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Healthnotes Newswire (May 8, 2008)—Omega-3 fatty acids from fish offer many benefits to developing babies during pregnancy. But do contaminants such as mercury make eating fish unsafe? According to a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, pregnant women who eat two or more servings of fish each week may be providing their children with important nutrients that aid in cognitive development. Choosing fish with low mercury content appears to be even more beneficial.

Fish contains important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and is generally high in protein and low in saturated fat. Many studies have suggested that eating fish several times per week is good for heart health and for preventing diseases such as a cancer. But fish may also contain contaminants such as unhealthy mercury. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that pregnant women not eat more than two 6-ounce servings of fish per week.

The authors of this new study were concerned that if pregnant women limit fish intake, their babies may not receive enough omega-3 fatty acids, which could impair the brain’s cognitive development. To determine the risks and benefits of eating fish during pregnancy on child development, the authors looked at dietary habits of 341 pregnant women, their mercury levels during pregnancy, and the cognitive development of their children at age three.

Women who ate the most fish (more than two servings per week) had higher mercury levels. However, higher fish intake was associated with better cognitive test performance, regardless of mercury levels. Compared with the children of women who never ate fish, the children of women who ate more than two servings of fish per week but had the lowest mercury levels had better cognitive test performance.

“Recommendations for fish consumption during pregnancy should take into account the nutritional benefits of fish as well as the potential harms from mercury exposure,” said Emily Oken, MD, and her colleagues from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. The authors believe that if mercury contamination were not present, the cognitive benefits of eating fish would be greater. They point out that other contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls may also be present in fish and were not measured in this study but may have an adverse effect on child development.

Best bets for eating fish during pregnancy

For women who are or may become pregnant, choose fish that are likely to have lower mercury levels such as:

• Canned light tuna

• Shrimp

• Salmon

• Pollock

• Catfish

The EPA points out that fish that is used for fish sticks or fast food sandwiches tend to be fish that are lower in mercury content. Fish best avoided by pregnant women include shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.

(Am J Epidemiol 2008 Mar 28)

(What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/)

Healthnotes Newswire (May 8, 2008)—Calcium helps build stronger bones in young girls—but they need to get enough of it without interruption, reports a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

A recent analysis of several studies concerning calcium intake and bone health in young girls questioned the value of calcium supplementation for increasing bone density. The new study incorporated additional measures of bone turnover as well as bone accumulation in the body to see the effects of calcium supplementation in preteen girls. (It’s thought that bone accumulation more accurately predicts bone health later in life than looking at bone density alone.)

In the new study, 96 girls (average age 12 years) getting low amounts of calcium (about 636 mg per day on average) were given a supplement providing 792 mg of calcium per day or a placebo for 18 months. During the supplementation period and for two years afterward, they were tested on measures of bone density, bone mineral content, and the rate of bone turnover in the body.

Girls who took the calcium supplement had significantly greater bone density, higher rates of bone accumulation, and less bone turnover than girls in the placebo group during the supplementation period. Two years after the supplements had been discontinued, however, the positive effects were no longer seen. “Calcium supplementation enhances bone mineral accrual in teenage girls, but the effect is short-lived,” the authors said.

An Adequate Intake (AI) level for calcium of 1,300 mg per day has been set for children ages 9 to 13. The Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals found that 87% of girls between ages 12 and 19 do not get the recommended intake for calcium and that teen girls get an average of only about 600 to 700 mg of calcium per day.

During childhood, the rate of bone accumulation is greater than the rate of bone loss. By middle age, bone loss about equals gain. In women, bone loss exceeds gains after menopause. So, it’s important to maximize bone accumulation during youth to help protect against osteoporosis later in life.

Tips to boost calcium intake

• Include low-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt in the diet.

• Choose calcium-rich vegetables like broccoli, Chinese cabbage, kale, and turnip greens.

• Coffee, tea, and sodas can lead to calcium loss; opt for water or calcium-fortified fruit juices instead.

• Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption, so make sure to get some of the sunshine vitamin and look for vitamin D–fortified foods.

• Too much sodium can cause the body to dump precious calcium; try lemon juice in place of salt in dips and spreads or squeezed over steamed veggies.

• Choose vegetable protein, as excess protein in meat products can lead to calcium loss. Select tofu that’s packed in a calcium solution for a boost of this essential mineral.

(Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:455–62)

Healthnotes Newswire (May 8, 2008)—Women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) might find relief by supplementing with the herb saffron (Crocus sativus). A new study found that women experienced fewer PMS symptoms when they used a saffron extract.

The study from Iran, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, included 50 women between 20 and 45 years old with regular menstrual cycles. All of the women had experienced PMS symptoms for six months or more. After monitoring their symptoms for two menstrual cycles, the women were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg of saffron extract or placebo twice a day for two cycles.

The women using saffron improved in both PMS and depression symptoms after one cycle and improved further after two cycles. At the end of the study, 76% of the women taking saffron had a 50% or greater reduction in PMS symptoms, while only 8% of the women in the placebo group had similar improvement.

Most women experience some degree of heightened emotional sensitivity at the last half of their menstrual cycles, but for some women these mood changes can be extremely uncomfortable and in some cases debilitating. In addition to depressed or anxious moods, many PMS sufferers describe symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, food cravings, bloating, body aches, and breast tenderness in the last seven to ten days of their cycle.

The cause of PMS is not well understood, but it is likely to be attributable to several causes, including the high levels of estrogen and progesterone that mark the second half of the cycle, as well as changes in serotonin activity.

Native to India, saffron is an exotic herb, well-known for its culinary uses, such as the golden yellow color and distinctive taste it adds to rice dishes. Saffron also has historical medicinal uses, primarily as a digestive aid, stimulating appetite and relieving stomach pain and intestinal colic. Recent studies have suggested that saffron might also have antidepressant and anticancer properties.

“The results of our study suggest that an extract of saffron can effectively relieve the symptoms of PMS,” commented one of the study’s co-authors, Professor Shahin Akhondzadeh, PhD, from the Psychiatric Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. “We also looked at saffron’s effect on depression because it is a common aspect of PMS. Previous studies have found that saffron is beneficial to women with mild to moderate depression, and our results suggest that this is also true in women with PMS-related depression.”

More ways to manage PMS

Women looking for PMS relief can take the following steps:

• Exercise—Regular physical activity has been found to prevent PMS.

• Avoid caffeine and excessive sugar and salt.

• Supplement with vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium.

• Consider taking evening primrose oil or borage oil.

Along with these measures, consider adding a supplement of saffron extract to help ease the symptoms of PMS. It is possible that adding the herb to the diet may also help, though research is needed to establish an amount.

(BJOG 2008;115:515–9)

Healthnotes Newswire (May 1, 2008)—Weight-loss diets can lead to a modest decrease in blood pressure among people with hypertension, confirms a recent review published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Modern weight-loss programs range from dietary changes, weight-loss pills, and surgical procedures. A recent review looked at seven studies that compared a weight-loss diet with usual care among 1,632 people who had high blood pressure. After 12 months, the people on the weight-loss diet saw a decrease in their systolic blood pressure (the top number of the blood pressure reading). A weight loss of 4 kg (about 9 pounds) was necessary to achieve a reduction of 6 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure.

High blood pressure and being overweight are both major risk factors for developing cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke. Maintaining a healthy weight and lowering blood pressure can decrease cardiovascular disease risk.

“High blood pressure is estimated to lead to more than 7 million deaths each year, approximately 13% of the total deaths worldwide,” said lead author of the review, Karl Horvath, MD, and his colleagues from the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, in Austria. “Lowering blood pressure levels in hypertensive patients has been shown to be a very effective means of reducing patients’ cardiovascular risk, with a significant reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.”

How to lower your risk

Being overweight and having high blood pressure are two independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. But when you have both conditions, the risk is even greater. The following lifestyle tips may help you lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by maintaining a healthy weight and keeping blood pressure down:

• If you’re overweight, lose weight to maintain your optimal weight, which can be determined based on your height, body composition, and level of physical activity.

• Regular exercise is important for keeping weight down and for lowering blood pressure. Adults should engage in moderate physical activity for one hour each day.

• Follow a healthy diet that is low in cholesterol, added salt, and total fat, and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

• Don’t smoke. Smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and other serious diseases.

If you are overweight or have high blood pressure, see a doctor to determine your optimal weight and to discuss other lifestyle changes that can help lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.

(Arch Intern Med 2008;168:571–80)

Healthnotes Newswire (May 1, 2008)—Concerns over body image and fitting in might lead some teens to skip meals in an attempt to lose weight. A new study in Pediatrics suggests that this approach could backfire, though; teens who miss out on breakfast are actually more likely to be overweight.

The new study, as part of Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), gathered information from 2,216 adolescents about their eating and exercise habits, as well as dieting and weight-control behaviors to see what effect eating breakfast had on weight changes over a five-year period.

Although teens who ate breakfast regularly took in more calories in a day than their breakfast-skipping counterparts, they were less likely to be overweight. Eating breakfast more frequently was associated with lower body mass index (a measure related to body weight) in a dose-response fashion—meaning that the more often teens ate breakfast, the lower their body mass index. Breakfast-eating teens were also more likely to be physically active. “Breakfast habits may be important markers of an overall healthful lifestyle pattern in youth and … frequent breakfast consumption may impart important weight gain prevention effects,” the authors concluded.

It may seem counterintuitive that eating more can lead to weight loss. A possible explanation could lie in the body’s fat receptors. With extreme caloric restriction, the body makes more receptors on fat cells, causing them to gobble up any available fat when it’s eaten. People who eat more regularly and include healthy amounts of fat in the diet have less fat receptors on their cells; these people are likely to be thinner than “fad dieters.” Eating breakfast regularly can help keep fat receptors in check, leading to healthier weight. Breakfast eaters might also be thinner than teens who skip meals because the quality of their diet and their attitudes toward food might be better.

Results from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that about 17% of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are overweight. Being overweight can lead to health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and the development of certain cancers. As more people are becoming overweight earlier in life, the incidence of these diseases is rising in the younger population.

According to the authors, “More emphasis should be placed on breakfast habits, especially among adolescents and young adults, when behavioral patterns are developing and stabilizing.”

(Pediatrics 2008;121:e638–45)

Healthnotes Newswire (May 1, 2008)—What do men in their 90s have in common? They exercise regularly, don’t smoke, have normal blood pressure, and keep their figures, says a new study.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, examined the health and lifestyles of 2,372 senior men and followed them for 25 years. The men were age 65 or older and generally healthy at the beginning of the study, giving them all the possibility of reaching 90 by the end of the study, which 41% of them did.

• Smoking was the strongest predictor of dying before 90—nonsmokers were twice as likely to live past their 90th birthday.

• Diabetes was the second strongest risk factor for not seeing 90, followed by obesity and high blood pressure.

• Vigorous exercisers were 20 to 30% more likely to reach their 90s. Nonsmoking men who exercised and did not have diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure in their 70s were nearly 14 times more likely to live into their 90s than those who had none of these factors in their favor.

The men who lived to 90 or older reported better physical functioning, mental well-being, and self-perceived health on a survey they completed 16 years into the study. Smoking, obesity, and inactivity were also associated with poorer functioning in these elderly men.

While a number of studies have similarly and consistently demonstrated the benefits of good lifestyle habits on health and longevity, none have looked at men who reach this exceptional age. These findings suggest that maintaining good habits even in old age can have an important effect on how long men live and how well they feel and function.

“Our study provides evidence that certain negative health behaviors continue to pose a risk very late in life, and shows the detrimental and long-term effects of smoking, obesity, and inactivity on late-life functioning and well-being,” commented Dr. Laurel Yates of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, lead author of the study. “Based on our findings, the factors closely associated with exceptional life span, good health, and good functional status are strongly related to lifestyle choices.”

(Arch Intern Med 2008;168:284–90)