News summary

Weight gain prevention

Research in Canada indicates that modifying the consumption of different food groups may prevent gradual weight gain. A team at Laval University, in Quebec, has found that adults who increase their intake of fruit put on less weight and body fat than those whose fruit consumption drops, an effect also noted in those who increase their consumption of skimmed or low-fat milk, or cut back on fatty foods. Lead researcher Vicky Drapeau says the findings support standard public health recommendations. She adds that the results suggest that low-fat milk, and possibly other calcium-rich foods, are important in weight control.
(Reuters Health Online)
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Anti-clotting discovery

Tomato juice may help prevent the heart problems that often complicate type 2 diabetes, according to scientists in Australia who say it reduces the blood’s ability to clot. Manohar Garg, an associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of Newcastle, says if it is corroborated by further studies the finding may one day also help others with increased clotting tendency, for example smokers and long-distance air travellers. Professor Garg says it is not clear what causes this effect and that “mechanisms of how tomato juice inhibits platelet aggregation need to be delineated prior to issuing practical recommendations”.
(HealthScout)
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Diet and blood pressure

A low-fat and low-salt diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables can lead to a significant drop in blood pressure, say researchers in the US. Dr George Bray, of Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says “Reducing sodium intake consistently reduced blood pressure across all participating groups [in the study].” He suggests it may be appropriate in the light of the results to reduce officially recommended sodium intake levels in the US.
(Reuters Health Online)
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Vitamin “linked to spina bifida risk”

Women with low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood are at increased risk of having a baby with spina bifida, Dutch researchers say. Scientists at the University Medical Center Nijmegen have found that the mothers of children with spina bifida have B12 levels an average of 21 per cent lower than those of other mothers. In those with the lowest levels, the risk of spina bifida is increased more than threefold. The researchers say their results suggest that mothers with low B12 concentrations may benefit from the use of a multivitamin supplement around the time of conception.
(Reuters Health Online)
www.reutershealth.com