Articles For Everyday People
Welcome to Articles for Everyday People
In this section we will present brief reviews and commentary on recent reports in the scientific literature and in the press. The goal of this section is to summarize, in lay language, the current scientific thoughts and debates on recent discoveries in dietary lipids, botanicals, and supplements. These topics will naturally intersect topics of nutrition, exercise, and inflammation. References are included to assist the reader who wishes to learn more about each of these topics or examine the original reports.
These articles are for information only, and should not be interpreted as endorsement of any particular product or dietary practice. Consult your physician before any use of dietary supplements (see FAQs for comments on potential side-effects of some botanicals or supplements). Other limitations apply; see our Website Access Agreement.
Recruiting Healthing Adult Volunteers for a Dietary Fatty Acid Research Study
8/17/2007
The Center for Botanical Lipids is recruiting healthy adult volunteers for a research study on the mechanisms by which borage oil and fish oil reduce inflammation. This study will take place at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
The Latest Word on Low-Fat Diets
an analysis by Ski Chilton, Ph.D.
In early 2006, the Journal of the American Medical Association released a study that overturned much of the conventional wisdom about low-fat diets. The Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial followed 48,835 post-menopausal women -- most of them overweight or obese -- for about eight years. Forty percent of the women (19,541) were instructed to decrease their consumption of fat and increase their consumption of vegetables, fruits and grains. Sixty percent of the women (29,294) were instructed to continue their usual eating habits. (1)
The Use of Dietary Flaxseed for the Prevention of Human Disease
by Kelly Weaver
Flaxseed (also called linseed) has been a part of the human and animal diet for thousands of years. It is the richest known plant source of omega-3 fatty acids - 58% of the total fat in flax is composed of alpha-linolenic acid (LNA); however, this fatty acid is a short chain omega-3 as opposed to the long chain omega 3s found in fish oil. A number of studies have shown that flaxseed does not replace fish oil in the diet because the conversion of LNA to the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil is very inefficient.
Use of dietary fish oils for the prevention and treatment of heart disease
an analysis by Ping Zhang, Ph.D.
Heart disease is still the number one killer in the United States and other Westernized societies. About half of the deaths from heart disease are from coronary heart disease (CHD), which includes heart attack. Heart attack happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle are blocked. This is usually caused by the build up of plaques (deposits of fat-like substances), a process called atherosclerosis (2). One of the first approaches to treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease, is dietary intervention to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol intake.
What About Canned Fish?
an analysis by Ski Chilton
Canned tuna is the second only to shrimp as the most popular type of fish or shellfish in the United States. (The other top species, in descending order of popularity, are salmon, Pollack, catfish, tilapia, crab, cod, clams and flatfish.) Many people also love to eat canned mackerel and salmon. Canned fish has long been considered one of the healthiest food choices. We eat it in sandwiches, on salads and, sometimes, just straight out of the can.
How healthy are canned fish in terms of their contents of long chain omega-3 (such as eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) and long chain omega-6 fatty acids (such as arachidonic acid [AA])? Are there differences between "light" tuna and "white/albacore" tuna? Does it matter if the fish are canned in water or oil? Finally, do some canned fish contain more mercury than others?
A Large Study of Anti-Inflammatory Dietary Supplements Showed Positive Effects
an analysis by Ski Chilton, Ph.D.
Osteoarthritis is a huge problem that affects more than 50 million people in the United States alone. In early 2006, the National Institutes of Health released the results of the phase-three Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), which tested the efficacy and safety of the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, alone and in combination, for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. (1) The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February 2006.
