Nutrition

Estimation and fortification of vitamin D3 in pasteurized process cheese. Upreti P, Mistry VV, Warthesen JJ. J Dairy Sci. 2002 Dec;85(12):3173-81. PMID: 12512590 The objective of this study was to develop methods for the estimation and fortification of vitamin D3 in pasteurized Process cheese. Vitamin D3 was estimated using alkaline saponification at 70°C for 30 min, followed by extraction with petroleum ether:diethyl ether (90:10 vol/vol) and HPLC. The retention time for vitamin D3 was approximately 9 min. A standard curve with a correlation coefficient of 0.972 was prepared for quantification of vitamin D3 in unknown samples. In the second phase of the study, pasteurized Process cheeses fortified with commercial water- or fat-dispersible forms of vitamin D3 at a level of 100 IU per serving (28 g) were manufactured. There was no loss of vitamin D3 during Process cheese manufacture, and the vitamin was uniformly distributed. No losses of the vitamin occurred during storage of the fortified cheeses over a 9-mo period at 21 to 29°C and 4 to 6°C. There was an approximately 25 to 30% loss of the vitamin when cheeses were heated for 5 min in an oven maintained at 232°C. Added vitamin D3 did not impart any off flavors to the Process cheeses as determined by sensory analysis. There were no differences between the water- and fat-dispersible forms of the vitamin in the parameters measured in fortified cheeses

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the risk of ovarian cancer. Toriola AT, Surcel HM, Agborsangaya C, Grankvist K, Tuohimaa P, Toniolo P, Lukanova A, Pukkala E, Lehtinen M. Eur J Cancer. 2009 Aug 25. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19713101 doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2009.08.002 Conclusion Overall, we did not observe a significant association between serum 25-OHD concentrations and the risk of ovarian cancer. However, we found evidence suggestive of an increased risk among women with low to insufficient serum 25-OHD concentrations.

Vitamin D, aging, and cancer. Tuohimaa P. Nutr Rev. 2008 Oct;66(10 Suppl 2):S147-52. Review. PMID: 18844842 DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00095.x Deficiency of the prohormone calcidiol (25OH vitamin D3) seems to be associated with several aging-related chronic diseases including cancer. Our results suggest that calcidiol is mainly responsible for differentiation homeostasis, whereas calcitriol might be more involved in calcium homeostasis. Therefore, an imbalance of calcidiol rather than calcitriol is a risk factor for cancer and chronic diseases. Calcidiol insufficiency, as well as insufficient solar exposure, is associated with increased risk of several solid cancers. Both a vitamin D3 deficiency and a high concentration of calcidiol may increase cancer risk. Similarly, aging phenomena show a U-shaped association with vitamin D bioactivity. Therefore, the chronic diseases and cancers related to aging might be prevented by an optimal concentration of serum calcidiol, which remains to be determined.

Vitamin D and aging. Tuohimaa P. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2009 Mar;114(1-2):78-84. Review. PMID: 19444937

25-Hydroxyvitamin D(3) is an agonistic vitamin D receptor ligand. Lou YR, Molnár F, Peräkylä M, Qiao S, Kalueff AV, St-Arnaud R, Carlberg C, Tuohimaa P. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2009 Nov 26. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19944755 doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2009.11.011 In conclusion, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is an agonistic vitamin D receptor ligand with gene regulatory and anti-proliferative properties.

Vitamin D and prostate cancer. Tuohimaa P, Lyakhovich A, Aksenov N, Pennanen P, Syvälä H, Lou YR, Ahonen M, Hasan T, Pasanen P, Bläuer M, Manninen T, Miettinen S, Vilja P, Ylikomi T. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2001 Jan-Mar;76(1-5):125-34. PMID: 11384870 doi:10.1016/S0960-0760(00)00141-2

Vitamin D-induced up-regulation of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in prostate cancer cells. Golovko O, Nazarova N, Tuohimaa P. Life Sci. 2005 Jun 17;77(5):562-77. Epub 2005 Feb 25. PMID: 15904673 doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2004.10.072 Combined addition of human recombinant TNF-alpha with calcitriol or CB1093 cause enhanced effect in induction of apoptosis. We conclude that under physiological conditions vitamin D activates only the transcription of TNF-alpha gene, for TNF-alpha protein synthesis additional cofactors are required. Therefore a cooperation of vitamin D and TNF-alpha may play an important role in the control of cell growth in prostate cancer.

The role of Vitamin D3 metabolism in prostate cancer. Lou YR, Qiao S, Talonpoika R, Syvälä H, Tuohimaa P. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2004 Nov;92(4):317-25. Epub 2004 Dec 19. Review. PMID: 15663995 doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2004.10.007 In summary, the local metabolism of hormonal Vitamin D seems to play an important role in the development and progression of prostate cancer.

Vitamin D and Cancer - PDFs online - IARC Working Group Reports IARC Publications PDFs online - IARC Working Group Reports Vitamin D and Cancer "

"IARC Publications PDFs online - IARC Working Group Reports Vitamin D and Cancer "

Lack of association between serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the subsequent risk of prostate cancer in Finnish men. Faupel-Badger JM, Diaw L, Albanes D, Virtamo J, Woodson K, Tangrea JA. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Dec;16(12):2784-6. PMID: 18086789 doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-0672

"Despite its dubious beginnings, fad-dieting gained mass appeal in the 19th century. In 1829, Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham touted the Graham Diet - centered on caffeine-free drinks and vegetarian cuisine, and supplemented by the eponymous Graham Cracker - as a cure for not just obesity but masturbation (and the subsequent blindness it was thought to cause.) The diet became so popular that the students of Oberlin College were forced onto it for a brief period in the 1830s before they successfully rebelled through mass dissent in 1841. Thirty-five years later, an English casketmaker named William Banting became famous by pioneering the concept of a low-carbohydrate diet, which helped him lose 50 lbs. He published his results in the 1864 "Letter on Corpulance," and the plan became so popular that "banting" became a synonym for dieting across Britain. "

"Rachel Huxley, D.Phil, of The George Institute for International Health, University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues identified 18 studies involving 457,922 participants and assessing the association between coffee consumption and diabetes risk published between 1966 and 2009. Six studies involving 225,516 individuals also included information about decaffeinated coffee, whereas seven studies with 286,701 participants reported on tea consumption. When the authors combined and analyzed the data, they found that each additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7 percent reduction in the excess risk of diabetes. Individuals who drank three to four cups per day had an approximately 25 percent lower risk than those who drank between zero and two cups per day. Rachel Huxley, D.Phil, of The George Institute for International Health, University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues identified 18 studies involving 457,922 participants and assessing the association between coffee consumption and diabetes risk published between 1966 and 2009. Six studies involving 225,516 individuals also included information about decaffeinated coffee, whereas seven studies with 286,701 participants reported on tea consumption. When the authors combined and analyzed the data, they found that each additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7 percent reduction in the excess risk of diabetes. Individuals who drank three to four cups per day had an approximately 25 percent lower risk than those who drank between zero and two cups per day."

n-3 fatty acid dietary recommendations and food sources to achieve essentiality and cardiovascular benefits. Gebauer SK, Psota TL, Harris WS, Kris-Etherton PM. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6 Suppl):1526S-1535S. Review. PMID: 16841863 Dietary recommendations have been made for n-3 fatty acids, including {alpha}-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to achieve nutrient adequacy and to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease. These recommendations are based on a large body of evidence from epidemiologic and controlled clinical studies. The n-3 fatty acid recommendation to achieve nutritional adequacy, defined as the amount necessary to prevent deficiency symptoms, is 0.6-1.2% of energy for ALA; up to 10% of this can be provided by EPA or DHA. To achieve recommended ALA intakes, food sources including flaxseed and flaxseed oil, walnuts and walnut oil, and canola oil are recommended. The evidence base supports a dietary recommendation of {approx}500 mg/d of EPA and DHA for cardiovascular disease risk reduction. For treatment of existing cardiovascular disease, 1 g/d is recommended. These recommendations have been embraced by many health agencies worldwide. A dietary strategy for achieving the 500-mg/d recommendation is to consume 2 fish meals per week (preferably fatty fish). Foods enriched with EPA and DHA or fish oil supplements are a suitable alternate to achieve recommended intakes and may be necessary to achieve intakes of 1 g/d.

Intake of fish and n3 fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among Japanese: the Japan Public Health Center-Based (JPHC) Study Cohort I. Iso H, Kobayashi M, Ishihara J, Sasaki S, Okada K, Kita Y, Kokubo Y, Tsugane S; JPHC Study Group. Circulation. 2006 Jan 17;113(2):195-202. Epub 2006 Jan 9. PMID: 16401768 doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.581355 Conclusions- Compared with a modest fish intake of once a week or &20 g/d, a higher intake was associated with substantially reduced risk of coronary heart disease, primarily nonfatal cardiac events, among middle-aged persons

Fish oil-derived fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid, and the risk of acute coronary events: the Kuopio ischaemic heart disease risk factor study. Rissanen T, Voutilainen S, Nyyssönen K, Lakka TA, Salonen JT. Circulation. 2000 Nov 28;102(22):2677-9. PMID: 11094031 Methods and Results-We studied this association in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, a prospective population study in Eastern Finland. Subjects were randomly selected and included 1871 men aged 42 to 60 years who had no clinical coronary heart disease at baseline examination. A total of 194 men had a fatal or nonfatal acute coronary event during follow-up. In a Cox proportional hazards' model adjusting for other risk factors, men in the highest fifth of the proportion of serum DHA+DPA in all fatty acids had a 44% reduced risk (P=0.014) of acute coronary events compared with men in the lowest fifth. Men in the highest fifth of DHA+DPA who had a low hair content of mercury (2.0 µg/g). There was no association between proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid and the risk of acute coronary events. Conclusions-Our data provide further confirmation for the concept that fish oil-derived fatty acids reduce the risk of acute coronary events. However, a high mercury content in fish could attenuate this protective effect.

"The US Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers that certain vitamin supplements "can be useful", stating that "there are many good reasons" to consider taking them. The consumer advisory, released this week in video and text format, comes at a time of increased pressure on the supplements industry, with media outlets repeatedly questioning the usefulness and safety of dietary supplements. "Supplements can be useful when they fulfill a specific identified nutrient need that can't be met by food or is not being met through normal food intake," said Barbara Schneeman, PhD, director of FDA's Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements. The message is one that dietary supplement trade groups have consistently tried to get across, with campaigns such as CRN's Life…supplemented set up to communicate the importan Vitamins for the right reasons According to FDA's consumer update - Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins - there are many good reasons to consider taking vitamin supplements, which could be recommended by a doctor in a number of situations, including: * For certain health problems * When following a vegetarian or vegan diet * When pregnant or breastfeeding Iron and folic acid are important for pregnant women or women of childbearing age, to be consumed via a varied diet or from fortified foods and supplements, says FDA. People over 50 should consume vitamin B12, and those with darker skin or with insufficient exposure to sunlight should consume extra vitamin D, again via fortified foods or supplements."

Fish consumption shifts lipoprotein subfractions to a less atherogenic pattern in humans. Li Z, Lamon-Fava S, Otvos J, Lichtenstein AH, Velez-Carrasco W, McNamara JR, Ordovas JM, Schaefer EJ. J Nutr. 2004 Jul;134(7):1724-8. PMID: 15226460 The effect of fish consumption on plasma lipoprotein subfraction concentrations was studied in 22 men and women (age > 40 y). Subjects were provided an average American diet (AAD, 35% of energy as fat, 14% as saturated fat, and 35 mg cholesterol/MJ) for 6 wk before being assigned to a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step 2 high-fish diet (n = 11, 26% of energy as fat, 4.5% as saturated fat, and 15 mg cholesterol/MJ) or a NCEP Step 2 low-fish diet (n = 11, 26% of energy as fat, 4.0% as saturated fat, and 11 mg cholesterol/MJ) for 24 wk. All food and drink were provided to study participants. Consumption of the high-fish NCEP Step 2 diet was associated with a significant reduction in medium and small VLDL, compared with the AAD diet, whereas the low-fish diet did not affect VLDL subfractions. Both diets significantly reduced LDL cholesterol concentrations, without modifying LDL subfractions. Both diets also lowered HDL cholesterol concentrations. However, the high-fish diet significantly lowered only the HDL fraction containing both apolipoprotein (apo) AI and AII (LpAI:AII) and did not change HDL subfractions assessed by NMR, whereas the low-fish diet significantly lowered the HDL fraction containing only apo AI (LpAI) and the large NMR HDL fractions, resulting in a significant reduction in HDL particle size. Neither diet affected VLDL and LDL particle size. Our data indicate that within the context of a diet restricted in fat and cholesterol, a higher fish content favorably affects VLDL and HDL subspecies

Clinical prevention of sudden cardiac death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and mechanism of prevention of arrhythmias by n-3 fish oils. Leaf A, Kang JX, Xiao YF, Billman GE. Circulation. 2003 Jun 3;107(21):2646-52. Review. PMID: 12782616 doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000069566.78305.33 This review will be limited specifically to the beneficial prevention by the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of arrhythmic deaths, including sudden cardiac death, which annually causes some 300 000 deaths in the United States and millions more worldwide. We will also show that the growing body of positive clinical studies is supported by what has been learned in animal and laboratory studies regarding the mechanism by which n-3 PUFAs prevent cardiac arrhythmias.