Two Studies Link Vitamin E to Alzheimer's Protection
Vitamin E, the subject of dashed hopes for a variety of health benefits a few years ago, is back in the spotlight. This time the focus is dementia and Alzheimer's disease, with two new studies suggesting that vitamin E — especially from dietary sources — may help stave off mental decline with aging. In results from a study tracing 5,395 people ages 55 and up for nearly a decade, Dutch researchers report that those with the highest intake of vitamin E from food were 25% less likely to develop dementia than those consuming the least vitamin E. Similar results were seen for Alzheimer's disease. Dietary sources of the vitamin were primarily vegetable oils, margarine, butter and mayonnaise; the group consuming the most vitamin E averaged 18.5 mg daily, a little less than that found in a quarter-cup of sunflower oil. A second study, from Sweden, compared blood levels of eight different forms of vitamin E with risk of developing Alzheimer's among 232 elderly people over 6 years. Those with the highest vitamin E levels were 45%-54% less likely to develop the disease. Scientists speculated that vitamin E's antioxidant properties might counter the oxidative stress thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's. — Archives of Neurology and Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

Women Taking Fish-Oil Pills Less Prone to Breast Cancer
Among a medicine-cabinet full of supplements tested in a large, 7-year study, only one was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer: fish oil. Those participants in the VITAL study of 35,016 postmenopausal women who regularly took fish-oil supplements were 32% less likely to develop breast cancer than non-users. No other supplement studied showed a similar connection, including glucosamine, chondroitin, grapeseed, black cohosh, soy, St. John's wort, ginseng, garlic, ginkgo biloba and coenzyme Q10. It's plausible that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil could reduce inflammation, which plays a part in cancer development. But scientists cautioned that the study wasn't designed to prove cause and effect. They also noted one catch to the results: Women with a history of coronary artery disease who took fish-oil pills, most often used to protect against heart disease, were actually more likely to develop breast cancer. Overall, those cases were more than counterbalanced by reduced cancer risk among women without a history of coronary heart disease. — Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

Subbing Meat for Carbs May Elevate Diabetes Risk
Since carbohydrates can boost blood-sugar levels, it makes sense that a low-carb eating regimen like the Atkins diet should help ward off diabetes — right? Not so fast, say Harvard researchers, who analyzed 20 years of data on 41,410 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up study. They found that low-carb eating habits were actually associated with a 12% greater risk of developing diabetes. The culprit? Red and processed meat consumed in place of all those carbohydrates. Researchers speculated that a type of iron found in red meat, along with the sodium nitrites added to processed meats like bacon and salami, may encourage the development of diabetes. If you're cutting back on carbs, they suggested, emphasize chicken, fish and vegetable sources of protein — not just steak. The findings on men and diabetes risk echo similar results for women in the Nurses Health Study, which also showed higher risk associated with red and processed meat. — American Diabetes Association

What Vitamins Are You Losing Along with Pounds?
When dieting to lose weight — like 1 in 3 Americans — you're not just cutting out calories; you're also omitting vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that tag along with those calories. To test these nutritional effects of popular weight-loss plans, Stanford University scientists randomly assigned 300 overweight or obese women to one of four diets: Atkins, Zone, LEARN and Ornish. By repeatedly quizzing the women on what they'd actually eaten, researchers were able to calculate their vitamin and nutrient intake from food. While cutting an average of 500 daily calories, overall the women also reduced their intake of 12 of the 17 nutrients measured, putting some at risk of deficiency. The reduction in dietary vitamin E was most pronounced, with more than 65% of the dieters not getting enough. One surprise: Women on the Zone diet actually boosted their intake of vitamins A, E, C and K, while seeing no dip in other nutrients. Researchers said that finding demonstrated the benefits of a regimen, like the Zone plan, that encourages moderate but not extreme carbohydrate reductions — cutting back on added sugars and refined grains while keeping beans, greens and other veggies. — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Low Vitamin D Associated with Metabolic Syndrome
A new Dutch study, released at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, offers yet another reason to make sure you're getting enough vitamin D: In research on 1,300 men and women age 65 and older, those with low blood levels of the "sunshine vitamin" were about 40% more likely to have metabolic syndrome. A complex of conditions such as hypertension, obesity and poor insulin metabolism, metabolic syndrome is linked to greater danger of diabetes and heart disease. Overall, almost half the seniors tested had low blood levels of vitamin D, and 37% suffered from metabolic syndrome. Those with levels of vitamin D lower than 50 nanomoles per liter were more likely to have metabolic syndrome. The connection is plausible, the scientists said, because vitamin D deficiency has previously been linked to insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. — Endocrine Society