sábado, 9 de julho de 2016
quinta-feira, 7 de julho de 2016
Revista Fitos
A Revista Fitos publica artigos com elevado mérito científico relativos a Plantas Medicinais, que contribuam para os campos temáticos: pesquisa, desenvolvimento e inovação de medicamentos da diversidade vegetal e para estudos e aprofundamentos de temas e disciplinas afins.
A Revista publica trabalhos nas seguintes áreas do conhecimento:
Agroecologia
Botânica
Etnofarmacologia
Farmacologia
Inovação (Gestão e CT&I em Saúde)
Química
Revista eletrônica EWE
A revista eletrônica EWE foi criada com o objetivo de divulgar informações e experiências dos diferentes parceiros do Sistema Nacional das RedesFito.
Ewe quer dizer folha em Yorubá e este nome foi escolhido por seu significado incluir duas importantes ideias presentes nesta publicação: Uma diz respeito ao conteúdo da revista, que destaca o trabalho das RedesFito para a inovação em medicamentos a partir da biodiversidade brasileira, especialmente as plantas medicinais; a outra refere-se a forma de publicação, que pretende ter a simplicidade de uma folha, com artigos redigidos com uma linguagem simples e clara, adequada à diversidade de leitores.
Enfim, a EWE é um espaço para a divulgação de idéias, projetos e atividades realizadas no âmbito dos diversos Arranjos Ecoprodutivos Locais, espalhados nos seis biomas brasileiros. A revista é feita com a participação dos integrantes das RedesFito.
Você está convidado para participar dos nossos próximos números. Acesse o formulário e compartilhe seus projetos ou experiências relacionadas à inovação em medicamentos da biodiversidade ou bioprodutos, para serem publicados na EWE.
Children who watch lots of TV may have poor bone health later in life
Date: July 7, 2016
Source: Wiley
Summary:
Consistently watching high levels of television during childhood and adolescence were linked with lower peak bone mass at age 20 years in a recent study. Hours of television watching per week were recorded by parental or self-report at 5, 8, 10, 14, 17 and 20 years of age in 1181 participants. Those who consistently watched ?14 hours/week of television had lower bone mineral content than those who watched less television, even after adjusting for height, body mass, physical activity, calcium intake, vitamin D levels, alcohol, and smoking (all at age 20).
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Your kids are what you eat, researchers show
Date: July 6, 2016
Source: University of Delaware
Summary:
Parent-child diet quality and calories consumed are related in significant ways, research indicates. This discovery could lead to better strategies as the nation works to address the growing public health problems of obesity and related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
A team researchers led by the University of Delaware's Shannon Robson found that parent-child diet quality and calories consumed are related in significant ways. "Parents had better diet quality than kids, but only by a little bit," Robson said.
Credit: Illustration by Jeffrey Chase/ University of Delaware
Many people accept the old axiom -- "You are what you eat." That's not to say you become a carrot if you eat carrots, of course, but rather that a regular pattern of eating carrots will shape you in a much different way than a regular pattern of eating cotton candy.
Now researchers are suggesting there may be a lesser-known corollary -- "Your kids are what you eat."
In a new analysis of parent-child diet quality and calories consumed, a team of seven researchers found the two are related in significant ways, a connection that could lead to better strategies as the nation works to address the growing public health problems of obesity and related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a third of U.S. adults are obese and about 17 percent of the nation's youth (ages 2-19) are obese.
As dietary details emerged for hundreds of parents and children who participated in the study, the overall picture wasn't pretty.
"Unfortunately people are not doing very well in terms of diet quality," said Shannon Robson, assistant professor of behavioral health and nutrition at the University of Delaware and the lead author of the report, published recently in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Parents had better diet quality than kids, but only by a little bit."
The analysis draws on data from a Neighborhood Impact on Kids study that looked at 698 parent-child duos to better understand obesity and related behaviors. The children were 6 to 12 years old and all lived in King County, Washington, or San Diego County, California, when the study was done from 2007 to 2009.
Preliminary screenings excluded anyone with a chronic illness that affects growth, an eating disorder, medically prescribed dietary regimens or psychiatric disorders.
To get a sampling of dietary practice, researchers looked at up to three random days of eating data for each twosome, including at least one weekday and one weekend day. More than 98 percent of participants reported three days of dietary data.
They analyzed the data using the Healthy Eating Index of 2010 (HEI-2010), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score, and energy density (calories per gram of food). The HEI-2010 looks at 12 dietary components, including empty calories, to assess overall quality, while the DASH score looks at eight food groups to measure intake of foods groups like vegetables, fruit and low-fat dairy products.
Overall, parents had a higher score on both measures of diet quality, but on average managed just 64.5 percent of optimal levels on the HEI-2010 and just 56.6 percent of the optimal DASH score. Kids averaged 58.3 and 54.3 percent, respectively.
Caloric intake was more similar, with children eating an average of 1,751 calories per day and parents 1,763.
After controlling for demographics, neighborhood type and body-mass index, researchers found parental diet to be the strongest predictor of a child's diet quality.
They found two clear culprits for poorer diet quality among children: too few vegetables and too many empty calories.
Researchers said the data were limited by several factors, with particular mention of ethnic and/or racial diversity among participants. Most participating parents were mothers and researchers said some bias might be a factor in how parents report data for their children.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Delaware. The original item was written by Beth Miller. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Shannon M. Robson, Sarah C. Couch, James L. Peugh, Karen Glanz, Chuan Zhou, James F. Sallis, Brian E. Saelens. Parent Diet Quality and Energy Intake Are Related to Child Diet Quality and Energy Intake. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2016; 116 (6): 984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.02.011
Cite This Page:
University of Delaware. "Your kids are what you eat, researchers show." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 July 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160706115010.htm>.
Want kids to eat their veggies? Turn squash into a superhero
Cartoon characters can triple salad bar trips in elementary schools
Date: July 5, 2016
Source: Ohio State University
Summary:
Convincing kids to choose vegetables becomes easier when you deploy a team of animated characters to sell them on the good stuff, new research has found.
Wraps on salad bars in schools increased trips for veggies.
Credit: Andrew Hanks
Convincing kids to choose vegetables becomes easier when you deploy a team of animated characters to sell them on the good stuff, new research has found.
Miki Mushroom, Zach Zucchini and Suzie Sweet Pea appear to wield the kind of influence many moms and dads only wish they had.
Marketing vegetables in school lunchrooms using the Super Sprowtz -- a team of fun-loving characters with super powers -- as much as tripled the percentage of elementary school students choosing items from the salad bar, found researchers led by Andrew Hanks of The Ohio State University.
"If we put the time and good resources into marketing healthy choices to kids, it can work," said Hanks, an assistant professor of human sciences, whose study appears in the journal Pediatrics.
"These interventions don't need to be costly and there is a great opportunity to improve nutrition, performance in school and behavior as well," Hanks said, referring to previous studies that have linked healthful diets to success in the classroom.
Marketing to children is controversial in some circles, but Hanks said this study illuminates its potential if done well and with the best interest of kids in mind.
"Marketing can have both positive and negative effects," Hanks said. "But instead of avoiding it completely, we can harness the power of marketing to help us."
Hanks and his collaborators conducted the study while he was at Cornell University in New York. They tested three interventions in 10 public elementary schools in urban New York State.
In some, they wrapped the bottom portion of the salad bar with a vinyl banner depicting the super veggies. In others, they played Super Sprowtz videos in the lunch room. And in others, they tried both tactics.
In schools with the salad bar banners, the researchers saw 24 percent of kids taking vegetables from the salad bars, almost double what they'd observed in the weeks leading up to the change. In those schools that had characters on the salad bar and on video, veggie selection jumped from 10 percent to almost 35 percent. The researchers saw no significant improvement in schools with videos alone.
Though previous research has shown that boys are less likely than girls to choose healthier options, the results were robust in both groups.
Hanks said it's hard to say how the study would play out in suburban or rural districts. "And it's unlikely such a technique would work with older students," he said.
"It's important to be strategic. If you use these characters in a middle or high school I doubt they will have much of an impact," said Hanks, who is also a member of Ohio State's Food Innovation Center.
"For anyone thinking 'Will this work?' our study is best generalized to an urban elementary school setting," he said. "Also, the district was not extremely poor."
Hanks noted that not many U.S. schools have salad bars, something he found surprising given the recent federal push for healthier options in the schools. "Salad bars could be met with more enthusiasm than a spoonful of cooked carrots on a lunch tray," he said.
"If we can encourage kids to take vegetables of their own accord, rather than have someone put it there for them, they're much more likely to eat them," Hanks said.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
A. S. Hanks, D. R. Just, A. Brumberg. Marketing Vegetables in Elementary School Cafeterias to Increase Uptake. PEDIATRICS, 2016; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2015-1720
Cite This Page:
Ohio State University. "Want kids to eat their veggies? Turn squash into a superhero: Cartoon characters can triple salad bar trips in elementary schools." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 July 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160705085720.htm>.
Junk food advertising is too tempting for children
Date: July 4, 2016
Source: Cancer Research UK
Summary:
Children describe junk food advertising as ‘tempting’ and ‘addictive’, and say they could ‘lick the screen’, according to a new study that talked to children in the United Kingdom aged between 8 and 12 years.
Children describe junk food advertising as 'tempting' and 'addictive', and say they could 'lick the screen', according to a new report from Cancer Research UK.
The study looked at how junk food advertising can influence children's eating habits and food choices.
Researchers talked to children aged between 8 and 12 years old at six schools. Each group was shown two TV adverts for junk food, followed by a discussion.
Many of the children said they liked watching funny and engaging adverts and could recall advertising theme tunes. They also said they saw adverts during family TV time, saying they watched TV from 'around about seven o'clock till eight or nine'.
And the researchers believe that by using celebrities, bright colours, and funny voices, advertisements are able to attract children and influence their eating habits.
"You might be eating a piece of fruit, you might see the advert, and you might just throw it in the bin and ask your mum for money and leg it to the shop," said a boy, year 6, from Northamptonshire during the discussion.
A girl in primary 5 from North Lanarkshire, after watching a TV commercial for sweets, said: "It makes you feel as if you're happy and excited and it feels like you want to try it because the guy's dancing in it because he's eaten it and it tastes good."
Most children said they had asked their parents for things they had seen on TV, particularly new junk food products, flavours or eye catching pack designs.
"I asked my mum if I could have it and she said no and I was annoyed and I kept trying and she finally said yes and I got to go to the shops to get it," explained a girl in primary 5, from Edinburgh.
More than one in five children in England are overweight or obese before they start primary school. By the time they leave, this increases to one in three.
Recent polling shows that 74 per cent of the UK public back a ban on advertising junk food on TV before 9pm.
Dr Jyotsna Vohra, head of the Policy Research Centre for Cancer Prevention at Cancer Research UK, said: "It's worrying to hear that children associate junk food with having a better time and it's clear from the discussions that advertising can influence how they eat.
"Most kids said that adverts made them feel hungry and in many cases it had a direct effect, with some children more likely to 'plead', 'nag' or 'beg' their parents after seeing an advert.
Alison Cox, director of prevention at Cancer Research UK, said: "It's clear the restrictions already in place during children's TV shows aren't enough. Children are watching junk food adverts during family programmes where these restrictions don't apply.
"The rise in children's obesity is a huge concern and a growing epidemic. There must be no delay in taking action. We know that obese children are around five times more likely to be obese adults, and obese adults are more likely to develop cancer. This is why we need regulations to stop junk food advertising on TV before the 9pm watershed to give children a better chance of a healthy life."
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Cancer Research UK. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Cite This Page:
Cancer Research UK. "Junk food advertising is too tempting for children." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 July 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160704223731.htm>.
New probiotic identified in fermented Japanese vegetable: Enzyme improves colon health in rats
Date: July 4, 2016
Source: Hiroshima University
Summary:
An enzyme produced by fermenting a vegetable common in Japanese cuisine may be responsible for increasing the amount of at least one beneficial bacterium associated with healthy colons in a study using rats.
An enzyme produced by fermenting a vegetable common in Japanese cuisine may be responsible for increasing the amount of at least one beneficial bacterium associated with healthy colons in a study using rats.
The vegetable, called burdock root in English and gobo in Japanese, has a minimal positive effect on colon health when eaten raw or cooked. Like many high-fiber foods, gobo must be eaten in unpalatable quantities to change the bacterial composition of the colon.
However, in a previous study, rats that ate gobo after it was fermented by the fungus Aspergillus showed improved colon health. Kato’s research group has now further investigated the effect, and discovered that the fermentation process produces a protease preparation, a liquid full of different enzymes. These enzymes may be responsible for the boost in colon health.
The results of this probiotic research study will be presented at the International Conference on Nutraceuticals and Nutrition Supplements in July 2016 by Norihisa Kato, Ph.D., and at the International Nutrition and Diagnostic Conference in October 2016 by doctoral student Yongshou Yang, both from Hiroshima University.
“Rats that ate a diet supplemented with the protease preparation that was derived from gobo fermented by the fungus Aspergillus had amounts of the bacterium Bifidobacterium in their colons that were several hundred times higher than rats on a non-supplemented diet. In addition to the microflora improvements, we observed a remarkable improvement of the overall luminal environment of their colons,” said Kato.
An equivalent amount of the enzyme for an adult person to eat would be approximately 0.1 to 0.4 grams, or 0.04 to 0.16 teaspoons, per day. Comparatively, adults would need to consume about 20g, or about 5 teaspoons, per day of un-fermented gobo or other dietary fibers to experience a similar effect.
The research team’s current, untested hypothesis is that, in the large intestine, the protease may break down undigested proteins into amino acids, the smaller building blocks of proteins. Greater availability of amino acids could contribute to improved nutrient utilization and therefore more favorable growth of beneficial bacteria.
The bacterium, Bifidobacterium, is a common member of a healthy intestine, but it becomes less numerous as people age. Other studies have correlated boosting Bifidobacterium numbers with better mental health, increased immune function, and lower rates of bowel diseases including colitis and colon cancer. However, the biological cause of these effects remains a mystery and researchers continue to search for practical methods to increase Bifidobacterium numbers in adult colons.
“Bifidobacterium is not normally included in probiotic foods like yogurt because it is so sensitive and not easy to keep alive or grow,” said Kato.
Probiotic supplements containing beneficial bacteria add extra bacterial cells to the body. Probiotic supplements, such as some dietary fibers and oligosaccharides, support the growth of beneficial bacteria that are already present in the intestine, avoiding the challenges of growing bacteria outside the body and adding it to food products. The protease preparation derived from Aspergillus may be a new probiotic and it has a far stronger effect on Bifidobacterium in the colon than that of previous varieties of probiotics, such as dietary fiber and oligosaccharides.
Japanese cuisine includes many foods fermented with Aspergillus, including the soybean paste miso, the rice wine sake, and many types of pickled vegetables eaten as a side-dish. However, the results from the Hiroshima University team indicate that regardless of the food, Aspergillus may be responsible for producing a variety of beneficial enzymes that the team is beginning to identify and study individually.
“We have completed three years of research on fermented gobo and we’re beginning to understand what component of the fermented product has this beneficial impact on bacteria in the colon. We’re excited to do more research to reveal how and why Aspergillus-fermented foods and enzymes, especially acid protease derived from Aspergillus, have positive health effects,” said Kato.
Researchers are planning additional studies on the enzyme’s long-term effects on the colon of rats and the enzyme’s effects on the overall bacterial composition in the intestine of humans.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Hiroshima University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Cite This Page:
Hiroshima University. "New probiotic identified in fermented Japanese vegetable: Enzyme improves colon health in rats." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 July 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160704082849.htm>.
All signs point to health: Arrows on grocery floors increased the proportion of produce spending
Consumers spent a greater proportion of their food budget on fruits and vegetables without increasing overall budgets
Date: June 30, 2016
Source: Elsevier Health Sciences
Summary:
Fruit and vegetable availability is often assumed to be a purchase barrier, yet fruit and vegetable availability does not necessarily result in frequent purchases. Rather, in-store marketing of less-healthy foods may be a major influencing factor in consumer spending habits regarding fruits and vegetables. A new study, in which in-store marketing focused attention on fruits and vegetables, resulted in an increased proportion of produce purchases keeping overall food spending the same.
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Little to no association between butter consumption, chronic disease or total mortality
Date: June 29, 2016
Source: Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus
Summary:
An epidemiological study analyzing the association of butter consumption with chronic disease and mortality finds that butter was only weakly associated with total mortality, not associated with heart disease, and slightly inversely associated (protective) with diabetes.
Is butter back?
Credit: © sommai / Fotolia
Butter consumption was only weakly associated with total mortality, not associated with cardiovascular disease, and slightly inversely associated (protective) with diabetes, according to a new epidemiological study which analyzed the association of butter consumption with chronic disease and all-cause mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis, published in PLOS ONE, was led by Tufts scientists including Laura Pimpin, Ph.D., former postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts in Boston, and senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., dean of the School.
Based on a systematic review and search of multiple online academic and medical databases, the researchers identified nine eligible research studies including 15 country-specific cohorts representing 636,151 unique individuals with a total of 6.5 million person-years of follow-up. Over the total follow-up period, the combined group of studies included 28,271 deaths, 9,783 cases of cardiovascular disease, and 23,954 cases of new-onset type 2 diabetes. The researchers combined the nine studies into a meta-analysis of relative risk.
Butter consumption was standardized across all nine studies to 14 grams/day, which corresponds to one U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated serving of butter (or roughly one tablespoon). Overall, the average butter consumption across the nine studies ranged from roughly one-third of a serving per day to 3.2 servings per day. The study found mostly small or insignificant associations of each daily serving of butter with total mortality, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
"Even though people who eat more butter generally have worse diets and lifestyles, it seemed to be pretty neutral overall," said Pimpin, now a data analyst in public health modelling for the UK Health Forum. "This suggests that butter may be a "middle-of-the-road" food: a more healthful choice than sugar or starch, such as the white bread or potato on which butter is commonly spread and which have been linked to higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and a worse choice than many margarines and cooking oils -- those rich in healthy fats such as soybean, canola, flaxseed, and extra virgin olive oils -- which would likely lower risk compared with either butter or refined grains, starches, and sugars."
"Overall, our results suggest that butter should neither be demonized nor considered "back" as a route to good health," said Mozaffarian. "More research is needed to better understand the observed potential lower risk of diabetes, which has also been suggested in some other studies of dairy fat. This could be real, or due to other factors linked to eating butter -- our study does not prove cause-and-effect."
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Pimpin L, Wu JHY, Haskelberg H, Del Gobbo L, Mozaffarian D. Is Butter Back? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Butter Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Total Mortality. PLOS ONE, June 2016 DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0158118
Cite This Page:
Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus. "Little to no association between butter consumption, chronic disease or total mortality." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160629145200.htm>
Educating parents on healthy infant sleep habits may help prevent obesity
Date: June 29, 2016
Source: Penn State College of Medicine
Summary:
Teaching parents bedtime techniques to encourage healthy sleep habits in their infants may help prevent obesity, according to researchers. Strong links exist between inadequate sleep and childhood obesity.
Teaching parents bedtime techniques to encourage healthy sleep habits in their infants may help prevent obesity, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Strong links exist between inadequate sleep and childhood obesity.
Researchers are studying the use of an intervention to prevent rapid infant weight gain and childhood obesity. Through the INSIGHT study (Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories), the intervention was recently shown to cut in half the incidence of 1-year old infants being overweight. One component of the intervention promotes improving sleep-related behaviors for parents and their infants.
In the study, parents were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups received educational materials and four home nurse visits. One group received obesity prevention education that included sleep-related behaviors, bedtime routines, improving sleep duration and avoiding feeding and rocking to sleep. The other group received safety education about preventing sudden infant death syndrome.
Infants of parents who learned bedtime techniques had more consistent bedtime routines, earlier bedtimes, better sleep-related behaviors and longer sleep during the night than the infants of parents who received the safety training. These infants were more likely to self-soothe to sleep without being fed and were less likely to be fed back to sleep when they awoke overnight. Researchers published their results in Pediatrics.
The researchers found that infant self-soothing to sleep and early bedtimes are specifically important in prolonging sleep time. At age 9 months, babies who were put to bed by 8 p.m. and allowed to self-soothe to sleep slept an average of 80 minutes longer than babies whose bedtimes were after 8 p.m. and did not self-soothe.
"A lot of parents try to keep their babies up longer, thinking that then they'll sleep longer at night and they won't wake up," said study lead author Dr. Ian M. Paul, professor of pediatrics and public health sciences. "We found that's not true. When parents keep babies up longer, they just sleep less. If you want your baby to sleep longer and better, put them to sleep earlier. Regardless of what time you put babies to sleep, they wake overnight. If we don't set the expectation that they're going to be picked up and fed, they learn to soothe themselves back to sleep."
Difficult bedtimes and short sleep duration have also been shown to negatively affect a child's development and parents' mental health.
"It is important to establish good sleep habits early in life for health reasons, including obesity prevention, but also for the emotional health of parents and families," Paul said. "New parents of infants aren't thinking about obesity. Our intervention is designed to prevent obesity without having to explicitly talk to parents about their child's weight."
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State College of Medicine. The original item was written by Abby Sajid. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
I. M. Paul, J. S. Savage, S. Anzman-Frasca, M. E. Marini, J. A. Mindell, L. L. Birch. INSIGHT Responsive Parenting Intervention and Infant Sleep. PEDIATRICS, 2016; 138 (1): e20160762 DOI:10.1542/peds.2016-0762
Cite This Page:
Penn State College of Medicine. "Educating parents on healthy infant sleep habits may help prevent obesity." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160629111002.htm>.
Can healthy eating reduce diabetes risk?
Date: June 29, 2016
Source: Taylor & Francis
Summary:
A diet rich in vegetables and fruit may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to new research. The study identified a combination of foods that reduce biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, known risk factors for type 2 diabetes. This dietary pattern, high in vegetables and fruit, and low in chips, sugar, and white bread, is also associated with reduced prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
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Researchers identify possible link between the environment and puberty
Date: June 28, 2016
Source: University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Summary:
A possible epigenetic link between the environment and pubertal timing has been discovered by researchers. To a large extent, pubertal timing is heritable, but the underlying genetic causes are still unexplained. Researchers have now studied how chemical modifications of the human genome (so-called epigenetic modifications) change when girls and boys enter puberty. The results indicate that such epigenetic changes are involved in defining the onset of puberty.
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Fish oil during pregnancy offers no protection for children against obesity
Study on preventative weight management during fetal development
Date: June 28, 2016
Source: Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Summary:
Across the world, many schoolchildren under 10 are overweight. In the search for the cause of this phenomenon, fetal programming was put under scrutiny in new research. That the mother's diet might have some influence could not be confirmed in a long-term study: administering a special diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids to pregnant women neither resulted in children being slimmer nor fatter than their counterparts from the control group whose mothers ate a normal diet.
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Compounds in parsley and dill help fight cancer, research shows
Date: June 28, 2016
Source: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Summary:
A team of Russian scientists has proposed an efficient approach to novel agents with anticancer activity. A synthesis of these agents is based on compounds extracted from parsley and dill seeds.
A team of Russian scientists from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), the N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry (RAS), the Institute of Developmental Biology (RAS), and the Institute of Cell Biophysics (RAS) has proposed an efficient approach to novel agents with anticancer activity. A synthesis of these agents is based on compounds extracted from parsley and dill seeds. The results of the study have been published in the Journal of Natural Products.
"Both improvement of existing therapies and search for innovative approaches are essential components of a quest to treat cancer. Our combined team developed a simple method of producing glaziovianin A and its structural analogs, which inhibit the growth of human tumor cells, using feasible building blocks from nature. Furthermore, evaluation of these novel agents in vivo using our validated sea urchin embryo assays yielded several promising candidates selectively affecting tubulin dynamics" says MIPT professor Alexander Kiselev.
No growth for cancer cells
Currently, the main method of medical treatment for cancer is chemotherapy. The treatment uses antimitotics, which inhibit the growth of cancer cells by disrupting the process of cell division (mitosis).
Cancer cells divide much more frequently than normal cells and therefore they are more susceptible to the effects of antimitotics. For example, the number of melanoma cells doubles every 3 days, whereas the number of their healthy progenitors melanocytes increases by 15%, even when cell division is stimulated.
Microtubules play an important role in mitosis. They are composed of a protein called tubulin.
Antimitotics bind tubulin and affect microtubule dynamics disrupting cell cycle to result in arrested cell division and subsequent selective death.The study focused on the potent antimitotic agent glaziovianin A isolated from the leaves of the Brazilian tree Ateleia glazioviana Baill.
The reported synthesis of this agent is rather laborious and requires expensive precursors (substances that participate in reactions necessary for obtaining an end product) and catalysts (which accelerate chemical reactions). The authors proposed a novel and more efficient six-stage synthesis process (the normal process has nine stages) for glaziovianin A. Precursors for the process were derived from the seeds of common plants, namely parsley and dill.
In addition to glaziovianin A, a number of its structural analogs were synthesized in order to help find analogues with favorable antimitotic properties. The antitumor activity was tested via two independent methods using the sea urchin embryos and human cancer cells.
On sea urchins and cancer cells
The embryos of sea urchins were used to mimic actively dividing tumor cells dependent on tubulin dynamics. The scientists added test substances to an aqueous medium with the embryos and determined the concentrations at which the rate of division changes and when it comes to a complete stop. The lower the concentration, the greater the antimitotic activity the substance has. As the authors of the study established previously, when division is disrupted due to specific antitubulin activity of an agent, the embryos of sea urchins start spinning axially. Conveniently, this effect can be easily observed using a common light microscope.
Using the embryos, scientists are able to determine several important parameters essential for an anti-cancer molecule 'in one shot." These include a specific antimitotic effect, solubility, overall toxicity and biomembrane permeability.
To further confirm the antitumor effect of active molecules, they were studied with various human cancer cells, ex. lung carcinoma, melanoma, prostate, breast, colon, and ovarian cancers. The experiments showed that the test substances were effective at limiting the growth of melanoma cells, and non-toxic to healthy blood cells used as a control. Detailed structure-activity relationship studies in both assay systems converged on the parent glasiovianin A to be the most active anti-tubulin agent. Future plans include both optimization of the compound to improve its metabolic stability and solubility as well as human xenograft studies in mice to confirm anti-tumor activity and clinical development potential.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Victor V. Semenov, Dmitry V. Tsyganov, Marina N. Semenova, Roman N. Chuprov-Netochin, Mikhail M. Raihstat, Leonid D. Konyushkin, Polina B. Volynchuk, Elena I. Marusich, Vera V. Nazarenko, Sergey V. Leonov, Alex S. Kiselyov. Efficient Synthesis of Glaziovianin A Isoflavone Series from Dill and Parsley Extracts and Their in Vitro/in Vivo Antimitotic Activity. Journal of Natural Products, 2016; 79 (5): 1429 DOI:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.6b00173
Cite This Page:
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. "Compounds in parsley and dill help fight cancer, research shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160628114610.htm>.
Ladykiller: Artificial sweetener proves deadly for female flies
Date: June 27, 2016
Source: Drexel University
Summary:
In testing multiple artificial sweeteners, a research team found that one was particularly deadly for female fruit flies -- and left males relatively untouched. D-mannitol is a sweetener typically used to sweeten gum or add a coating to hard candy or dried fruit for those with diabetes.
A fruit fly (stock image). Continuing their research into potential ingredients for human-safe pesticides, Drexel University researchers found an artificial sweetener that, while harmless for male fruit flies, proved particularly lethal for females.
Credit: © khajorn9939 / Fotolia
Continuing their research into potential ingredients for human-safe pesticides, Drexel University researchers recently found an artificial sweetener that, while harmless for male fruit flies, proved particularly lethal for females.
Past research conducted by Drexel College of Arts and Sciences' Sean O'Donnell, PhD, professor and associate department head of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science (BEES) and Daniel Marenda, PhD, an associate professor of Biology, indicated that erythritol, an artificial sweetener in name-brand products like Truvia, is poisonous to fruit flies.
Building on that research -- which had originally been inspired by the science project of Marenda's son -- the Drexel team tested four different polyols (sugar alcohols) to see which shortened the lifespans of the Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies), indicating toxicity in insects.
As expected, erythritol was effective in killing off the flies. Two of the polyols -- malitol and xylitol -- showed no noticeable effect on the flies. But the fourth artificial sweetener, D-mannitol, was found to be poisonous only to female flies.
"We are excited but a bit puzzled by this finding," said O'Donnell.
O'Donnell and Marenda were joined by Kaitlin Baudier, a Drexel biology graduate student, in publishing the findings of their study in the Journal of Insect Science under the title "Non-Nutritive Polyol Sweeteners Differ in Insecticidal Activity When Ingested by Adult Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera:Drosophilidae)."
For the study, flies were divided into groups and assigned a sweetener for their consumption. Two control groups were also a part of the study: One group had sucrose, a naturally occurring sugar, mixed in with its food, the other control had nothing mixed in its food. Using the flies' normal food to present the sweeteners was important because it showed that the flies were not simply avoiding eating.
Data indicated a steep decline in the numbers of flies who consumed erythritol once they were fed the sweetener. They began dying at a significant number around the fourth day of the experiment. By the end of day six, they'd all died.
"We confirmed that erythritol is toxic to insects -- specifically fruit flies -- when ingested," O'Donnell said. "The strongest effect is specific to erythritol. Other similar compounds were either not effective at reducing fly longevity or had limited effects."
D-mannitol is a sweetener typically used to sweeten gum or add a coating to hard candy or dried fruit for those with diabetes. The flies given it didn't display any noticeable signs of toxicity for roughly a week.
It was around the seventh day of the experiment when the D-mannitol group began to display a higher death rate. By day 12, it was a statistically significant difference. And on day 17, the last day of the experiment, the flies that consumed D-mannitol were half as likely to survive as the flies in other groups (flies given malitol and xylitol displayed no significant difference in lifespan from the control groups).
Although D-mannitol doesn't appear to be as highly toxic for flies as erythritol, its lethality for female flies is significant: female flies were five times more likely to die than males after consuming D-mannitol.
"Implications for insect control could exist, because females are the real reproducers and affecting females can reduce population growth," O'Donnell said. "Furthermore, many social insect pests -- such as Hymenoptera, which includes ants and wasps -- have female-based colonies."
It's unclear why the effects were skewed so firmly against female flies. O'Donnell hopes to study insect D-mannitol consumption further, as there are "potentially very interesting [aspects] from an insect reproductive physiology perspective."
Nothing in the study should influence whether or not someone adds artificial sweetener to their coffee or tea, however.
"All the compounds we tested are vetted and human-safe," O'Donnell explained. "The effects on insects don't really inform human health issues in this case."
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Drexel University. The original item was written by Frank Otto. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Sean O’Donnell, Kaitlin Baudier, Daniel R. Marenda. Non-Nutritive Polyol Sweeteners Differ in Insecticidal Activity When Ingested by Adult Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Journal of Insect Science, 2016; 16 (1): 47 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iew031
Cite This Page:
Drexel University. "Ladykiller: Artificial sweetener proves deadly for female flies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627132937.htm>.
Benefits of drinking coffee outweigh risks, review suggests
Date: June 27, 2016
Source: Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
Summary:
Coffee is enjoyed by millions of people every day and the 'coffee experience' has become a staple of our modern life and culture. While the current body of research related to the effects of coffee consumption on human health has been contradictory, a new study found that the potential benefits of moderate coffee drinking outweigh the risks in adult consumers for the majority of major health outcomes considered.
A review of studies on the health effects of drinking coffee show that moderate coffee drinking (defined as 3-4 cups per day) essentially has a neutral effect on health, or can be mildly beneficial.
Credit: © Grafvision / Fotolia
Coffee is enjoyed by millions of people every day and the 'coffee experience' has become a staple of our modern life and culture. While the current body of research related to the effects of coffee consumption on human health has been contradictory, a study in the June issue of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, which is published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), found that the potential benefits of moderate coffee drinking outweigh the risks in adult consumers for the majority of major health outcomes considered.
Researchers at Ulster University systematically reviewed 1,277 studies from 1970 to-date on coffee's effect on human health and found the general scientific consensus is that regular, moderate coffee drinking (defined as 3-4 cups per day) essentially has a neutral effect on health, or can be mildly beneficial.
The review was used to create an exhaustive list of the potential health benefits and risks of coffee consumption on the following health outcomes:
- Total Mortality
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Cancer
- Metabolic Health
- Neurological Disorders
- Gastrointestinal Conditions
- Other Miscellaneous Health Outcomes
The authors noted causality of risks and benefits cannot be established for either with the research currently available as they are largely based on observational data. Further research is needed to quantify the risk-benefit balance for coffee consumption, as well as identify which of coffee's many active ingredients, or indeed the combination of such, that could be inducing these health benefits.
Note: Some financial support of this study was provided by illycafe s.p.a., however the authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the objective search and summary of the literature.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
L. Kirsty Pourshahidi, Luciano Navarini, Marino Petracco, J.J. Strain. A Comprehensive Overview of the Risks and Benefits of Coffee Consumption. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 2016; 15 (4): 671 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12206
Cite This Page:
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). "Benefits of drinking coffee outweigh risks, review suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627125816.htm>.
Link between gut bacteria, MS discovered
MS patients show lower levels of good bacteria
Date: June 27, 2016
Source: University of Iowa Health Care
Summary:
Researchers are now saying bad gut bacteria -- or an insufficient amount of good bacteria -- may have a direct link to multiple sclerosis.
Scientists say that MS patients have a distinct microbiome from their healthy peers.
Credit: © Zerbor / Fotolia
If asked to list problems that bad gut bacteria can cause, most would likely name digestive issues: constipation, excessive gas, or diarrhea.
Researchers are now saying bad gut bacteria -- or an insufficient amount of good bacteria -- may have a direct link to multiple sclerosis as well.
"Every human carries trillions of bacteria in their gut (gut microbiome) and recent advances in research indicate that these tiny passengers play an important role in our overall health maintenance," says Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, assistant professor of pathology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
Since the bacteria are associated with contributing to good health, Mangalam and his colleagues wondered whether those with a chronic autoimmune disorder, such as multiple sclerosis, would then have a gut microbiome that is different than the microbiome found in healthy individuals.
In a study published online in the journal Scientific Reports, Mangalam and his team say that MS patients do, in fact, have a distinct microbiome from their healthy peers.
"Although preliminary, our data suggest that patients with MS have reduced levels of good bacteria responsible for overall benefits obtained from consuming healthy foods, such as soybean and flaxseeds," says Mangalam, who is senior author on the study.
Mangalam and his team from Mayo Clinic -- where all of the work was completed before Mangalam joined the UI in 2015 -- conducted microbiome analysis on fecal samples collected from MS patients as well as healthy control subjects.
"We identified certain bacteria which are increased or decreased in the gut of patients with MS compared to healthy controls," he says.
Mangalam says further research is needed to confirm the team's findings in a larger patient population.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Iowa Health Care. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Jun Chen, Nicholas Chia, Krishna R. Kalari, Janet Z. Yao, Martina Novotna, M. Mateo Paz Soldan, David H. Luckey, Eric V. Marietta, Patricio R. Jeraldo, Xianfeng Chen, Brian G. Weinshenker, Moses Rodriguez, Orhun H. Kantarci, Heidi Nelson, Joseph A. Murray, Ashutosh K. Mangalam. Multiple sclerosis patients have a distinct gut microbiota compared to healthy controls. Scientific Reports, 2016; 6: 28484 DOI: 10.1038/srep28484
Cite This Page:
University of Iowa Health Care. "Link between gut bacteria, MS discovered: MS patients show lower levels of good bacteria." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627125355.htm>.
Consumption of omega-3s linked to lower risk of fatal heart disease
Date: June 27, 2016
Source: Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus
Summary:
A global consortium of researchers banded together to conduct an epidemiological study analyzing specific omega-3 fatty acid biomarkers and heart disease. They found that blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids from seafood and plant-based foods are associated with a lower risk of fatal heart attack.
Blood levels of seafood and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids are moderately associated with a lower risk of dying from heart attacks, according to a new epidemiological study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, led by Liana C. Del Gobbo, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the division of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
Researchers from around the world joined together to form the Fatty acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE). By pooling findings from diverse large studies that had measured blood or tissue levels of omega-3 fatty acids, they evaluated relationships with heart disease events over time. Each study performed new standardized, individual-level analyses. Findings were then centrally pooled in a meta-analysis.
A total of 19 studies were involved from 16 countries and including 45,637 participants. Of these, 7,973 people developed a first heart attack over time, including 2,781 deaths and 7,157 nonfatal heart attacks.
Overall, both plant-based and seafood-based omega-3s were associated with about a 10 percent lower risk of fatal heart attacks. In contrast, these fatty acids biomarkers were generally not associated with a risk of nonfatal heart attacks, suggesting a more specific mechanism for benefits of omega-3s related to death.
"These new results, including many studies which previously had not reported their findings, provide the most comprehensive picture to-date of how omega-3s may influence heart disease," said Del Gobbo, who conducted this study as part of her postdoctoral work with Mozaffarian. "Across these diverse studies, findings were also consistent by age, sex, race, presence or absence of diabetes, and use of aspirin or cholesterol-lowering medications."
"At a time when some but not other trials of fish oil supplementation have shown benefits, there is uncertainty about cardiovascular effects of omega-3s," said Mozaffarian. "Our results lend support to the importance of fish and omega-3 consumption as part of a healthy diet."
Fish is the major food source of omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database, fatty fish such as salmon, trout, anchovies, sardines, and herring contain the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, although all fish contain some levels. In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, fish provide specific proteins, vitamin D, selenium, and other minerals and elements. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid found in walnuts, flaxseed oil, and canola oil and some other seed and nuts and their oils.
"Most prior studies of dietary fats have relied on self-reported estimates of intake," said Mozaffarian. "This new global consortium provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand how blood biomarkers of many different fats and fatty acids relate to diverse health outcomes, and many additional investigations are in progress."
This study is part of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Fatty acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE). There are 47 additional authors on the study.
This work was supported by awards from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the National Institute of Aging, all of the National Institutes of Health and numerous other funders including ones in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Please see the study for a full list of authors, funding sources, and conflicts of interest disclosure.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Del Gobbo, L.C.; and Mozaffarian, D., et al. ω-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acid biomarkers and coronary heart disease: Pooling project of 19 cohort studies.. JAMA Internal Medicine, June 2016 DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.2925
Cite This Page:
Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus. "Consumption of omega-3s linked to lower risk of fatal heart disease." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627124433.htm>.
Epigenetics: New tool for precision medicine
Date: June 27, 2016
Source: CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Summary:
Four new papers mark the feasibility of epigenetic analysis for clinical diagnostics and precision medicine. Epigenetic analysis addresses key limitations of genetic testing, helping to ensure that patients are accurately diagnosed and treated with the right drug at the right time.
Four new papers, co-published by an international consortium of biomedical researchers, mark the feasibility of epigenetic analysis for clinical diagnostics and precision medicine. Epigenetic analysis addresses key limitations of genetic testing, helping to ensure that patients are accurately diagnosed and treated with the right drug at the right time.
Epigenetic changes occur in all cancers, and in various other diseases. Measuring these changes provides unprecedented insights into the disease mechanisms at work in individual patients, which is important for better diagnosis and patient-specific treatment decisions.
In a series of four papers led by Christoph Bock (CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna) and Stephan Beck (University College London, UCL), an international group of scientists have validated the feasibility of epigenetic analysis for clinical applications.
Building upon years of technology development in laboratories around the world, this series of papers shows the accuracy and robustness of epigenetic tests. Going forward, clinical researchers will optimize and apply these methods for specific diseases, and it is expected that epigenetic tests will become widely used for selecting personalized treatments in cancer and other diseases.
Epigenetics refers to chemical modifications of the DNA and its associated proteins that control gene activity independent of the genetic code. These epigenetic modifications define how two meters of DNA in each human cell are folded into tiny cell nuclei.
Epigenetic modifications can be inherited during cell division, which helps maintain the ~200 cell types of the human body carrying the same genes. Moreover, epigenetic mechanisms provide an interface by which the environment influences gene activity.
In many diseases, including all cancers, the epigenetic control of the genome is heavily distorted. Measuring these alterations provides a detailed picture of the disease-specific changes, which is often informative for distinguishing disease subtypes or identifying suitable treatments. Therefore, epigenetics has much to offer for improving disease diagnosis and treatment choice.
The now published studies, which have been performed in the context of the European BLUEPRINT project and the International Human Epigenome Consortium, constitute a milestone for utilizing epigenetic information in clinical diagnostics and precision medicine.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal References:
André F. Rendeiro, Christian Schmidl, Jonathan C. Strefford, Renata Walewska, Zadie Davis, Matthias Farlik, David Oscier, Christoph Bock.Chromatin accessibility maps of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia identify subtype-specific epigenome signatures and transcription regulatory networks. Nature Communications, 2016; 7: 11938 DOI:10.1038/ncomms11938
Emanuele Libertini, Simon C. Heath, Rifat A. Hamoudi, Marta Gut, Michael J. Ziller, Agata Czyz, Victor Ruotti, Hendrik G. Stunnenberg, Mattia Frontini, Willem H. Ouwehand, Alexander Meissner, Ivo G. Gut, Stephan Beck. Information recovery from low coverage whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Nature Communications, 2016; 7: 11306 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11306
Emanuele Libertini, Simon C Heath, Rifat A Hamoudi, Marta Gut, Michael J Ziller, Javier Herrero, Agata Czyz, Victor Ruotti, Hendrik G Stunnenberg, Mattia Frontini, Willem H Ouwehand, Alexander Meissner, Ivo G Gut & Stephan Beck. Saturation analysis for whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data. Nature Biotechnology, June 2016 DOI:10.1038/nbt.3524
Christoph Bock et al. Quantitative comparison of DNA methylation assays for biomarker development and clinical applications.Nature Biotechnology, June 2016 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3605
Cite This Page:
CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. "Epigenetics: New tool for precision medicine." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627124428.htm>.
Children consuming sports drinks unnecessarily
Date: June 27, 2016
Source: Cardiff University
Summary:
A high proportion of 12-14 year olds are regularly consuming sports drinks socially, increasing their risk of obesity and tooth erosion, concludes a new survey.
A high proportion of 12-14 year olds are regularly consuming sports drinks socially, increasing their risk of obesity and tooth erosion, concludes a Cardiff University School of Dentistry survey.
Published today in the British Dental Journal, the survey looked at 160 children in four schools across South Wales and concluded that children are attracted to sports drinks because of their sweet taste, low price, and availability, with most parents and children not aware that sports drinks are not intended for consumption by children.
Half of the children surveyed claimed to drink sports drinks socially and most (80%) purchased them in local shops. The majority (90%) also claimed that taste was a factor and only 18% claimed to drink them because of the perceived performance enhancing effect. Price was one of the top three recorded reasons for purchase and, of particular concern, 26% of children also cited leisure centres as purchase sources.
Maria Morgan, senior lecturer in dental public health at Cardiff University, said: "The purpose of sports drinks are being misunderstood and this study clearly shows evidence of high school age children being attracted to these high sugar and low pH level drinks, leading to an increased risk of dental cavities, enamel erosion and obesity.
"Dental health professionals should be aware of the popularity of sports drinks with children when giving health education or advice or designing health promotion initiatives."
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) is calling for tighter regulation around the price, availability and marketing of sports drinks to children, especially surrounding the school area, to safeguard general and dental health.
Dr Paul D Jackson, President of the FSEM UK, said: "The proportion of children in this study who consume high carbohydrate drinks, which are designed for sport, in a recreational non-sporting context is of concern.
"Sports drinks are intended for athletes taking part in endurance and intense sporting events, they are also connected with tooth decay in athletesi and should be used following the advice of dental and healthcare teams dedicated to looking after athletes. Water or milk is sufficient enough to hydrate active children, high sugar sports drinks are unnecessary for children and most adults."
Russ Ladwa, chair of the British Dental Association's Health and Science Committee, added: "The rise of sports drinks as just another soft drink option among children is a real cause for concern, and both parents and government must take note. They are laden with acids and sugars, and could be behind the decay problems we're now seeing among top footballersii.
"Sports drinks are rarely a healthy choice, and marketing them to the general population, and young people in particular, is grossly irresponsible. Elite athletes might have reason to use them, but for almost everyone else they represent a real risk to both their oral and their general health."
The survey also concluded that there is particular confusion over the definition of a sports versus an energy drink. However, from a dental and wider health perspective, these two drinks have similar detrimental effects due to their high sugar content and low pH.
In supermarkets and shops, sports drinks are often sold alongside other sugar sweetened beverages. This is misleading children and parents by indicating that they are meant for use by everyone.
The study -- A survey of sports drinks consumption amongst adolescents -- is published in the British Dental Journal
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Cardiff University.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Ian Needleman, Paul Ashley, Lyndon Meehan, Aviva Petrie, Richard Weiler, Steve McNally, Chris Ayer, Rob Hanna, Ian Hunt, Steven Kell, Paul Ridgewell, Russell Taylor. Poor oral health including active caries in 187 UK professional male football players: clinical dental examination performed by dentists. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016; 50 (1): 41 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-094953
Cite This Page:
Cardiff University. "Children consuming sports drinks unnecessarily." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627095627.htm>.