is equal to one slice of whole grain bread, one-half cup of oatmeal, or one-half cup of brown rice. Whole grains contain fiber that moves intestinal contents along more quickly, dilutes carcinogens, and fosters good bacteria that help balance the digestive tract.

Aune D, Chan DS, Lau R, et al. Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ. 2011;343:d6617. 2009;89:1588S-1596S.

PCRM: Processed Meat Linked to Diabetes in Native Americans

jeff — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:44:18 +0000

Processed meat consumption increases Native Americans’ risk of diabetes, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers followed more than 2,000 Native Americans living in the Southwestern United States. All were free of diabetes at the beginning of the study, but those who ate processed meat (e.g., sausage, bacon) were more likely to develop diabetes over a five-year period. The association was particularly strong with Spam.

Fifty percent of Native Americans develop diabetes by 55 years of age. Many have limited access to healthful foods, and may depend on the USDA commodity program, which includes processed meats.

Processed meat consumption has also been linked to certain cancers, which disproportionally impact Native Americans.

Processed meats are high in fat. Earlier studies have shown that fat accumulation within muscle cells leads to insulin resistance, which, in turn, contributes to diabetes. People who eat no animal products have less fat in their cells and much less risk of developing diabetes. A low-fat plant-based diet has been shown to improve type 2 diabetes.

PCRM has developed a six-session diabetes education and cooking skills curriculum for Native American communities that has been successfully piloted in New Mexico and Arizona, and was presented in an educational session at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. The curriculum may be viewed and downloaded at no cost from www.PCRM.org/CurriculumNA.

Fretts AM, Howard BV, McKnight B, et al. Associations of processed meat and unprocessed red meat intake with incident diabetes: the Strong Heart Family Study. Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print Jan 25, 2012.

Giovannucci E, Harlan DM, Archer MC, et al. Diabetes and cancer: a consensus report. CA Cancer J Clin. 2010;60;207-221.

Goff LM, Bell JD, So PW, Dornhorst A, Frost GS. Veganism and its relationship with insulin resistance and intramyocellular lipid. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005;59:291-298.

Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJ, et al. A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-week clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89:1588S-1596S.

PCRM: Eating Eggs Linked to Cancer

jeff — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:49:32 +0000

Eating eggs is linked to developing prostate cancer, according to a new National Institutes of Health-funded study. By consuming 2.5 eggs per week, men increased their risk for a deadly form of prostate cancer by 81 percent, compared with men who consumed less than half an egg per week. Researchers followed 27,607 men who were part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1994 to 2008. For men who already had prostate cancer, eating poultry and processed red meat increased their risk for death.

Richman EL, Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL, Chan JM. Egg, red meat, and poultry intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer in the prostate specific antigen-era: incidence and survival. Cancer Prev Res. Published ahead of print September 19, 2011; DOI:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0354.

PCRM: Mom’s Yogurt Puts Baby at Risk for Asthma

jeff — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:48:57 +0000

Pregnant women who eat yogurt may put their future children at risk for developing asthma, according to new research in Denmark. Consuming low-fat yogurt while pregnant is directly linked to the development of childhood asthma and hay fever, and full-fat yogurt is associated with adolescent hay fever. Consuming low-fat yogurt was associated with a 60 percent increase in asthma and an 80 percent increase in hay fever, compared with zero consumption of low-fat yogurt. The 61,912 women who completed the food questionnaire were part of the Danish National Birth Cohort.

Maslova E, Halldorsson TI, Stom M, Olsen SF. Low-fat yoghurt intake in pregnancy associated with increased child asthma and allergic rhinitis risk: a prospective cohort study. Poster presented as part of the European Respiratory Society’s Annual Congress, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 25 September 2011.