latest news
april/may 2008
Increased folate may slash breast cancer risk
An increased consumption of folate may reduce the risk of breast cancer by 44% says a new study from Sweden.
Writing in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers state that fruit and vegetables may be a better option to increase folate consumption, and raise questions about folic acid fortification.
Folate is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, chick peas and lentils, and an overwhelming body of evidence links folate deficiency in early pregnancy to an increased risk of neural tube defects (NTD) - most commonly spina bifida and anencephaly - in infants.
The researchers investigated if there was an association between folate intake and invasive breast cancer risk in 11,699 post-menopausal women over the age of 50. Dietary assessments were done at the start of the study using seven-day diet records, a 168-item food-frequency questionnaire, and an interview about dietary habits.
After 9.5 years of follow-up, 392 cases of breast cancer had been diagnosed. The average folate intake for the women was 238 micrograms per day, and 19% of subjects used folic acid supplements.
The researchers calculated that women in the highest average intake group (456 micrograms of folate per day) had a 44% lower risk of invasive breast cancer than women in the lowest average intake group (160 micrograms of folate per day).
The benefits were still observed after the researchers took into account the intake of other B vitamins, age, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and the use of hormone replacement therapy.
However, when the women were divided into normal weight women (BMI of less than 25kg per sq. m) and overweight women (BMI of more than 25 kg per sq. m), the researchers report that the protective effect of folate only applied to the overweight women).
"Our findings of an association between high folate intake and lower breast cancer incidence confirm the biological hypothesis that low intakes of folate enhance the development of breast cancer," wrote the researchers.
Omega-3 DHA may help to stop arteries hardening
Men with high blood levels of triglycerides, a risk factor of artery hardening, may benefit from supplements of the omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), says a new study.
Omega-3 has been identified as one of the super-nutrients taking the food and supplements industry by storm. Much of its healthy reputation that is seeping into consumer consciousness is based largely on evidence that it can aid cognitive function and may help protect the heart against cardiovascular disease.
The results of the new study, published in this month's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reflect well for algae-derived DHA marketers, such as the manufacturer of the LifesDHA brand used in the trials, Martek Biosciences. In other areas, such as omega-3 for cognitive development - and in particular its use in infant formulas - fish oil suppliers have played up the DHA + EPA content of their ingredients on the grounds that it is closer to the lipid profile found in the human brain and breast milk.
The researchers, from University of California Davis, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, and Agricultural Research Service (US Department of Agriculture), recruited 34 men with hypertriglyceridaemia (age range 39 to 66) and randomly assigned them to receive with DHA supplements (three grams per day) or olive oil placebo for 90 days. High triglyceride levels (hypertriglyceridaemia) have been linked to an increased risk of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) that causes almost 50% of deaths in Europe, and is reported to cost the EU economy about 169bn euro ($202bn) per year.
The double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled parallel study showed that supplementation with DHA for 45 days resulted in decreased fasting levels of triacylglycerol (24%), very low density lipoproteins (92%), and intermediate-density lipoproteins (53%).
However, DHA was associated with increased levels of LDL cholesterol (by 12.6%), and large LDL particles (120%).
"DHA supplementation may improve cardiovascular health by lowering concentrations of triacylglycerols and small, dense LDL particles," concluded the researchers
