Added Sugars Not So Sweet for Cholesterol
You know that sugar can pad your waistline and rot your teeth, but does too much sugar in your diet also contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels? That's the conclusion of the first study of its kind to look at the link between consumption of sugar added to processed foods and measures of blood cholesterol known to raise the risk of heart disease. Researchers examined data on 6,113 participants in a national nutrition survey, dividing them into five groups based on the percentage of total calories from added sugars — which ranged from less than 5% to 25% or more. With higher consumption of added sugar, average levels of the good HDL cholesterol were lower and triglycerides were higher. Compared with the lowest-sugar group, participants with the highest intake of calories from added sugars were more than three times as likely to have unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels. The study wasn't designed to show cause and effect, and it's possible that added sugar intake is actually a marker for larger dietary patterns. But researchers concluded, "Our data support dietary guidelines that target a reduction in consumption of added sugar." — JAMA

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CDC Reports Little Progress Against Foodborne Illness
Just in time for picnic season, when foodborne illness peaks, comes news that little progress has been made in the public-health battle against microorganisms in food. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that overall rates of foodborne illness remained roughly flat in 2009, as they have for more than five years. The 10 states that participate in a federally funded monitoring system reported a total of 17,500 cases, down slightly from the year before. Cases of the most dangerous form of E. coli dropped, probably due to improved safety measures in the meat and produce industries, the CDC said. And illnesses from shigella declined, possibly because of increased hand-washing spurred by fears of the H1N1 flu. The salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products helped lead to a salmonella rate of 15.19 cases per 100,000 Americans — more than double the CDC's goal. The report concluded, "The incidence of foodborne illnesses in the United States has changed little in recent years; foodborne illness continues to be an important public health problem."

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Seniors May Need Vitamin D to Maintain Muscles
Vitamin D, crucial to bone health, may also boost the muscle strength necessary for seniors to perform daily tasks. New research presented at this week's Experimental Biology conference reports that elderly people with higher blood levels of the "sunshine vitamin" are more likely to have better physical function. (It's also possible, researchers cautioned, that those who are better able to get out and about have more vitamin D because they're out in the sun, making it naturally.) The study tested vitamin D levels and physical function — walking, rising from a chair, balancing — in 2,788 people, average age 75, over four years. Among those with the poorest physical function, 90% had low levels of vitamin D. While calling for further study, including clinical trials, researchers noted, "Current dietary recommendations are based primarily on vitamin D's effects on bone health. It is possible that higher amounts of vitamin D are needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other health conditions."

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Experts Ask FDA to Join the War on Salt
The prestigious Institute of Medicine, which sets recommended nutrient levels for Americans' food, has called on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the amount of sodium added to foods. A new Institute report concluded that public health and education campaigns have failed to reduce US sodium intake — which mostly comes from processed and restaurant foods, rather than salt shakers. So, the report argued, the FDA should lower the level of salt Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) from 2,300 mg daily, a level most American now far exceed. Then, slowly, over time, the FDA should "reduce the sodium content of the food supply in a way that goes unnoticed by most consumers as individuals' taste sensors adjust to the lower levels of sodium." The recommendation comes as 16 major food companies announced they would commit to New York City's salt-reduction initiative, which has now spread to 28 other locales. And the committee revising the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which holds its final meeting May 12, is expected to call for lowering recommended sodium levels.

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Does Depression Lead to Eating Chocolate, or Vice Versa?
Hold those bonbons! Not only doesn't chocolate appear to combat depression, according to a new study, it might even contribute to the problem. Researchers who tested the "rich cultural tradition" linking chocolate with mood benefits were quick to acknowledge that they can't say which direction the cause-and-effect arrow is pointing in their study. They compared the chocolate consumption of 931 adults, none taking antidepressants, with participants' scores on a standard test for depression. Those who screened positive for possible depression consumed an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate per month, compared with 5.4 for other participants. People whose scores were even higher, reflecting probable major depression, consumed even more chocolate — 11.8 servings per month. Findings were similar among women and men. It could be that depression stimulates chocolate cravings, researchers suggested, or something else such as inflammation might cause both depression and cravings. But they added, "The possibility that chocolate could causally contribute to depressed mood, driving the association, cannot be excluded." — Archives of Internal Medicine

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