Category Archives: Newsletter Articles

Who knew? Champagne is good for you!

Posted on by aileen

Long known as a celebratory drink or the party drink of the rich and famous, champagne is rarely a daily indulgence.  So, unlike red wine, which in some Mediterranean countries is a regular part of diet, and which has been shown to positively impact heart health, champagne consumption has not up to now been studied to see if it too might have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD). A new study from the University of Reading in the UK, and researcher in Reims, France aims to change that.

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease.

Posted on by aileen

Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, Krauss RM. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. March 2010;91(3):535-46

Why the study was done: A reduction in dietary saturated fat has generally been thought to improve cardiovascular health, and public health campaigns in most …

Posted in Newsletter Articles, Study of the Month | Comments Off on Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease.

Study claims organic milk offers no nutritional advantages.

Posted on by aileen

The study was done because the researchers thought that consumers were confused over the value of milk labelled conventional, bST-free or organically produced, and were concerned that “some consumers may perceive that this type of specialty labelling indicates differences in the quality, nutritional value, or safety of dairy foods.” They therefore examined 292 pasteurized homogenized milk samples of all three types. They focused their investigation only on the fatty acid composition of the milks.

Genes determine how much vitamin D you need.

Posted on by aileen

More proof that there is no “one size fits all” dose of vitamin D that will work for everyone, and that different individuals achieve different blood levels of 25-hydroxy D on similar doses of supplements. 25-hydroxy D is a reliable marker of vitamin D status and higher blood levels help protect against numerous serious diseases, including many types of cancer, autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, heart disease and stroke.

Scurvy in Toronto?

Posted on by aileen

Is scurvy, a symptom of serious vitamin C deficiency, common in Toronto? Apparently it’s not as uncommon as we have been led to believe, even in fit, young, non-smoking men and women. What is more, deficiency has observable negative health …