News summary

Eating disorder services criticised

A survey by the Eating Disorders Association survey concludes that 55 per cent of anorexia and bulimia sufferers are not treated by a specialist, and that in 42 per cent of cases, GPs fail to make an early diagnosis. The EDA says the early detection of an eating disorder early is “perhaps the most important recommendation” made by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in its guidelines – issued last year – for treating anorexia and bulimia. The organisation says the lack of access to specialist care is largely due to a shortage of consultant psychiatrists. In some cases the nearest specialist services are as far as 150 miles away.
BBC News Online

Genetic element to taste “may explain vegetable antipathy”

Genetic variations in the sensitivity of taste buds to bitter flavours may help explain why some children dislike vegetables so passionately. A study of 143 children and their mothers by scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia shows that those who carry at least one copy of a “sensitive” form of a gene called TAS2R38, which governs a taste receptor for bitterness, are able to pick up very small traces of bitter flavouring in a test drink, with the children particularly adept at it.
Reuters Health Online

Children’s drinks and the development of weight problems

Sweet drinks – both naturally sweet fruit juices and those with sugar added – seem to increase the risk that young children who are already overweight will become more so as they get older. Research at the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control shows that when 3- and 4-year-olds are already on the heavy side, drinking something sweet once or twice a day doubles their chance of being seriously overweight a year later. The drinks appear to have no such effect in children of normal weight.
CNN Online

Dietary alternative to statins

A diet rich in fibre and vegetables can reduce cholesterol as effectively as statins, according to researchers in Canada. They say such a diet is easy to follow and could offer an alternative for people who cannot tolerate the drugs’ side-effects. Scientists at St Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto have created what they call a diet “portfolio”, which is high in soy protein, almonds, and cereal fibre as well as plant sterols. David Jenkins and colleagues say the “portfolio” diet reduces LDL by nearly 30 per cent, in comparison with a drop of 33 per cent due to statins.
CNN Online

A refinement of vegetable message?

A compound in carrots may reduce the risk of developing cancer, according to a team at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. The researchers say in trials the natural pesticide falcarinol cut the risk in rats by a third. Falcarinol protects carrots from fungal diseases. The Newcastle team investigated its properties after a previous study suggested it could prevent the development of cancer. Dr Kirsten Brandt says, “We now need to take [the research] a step further by finding out how much falcarinol is needed to prevent the development of cancer and if certain types of carrot are better than others, as there are many varieties in existence, of different shapes, colours and sizes. For consumers, it may soon no longer be a case of advising them to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day but to eat particular types of these in certain quantities.”
BBC News Online

Benefits in old age of balanced diet

A study in the US concludes that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and dairy products may help maintain the ability to function normally in old age. Denise Houston, of Wake Forest University, says older people who consume more of these foods are more likely than others to pass tests of physical capability such as walking a quarter of a mile or climbing 10 steps. She believes the high levels of antioxidants in fruit and vegetables can help to prevent cellular damage. She says, “A diet that’s higher in fruit and vegetables and dairy products does have effects other than on chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is possible that by eating a healthy diet you can also reduce the probability of having functional limitations and disability.”
HealthScout

Protein source “influences heart risk”

Older women who eat large amounts of protein in red meat or dairy products may be at an increased risk of death from heart disease, according to the results of a large study. Scientists led by Dr Linda Kelemen, of the Mayo Clinic, say in a sample of more than 29,000 postmenopausal women, those who reported the highest intake of protein from these sources were at roughly 40 per cent more risk of dying from heart disease over the next 15 years than those women with the lowest intake. Dr Kelemen says she cannot say quite why protein from red meat and dairy products should boost heart risk, but she notes that there is animal research showing that protein from animal sources, independent of fat and cholesterol content, can promote the formation of plaques. Soy protein, on the other hand, shows no such effects.
Reuters Health Online