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						<title><![CDATA[Vitamins - News]]></title>
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					  <title><![CDATA[ Blood Levels of Vitamin Folate in Women of Childbearing Age Decreasing]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/articles</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
ATLANTA &#8212; Blood levels of folate in young women are dropping, a disturbing development that could lead to increased birth defects and may be due to low-carb diets or the popularity of unfortified whole-grain breads.
Government health officials could only speculate on the reasons but called the backslide in this important B vitamin disturbing.
It's not clear how the decline in folate levels has affected newborns, but preliminary data suggest the dramatic declines in neural tube defects seen in the late 1990s may have leveled off by 2004, said officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
&#34;This is a cause of substantial concern,&#34; said Dr. Nancy Green, medical director for the March of Dimes, which campaigns for birth defects prevention.
Folate is a naturally occurring B vitamin. An artificial version, which is more easily metabolized by the body, is folic acid.
Years ago, scientists concluded that folate deficiencies contributed to the occurrence of serious birth defects of the spine and brain, known as neural tube defects.
So the government has long urged women to eat cereals and breads fortified with folic acid to help prevent birth defects. By the late 1990s, the fortification campaigns were succeeding: Folate levels increased, and neural tube defects dropped by as many as 1,000 a year.
But a CDC study released Thursday found an 8 percent to 16 percent decline in folate levels in U.S. women of childbearing age, according to large blood-drawing surveys done between 1999 and 2004.
It was the first time such a decline has been seen since the start of government health campaigns urging women to make sure they get enough folic acid.
The decline was most pronounced in white women, although black women continue to be the racial group with the least folate in their blood, health officials said.
The study was based on a regular national survey that involves not only interviews but physical examinations and blood tests. It measured the blood of about 4,500 women, ages 15 to 44, between 1999 and 2004.
It's being published this week in a CDC publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
It's not clear why blood folate levels dropped in this decade, but there are several possible explanations, experts said.
Increasing obesity rates among young women may be a factor. Research has found obese people metabolize folate differently than thinner folk, and some doctors believe heavier women need more folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, Green said.
Diet trends may have been be another factor, said Dr. Joseph Mulinare, a CDC epidemiologist who was the study's lead author.
He noted that in 1998, the Food and Drug Administration began requiring that folic acid be added to breads, cereals and other products that use enriched flour. Whole-grain breads were not under that mandate because they already contain some folate.
Low-carb diets increased in popularity during the early 2000s. Women who avoided flour and bread products because of their carbohydrates may have also taken in less folic acid, Mulinare said.
Vitamins and supplements are the best way to get the recommended daily dose of 400 micrograms of folic acid. But only a third of women of child-bearing age take a folic acid-containing supplement every day, he said.
Eating certain foods also helps, especially breads, cereals and other products containing enriched flour.
While whole-grain breads contain natural folate, it's a smaller amount than the folic acid in enriched breads. So the popularity of whole-grain breads &#34;may be a factor&#34; in the drop in folate levels, Mulinare said.]]></description>
					  <author>Steven Godlewski</author>
					  <pubDate>Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[A drink may help high blood pressure risk]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/articles</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Men with high blood pressure are usually advised to avoid alcohol, but U.S. and Dutch researchers said on Tuesday that a drink or two every day may reduce their chances of a heart attack. 
The study of 11,000 men supports other research that shows small-to-moderate amounts of alcohol can lower the risk of heart disease, by increasing the levels of high density lipoprotein, or &#34;good&#34; cholesterol, and by making blood less likely to clot. 
Drinkers in general have a bigger risk of high blood pressure, and heavy drinking raises the risk of early death overall, including from heart disease. But many studies have shown that moderate drinkers may be healthier.

The team at the Harvard School of Public Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Wageningen University in the Netherlands wanted to see if men with high blood pressure, who are generally advised not to drink, might safely enjoy a little wine, beer or spirits. 

They analyzed data from 11,711 health professionals taking part in a long-term survey between 1986 and 2002. 
The men who had one or two drinks a day had lower rates of fatal and nonfatal heart attacks than the others. But their overall death rate was not lower. 
Men who had three drinks or more a day on average were mot protected. 
&#34;Men diagnosed with hypertension probably get a lot of advice on how to change their lifestyle, physical activity and diet,&#34; said Joline Beulens, who led the study. &#34;This study indicates that if they drink alcohol in moderation they may not need to change their drinking habits.&#34; 
Beulens, visiting Harvard from Wageningen, said two drinks appear to be the limit -- something found in other studies. &#34;So our findings are not a license for men with hypertension to overindulge,&#34; she added in a statement. 
&#34;Because excess alcohol intake clearly increases blood pressure, many men with hypertension are counseled not to drink, but our results suggest that may not be necessary if men drink safely and responsibly.&#34; 
Writing in Tuesday's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers noted that they only studied male health care professionals, so it is not clear whether the findings apply to women or men in different occupations. 








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					  <author>Steven Godlewski</author>
					  <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Living With Kids Could Add Pounds]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/articles</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[FRIDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Here's something parents might get from their kids: fat. 
According to a new study, adults living with children eat more saturated fats than adults who don't live with children. The extra fat adds up to almost an entire frozen pepperoni pizza each week.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
&#34;It's not that parents are doomed to the fate of eating terribly,&#34; said study author Dr. Helena Laroche, an associate in the department of internal medicine at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, in Iowa City. &#34;Adults influence children, and children influence adults, and it's important that we focus on the whole family.&#34;
The epidemic of obesity in the United States is claiming more and more victims. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 30 percent of adults aged 20 and older are overweight, totaling more than 60 million people. The percentage of young people who are overweight has tripled since 1980. Sixteen percent of children and teens (more than 9 million people) are overweight.
And Americans as a group consume more saturated fat, which is linked to heart disease, and total fat than is recommended. Although the percentage of calories derived from fat and saturated fat decreased from 1971 to 2000, the total intake remained the same or increased because overall food intake went up.
While a number of studies have looked at how adults influence children's eating habits, far fewer have looked at how children affect adults.
The authors of this study, appearing in the Jan. 4 online edition of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, compared a group of adults who had children under the age of 17 at home with adults who had no children living at home. Data on the overall sample of 6,600 adults came from the federal government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III). All participants had completed a questionnaire on food intake.
Compared to adults without children in the home, adults living with children ate an extra 4.9 grams of fat daily, including 1.7 grams of saturated fat.
Adults living with children in the home also ate many high-fat foods more frequently, including salty snacks, pizza, cheese, beef, ice cream, cakes and cookies, bacon and sausage, and processed meats and peanuts.
While this research cannot prove definitively that the presence of children causes the higher fat intake among adults, it does point to different eating habits in different types of households.
&#34;Children's and adults' eating is enmeshed,&#34; said Susan Kraus, a nutritionist with Hackensack University Medical Center, in Hackensack, N.J. &#34;It's hard to say which came first.&#34;
Specifically, adults with children in the home tended to eat &#34;convenience&#34; foods, perhaps related to time pressures and other constraints as well as children's preferences for high-fat, high-sugar foods.
&#34;For a lot of parents, especially if both are working, there are time constraints getting food on the table,&#34; Kraus said. &#34;Food also has so much symbolism, of love, attention, reward, it's something that can make life easier.&#34;
&#34;Parents also need education just to know there are a lot of different products out there, or even to keep an open mind that a child might try something,&#34; Kraus added. &#34;They might be in for a pleasant surprise.&#34;
Laroche has several tips for family-friendly, healthy eating:

Place cut fruit and cut carrots around the house. They're easy for kids and for adults to grab. 
Choose popcorn and low-salt pretzels over high-fat potato chips. 
Children aged 2 and older should drink lower fat milk, not whole milk. 
Cook and bake in olive oil and avoid cooking in butter, lard or solid-stick margarine. This will decrease your intake of saturated fats. 
Only eat fast food and pizza once a week or less. 
When eating out, choose healthier items on the menu; order less and share rather than ordering tons of food and eating it all. 
Don't ditch the effort just because your child refuses to eat something once. &#34;They need to try things more than once,&#34; Laroche said. &#34;Studies show that they need to be exposed to things a few times before they'll really try them, and parents shouldn't give up on the first try.&#34; 
&#34;When they're buying things for their children or for themselves to eat, parents need to think about healthier choices for both of them,&#34; Laroche said. &#34;Don't buy pizza just for the children, because they're likely to eat it as well. Focus on healthy foods for everybody.&#34;]]></description>
					  <author>Steven Godlewski</author>
					  <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Universal Studios Parks Ban Trans Fats]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/articles</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
Universal Parks &#38; Resorts, home to movie-inspired thrill rides, is the latest theme park operation to ban artery-clogging trans fats in junk foods and offer healthier choices at its three U.S. attractions in California and Florida.
Walt Disney Co. announced in October that it will also serve more nutritious kids' meals and phase out the artificial fats at its resorts. Customers will now also have more healthy side options to choose from, including salads and fruit bowls.
Trans fats are made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil in a process called hydrogenation. Although they're cheaper to produce and give food a longer shelf life, trans fats also increase the risk of heart disease by raising the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, the Associated Press reported Friday. The average American eats almost 5 pounds of trans fats a year.
Besides Disney and Universal, SeaWorld Orlando also pledged earlier this year to limit fats and calories in some meals and to create healthier menus. Earlier this month, New York City became the first U.S. city to ban artificial trans fats in restaurant foods, the AP said.]]></description>
					  <author>Steven Godlewski</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 30 Dec 2006 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[New Study Links Echinacea Herb Consumption To Tract Bacteria]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/articles</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[December 21, 2006 8:01 a.m. EST
Nidhi Sharma - All Headline News Staff Writer
Fayetteville, AR (AHN) - A recently published study by a University of Arkansas professor and graduate student suggests that the herbal supplement Echinacea, often used in the treatment of common cold, may also be responsible for an increase in bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. 
Echinacea has been attributed with the ability to boost the body's immune system and ward off infections, particularly the common cold. 
According to AP reports, Jerald C. Foote, assistant professor of food and human nutrition, and graduate student Laura Hill studied the use of this herbal medicinal plant on 15 healthy adults who took it for 10 days. 
The research concluded that the bacteria in the adults' gastrointestinal tracts saw a sudden increase after taking the supplement. 
Foote and Hill observed that people at high risk for colon cancer showed an increased concentration of certain bacteria Bacteroides fragilis - that may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease and diarrhea. 
The report, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, however has focused on the need to have larger studies to determine whether components of Echinacea affect bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.]]></description>
					  <author>Steven Godlewski</author>
					  <pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Obesity No.1 Kids&#39; Health Issue:]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/articles</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[WEDNESDAY, Dec. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Being overweight or obese is the most important health issue facing children in the United States, a new survey finds. 
The nationwide telephone survey of 800 adults, conducted in September, found 27 percent of respondents saying obesity was the top health issue for children, followed by lack of health care/insurance (16 percent) and nutrition/unhealthy diet (9 percent).
Released Dec. 13 by Research!America and The Endocrine Society, the poll also found that 52 percent of respondents believe obesity is a public health issue that society should help solve, while 46 percent feel it's a private issue that people should take care of on their own.
The survey showed that responsibility for helping to address the obesity issue in the United States lies to some or a great extent with parents (98 percent), individuals (96 percent), schools (87 percent), health care providers (84 percent), the food industry (81 percent), and government (67 percent).
Other findings:

81 percent of respondents said it's important for the U.S. government to invest in obesity research, and 84 percent said it's important to invest in public health and prevention programs to lower obesity rates in the country. 
68 percent said they believed that elementary school children were required to take daily physical education classes. However, fewer than 25 percent of U.S. elementary schools provide daily physical education, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. 
67 percent said they'd be willing to pay $1 more per week in taxes if they were certain the money would be used to fund research to improve health. 
&#34;Clearly, Americans recognize the obesity epidemic facing this country and our children,&#34; Dr. Leonard Wartofsky, president of The Endocrine Society, said in a prepared statement.
&#34;However, the poll shows that the public thinks we should address obesity as a public health issue to bolster the actions of individuals and families. Health care professionals and researchers need to help convey the importance of a stronger public health response to this epidemic,&#34; Wartofsky said.
About 66 percent of American adults (ages 20-74) and 17 percent of children (ages 2-19) are overweight or obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.]]></description>
					  <author>Steven Godlewski</author>
					  <pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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