Marc Joseph Nutrition - Blog

The growing influence of China on the world’s food market is indisputable:

According to the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, China produced nearly half of the world’s vegetables—five times the U.S. share. China also produced 16% of the world’s fruit, more than double the U.S. share. And its growth in agriculture, as in manufacturing, is staggering. In the last four years for which data are available, China added 5.7 million acres to the cultivation of vegetables. That’s 50% more than the total land used for vegetable farming in the U.S.

Yet, this recent Business Week article raises questions regarding potential produce contamination:

What’s not to like about reasonably priced berries in January? Well, some food experts are concerned. The trouble is that perishable commodities shipped over vast distances are some of the most vulnerable to contamination and other issues. Rutgers’ Hallman points out that much fresh produce is meant to be eaten raw, and there’s no way to kill microorganisms they may contain, the way food companies can use irradiation on poultry or meat. “The longer the distance that the fresh produce travels, the more chances there are for contamination from mishandling and more time for the microbes to multiply,” says Hallman.

China’s record with food imports isn’t reassuring. Just last month, 107 food imports from China were detained by the Food & Drug Administration at U.S. ports, according to The Washington Post. Among them were dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical and mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides.

Organic produce from China may have risks, too:

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Chronic inflammation is an important factor in many conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), arthritis, digestive disorders, and more.

In a recent study published in the top journal Science, researchers at the University of Chicago identified what seems to be a key link between the immune system and high blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels.

Specifically, the scientists found that when tumor necrosis factor cytokines (immune system messengers) were over-expressed on T cells (white blood cells that regulate immune response and attack virus-infected, foreign, and cancer cells) in mice, that blood lipid levels rose.

Since the liver and intestines are believed to be primarily responsible for regulating blood lipid levels, the researchers also looked at the livers of the mice. The liver secretes an enzyme called hepatic lipase, which breaks down lipids (e.g., VLDL, triglycerides). The scientists observed that the livers of mice that had T cells expressing greater inflammatory cytokines produced less hepatic lipase, and thus had higher blood lipid levels.

As one of the study’s co-authors notes, the implications of this finding could be far-reaching:

“Those with inflammatory problems such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel syndrome have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, often associated with elevated lipid levels,” added co-author Godfrey Getz, MD, PhD, professor of pathology, biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Chicago. “This study may explain why.”

Causes of Increased Inflammation

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There’s a good amount of published research suggesting that the carotenoids (plant pigments) lutein and zeaxanthin may help to maintain vision and prevent the development of conditions such as age-related macular decline (AMD) and cataracts.

A recent study took a look at the potential benefit of lutein and zeaxanthin for skin health. Both nutrients are naturally found in the skin, and, as in the eye, are believed to have both antioxidant and light-filtering capability. In the double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers found that groups of individuals given oral and topical lutein/zeaxanthin were significantly less affected by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Specifically, after just two weeks, the groups given daily oral lutein/zexanthin supplementation (6 mg lutein, 0.6 mg zeaxanthin), topical lutein/zeaxanthin application (5% liquid), or both oral supplements and topical application, had improved their sensitivity to UV radiation by 4 times, 2 times, and 6 times, respectively.

Not only did the carotenoids protect the study participants’ skin from UV radiation damage, but the nutrients also improved the lipid (fat) content, hydration, and elasticity of the skin.

Sun exposure is the primary way for people to get the extremely important and often deficient vitamin D. At the same time, too much sun exposure can damage the skin. Good intake of lutein and zeaxanthin may help to offset this potential risk.

Sources of Lutein & Zeaxanthin

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And on it goes. The latest salvo against nutritional supplements is a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that suggests men taking “excessive” multivitamins are at increased risk for advanced and fatal prostate cancers.

Specifically, researchers found that men who took multivitamins more than 7 times a week had a 32% and 98% greater risk of developing advanced and fatal prostate cancers, respectively.

Advanced prostate cancer is certainly serious condition, but let us count the ways why the results of this study should not be of significant concern:

- No association was observed between multivitamin use and overall prostate cancer risk.

- No association was observed between multivitamin use and localized prostate cancer risk. With regular screening (prostate specific antigen - PSA & digital rectal exam - DRE) now much more common, the vast majority of prostate cancers are caught at a localized, early stage. Many treatment options are available and prognoses are good in such cases. In fact, most older men, and many younger men, have cancerous cells in their prostates. Yet, since the cancer is often slow growing, those affected individuals identified through screening often go on to die years later from another condition.

(Just to be clear, I’m not trivializing prostate cancer and its potential effects. It is the most common form of cancer affecting men, and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, although infrequent, can be deadly. Regular screening and accurate diagnosis are important.)

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Two recent studies in the Archives of Ophthalmology suggest that individuals with greater consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and higher vitamin D levels may be at lower risk for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness for people over age 50.

There are two primary forms of AMD, the dry form, which is caused by loss of cells in the epithelial layer in the retina, and the wet (or neovascular) form, which is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina.

Omega-3

In the first study, researchers divided participants into five groups (quintiles) based on total omega-3 fat intake and found that the individuals in the top quintile were 39% less likely to develop wet AMD than people in the lowest quintile of intake. Scientists also looked at a specific omega-3 fatty acid (DHA - docosahexanoic acid), which is found in high concentration in the retina, and observed a 46% reduction in AMD risk when comparing the highest and lowest quintile of intake.

Additionally, fish intake positively correlated with reduced wet AMD risk in the study, but as discussed earlier, I would be reluctant to eat high levels of fish given the potential risk for toxin exposure. Vision disturbances are common in mercury poisoning cases. Contaminant-tested fish oil supplements are much preferred as a safer omega-3 source.

Interestingly, researchers found that high consumption of arachidonic acid (AA) was associated with a 54% increase in wet AMD risk. AA is an omega-6 fatty acid found in high quantities in red meat, dairy, and egg yolks, as well as metabolized from vegetable oils, such as corn and soybean oils commonly used in processed, packaged, and restaurant-prepared foods. This finding once again suggests that it is important to not only ensure adequate omega-3 intake, but also to moderate omega-6 intake, in order to manage inflammation. I addressed this topic in an earlier post.

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Two of the most important steps you can take for good long-term health are to:

1. Make sure you’re getting your body’s cells the nutrients they need to function well.
2. Avoid exposure to toxins that can damage cells and/or interfere with your body’s ability to use nutrients.

With regard to the first step, good nutrition, through both diet and supplementation, is obviously key.

With regard to the second step, one of the common sources of potential regular toxin exposure is through personal care products, e.g.:

• Hair Care - shampoo, conditioner, hair dye, gel/mousse
• Skin Care - soap, lotion, deodorant, shaving, sunscreen
• Oral Care - toothpaste, mouthwash, teeth whitener
• Nail Care - polish, remover
• Cosmetics - eyeliner, lipstick, mascara
• Fragrances - perfumes, many products above

Today there is no law requiring personal care and cosmetics products to be safety tested before being sold.

By law, the government cannot mandate safety studies of cosmetics products or their ingredients, and only 13 percent of the 10,500 ingredients in personal care products have been reviewed for safety by the cosmetic industry’s own review panel. For virtually every product on the market, safety decisions are made behind closed doors, guided by an industry-funded panel, without the benefit of peer-review or independent pre-market safety testing.

Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group, a consumer watchdog organization, has put together an extremely useful database called Skin Deep that has safety ratings for over 25,000 different personal care products.

It’s definitely worth checking out. Find the products you use and see how they rate. You can search by product name, category, brand, etc.

You might be surprised to see what chemicals are potentially in the products you’re using. Everything from endocrine disruptors (e.g., phthalates, parabens) to heavy metals (e.g., mercury, lead) to carcinogens (e.g., petroleum byproduct contaminant 1,4-dioxane). The database can help you to make safer product choices for you and your family.

Note: If you find the database useful, consider supporting the non-profit Environmental Working Group and/or signing the petition on the Skin Deep main page asking Congress to take action to help make personal care products safer.

Image: Environmental Working Group

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Discover How Nutrition Can Make a Difference in Your Life …

Marc Joseph Nutrition

Oh my:

[T]he intersection of money and medicine, and its effect on the well-being of patients, has become one of the most contentious issues in health care. Nowhere is that more true than in psychiatry, where increasing payments to doctors have coincided with the growing use in children of a relatively new class of drugs known as atypical antipsychotics.

These best-selling drugs, including Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Abilify and Geodon, are now being prescribed to more than half a million children in the United States to help parents deal with behavior problems despite profound risks and almost no approved uses for minors.

A New York Times analysis of records in Minnesota, the only state that requires public reports of all drug company marketing payments to doctors, provides rare documentation of how financial relationships between doctors and drug makers correspond to the growing use of atypicals in children.

From 2000 to 2005, drug maker payments to Minnesota psychiatrists rose more than sixfold, to $1.6 million. During those same years, prescriptions of antipsychotics for children in Minnesota’s Medicaid program rose more than ninefold.

Those who took the most money from makers of atypicals tended to prescribe the drugs to children the most often, the data suggest. On average, Minnesota psychiatrists who received at least $5,000 from atypical makers from 2000 to 2005 appear to have written three times as many atypical prescriptions for children as psychiatrists who received less or no money.

The excerpt above is from a recent NY Times article that provides an excellent “behind-the-scenes” look at the use and marketing of prescription antipsychotic drugs for children. It’s truly eye-opening. Read the whole thing.

Unfortunately, Minnesota is the only state that requires disclosure of drug company marketing payments to doctors. It would be great to see the entire industry-wide picture — and not just for psychiatric drugs.

Increasing Number of Diagnoses

Another question worth answering is why has there been such an increase in the perceived need for using these drugs with children?

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In a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers have found that the current Adequate Intake (AI)* for choline may not be sufficient to prevent fatty liver and muscle damage.

*An AI is a suggested intake in place of a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) in cases where there is insufficient scientific information to make a definitive intake recommendation.

Specifically, the scientists gave the study participants 550 mg choline per day (the AI for men) for every 70 kg in body weight for 10 days, followed by a diet of < 50 mg choline (plus 400 mcg of folic acid in some participants).

When given the choline deprived diet, 77% of the men and 80% of the post-menopausal women developed fatty liver or muscle damage, whereas only 44% of pre-menopausal women developed such signs. Estrogen increases the body’s production of phosphatidylcholine (see below) and may account for this observed difference.

Notably, nearly 1/4 of the men in the study developed signs of fatty liver and muscle damage while consuming the current AI level of choline.

Choline - What is It and Why Should You Care?

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In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers have found that many Americans, especially men, ethnic minorities, and individuals with less education, are not getting adequate intake of calcium.

Specifically, only 40% of the US men and women included in the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey met the Adequate Intake (AI)* for calcium. And that’s with nearly half (48%) of the survey participants taking calcium supplements.

* The government doesn’t set a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for calcium. Instead, an AI level (representing the daily suggested total intake from both diet and supplements) is set because of the lack of definitive knowledge regarding how nutrition, genetics, hormone balance, physical activity, etc. interact to affect bone health. The AI for adults ages 19 to 50 is 1000 mg, and for adults over age 50 it is 1200 mg.

Several groups in the study were more likely to have adequate calcium intake :

• Women - 60% more likely than men
• Caucasians - 90% more likely than non-Caucasians
• Education beyond high school - 50% more likely than those with less than high school education
• Individuals diagnosed with osteoporosis - 90% more likely than people over age 50 without the condition

Not Just Calcium

There are many factors other than calcium intake that can also affect your risk for developing osteoporosis, including:

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There’s an interesting interview (A Longer, Better Life) in the NY Times Magazine with two medical scientists (Lenny Guarente, Ph.D., M.I.T. biology professor and researcher, and Robert N. Butler, M.D., director of the International Longevity Center) discussing the topic of aging and longevity.

Here’s a quick look at some of the opinions expressed in the interview, some of which make sense, others of which are less likely to yield results.

Quality vs. Longevity

Guarente states that his goal is improving the health and quality of life, not so much its length:

The research that I’m involved in is not about extending life after people are infirm. I don’t think of life span as the gold standard. The gold standard is health span. All the indicators from the laboratory are that the genes we’re studying and the kinds of drugs we would be developing would extend health span. If you can extend health span, and you also happen to extend life span, so be it. That’s a side benefit.

For now, I’d have to agree with that goal. Lengthening the number of high-quality health years needs to be the primary objective. That’s not to say longevity shouldn’t also be a goal, but a practical first step seems to be improving the quality of the years humans generally live, so as to reduce both the individual suffering and financial costs often associated with the final years of life.

Why Not Longevity Science?

Butler notes that as a society we haven’t really devoted the necessary resources to examining the issues of healthy aging and longevity:

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