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SCIENCE NEWS OF THE YEAR |
Eating wrong The National
Academies’ Institute of
Medicine reports that
“nearly the entire U.S.
population consumes a
diet that is not on par with
recommendations” (SN
Online: 9/29/10).
Nutrition
600 international units | New recommended daily intake of vitamin D c n
leading mercury source for
many people in China (SN
Online: 4/16/10).
Breast milk takes on HIV
Two research teams have
developed tactics to protect babies of HIV-infected
women by supplementing mom’s breast milk with
virus-quashing bacteria
(SN Online: 8/6/10).
Pucker no more Japanese
scientists have engineered
tomatoes to produce a
natural taste-altering
protein that makes sour
foods seem oh-so-sweet
(SN Online: 8/10/10).
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New antioxidant benefits
An antioxidant chemical
in grapes, peanuts and wine
can boost the action of
insulin, which would benefit
people with type 2 diabetes,
two new studies suggest (SN
Online: 6/23/10). Two more
show how this molecule,
resveratrol, might fight reti-nal and heart disease (SN
Online: 6/28/10).
Chili diets A study shows
that an ingredient in peppers can rev up the metabolism of obese diners — a
potential boon to weight
loss — and another study
identifies the molecular
changes that fight fat (SN
Online: 4/27/10; SN Online:
6/3/10).
Take dairy to heart A
Swedish study links high
concentrations of dairy fats
in the blood to a reduced
risk of heart attacks (SN
Online: 8/27/10).
Mercurial fish and rice U.S.
studies offer guidance on
how to tap the dietary benefits of fish without risking mercury poisoning. One
suggestion: Focus on low-contamination species (SN:
5/22/10, p. 10). Researchers
also discover that rice is the
Deficient in D Research
continues to link a shortage
of vitamin D with health
risks. Lymphoma patients
deficient in the “sunshine
vitamin” do poorly com-
pared with those who have
plenty of it (SN: 1/2/10,
p. 15), and children getting
extra doses of vitamin D
fend off the flu better than
those getting placebos (SN
Online: 3/16/10). The Insti-
tute of Medicine has tripled
the dietary reference intake
for vitamin D (SN: 1/1/11,
p. 14) from 200 interna-
tional units to 600 IU for
people ages 1 to 50, and has
also raised it for other age
groups. But researchers say
the new targets are still way
too low to address wide-
spread vitamin D deficiency.
Fish oil packs a punch
Omega- 3 fatty acids are turning up in plenty of promising reports, but some tests fail to show a bene;t.
Reported anti-in;ammatory effects of the compound
may help to shake out just how these nutrients boost
health. High levels of omega-3s are found in ;sh oil
from cold-water species and in walnut and ;axseed oils.
Scientists report that people with sepsis, a lethal
in;ammatory overreaction triggered by a blood infection,
fare better if they get ;sh oil rather than soybean oil
(SN: 2/13/10, p. 14). Other researchers ;nd that ample
omega- 3 in the blood can protect the ends of chromosomes, helping cells live longer.
On the cancer front, ;sh oil and its anti-in;ammatory
cargo of omega-3s seem to guard against breast cancer
(SN: 7/31/10, p. 13), while 14 other over-the-counter supplements fail to show a bene;t. And lab research in mice
induced to have prostate cancer ;nds that their tumors
grow more slowly on a diet rich in walnut oil, which is high
in omega-3s, compared with soy oil (SN: 4/24/10, p. 13;
SN Online: 3/27/10).
In some studies, though, omega- 3 bene;ts come up
short. For example, people with heart arrhythmia may
not be helped by ;sh oil (SN: 12/18/10, p. 15), and
other reports cast doubt on a protective effect against
dementia. The research continues.
Omega- 3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish appear to
have benefits, including guarding against some cancers.
the menu, animal data indicate (SN: 11/6/10, p. 10).
Healthy perks At least
among aging rats, coffee can
boost memory and signaling
essential to motor coordination (SN Online: 7/22/10).
gene picked up from
marine microbes hitchhiking through the intestines
(SN: 5/8/10, p. 13).
Fattening after dark When
it comes to limiting weight
gain, timing of dining may
be as important as what’s on
Seaweed superpowers Gut
microbes found in Japanese
people can break down a
compound in seaweed. The
ability may come from a
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January 1, 2011 | SCIENCE NEWS | 31
