Nutrition Close-Up, Winter 2015 (pdf, 1.9 MB)
Articles in this Issue
Can culinary medicine succeed where diet drugs dont?
By John La Puma, MD
Recent approvals of obesity drugs Qsymia (Vivus) and Belviq (Arena) may help clinicians seeking solutions for heir overweight patients. But many physicians still remember Phen-Fen with a shudder: heart valve abnormalities in young women put a stop to that off label combo in 1997.
Read More >>
Nutrition research: a messy science
By Tia M. Rains, PhD
Imagine that youve just identified a substance with preliminary evidence that suggests it is effective in preventing a particular disease. In this case, lets pretend that the condition is type 2 diabetes (T2D) and that the substance is an extract. To test whether the extract prevents the onset of T2D, you would conduct a randomized, controlled intervention trial (RCT). Those individuals at risk for the development of T2D (e.g., those with prediabetes) would be recruited and upon meeting the prespecified entry criteria, they would be randomized to receive a capsule that contained either the extract or an identical-looking capsule that acted as a placebo.
Read More >>
Omega-3 fatty acids: are we getting enough?
By James D. House, PhD
The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine published in 2002 official estimates of the human requirements for fatty acids.1 At that time, only two fatty acids, the major constituents of fats and oils, were deemed to be essential for the healthy, adult human population: linoleic acid (18:2n-6), an omega-6 fatty acid; and ?-linolenic acid (18:3n-3), an omega-3 fatty acid. These fatty acids are considered essential because
they cannot be synthesized by the body, and must therefore be supplied through the diet. Linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, is found in most dietary fats and oils, and is particularly high in corn and soybean oils. ?-linolenic acid (ALA) is less prevalent in the diet, with potential sources including flaxseed and flax oil, hemp oil and canola oil, as well as certain animal products, including eggs.
Read More >>
Easy habit-changing tips for a healthier you in 2015
By David C. Madsen, PhD
Its that time of year. Men and women everywhere are feverishly trying to pinpoint their bad eating and exercise habits and pledging to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Its 2015, a new year and a new you! Unfortunately, this habit-changing alarm bell probably went off at the same time last year. And quite likely the year before that, too.
Read More >>
Translating research into public policy can be tricky
By Nicole Hartnett
This is a short account of science
not about how it is done but more about what is done with its results. It is also about learning from our mistakes. Will we? Nina Teicholz wrote in the Fall 2014 issue of ENCs Nutrition Close-Up about the seminal work of Dr. Ancel Keys and colleagues. She recounted their thoughtful and innovative studies on the relationships between diet and health in the 1950s, in this case heart disease (HD).
Read More >>