Wellness Foods - June 2008 - (Page 3)

By Diane Toops, News & Trends Editor HEALTHBITES Vegetarians by the numbers Some 3.2 percent of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarianbased diet, according to a poll of 5,050 respondents by Harris Interactive for Vegetarian Times and analyzed by RRC Associates, a research firm in Boulder, Colo. Approximately 0.5 percent, or 1 million, of those are vegans, who consume no animal products at all, according to the “Vegetarianism in America” study. In addition, 10 percent of U.S., adults, or 22.8 million people, say they largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet. The 2008 study also indicates that, of the non-vegetarians surveyed, 5.2 percent, or 11.9 million people, are “definitely interested” in following a vegetarian-based diet in the future. Demographic data of vegetarians found 59 percent are female; 41 percent are male; 42 percent are 18-34 years old; 40.7 percent are 35-54; and 17.4 percent are over 55. The study also indicated that 53 percent of current vegetarians eat a vegetarian diet to improve their overall health; environmental concerns were cited by 47 percent; 39 percent cited “natural approaches to wellness”; 31 percent cited food-safety concerns; 54 percent cited animal welfare; 25 percent cited weight loss; and 24 percent weight maintenance. See www.vegetariantimes.com. Probiotic bacteria could help prevent allergies Exposing pregnant mothers and infants to probiotic bacteria could help stimulate the growth of the immune system and play a role in preventing allergies, according to researchers at the University of Helsinki. The team selected 1,223 women who either had a history of allergies, a partner with allergies or both. Since susceptibility to allergy is partly genetic, they assumed the babies were “predisposed” to allergies. The women were given probiotic or placebo doses daily from the eighth month of pregnancy to six months after birth. At three, six and 24 months, pediatricians examined the children without knowing whether they were probiotic- or placebo-treated babies. The team found that levels of key proteins associated with tissue inflammation were 50 percent higher on average in the blood of probiotic-treated infants than in the blood of placebo-treated infants. Inflammation is thought to stimulate the immune system, and so reduce allergic reaction. Probiotic children also were 30 percent less likely than their untreated counterparts to develop an itchy skin condition known as atopic eczema, which is often an early manifestation of allergies. The findings support the idea that allergies have increased, at least partially, because of the deficit of bacteria in modern living. Historically, food was loaded with bacteria and caused chronic immune responses that resulted in inflammation. In the absence of such heavy bacterial exposure, the immune system is much less active than it should be and this leads to malfunction and can lead to allergies. Vitamin D deficiency and PAD People with low blood levels of vitamin D were found to have a higher incidence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), potentially dangerous blockages in the leg arteries, reports HealthDay News. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, presented their findings at the American Heart Assn.’s Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology annual conference. More than double the incidence of PAD was found among those with the lowest levels of vitamin D compared to those with the highest levels. Vitamin D, which is made when the body is exposed to sunlight, is converted to a hormone that makes bones stronger. The link to blood vessel problems has emerged in recent years. Current guidelines recommend a vitamin D intake of 400 IUs a day for people aged 50 and older. In addition to sunlight, other sources of the vitamin are salmon, sardines, cod liver oil, fortified milk and some fortified cereals. Abstinence for postmenopausal women Alcohol consumption (regardless of the type of alcohol) is linked to an increased risk of the most common type of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute, who analyzed data from more than 184,000 women. Women who consumed one to two small drinks a day were 32 percent more likely to develop a hormone-sensitive tumor, and three or more drinks a day raised the risk by 51 per cent. The NCI study lends credence to the theory that alcohol’s interference with the metabolism of estrogen raises the risk of cancer. Food Processing’s Wellness Foods™ www.wellnessfoodsonline.com June 2008 | 3 http://www.vegetariantimes.com http://www.wellnessfoodsonline.com

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Wellness Foods - June 2008 Feeding Baby B12 Pumps Up Energy Drinks Strong as Iron The Lure of Lignans

Wellness Foods - June 2008

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