Glucosamine Disappoints Against Lower Back Pain
Even though glucosamine is widely used as a therapy for lower back pain, a new randomized controlled trial has found little difference between patients taking the popular supplement and those on a placebo. Norwegian researchers randomly split 250 people with chronic lower back pain and degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis into two groups: Half received 1,500mg of glucosamine daily for six months, while a control group got a placebo instead. Pain-related disability was measured using a standard questionnaire, and patients also rated their pain at rest and during activity. After six months and when re-tested after a year, there was no significant difference between the glucosamine group and those getting a placebo. In 2009, another randomized controlled trial similarly found glucosamine, as well as the supplement chondroitin, no more effective than a placebo in slowing cartilage damage from osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. — JAMA

Too Much Diet Cola Could Be Bad for Your Bones
Confirming a previous observational study by Tufts researchers, results from a small randomized controlled trial show that drinking diet cola may cause your body to lose calcium, putting you at greater risk for bone fractures and osteoporosis. Noelle Larson, MD, of Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported the findings at a conference of the Endocrine Society. Concerned about possible harm as she observed women drinking two-dozen or so diet colas a week, Dr. Larson recruited 20 healthy women, ages 18 to 40, and randomly assigned them to drink 24 ounces of either diet cola or water on two study days. Three hours after the beverage, urine was collected and analyzed. Among the 16 participants on whom data was analyzed, excretion of calcium as well as phosphorus was significantly higher in the diet-cola group. A negative calcium balance in the body is a marker of risk for low bone-mineral density. The earlier Tufts study, which focused on older people, found that drinking cola — but not other soft drinks — was associated with lower bone-mineral density in women, though not in men.

Consumers Confuse "Organic" with "Lower Calorie"
Just because a food is labeled "organic" doesn't mean it has fewer calories — but a "tendency to over-generalize health claims" may lead to that mistaken conclusion, according to University of Michigan researchers. They conducted two studies with college students to test whether people "assume that foods produced organically contain fewer calories than their conventional counterparts, despite the fact that the 'organic' designation entails no such claim." In one study, 114 students were shown two nutrition labels for cookies, both clearly marked as containing 160 calories per serving; nonetheless, the cookies "made with organic flour and sugar" were perceived as having fewer calories. A second study asked 215 students about a story in which a character who wants to lose weight skips exercising. Students were more forgiving if the character chose an organic dessert than a non-organic dessert — and even more than if she had no dessert. The influence of organic labeling on notions about calories was strongest among those who also otherwise most highly valued "organic" as an attribute of healthy foods. — Judgment and Decision Making

Low Folate Levels Linked to Risk of Hearing Loss
How's that again? You may need more folate to help prevent hearing loss? That's the finding of the Blue Mountains Eye Study, which adds to a small but growing body of evidence linking low blood levels of B vitamins, notably folate, to risk of age-related hearing loss. Australian researchers compared blood levels of folate, vitamin B12 and the amino acid homocysteine to incidence of hearing loss among 2,956 people ages 50 and up. Those with the lowest levels of folate were 34% more likely to suffer hearing loss. People with the most homocysteine — an amino acid, linked to other health problems, that's countered by B vitamins — were at 64% greater risk. Elevated homocysteine levels have been linked to adverse effects on blood flow in the inner ear, which could be a factor in hearing loss with age. No association was seen between B12 and hearing loss. To make sure you're getting enough folate (vitamin B9), eat lots of leafy green vegetables, chick peas, lentils and products made with fortified grains. — Journal of Nutrition

Workout Now, Stay Mentally Sharp Later?
The jury's still out on mental "exercises" to protect your aging brain, but evidence keeps mounting that physical activity does help prevent cognitive decline. A new Canadian study suggests that the earlier in life you get off the couch and get moving, the better for your brain in later years. Researchers analyzed data on 9,344 women, average age 71.6, participating in an osteoporosis study who were also assessed using a standard test for cognitive ability. Women who reported that they were physically active in their teens — even if they slacked off later in life — were the least likely to have developed cognitive impairment. But if you started your workout routine late, don't despair: Women who were inactive as teens but began exercising at age 30 or age 50 also had lower odds of cognitive impairment compared to lifelong couch potatoes, although not to the degree seen among those active as teens. Researchers cautioned that the study wasn't designed to show cause and effect. Given the proven health benefits of exercise, however, knowing your brain might also benefit is more motivation to break a sweat. — Journal of the American Geriatrics Society