Researchers find no evidence that multivitamin use helps older women ward off heart disease and cancer, the top two killers of women, respectively. This yet another huge blow to the supplement industry.

Other recent studies have suggested that supplement forms of vitamins B, C, D and E, along with folic acid and beta carotene, don’t seem to have cancer-fighting abilities, especially in women.

And just last week, other researchers reported that many healthy U.S. children and teenagers may be popping vitamins and mineral supplements they don’t need, even while children who may actually need the supplements aren’t getting them.

Clif bars announced January 19, 2009 a voluntary recall of 14 U.S and 4 Canadian products including CLIF Bar, CLIF Builder’s, CLIF MOJO, CLIF Kid Organic ZBaR and LUNA Bar, in the U.S. and Canada because the peanut butter in those products was sourced, for a limited period of time, from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is a manufacturer and supplier of peanut butter for many food companies and manufacturers.

Please visit Clif bar to view all products being recalled.

www.clifbar.com

new study by Consumer Reports finds there are a surprising number of foods that contain excess sodium. The hidden salt in these unexpected sources — unexpected because the foods don’t taste salty — contribute to health risks, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

After reviewing 37 supermarket staples, Consumer Reports found large quantities of sodium in foods one wouldn’t necessarily suspect, such as Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, 350 milligrams of sodium per cup; Prego Heart Smart traditional Italian sauce, 430 mg per cup; and Pepperidge Farm whole grain white bagels, 440 mg of sodium each.

Many Americans are failing to meet the minimum recommendations for exercise, although confusing guidelines are making it difficult to assess, researchers reported on Thursday.Depending on which federal exercise recommendations are used, either about half or about two-thirds of Americans meet minimum goals, the team at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

Just under 65 percent of adults reached that goal, the CDC said.The government’s Healthy People 2010 objectives call for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous activity three days per week. Only 49 percent of those surveyed met these goals.

Senior citizens are at high risk for depression for a variety of reasons. Loss of health, loss of friends, loss of purpose. But there are things that can be done to sharply reduce that risk. “Seniors have got to stay engaged in the world,” says Dr. Michael C. Miller, psychiatrist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter. “I’m a great believer in staying active,” he says. “People who do best are the ones who keep themselves going. Community organizations, church or synagogue groups, a sport, volunteer activities, political activities. It can be almost anything.”

Lack of exercise may greatly increase the risk of breast cancer, suggests a new study in the December issue of Cancer Causes and Control.

The study by Coyle YM at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center says exercise equivalent to a 30-minute walk five times a week can help prevent breast cancer, slow progression of the disease, enhance recovery and prevent the disease from recurring.

According to researchers, animal studies have found that exercise slows breast tumor growth by promoting changes in cellular reproduction and apoptosis (a form of programmed cell death).

Exercise training is safe in heart failure patients, does not significantly reduce hospitalization or death, but is associated with several improved clinical outcomes, even in those already receiving optimal medical care, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008. The Heart Failure and A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training (HF-ACTION) was presented as a late-breaking clinical trial.

The trial is the world’s largest study of exercise training versus usual care in heart failure (HF) patients, said Christopher M. O’Connor, M.D., principal investigator and director of the Heart Center and professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

A new study says that a regular exercise regime can significantly improve quality of life in heart failure patients.

The study led by Duke University Medical Center showed that exercise is not only safe for patients, but also helps to improve the quality of their lives. They fare better and feel good about their lives than similar patients who do not work out on a regular basis.

During the study, the researchers randomized participants to receive either standard care or standard care plus an exercise program.

The exercise regimen consisted of three months of supervised aerobic training on a bicycle or treadmill, followed by instruction for continued home-based training.

I found this interesting and thought I should share it. I wonder if this will work on humans?

French researchers said they have discovered a drug that “tricks the body into burning off fat,” regardless of the body’s diet, BBC News reported.

A team at the University of Louis Pasteur successfully tested the drug, called SRT1720, on mice, according to a report in this month’s journal Cell Metabolism.The drug is a chemical cousin of resveratrol, the red wine extract that combats aging and promotes heart health.

Folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 supplements should be taken every day, just don’t expect them to lower your cancer risk.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School analyzed data from a study of 5,442 women age 42 and older who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease and who had taken a daily combination of the three supplments or a placebo for more than seven years.

The supplements are crucial in DNA synthesis, repair and general functioning, which suggests higher levels of them could lower cancer risk. Some observational studies had supported this notion. But the research has been far from definitive, with one study even suggesting a negative effect.