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September 2007 vol. 12 no. 9

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)


Table of Contents:

High Calcium and Vitamin D Intake May Lead to Cognitive Impairment

Duke University researchers recently found an association between a high dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D and brain lesion volume in elderly men and women. Researchers believe that the problem may be due to the effects of calcification and bonelike formations in blood vessels. Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption and may accelerate this process.

Investigator Martha Payne designed this study after finding a similar association between high-fat dairy products and brain lesions. Current dietary calcium and Vitamin D recommendations for adults over 50 years of age are 1,200 mg and 400 to 600 I.U., respectively. The findings suggest that these recommendations may be too high for portions of the general population. Calcium recommendations are set high in Western countries to compensate for the bone loss resulting from diets high in animal protein, sodium, and other calcium wasters. The World Health Organization acknowledges that less dietary calcium is needed when animal protein consumption is low.

Payne ME, Anderson JJB, Steffens DC. Calcium and vitamin D intakes are positively associated with brain lesions in depressed and non-depressed elders. Presentation at the meeting of American Society for Nutrition: Experimental Biology 2007. May 1, 2007, Washington, DC.

Dairy Products Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

A new study from the American Journal of Epidemiology links the consumption of dairy products to an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease. Researchers studied this association among 388 men and women with Parkinson’s disease participating in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II. Those who consumed the most dairy milk had a 70 percent greater risk for the disease.

Chen H, O’Reilly E, McCullough ML, Rodriguez C, et al. Consumption of dairy products and risk of Parkinson’s disease. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;165:998-1006.

Low-Fat Dairy Products Linked to Increased Infertility Risk

A new study found low-fat dairy product consumption is linked to an increased risk of infertility. A total of 18,555 premenopausal women from the Nurses’ Health Study II who attempted a pregnancy or became pregnant between 1991 and 1999 were evaluated for the association between dairy products and infertility. Women who consumed two or more servings per day of low-fat dairy products had 1.85 times the risk for infertility. While total dairy product intake was not associated with an increased risk of infertility, the majority of fat in dairy products is saturated fat, which is linked to increased cholesterol, insulin resistance, overweight and obesity, and other health problems.

Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner B, Willet WC. A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility. Hum Reprod. 2007;22(5):1340-1347.

Meat-Eating Moms Have Less-Fertile Sons

A new study in Human Reproduction finds that a pregnant woman’s meat consumption can reduce her future son’s sperm count. Researchers at the University of Rochester in New York analyzed the relationship between various sperm parameters of 387 men and the eating habits of their mothers from the Study for Future Families. The more beef a mother consumed, the lower her son’s sperm concentration. Sperm count was 24 percent higher in men whose mothers consumed less beef. The difference may be due to steroid hormones found in animal products. Six hormones are commonly used in the United States to induce increased growth and development in cows, and measurable levels are routinely present in the animals’ muscle, fat, liver, kidneys, and other organs. Cattle raised without extra hormones still have significant hormone levels in their tissues because of endogenous hormone production, and the nutrient profile of animal products tends to elevate hormone levels in the human body.

Swan SH, Liu F, Overstreet JW, Brazil C, Skakkebaek NE. Semen quality of fertile US males in relation to their mothers’ beef consumption during pregnancy. Hum Reprod. Advance access published on March 28, 2007.

Don’t Forget Your Vitamin B12

A vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes provides plenty of protein and an abundance of vitamins and minerals to meet nutritional needs. You’ll find plenty of calcium in green leafy vegetables and legumes. However, there is one nutrient that merits a bit of simple planning.

Vitamin B12, which is essential for healthy nerves and healthy blood, is not produced by animals or plants. It is formed by bacteria and other one-celled organisms. Animal products commonly contain B12 formed by bacteria in animals’ intestinal tracts. While B12 is also formed in the human intestine, it occurs after the point where the vitamin can be readily absorbed.

Vitamin B12 needs can be met by consuming a variety of supplemented foods, including fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soymilk, fortified meat analogues, and some brands of nutritional yeast. However, the most convenient and reliable source is a daily multivitamin. All common brands for children and adults contain more than enough B12. Spirulina, miso, and seaweed are not reliable sources of vitamin B12.

We recommend that all adults and children take a daily multivitamin or a B12 supplement of at least 5 micrograms per day. The recommended dietary allowance for adults is 2.4 micrograms per day, with increased requirements for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Most cases of B12 deficiency have nothing to do with diet. Rather, individuals who lose their ability to absorb the vitamin become deficient no matter what sort of diet they follow and need treatment with injectable or high-dose oral B12.

In the non-industrialized world, where bacterial contamination commonly brought traces of B12 to foods, B12 deficiency is largely prevented. However, modern hygiene has eliminated this source, just as indoor living has largely eliminated sunlight, nature’s source of vitamin D. A daily multivitamin restores these essential nutrients.

Trans Fats Disrupt Electricity in the Heart

Most people know that eating the wrong kind of fat can cause a heart attack.

But researchers from the University of Alberta have discovered even worse news attributable to trans fats and saturated fats — they can also wreak havoc with the electricity in your heart, worsening the severity of heart attacks and increasing the risk of death.

They discovered that in addition to affecting the heart vessels, “bad” fats also affect the cells of the heart, causing an excessive build-up of calcium within the cells, and disrupting the rhythm of electricity flow in your heart.

The Vancouver Sun July 31, 2007

Scientists Warn — Dangerous Chemical Found in Plastic

An estrogen-like compound widely used in plastic products is thought to be causing serious reproductive disorders, according to a statement by several dozen scientists, including four from federal health agencies.

The compound, bisphenol A (BPA), is one of the most-produced chemicals in the world, and almost everyone has traces of it — or more — in their bodies.

After reviewing about 700 studies, the scientists concluded that people are exposed to levels of BPA in excess of those that have harmed lab animals. Among the most vulnerable are infants and fetuses, who are still developing.

BPA is used to make hard plastic that’s used in numerous products including:

  • Polycarbonate plastic baby bottles
  • Large water-cooler containers and sports bottles
  • Microwave-oven dishes
  • Canned-food liners
  • Some dental sealants for children

The statement appeared alongside five accompanying scientific reviews and a new study by the National Institutes of Health that found newborn animals exposed to BPA suffered from uterine damage. The damage could indicate that the chemical causes reproductive disorders in women ranging from fibroids to endometriosis to cancer.

While studies have yet to be conducted to directly examine BPA’s influence on humans, past animal studies have found low doses of the chemical to be associated with early-stage prostate and *** cancers and decreased sperm count.

No governmental agency worldwide has restricted the use of BPA, but a U.S. expert panel is meeting to discuss whether the chemical should be declared a human reproductive toxin, which could lead to regulatory action.

The chemical industry maintains that BPA is safe, and has called the scientists’ statement “alarmist and biased.”

Reproductive Toxicology July 2007
Seattle Times August 3, 2007

Eating Blueberries Slashes Your Colon Cancer Risk

Adding blueberries to your diet may be a natural way to prevent colon cancer, according to researchers at Rutgers University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a study of 18 rats with colon cancer, those fed a diet supplemented with the blueberry compound pterostilbene had 57 percent fewer pre-cancerous lesions after eight weeks compared to the control group. Pterostilbene also inhibited genes involved in inflammation, which is thought to be a risk factor for colon cancer.

A past study has also found that blueberries are beneficial; when blueberry skins were fed to animals, their cholesterol was lowered. It’s thought that pterostilbene may prevent colon cancer by lowering lipids in your body.

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins, and are a good source of ellagic acid, which is known to block metabolic pathways that may lead to cancer. There are 30 different blueberry species native to North America.

Clinical Cancer Research, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 1, 2007: 350-355
Newstarget July 26, 2007


Selected segments are reproduced from:

Dr. Mercola’s excellent website: http://www.mercola.com/index.htm

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org