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February 2008 Vol. 13 No. 2

The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge.
Daniel J. Boorstin US historian (1914 - )

Table of Contents:


Folate Deficiency Triples Risk of Dementia

Folate deficiency is associated with a tripling in the risk of developing dementia among elderly people, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

The researchers tracked the development of dementia in 518 people over two years from 2001 to 2003. All participants were over the age of 65 and lived in one rural and one urban area in the south of the country. Validated tests were carried out at the start and end of the two year period to find out if they had a Dementing illness. Similarly, blood tests were taken to assess levels of Folate, vitamin B12, and the protein homocysteine, and how these changed over time. High levels of homocysteine have been associated with cardiovascular disease.

At the start of the two year period, almost one in five people had high levels of homocysteine, while 17% had low vitamin B12 levels and 3.5% were Folate deficient. The higher the levels of Folate to begin with, the higher were vitamin B12 levels, and the lower those of homocysteine. By the end of the study, 45 people had developed dementia. Of these, 34 had Alzheimer’s disease, seven had vascular dementia, and four had “other” types of dementia. Dementia was more likely in those who were older, relatively poorly educated, inactive, and had deposits of the protein ApoE.

The onset of dementia was significantly more likely in those whose Folate levels then fell further over the two years, while their homocysteine levels rose. People who were Folate deficient to begin with, were almost 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia.

The authors suggest that changes in micronutrients could be linked with the other typical signs that precede dementia, including weight loss and low blood pressure.

While weight loss is unlikely to alter micronutrients levels in the blood, it may indicate dietary changes in the quality of quantity of food intake.


Atkins Diet Harms Blood Vessels

Researchers at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore compared three popular diets and their effects on health. The Atkins, South Beach, and Ornish diets were tested in 18 adults who completed one month on each diet. The Atkins diet, which derives about 50 percent of calories from fat, caused LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, to increase by an average of 15.4 points (mg/dL). The South Beach diet, a 30 percent fat diet, reduced LDL by 10.2 points, and the Ornish diet, which derives 10 percent of calories from fat, reduced LDL cholesterol by 25.5 points. In addition, the Atkins diet reduced blood vessel dilation and increased inflammation associated with blood clots, possibly causing long-term damage to blood vessels.

Miller M, Beach V, Mangano C, et al. Comparative effects of 3 popular diets on lipids, endothelial function and biomarkers of athero-thrombosis in the absence of weight loss. Study presented at: American Heart Association’s Scientific Session; Nov. 6, 2007; Orlando, Fla.

Carbohydrates Associated with Weight Control

In a review published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, an exercise physiologist at the University of Virginia assessed the effects of carbohydrate quantity and quality of weight control. The author found that the more carbohydrate the participants ate, the lower their body weight. Both whole and refined grains were found to be inversely related to body mass index, although this relationship was more pronounced with whole grains. Reasons provided include the link between high-carbohydrate diets and improved dietary quality, especially higher intakes of dietary fiber. The author concludes that low-fat, high-fiber diets without emphasis on calorie restriction help sidestep adherence problems and may be best for overall health and weight control.

Gaesser GA. Carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to body mass index. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:1768-1780.


Whole Grain Intake Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Bagel. A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health tracked the diets and health of 161,737 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Studies I and II. It turned out that those who made whole grain foods a big part of the menu had the lowest risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers then conducted a meta-analysis to combine the results of five previous studies.

On average, every serving of whole grains that is part of a person’s daily diet cuts diabetes risk by about 10 percent. Whole grains include such foods as whole wheat, rolled oats, brown rice, buckwheat, and quinoa.

De Munter JSL, Hu FB, Spiegelman D, Franz M, van Dam RM. Whole grain, bran, and germ intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study and systematic review. PLoS Med. 2007;4(8):1385-1395. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040261. Accessed November 9, 2007.


New Study Links Cancer to Body Weight

A new study published in the British Medical Journal adds more evidence showing that excess weight increases cancer risk. Following 1.2 million women from the Million Women Study, researchers found that increasing weight was associated with increased risk for 10 out of 17 specific types of cancer.

Similarly, overweight increased the risk for death for most types of cancer. For information on how a low-fat vegetarian diet can help you trim excess weight, visit www.CancerProject.org

Reeves GK, Pirie K, Beral V, Green J, et al. Cancer incidence and mortality in relation to body mass index in the Million Women Study: cohort study. BMJ 2007; published online Nov. 6, 2007.


Processed Meats and Dairy Products Positively Associated with Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Bacon and sausage Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer-related mortality. A case-control study conducted between 1995 and 1999 by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, evaluated the association between animal protein, dietary fat, and dairy products and risk for pancreatic cancer. When comparing highest versus lowest intake for certain foods, beef, processed meats, lamb, eggs, and dairy products all showed positive associations with cancer risk. Total dietary cholesterol, animal fat, saturated fat, and monounsaturated fat were also found to correspond to an increase in pancreatic cancer risk.

Chan JM, Wang F, Holly EA. Pancreatic cancer, animal protein and dietary fat in a population-based study, San Francisco Bay Area, California. Cancer Causes & Control. December 2007;18(10):1153-67.


Western Diet Linked to Birth Defects

A new study from the Netherlands that analyzed the diets of 381 mothers found that a Western diet may be linked to birth defects. Those women with a “Western dietary pattern,” characterized by high intakes of organ meat, red meat, processed meat, pizza, legumes, potatoes, French fries, condiments, and mayonnaise but low intakes of fruits had a higher risk of a cleft lip or cleft palate among their offspring.

Women who consumed the greatest amount of these foods had nearly double the risk compared with those who consumed the least.

Vujkovic M, Ocke MC, Van der Spek P, Yazdanpanah N, et al. Maternal Western dietary patterns and the risk of developing a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate. Obstet Gynecol. 2007;110:378-384.