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Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter <healthletterhelp@tufts.edu>	Sat, Apr 11, 2009 at 2:01 AM
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Research news you can use from the editors of the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter. April 10, 2009 Dietary Supplements Contain Hidden Caffeine You could be getting more of a jolt from dietary-supplement pills than you realize. USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists who analyzed 53 dietary supplements found that about half contained the caffeine equivalent of up to two cups of coffee. But supplements aren't required to list caffeine on the label unless they contain added pure caffeine. The stimulant occurs naturally not only in tea and coffee, but also in "botanicals" such as guarana, yerba mate, green tea extract and kola nut. Of the 28 analyzed products that voluntarily listed a caffeine amount on the label, 25 were accurate within 20%. Among all 53 pills, caffeine levels ranged from zero to 800 milligrams per dose (more than in eight cups of coffee).-Agricultural Research Read about the pros and cons of caffeine for your health. Walnuts Might Protect Aging Brain Could a daily handful of walnuts help keep your brain sharp as you age? That's the suggestion from new Tufts research, although the study involved rats and has yet to be confirmed in humans. Weight-matched, aged rats were randomly assigned to receive special chow mixes containing from zero to 9% walnuts. After eight weeks, the rats on the 2% and 6% walnut diets showed improvements in age-sensitive tests of motor and cognitive skills. In a human, the 6% walnut diet would be about the equivalent of eating an ounce of walnuts, seven to nine nuts, daily. It's thought that the essential fatty acids and polyphenols and other antioxidants in walnuts might benefit neural tissue. But don't go wild on walnuts: The rats on the 9% diet actually did worse on tests of "reference" memory.-ARS Does science back up walnuts' health claims? Click to learn more. B Vitamins Spell Migraine Relief Relief for at least some migraine sufferers might be as simple as taking a B-vitamin supplement. In a new Australian clinical trial, a daily dose of 2 mg of folic acid, 25 mg of vitamin B6 and 400 micrograms of B12 cut migraine disability in half, while also reducing the frequency and severity of headaches. Previous studies had associated some migraine attacks with a genetic dysfunction that leads to higher levels of the amino acid homocysteine-which B vitamins have been shown to lower. So researchers split 52 volunteers into two groups, one receiving the B vitamins and the other getting a placebo. After six months, the vitamin group showed a 39% reduction in homocysteine levels and significant improvements in migraine attacks, while the placebo group showed no changes.-Pharmacogenetics and Genomics What you eat can affect your headache risk-get the facts. Broccoli Sprouts Fight Stomach Bug Linked to Cancer Broccoli is already enshrined in the pantheon of healthy foods, but now there's evidence that baby broccoli-sprouts-fight a common stomach bacteria that is linked to gastritis, ulcers and even stomach cancer. Fresh broccoli sprouts have a much higher concentration of sulforaphane-a natural sulfur compound-than mature broccoli; a potent antibiotic, sulforaphane is thought to trigger the production of protective enzymes in the stomach. Researchers divided 48 volunteers infected with Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria known to cause gastritis and ulcers and implicated in cancer, into two groups. One group ate about 2.5 ounces of broccoli sprouts daily, while a control group got alfalfa sprouts, which don't contain sulforaphane. After eight weeks, the broccoli-sprouts group showed lower levels of the bacteria. Researchers concluded, "We identified a food that, if eaten regularly, might potentially have an effect on the cause of a lot of gastric problems and even ultimately help prevent stomach cancer."-Cancer Prevention Research More reasons to eat your broccoli in our research reports. Jump-Start Weight Loss with Cereal for Lunch Studies have shown that eating breakfast is important to weight loss, but a new British study suggests that also having cereal for lunch can help you shed pounds. The six-week study (sponsored by a cereal company) involved 41 overweight and obese subjects who ate prepackaged servings of cereal for breakfast and, for the first two weeks, as a replacement for lunch. No restrictions were placed on other meals or snacks. After two weeks, 85% had lost weight (an average 2.4 pounds), and 73% kept it off by week six (an average 3 pounds). Those in a group allowed to choose among three cereals (Fitnesse, Shredded Wheat and Triple-Berry Shredded Wheat) lost more than those eating only Fitnesse cereal. Variety may have been a factor, but so could the higher fiber content of the shredded-wheat cereals; fiber has been shown to promote "satiety," a feeling of fullness.-Nutrition Bulletin Get more tips on weight control from Tufts experts. SPECIAL OFFER! Save $5 off the cover price of the 2009 edition of Tufts' annual guide! 200 pages of essential facts and advice on vitamins, memory, diet, exercise and more. Now only $9.95 www.tuftsbooks.com Download a FREE issue of the Tufts Health and Nutrition Newsletter www.TuftsBooks.com Give the Gift of Health A subscription to the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter is a great way to start the year right. Every issue gives readers the most reliable information available on health topics that concern you most: Slowing the aging process Keeping your brain sharp Maintaining muscle mass Cutting your cancer risk Easy ways to eat healthy Subscribe today and save 60% off the cover price! Renew your subscription Visit the Tufts Healthletter website to renew your subscription, change your address, check on the status of a subscription or contact Customer Service. Visit Tufts Customer Care If you've been forwarded this newsletter, join our mailing list to receive your own copy. Forward email This email was sent to don175.don175@blogger.com by healthletterhelp@tufts.edu. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Tufts Media | 196 Boston Avenue | Suite 2100 | Medford | MA | 02155

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