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Dietitian offers nutrition tips to obtain maximum health benefits

March is National Nutrition Month, a campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association to promote nutrition education. This year's theme is Eat Right with Color.

11 Mar 2011

Study: Overweight adolescents may have high risk of less bone mass

Overweight adolescents already struggling with risk factors such as insulin resistance may need to add weak bones to their list of health concerns, researchers report.

5 Mar 2011

Nitroglycerin ointment may help in improving older women’s bone health: Study

A new study has shown that nitroglycerin ointment, that is used for chest pain or angina can be beneficial in postmenopausal women in improving their bone density. In this group of women, the bone becomes increasingly weak and brittle and leads to easy fractures. The study showed that postmenopausal women who used it for 2 years showed a modest increase in bone mineral density and decrease in bone resorption (loss). The study was published in the February 23 issue of JAMA.

22 Feb 2011

New perspectives challenge long-held beliefs about impact of saturated fatty acids on risk of cardiovascular disease

For generations, the consumption of dairy products has been positively associated with the health and wellness of families and communities. Nevertheless, the recent shift in dietary trends has focused on "what not to eat" instead of emphasizing "what to eat," resulting in demonizing the naturally occurring fats in dairy, while overlooking its many essential nutrients.

11 Feb 2011

$Researchers find breast cancer therapy contributes to early-in-life hip fractures in women$

Researchers find breast cancer therapy contributes to early-in-life hip fractures in women

A hip fracture is not common in a 54-year-old woman, unless she is a 54-year-old breast cancer survivor, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. Researchers found that a combination of early menopause due to breast cancer treatment and common drugs used to treat breast cancer, could be weakening the bones of breast cancer survivors once they hit middle age, leading to hip fractures.

2 Feb 2011

American Academy of Dermatology's position statement on vitamin D reflects IOM's findings

The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) has updated its position statement on vitamin D based on the results of a review of the increasing body of scientific literature on this vitamin and its importance for optimal health recently conducted by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM).

20 Jan 2011

Women's Health Congress to explore mammography controversy

The ongoing controversy about the appropriate age, frequency, and patient benefit of mammography will be explored at the upcoming 19th Annual Congress on Women's Health, April 1-3, 2011 in Washington DC.

18 Jan 2011

Study: Pre-menopausal Chinese-American women have greater bone strength than Caucasian counterparts

A team of researchers at Columbia Engineering and Columbia University Medical Center announced today the results of the first study comparing bone structure in Chinese-American women to Caucasian women.

18 Jan 2011

Vitamin D deficiency flagged as a major concern in South Asia

Bone health experts attending the 1st Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting in Singapore this week have flagged vitamin D deficiency as a major concern in the region, particularly in South Asia where the problem is especially severe and widespread across the entire population.

14 Dec 2010

BUSM professor wins 2010 Van Slyke Award for seminal contributions to laboratory medicine

Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, a professor at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), is the recipient of the 2010 Van Slyke Award from the American Academy for Clinical Chemistry New York Metro Section.

14 Dec 2010

IOM releases new dietary recommendations for calcium, vitamin D intakes

The Institute of Medicine recently released new dietary recommendations for calcium and vitamin D intakes, known as Dietary Reference Intakes, used broadly by health professionals and policy makers to guide consumers' dietary patterns. Citing a strong body of new scientific evidence, the IOM based their recommendations on bone health outcomes, confirming the importance of vitamin D and calcium in promoting bone growth and maintenance through various stages of life.

4 Dec 2010

Mushrooms are good source of vitamin D

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released the results of its 24-month review on dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for vitamin D and calcium, which validated the importance of vitamin D as an essential nutrient for promoting bone health. The committee set the recommended intake level at 600 IU, which is triple the previously recommended amount from 1997.

3 Dec 2010

IOF commends IOM's new vitamin D and calcium intake recommendations

On November 30, 2010, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (IOM) in the US released new recommendations on daily reference intakes for vitamin D and calcium across all ages. The report is based on available evidence in the literature, with higher quality studies, supporting the role of these nutrients on bone health. Vitamin D deficiency is an important health issue to address as it has been linked to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and hip fractures as well as other skeletal and non-skeletal disorders.

2 Dec 2010

Vitamin D supplementation may reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease: Research

Researchers from the UC Davis Health System have found that compared with healthy controls, blood levels of vitamin D are significantly reduced in patients in the Sacramento area with metabolic syndrome, a constellation of disease risk factors that affects about one in three U.S. adults and predisposes them to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

1 Dec 2010

Are vitamin D and calcium supplements needed?

The IOM raised the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D from the amount cited in their last report, released 13 years ago. It said that although 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D or more each day is sufficient to maintain bone health in majority. But those aged 71 and older may need as much as 800 IUs daily, the IOM experts say. However 1997 recommendations advised 400 IUs per day for people aged 51 to 70 and 600 IUs per day for those over 70.

30 Nov 2010

Majority of Americans and Canadians are getting enough vitamin D and calcium, says report

The majority of Americans and Canadians are getting enough vitamin D and calcium to meet their needs, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Most people up to age 70 need no more than 600 international units, or IUs, of vitamin D per day, and those 71 and older may need as much as 800 IUs, the report finds. The amount of calcium needed ranges, based on age, from 700 to 1,300 milligrams per day.

30 Nov 2010

Study finds abdominal fat as a risk factor for osteoporosis, bone loss in women

For years, it was believed that obese women were at lower risk for developing osteoporosis, and that excess body fat actually protected against bone loss. However, a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) found that having too much internal abdominal fat may, in fact, have a damaging effect on bone health.

30 Nov 2010

Doctors recommend drug holidays from bisphosphonates to enhance bone health

Taking time off from certain osteoporosis drugs may be beneficial to bone health, according to a study conducted at Loyola University Health System. Researchers found that bone density remained stable for three years in patients who took a drug holiday from bisphosphonates, a popular class of osteoporosis drugs that can cause fractures in the thigh bones and tissue decay in the jaw bone.

19 Nov 2010

Vit D deficiency does not raise stroke risk in African-Americans

While vitamin D deficiency is associated with fatal stroke among whites, it is not linked to more stroke deaths among blacks, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

15 Nov 2010

New study highlights benefits of 100% juice

With so few Americans consuming the recommended amounts of fruit each day, finding quick and simple ways to add additional fruit servings - and the important nutrients they provide - is more critical than ever. Although USDA recognizes that 4-oz of 100 percent juice supplies one serving (1/2 cup) of fruit, there is still confusion regarding the healthfulness of juice.

9 Nov 2010