Association called “relatively strong”

People who have the most arsenic in their bloodstreams are more likely than other people to also have type 2 diabetes. Johns Hopkins University researchers said people in their study with diabetes had 26 percent higher levels of arsenic than those who didn’t have diabetes, and that people with the highest levels of arsenic had 3.6 times more likelihood of having diabetes than people with the lowest levels. Arsenic is commonly found in drinking water throughout the world and in rural America. Researchers say they aren’t sure how much of a role arsenic might play in the development of diabetes…

B vitamins don’t protect the heart

A study in Norway trying to determine if different levels of B vitamins and folic acid could protect the heart has been stopped early because it was clear the supplements weren’t helping and in some cases were actually harming participants. More than 3,000 people were part of the study, which involved different doses of vitamins or placebos, and had been going on for about 38 months. There was a slight but insignificant reduction in the risk of stroke for people who took the supplements, but also a slight increase in cancer risk for the folic acid users. Researchers said its clear people shouldn’t take B vitamins in the hope of reducing heart disease risks…

Epilepsy drug helps rats shed weight

A drug that’s now used to treat epilepsy is being studied as a way to help people beat drug addiction, and researchers found that it also helps rats, even those bred to be obese, to lose weight. The drug, known as vigabatrin or GVG, helped obese mice lose 19 percent of their body weight after 40 days, while normal rats lost 12 to 20 percent of their weight during the same time. When the rats went off the drug, the weight came back. Researchers say the drug blocks the brain’s dopamine reward centers, which should help both drug addicts and obese people who are prone to binge eating…

Fruit juices block many drugs

It’s been known for years that grapefruit juice can mess with the absorption of some drugs, leading to a potentially harmful reaction to a blood pressure drug, for example. New research shows other juices and other drugs don’t play well together. Beta-blocker blood pressure drugs like atenolol, celiprolol, and talinolol; antibiotics ciprofloxacin (Cipro, Proquin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), and itraconazole (Sporanox); and even the allergy drug Allegra can be affected by drinking grapefruit, orange or apple juice. Researchers say they are sure more drugs are affected by chemicals in the juices that block transmission of some drugs into the intestines. They say medications should always be taken with plain water…

Couple says food no reward for reading

A couple in California says it doesn’t think the libraries there should be encouraging kids to read by rewarding them with pizza and ice cream parties. Reuben and Zel Allen say everyone complains about childhood obesity, but no one actually wants to do anything about it. The library says it’s up to parents to decide if their kids should take part in a junk-food fueled party, and that kids need to learn how to eat treats as part of a healthy diet. But others say adding more fruits and non-food rewards to the reading program certainly couldn’t hurt…

Man sues, saying tapeworm came from restaurant

Finally, a man is suing the Chicago restaurant Shaw’s Crab House after he had a nine-foot tapeworm that he blames on eating undercooked salmon at the restaurant. Anthony Franz says he was violently ill after eating a salmon salad at the restaurant, and eventually passed the parasite, which was linked to undercooked fish. The company that owns the restaurant says there’s no way it came from them. He’s seeking $100,000 from the company.

(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 and is filed under Beverages, Childhood obesity, Diabetes, Fast food and restaurants, Food safety, Kids and families, Nutrition, Obesity research and studies. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Permalink.