News Summary

Professionals act on low-carb fad

Health experts and consumer advocates in the US say popular low-carbohydrate diets are leading Americans to poor health and have given rise spawning to a “rip-off industry” of products designed to exploit the trend. A new group ? the Partnership for Essential Nutrition ? has been formed to help educate the public about the need for healthy carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains. The group includes as the Alliance for Aging Research, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Obesity Association, and has a website at http://www.essentialnutrition.org/.
(CNN Online)
www.bbc.co.uk

Fish guidance from FSA

The FSA is to issue guidelines on the consumption of oily fish. The publication of recommended maximum consumption levels follows a report from a team led by Professor Alan Jackson from the University of Southampton. While oily fish contain omega 3 fatty acids, it is also more likely than other fish to contain dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls. The FSA says there is no immediate harm from consuming these contaminants and any negative effects are outweighed by the health benefits of oily fish.
(BBC News Online)
www.bbc.co.uk

Coronary flow effect

Black tea may boost to blood flow to the heart, according to the results of a small study in Japan. A team at Osaka City University has found that in healthy men coronary artery flow improves two hours after drinking black tea, while a caffeinated drink used as a comparison had such effect. The researchers say the tea may improved the dilation of the blood vessels, perhaps as a through its flavonoid content.
(Reuters Health Online)
www.reutershealth.com

Coffee concern

Research indicates that a significant number of people have turned dieticians for advice after becoming concerned about their coffee intake. In a survey, 66 per cent of dieticians who discussed coffee with their patients said the consultation was prompted by stories in the media. Nearly 70 per cent of those questioned said health education about coffee should be included in medical students’ training. Dr Sarah Schenker, a dietician at the British Nutrition Foundation, said, “There is much confusion among healthcare professionals regarding coffee and health. This research shows that dieticians are an important source of information and need up to date information in order to be able to provide advice to patients about coffee.”
(British Coffee Association press release)
www.britishcoffeeassociation.org

Food firm replies to salt accusation

One of the companies named in the controversy over salt levels in food says the government has been “mudslinging”. Unilever was one of 27 companies to receive a letter from public health minister Melanie Johnson, who told them plans to cut levels do not go far enough. However, Unilever?s food division chairman, James Hill, replies that the industry has already made “significant” reductions, and he has called on the government to adopt a wider approach to tackle the issue instead of apportioning blame. “One of the paradoxical things in this debate is [... ] that the industry has responded faster and more proactively than on any other issue. We gradually have to wean the population off a saltier taste by a gradual, progressive reduction,” he told the BBC.
(BBC News Online)
www.bbc.co.uk

Combining fish oil and diet “can reduce triglyceride”

Researchers in the US say a combination of prolonged exercise and fish oil consumption can dramatically reduce triglyceride levels. A study at the University of Missouri-Columbia concludes that the muscle cells of people who carry out prolonged, aerobic exercise can break down the fat quickly, and that a fish oil supplement can reduce levels further. The study recorded a 38 per cent drop in peak triglyceride levels in men who took a fish oil supplement before they ate a high-fat meal, while peak levels dropped 50 per cent in men who exercised and took a fish oil supplement before they ate the meal.
(Health Scout)
www.healthscout.com

New variety of tomato “may prevent cancer”

The Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries in Australia has cultivated a tomato it hopes will help prevent prostate cancer. The tomato has much higher than usual levels of lycopene, which research suggests could reduce the risk of the disease. Primary Industries physiologist Tim O’Hare hopes a commercially viable tomato will be produced soon.
(ABC Online)
www.abc.net.au

Jam today; and tomorrow

A boy in Suffolk is healthy and thriving on a diet made up almost exclusively of jam sandwiches. Craig Flatman, who is 15, and has eaten five rounds a day since the age of 4, weighs 11 stone and is 6? 1” tall. The only variation in his eating is when he has chocolate cereal at breakfast. He drinks two pints of semi-skimmed milk a day. Craig?s parents say he has never been ill, apart from the usual childhood maladies, and his teeth have never needed a filling. He has been treated at Great Ormond Street Children?s Hospital, where doctors tried to wean him on to normal family meals but this was stopped because he was sick whenever he put anything other than his staple food in his mouth.
(The Times)
www.timesonline.co.uk