To Protect Your Aging Brain, Get Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D, which recent research has linked to everything from preventing fractures to delaying death, may also play a role in keeping your brain sharp as you age. In new research following 858 Italian seniors for six years, those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were at greater risk for declines in thinking, learning and memory abilities. Researchers took blood samples, then administered a battery of standard cognitive tests at the study's start and after three and six years. Participants who were severely deficient in vitamin D were 60% more likely to suffer substantial overall cognitive decline than those with adequate levels and 31% more prone to decline in tests of executive function (the ability to plan, organize and prioritize). No significant difference was seen for tests measuring attention. Researchers suggested that vitamin D may help prevent the degeneration of brain tissue by having a role in formation of nervous tissue, maintaining levels of calcium in the body, or clearing of beta-amyloid (the substance that forms the brain plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease). — Archives of Internal Medicine

Are You Sitting Yourself to Death?
You might want to read this next item standing up. Researchers report that people who spent more than 6 hours a day sitting were significantly more likely to die over a 14-year span than those spending less than 3 hours daily on their duffs. The association was independent of physical activity and other risk factors such as Body Mass Index or smoking. Women who sat a lot saw a greater relative jump in mortality — a 34% increase — than men (17%). Even those sitting 3-5 hours were slightly more likely to die than those sitting the least. Although the research involved more than 120,000 healthy participants (average age 63.6 for men, 61.9 for women) in an American Cancer Society study, death from cardiovascular disease was most strongly associated with sitting time. Scientists speculated that sitting might be a marker for other unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating, or it might have independent metabolic effects. And even though the association was observed regardless of physical activity levels, those who sat the most and also exercised the least were at the greatest overall risk of dying. So now might be a good time to stand up and do some jumping jacks. — American Journal of Epidemiology

Calories? Who's Counting?
Most of us are trying to lose weight, but few Americans have any idea how many calories they should consume. Those are among the findings of the 2010 Food & Health Survey by the International Food Information Council. Concerns about weight were the prime driver of food choices for 65% of respondents, and 70% are worried about how much they weigh. Only 17%, however, could accurately estimate how many calories a person of their age, height, weight and activity level ought to consume. Even among those trying to lose weight, only 19% are counting calories, and few knew roughly how many calories they burn in a day. New questions on this year's survey asked about protein and sodium. Nearly half of respondents said they're trying to eat more protein — even though most Americans consume plenty of protein. More than half of those surveyed worry about their salt intake, and 60% purchase reduced-sodium products.

Turn Up Your Nose at Zinc Products
With cold and flu season just around the corner, you may be tempted by those zinc nasal products that promise to prevent the common cold and alleviate symptoms. A new report in the Archives of Otolaryngology, however, may give you pause: "Multiple randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have found that intranasal zinc is ineffective in preventing or reducing the duration of the common cold," the authors conclude. Worse, zinc nasal products may cause permanent reduction of (hyposmia) or loss of (anosmia) the sense of smell. The scientists applied a standard approach for evaluating whether an environmental exposure is likely to cause a disease to published medical studies as well as 25 cases of anosmia, concluding, "the probable explanation for the smell loss is chemical injury due to the use of intranasal zinc." — Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

More Evidence Dietary Fiber Reduces Heart Disease Risk
Previous studies in the US and Europe have reported that dietary fiber may help protect against heart disease. Now a new Japanese study has found a similar association, suggesting fiber's cardiovascular benefits may extend beyond the Western diet. Researchers followed 58,730 heart-healthy Japanese men and women, ages 40-79, over 14 years, during which 2,080 participants died from cardiovascular disease. Those consuming the most total fiber (an average of 14 grams/day) were 18% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those in the lowest-fiber group. When researchers looked specifically at deaths from coronary heart disease, however, the numbers were more striking — especially for fiber from cereals and from fruit, as opposed to fiber from vegetables. Men who consumed the most insoluble fiber were at 52% lower risk and those eating the most soluble fiber were 29% less likely to die of coronary heart disease. For women, the comparable figures were 51% for insoluble fiber and 28% for soluble fiber. Researchers cautioned that this was an observational study, and that fiber consumption could be just a marker for other aspects of a healthy lifestyle. — Journal of Nutrition.