News summary

Alcohol and conception

New research suggests that not only should women who are thinking about becoming pregnant stay away from alcoholic drink, but that their partners should too. Scientists in Denmark say the consumption of alcohol by either sex during the conception period increases the likelihood of miscarriage. Dr Tine Brink Henriksen, of Aarhus University Hospital, says in a study group women who reported consuming 10 or more drinks per week at the time of conception were nearly three times more likely to experience a miscarriage than those who had not consumed any alcohol. When men consumed 10 or more weekly drinks at the time of conception, their partner’s risk of spontaneous abortion was up to five times greater than it was for women whose partner did not drink.
(Reuters Health Online)
www.reutershealth.com

Apples “may prevent bowel cancer”

Apples may offer protection against bowel cancer at bay, say researchers in France. A team at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research says procyanidins in the fruit appear to reduce significantly the number of precancerous lesions in lab animals. It appear that the chemicals – a class of polyphenol – alter signalling pathways that control cell “suicide”. Lead researcher Dr Francis Raul says, “Our work suggests that eating the whole apple, including the skin, might offer some anti-cancer benefits.
(BBC News Online)
www.bbc.co.uk

STD hope

Cranberries could help combat one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in Britain, according to scientists in Taiwan, who have found a substance that appears, in vitro, to prevent infection with HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes. Proanthocyanidin A-1 seems to hinder the virus in its penetration of cells as well as slowing down viral replication.
(The Independent)
www.independent.co.uk

US osteoporosis warning

The surgeon-general in the US has issued a warning that half of all older people will develop osteoporosis or be at high risk of developing it by 2020 unless they start taking more calcium, vitamin D and exercise. Releasing his first report on osteoporosis, Richard Carmona recommends a little over a pint of low-fat milk a day, as an adjunct to calcium from the rest of a normal diet, but points out that many people require supplements to get enough vitamin D. (The Washington Post Online)

Another effect of better nutrition?

Recent rises in average IQ levels may be due in part to improving nutrition standards. Dr Roberto Colom and colleagues, writing in the journal intelligence, say an examination of the IQs and lifestyles of two groups of seven-year-old boys 30 years apart shows that deprived boys made nine times the improvement of the other group. “The gains are progressively smaller as we move toward the upper half [of the sample]. The tendency is impressive,” says Dr Colom. The conclusion that nutrition is the most likely explanation for the rise in IQ is supported by existing research, which has established a link between height, brain size and intelligence. Some studies indicate that diets with good iron and zinc levels are related to higher scores on intelligence tests, while others have linked intellectual performance to omega-3 fatty acids.
(The Independent)
www.independent.co.uk

Daily coffee “could be harmful”

Greek scientists say drinking more than one cup of coffee a day could lead to cardiovascular inflammation, and in turn to heart disease. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition the researchers say the consumption of more than 200 millilitres of coffee daily can lead to health problems.
(ABC Online)
www.abc.net.au

Vitamin C and cancer?

More research shows that eating fruit high in vitamin C may reduce the risk of stomach cancer, and that lycopene may also help prevent the disease. The US National Cancer Institute and National Public Health Institute of Finland report that fruit and vitamin C intake – but not vegetable consumption – reduce the risk of the major form of stomach cancer by approximately 45 per cent, while lycopene reduces the risk by 34 per cent. However, the researchers note that the latter finding needs further study.
(Nubella Online)
www.nubella.com

?Vitamin D a factor in joint trouble

Scientists in the US report that there is a link between low vitamin D levels in serum and reduced function in osteoarthritic knees. Dr David Felson, of Boston University, says low vitamin D levels are associated with higher levels of pain and disability and to a lesser extent muscle weakness. His colleague, Dr Kristin Baker, adds, “It may be that vitamin D increases muscle strength or decreases postural sway, we don’t really know.” She points out that this study was not intended to prove vitamin D as a treatment for osteoarthritis, but speculated that “we may need higher serum levels of vitamin D than we originally thought…This is one more piece of evidence that vitamin D intake should be increased.”
(Reuters Health Online)
www.reutershealth.com