A double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 224 postmenopausal women was conducted to determine whether increased copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) intakes would reduce the risk for bone loss. Women with similar femoral neck T scores and BMI were randomly assigned to two groups that were supplemented daily for two years with 600 mg calcium (Ca) plus maize starch placebo or 600 mg Ca plus 2 mg Cu and 12 mg Zn. Bone mineral contents, densities, and T scores (determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) decreased from baseline to year two and the greatest decreases occurred with Cu and Zn supplementation. Based on five-day food diaries, the negative effect was caused by Zn and mainly occurred with Zn intakes ≥ 8.0 mg/d. With Zn intakes < 8.0 mg/d, supplementation prevented significant decreases in whole-body bone densities and T scores. Food diaries also indicated that magnesium intakes < 237 mg/d, Cu intakes < 0.9 mg/d and Zn intakes < 8.0 mg/d are associated with poorer bone health. The findings suggest that Zn supplementation may benefit bone health in postmenopausal women with usual Zn intakes < 8.0 mg/d but not in women consuming adequate amounts of Zn. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jul 1:1-8. PMID: 21733304

Red meat from grass-fed animals, compared with concentrate-fed animals, contains increased concentrations of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). However, the effects of red meat consumption from grass-fed animals on consumer blood concentrations of n-3 PUFA are unknown. This randomized, double-blind, dietary intervention study was carried out for four weeks on healthy subjects (n = 20) who replaced their habitual red meat intake with three portions per week of red meat (beef and lamb) from animals offered a finishing diet of either grass or concentrate. Plasma and platelet fatty acid composition, dietary intake, blood pressure, and serum lipids and lipoproteins were analyzed at baseline and post-intervention. Dietary intakes of total n-3 PUFA, as well as plasma and platelet concentrations of n-3 PUFA, were significantly higher in those subjects who consumed red meat from grass-fed animals compared with those who consumed red meat from concentrate-fed animals (P < 0.05). No significant differences in concentrations of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerol, or blood pressure were observed between groups. Therefore, consuming red meat from grass-fed animals as part of the habitual diet can significantly increase consumer plasma and platelet n-3 PUFA status. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan;105(1):80-9. PMID: 20807460

This study examined the associations between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and fish intakes and hip bone mineral density (BMD) in adults (n = 623; mean age of 75 years) in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study at baseline and four years later. High intakes (≥3 servings/wk) of fish relative to lower intakes were associated with maintenance of femoral neck BMD (FN-BMD) in men (dark fish + tuna, dark fish, and tuna) and women (dark fish) (P < 0.05). Significant interactions between arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)+ docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intakes were observed cross-sectionally in women and longitudinally in men. In women with EPA+DHA intakes at or above the median, those with the highest AA intakes had a higher mean baseline FN-BMD than those with the lowest intakes (P = 0.03, P for trend = 0.02). In men with the lowest EPA+DHA intakes, those with the highest intakes of AA lost more FN-BMD than men with the lowest intakes of AA (P = 0.04). The authors concluded that fish consumption may protect against bone loss and the protective effects of a high AA intake may be dependent on EPA+DHA intake. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May;93(5):1142-51. PMID: 21367955

A within-subjects research design was conducted at an out-patient clinic in Thailand to evaluate the hypolipidemic effects of mulberry leaf in non-diabetic patients with mild dyslipidemia.. Twenty-three patients who met the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria guideline for dyslipidemia and failed a four-week diet therapy were enrolled. Subjects were assigned to receive three tablets of 280 mg mulberry leaf per tablet three times daily before meals for 12 weeks and blood analyses were performed every four weeks. At four and eight weeks of mulberry leaf tablet therapy, triglycerides (TG) had significantly decreased by 10.2% (p < 0.05) and 12.5% (p < 0.05), respectively, from baseline. At the end of the study, total cholesterol, TG, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol had decreased by 4.9% (p < 0.05), 14.1% (p < 0.05), and 5.6% (p < 0.05), respectively, from baseline, whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol had increased by 19.7% (p < 0.05). Although some patients experienced such side effects as mild diarrhea (26%), dizziness (8.7%), or constipation and bloating (4.3%), mulberry leaf tablet therapy is considered safe and effective in decreasing cholesterol and increasing HDL levels in patients with mild dyslipidemia. Phytother Res. 2011 Mar;25(3):365-9. PMID: 20687135

Cannabis use disorders (CUDs) are becoming increasingly problematic within the population of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD), yet the nature of this comorbidity remains largely unexamined. The aim of the current study from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project was to examine differences between SAD outpatients with versus without comorbid CUDs. Patients with SAD and comorbid CUDs (n = 173) were compared to those with SAD without CUDs (n = 700) on demographic and clinical characteristics. Compared to patients without the comorbidity, patients with comorbid SAD and CUDs were more likely to have a lifetime diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, specific phobias, lifetime substance use disorders (including alcohol), and report better physical health and fewer limitations related to their physical health. These analyses remained significant after controlling for gender, the presence of other substance use disorders, mood disorders, and other anxiety disorders. Findings of this study suggest that there may be a unique relationship between SAD and CUDs that can potentially impact the clinical presentation of individuals with SAD. Future research is needed to examine the impact of this comorbidity in other patient populations. J Psychiatr Res. 2011 Oct 31. PMID: 22047609

A retrospective analysis was conducted to assess weight change among 3621 subscribers (2979 women; 642 men) to a commercial internet-based weight loss program. Program engagement (indexed with frequency of using online diet and exercise diaries and with use of the social support forums) was associated with weight loss in both men and women after controlling for initial BMI and duration of participation. These engagement variables accounted for 13% of variance in percentage weight loss in women (p<0.001) and 19% in men (p<0.001). Exercise diary use predicted weight loss among men but not women and the use of online forums predicted weight loss among women but not men. Among participants who were overweight or obese, those in the highest tertile of engagement with food diaries (vs the lowest) were more likely to achieve clinically significant (>5%) weight loss (p<0.001 for both men and women). Being in the highest tertile of engagement with exercise diaries was associated with clinically significant weight loss in men (p<0.001) and, less strongly, in women (p<0.05). These results suggest that the use of self-monitoring tools and participation in online support are predictive of weight loss. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011 Aug 2;8:83. PMID: 21810222

Nutraceuticals have shown benefit in the prevention of the common cold but previous investigations have been inconsistent. This study was designed to determine the preventive effect of a dietary supplement from fruits and vegetables on common cold symptoms. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 529 healthcare professionals (mean age 39.9 years) from a university hospital in Germany were randomized to receive four capsules of a dietary supplement (Juice Plus+®) or a matching placebo daily for eight months. The number of days with moderate or severe common cold symptoms within six months was assessed by diary self-reports. The mean number of days with moderate or severe common cold symptoms was 7.6 (95 % CI 6.5 – 8.8) in the Juice Plus+® group and 9.5 (95% CI 8.4 – 10.6) in the placebo group (p = 0.023). The mean number of total days with any common cold symptoms was similar between the Juice Plus+® and placebo groups. The authors concluded that the intake of a dietary supplement from fruits and vegetables was associated with a 20% reduction of moderate or severe common cold symptom days in healthcare professionals particularly exposed to patient contact. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan;105(1):118-22. PMID: 20727236

A prospective birth cohort of 244 mothers and their three-year-old children from Ohio was conducted to estimate the impact of gestational and childhood bisphenol A (BPA) exposures on behavior and executive function at three years of age. BPA concentrations were measured in >97% of maternal (16 and 26 weeks of gestation and birth; median 2.0 μg/L) and child (1, 2, and 3 years of age; median 4.1 μg/L) urine samples. With adjustment for confounders, each 10-fold increase in gestational BPA concentrations was associated with more anxious and depressed behavior on the Behavior Assessment System for Children 2 (BASC-2) and poorer emotional control and inhibition on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P). The magnitude of the gestational BPA associations differed according to child gender; BASC-2 and BRIEF-P scores increased 9 to 12 points among girls but changes were null or negative among boys. Associations between childhood BPA exposure and neurobehavior were largely null and not modified by child gender. The authors concluded that gestational BPA exposure affected behavioral and emotional regulation domains, especially among girls and that clinicians may want to advise concerned patients to reduce their exposure to certain consumer products. Pediatrics. 2011 Nov;128(5):873-82. PMID: 22025598

This randomized study compared the effects of an early enteral formula containing whey protein to a standard enteral formula containing casein on the levels of glutathione and inflammatory markers in aged patients with acute ischemic stroke. Thirty-one elderly patients (12 males and 19 females; median age 74 years) with ischemic stroke were randomized to receive early nasogastric feeding (35 kcal/kg/day and 1.2 g of protein/kg/day) with either a formula containing hydrolyzed casein or another isocaloric and isonitrogenous formula containing hydrolyzed whey protein for five days. Mortality was found to be similar between groups and was associated with higher serum IL-6 (p = 0.04) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.02) levels. Serum IL-6 decreased (p = 0.02) and glutathione increased (p = 0.03) only in the whey protein group. In addition, serum IL-6 was lower (p = 0.03) and glutathione was higher (p = 0.03) in the whey protein group compared to the casein group. The authors concluded that an early-administered whey protein formula seems to be more effective than a casein formula at decreasing inflammation and increasing antioxidant defenses in elderly patients with ischemic stroke. Nutrition. 2011 Apr;27(4):440-4. PMID: 21167685

The current study was conducted to assess the potential efficacy of acupuncture in controlling intense or very intense pain in patients with Herpes Zoster in comparison with standard pharmacological treatment. One hundred and two patients were randomized to receive either acupuncture (n=52) or standard pharmacological treatment (n=50) for four weeks. Response rates, mean changes in pain intensity, differences in total pain burden with an area-under-the-curve (AUC) method over a one-year follow-up, and differences in the incidence of Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN) were evaluated. Both interventions were largely effective. No significant differences were observed in response rates (81.6% vs 89.2%; p = 0.8), mean reduction of visual analogue scale (4.1+/-2.3 vs 4.9+/-1.9; p = 0.12) and McGill Pain Questionnaire scores (1.3+/-0.9 vs 1.3+/-0.9; p = 0.9), incidence of PHN after three months (48.4% vs 46.8%; p = 0.5), and mean AUC during follow-up (199+/-136 vs 173+/-141; p = 0.4). No serious treatmentrelated adverse events were observed in both groups. The authors concluded that this controlled and randomized trial provides the first evidence of a potential role of acupuncture for the treatment of acute herpetic pain. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Jun 5;11(1):46. PMID: 21639941