http://www.favoredmilk.com News from Favored Milk and around the milk community. en-us Copyright © FAVORED Dairy LLC Dec 8, 2008 http://www.favoredmilk.com/xml/RSS.xml http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23406513-details/Forget+sports+drinks%2C+milk+is+the+best+way+to+recover+from+exercise/article.do?expand=true#StartComments Some swear by water. Others are lured by the promise of expensive special-formula sports drinks Some swear by water. Others are lured by the promise of expensive special-formula sports drinks. But what athletes should really be imbibing after their exertions is a glass of milk. Researchers found it is more effective than anything else at replacing the fluid and salts lost through sweat. Tests at Loughborough University's school of sport showed that milk keeps the body rehydrated four times longer than either water or Powerade, a sports drink made by Coca-Cola. Physiologist Susan Shirreffs said milk is rich in sodium, potassium and other vital salts lost in large quantities through sweat. In addition, the combination of sugar, fat and protein found in milk means it is removed from the body less slowly than other drinks. Dr Shirreffs looked at how well different drinks rehydrated a group of young men and women in their early 20s after they had trained on exercise bikes in a hot room. With milk, they remained rehydrated for four hours. Water and Powerade succeeded in restoring the body's fluid balance for only around an hour, the British Journal of Nutrition reports. Dr Shirreffs said milk offers athletes a cheap alternative to energy drinks, with low-fat versions available to help keep down calorie intake. She added: 'It will give them a little bit of protein and a little bit of carbohydrate and is cheaper as well.' Dr Carole Lowis, of the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, said: 'As a means of getting fluid back into your system, milk offers a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals. It is an excellent drink for anyone who is serious about their health and wellbeing. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk yes http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23406513-details/Forget+sports+drinks%2C+milk+is+the+best+way+to+recover+from+exercise/article.do?expand=true#StartComments http://www.favoredmilk.com/story.php?guid=1 1 Jan 9, 2007 http://aap.org/pressroom/nce/nce08vitamind.htm BOSTON - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is doubling the amount of vitamin D it recommends for infants, children and adolescents BOSTON - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is doubling the amount of vitamin D it recommends for infants, children and adolescents. The new clinical report, ''Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents,'' recommends all children receive 400 IU a day of vitamin D, beginning in the first few days of life. The previous recommendation, issued in 2003, called for 200 IU per day beginning in the first two months of life. The change in recommendation comes after reviewing new clinical trials on vitamin D and the historical precedence of safely giving 400 IU per day to the pediatric population. Clinical data show that 400 units of vitamin D a day will not only prevent rickets, but treat it. This bone-softening disease is preventable with adequate vitamin D, but dietary sources of vitamin D are limited, and it is difficult to determine a safe amount of sunlight exposure to synthesize vitamin D in a given individual. Rickets continues to be reported in the United States in infants and adolescents. The greatest risk for rickets is in exclusively breastfed infants who are not supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D a day. Adequate vitamin D throughout childhood may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. In adults, new evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a role in the immune system and may help prevent infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer and diabetes. ''We are doubling the recommended amount of vitamin D children need each day because evidence has shown this could have life-long health benefits,'' said Frank Greer, MD, FAAP, chair of the AAP Committee on Nutrition and co-author of the report. “Supplementation is important because most children will not get enough vitamin D through diet alone.” ''Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants. However, because of vitamin D deficiencies in the maternal diet, which affect the vitamin D in a mother’s milk, it is important that breastfed infants receive supplements of vitamin D,” said Carol Wagner, MD, FAAP, member of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding Executive Committee and co-author of the report. “Until it is determined what the vitamin D requirements of the lactating mother-infant dyad are, we must ensure that the breastfeeding infant receives an adequate supply of vitamin D through a supplement of 400 IU per day.” The new recommendations include: * Breastfed and partially breastfed infants should be supplemented with 400 IU a day of vitamin D beginning in the first few days of life. * All non-breastfed infants, as well as older children, who are consuming less than one quart per day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk, should receive a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU a day. * Adolescents who do not obtain 400 IU of vitamin D per day through foods should receive a supplement containing that amount. * Children with increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, such as those taking certain medications, may need higher doses of vitamin D. Given the growing evidence that adequate vitamin D status during pregnancy is important for fetal development, the AAP also recommends that providers who care for pregnant women consider measuring vitamin D levels in this population. http://www.aap.org yes http://aap.org/pressroom/nce/nce08vitamind.htm http://www.favoredmilk.com/story.php?guid=2 2 Oct 14, 2008 http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/03/farmers.markets.hospitals/index.html (CNN) -- For years, hospitals have embodied a paradox (CNN) -- For years, hospitals have embodied a paradox. As patients are tethered to dialysis machines, and many lay bedridden from obesity-related diseases, the hospitals' fast food joints and cafeterias dispense fried goodies and slick burgers that contributed to such conditions. ''With fast food establishments, hospitals are sending a message that food is not important to health,'' said Jamie Harvey, a food coordinator of Health Care Without Harm, a coalition of hospitals and health-related groups. ''But we know that's wrong. We're starting to see in a sweeping way that food is essential to health. Hospitals are adapting to that message.'' Some hospitals around the country have gone on a diet: Deep fryers have gone cold, trans fats have been banished, and the glow of the golden arches (and other fast food symbols) have dimmed as leases have quietly gone unrenewed. Instead, these hospitals are offering an alternative food source: farmers markets. Patients who've been warned to improve their diets can now walk out of the hospital and find locally grown strawberries, apricots and baby red potatoes sold on the parking lot. Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest not-for-profit health system, has 30 farmers markets in mostly Western states like California, Washington and Oregon. ''The focus on local food systems gives us food that's good for us, good for our children, good for farmers that grow it and it's good for the Earth,'' said Dr. Preston Maring, a family physician for 38 years who brought the concept of farmers markets to Kaiser in 2003. Having locally grown fruits and vegetables next to a hospital gives people the visual connection between good food and better health, Maring said. ''It's clear to me over all these years what people eat is the single most important determinant of their overall health. It just struck me one day -- why not bring good food to a place where people get their health care to see if it could become a focal point for education?'' One of the farmers, Roberto Rodriguez, who sells organic strawberries at the Kaiser Permanente farmers market in Oakland, California, said the customers say the local goods are ''sweeter, fresh and last longer.'' The concept of farmers markets at hospitals is not entirely new, but it has started to spread -- to places like Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, University of California San Francisco Medical Center in California, and the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, which opened its farmers market in May. Dr. Lenny Lesser, a member of the policy committee for the National Physicians Alliance and a family medicine resident at Tufts University, said the recent wave of farmers markets is promising, but hospitals can do more. Lesser worked on a 2006 study that showed 42 percent of 234 U.S. hospitals sold fast food such as Wendy's, McDonald's and Pizza Hut. ''There's definitely an air of change,'' he said. ''There has not been a huge change in terms of brand name fast foods that are still available. Many hospitals are trying to bring in healthier options, but not necessarily eliminating the harmful options.'' Indeed, eliminating fast food franchises can be tough. In one case, the chief executive officer at the Cleveland Clinic, who is also a heart surgeon, sought to get rid of a McDonald's franchise inside the Cleveland, Ohio, medical facility in the early 2000s. But McDonald's was halfway through a 20-year lease with the hospital. The parties reached a compromise that the fast food restaurant would add healthier options on its menu. The hospital will not renew the lease with the Big Mac maker when it expires, said clinic spokeswoman Eileen Sheil. The clinic also opened a local farmers market last year on its premises. Locally grown vegetables and fruits are also making their way onto cafeteria trays for hospital patients, employees and visitors. Instead of a container of gelatin or a glop of cake -- which have inspired photo blogs dedicated to the wonders of hospital food -- patients get an in-season peach or bowl of strawberries plucked from a nearby farm. The cafeteria at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont, relies heavily on seasonal, organic produce grown by local farmers. It serves entrees such as veggie paninis (made of roasted garlic hummus, spinach, tomatoes, roasted red onion and balsamic drizzle) and whole wheat flatbreads topped with roasted vegetables and basil pesto. The cafeteria attracts more than hospital visitors and employees; it has morphed into a destination spot for the downtown lunch crowd. Three years ago, Fletcher Allen Health Care started using mostly local ingredients, such as grass-fed beef and lamb, artisan cheeses, mesclun and butter lettuce. Locally grown produce such as lettuce is ''fresher, has more crispness to it,'' said Richard Jarmusz, an executive chef at the hospital. ''The flavor is more intense. As food sits and ages, it loses all that flavor. It's evaporating. It's leaving the lettuce. Some things have been sitting a week before you get it. The stuff you get locally are picked that morning.'' Jarmusz was the executive chef for ski resorts and restaurants before he came to the hospital. ''When I first came to health care, you could see they needed help in the quality of the food because of the bulk,'' Jarmusz said. ''Here we are at a health care facility [yet] we are preparing fried foods. After somebody sees a cardiac doctor who tells them their cholesterol is too high, he stops at a cafeteria and gets French fries. The message is mixed. Now we're delivering the appropriate message.'' http://www.cnn.com yes http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/03/farmers.markets.hospitals/index.html http://www.favoredmilk.com/story.php?guid=3 3 Madison Park Jun 4, 2009 http://www.foodnavigator.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/NutraIngredients.com/Research/CLA-may-aid-weight-loss-in-diabetic-women/?c=m6p%2FsjglvgDh6GCEpiBO9Q%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may help reduce body fat mass in post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes, says a new study Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may help reduce body fat mass in post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes, says a new study. Following 16 weeks of supplementation, CLA was found to reduce body mass index (BMI) by about half a point, total body fat by 3.2 per cent, and fat tissue weight by about 1.4 kg (3 pounds), according to findings of 36-week randomised, double-blind, crossover study. “In the present study, we observed a significant reduction of BMI with 6.4 g CLA supplementation per day,” wrote the researchers, led by Professor Martha Belury from Ohio State University. “Because BMI had not yet reached a plateau, it is possible that further reductions in BMI are achievable with a longer length of supplementation. The reduced BMI found in our study supports other studies, which have shown weight loss by CLA.” The new study, published on-line ahead of print in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was sponsored by Cognis which provided the Tonalin CLA, derived from natural safflower oil, and an unrestricted grant. Furthermore, when the women were crossed over and asked to consume the same dose of safflower oil, rich in omega-6 linoleic acid, a reduction in the weight of trunk fat tissue by about 6 per cent, and an increase in lean tissue of about 1.5 kg were observed. “This study is the first to show that such a modest amount of a linoleic acid-rich oil may have a profound effect on body composition in women,” wrote the researchers. The BMI levels of the women taking CLA dropped on average by about half a point, and their total body fat decreased by an average of 3.2 percent, reducing the weight of the fat tissue by an average of between 2.3 pounds and 3.5 pounds. Over 800,000 new cases of type-2 diabetes are diagnosed every year in the United States alone. Obesity is a major contributing factor to the development of type-2 diabetes. ''Making this subtle change in the intake of high-quality dietary fats in an effort to alter body composition is both achievable and affordable to postmenopausal women in the United States who are managing the difficult combination of obesity and diabetes,'' said Belury. <b>Study details</b> The Ohio State researchers recruited 55 obese and menopausal female diabetics, 35 of whom completed the study, and assigned them to receive either safflower oil or CLA for 16 weeks, followed by a four-week washout period, and then a cross-over to the next 16-week supplementation period began. At the end of the study, the researchers noted that CLA supplementation reduced body weight, BMI and total adipose mass without altering lean mass. No changes to markers of inflammation and insulin resistance were observed, they added. “The CLA-induced weight loss in our study can be attributed to the reduction of adipose tissue mass since a change in lean mass was not observed. Importantly, the adipose-lowering effect of CLA occurred without a change in lean tissue mass, which is particularly significant because postmenopausal women are at risk for losing lean tissue mass,” said Belury. The safflower oil phase did not affect total body fat readings, but improvements in the weight of trunk fat tissue were observed, as was an increase in muscle tissue. Moreover, the safflower oil was associated with reduced fasting blood sugar levels. ''Lowering fasting glucose is important for these women. The overall effect in just 16 weeks wasn't bringing them back to normal, but safflower oil still improved it significantly,'' explained Belury. <b>Welcome results</b> The study was welcomed by Cognis, supplier of the Tonalin CLA used in the study. “This trial adds to the totality of evidence and confirms the results of more than a dozen clinical studies demonstrating the fat-loss benefits of Tonalin CLA in lean, overweight or obese people,” said Doris Bell, Ph.D., senior research platform manager at Cognis and a co-author of the study. http://www.foodnavigator.com yes http://www.foodnavigator.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/NutraIngredients.com/Research/CLA-may-aid-weight-loss-in-diabetic-women/?c=m6p%2FsjglvgDh6GCEpiBO9Q%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily http://www.favoredmilk.com/story.php?guid=4 4 Stephen Daniells Monday, July 13, 2009 at 3:35 pm http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/which-milk-container-has-lowest-carbon-emissions.php#ch02 Dear Pablo: I have been wondering for some time what a life cycle analysis would show is the ''greenest'' way to ship milk Dear Pablo: I have been wondering for some time what a life cycle analysis would show is the ''greenest'' way to ship milk. Plastic containers are light, but are not reusable and don't biodegrade; cardboard containers are less light, are not reusable, and don't biodegrade either. Glass bottles are reusable, but are really, really heavy--and so, of course, use much more fuel to ship. My local coop carries all three, and I am conflicted every time I shop. What should I do? You are right that glass bottles are heavy and you are right to question their use. In a paper that I wrote about the greenhouse gas emissions from wine production and distribution my co-author, Tyler Coleman of DrVino.com, and I determined that transportation emissions can be a very significant part of the product's overall life cycle emissions. But, unlike milk, wine is typically transported over very far distances. So the question is do the heavier glass bottles make a significant difference to greenhouse gas emissions over the much shorter distances that milk is usually shipped? <b>Milk Container Weights and Materials</b> I went to the store and picked up some organic milk in a glass bottle, a plastic jug, and a TetraPak carton. The glass bottle holds 1 liter and weighs 410 grams, the plastic jug holds a quart (or 0.94 liters, so we will round up to 1 liter) and weighs 51 grams, and the TetraPak also holds 1 liter and weighs 57 grams (including the closure and secondary and tertiary packaging). According to the EcoInvent life cycle analysis database, the emissions from glass production are 0.559 grams of greenhouse gases per gram of glass. For the plastic, HDPE, I turned to a report from the Plastics Devision of the American Chemistry Council and found that the emissions for producing the plastic are 1.478 grams per gram of plastic. Finally I looked up the emission factor for the TetraPak in a life cycle inventory report from TetraPak Inc. Those emissions are 0.136 grams of greenhouse gases per gram of TetraPak. <b>Manufacturing Milk Containers</b> By multiplying the container weight by the emissions factor for each material, we can obtain the greenhouse gas emissions from producing the container. For glass, it's 229 grams, for the plastic jug it's 75 grams, and for the TetraPak it's 8 grams of greenhouse gas emissions. It's not surprising that glass creates more emissions because it weighs more and there are higher raw material transportation emissions. Glass also has a higher melting point, requiring more energy to melt it. Most surprising is that the emissions from producing the TetraPak are so low, but this benefit is counteracted by the fact that the packaging material is much less easily recyclable. <b>Transporting Milk containers</b> Each type of containers is transported by truck, and we can fairly make the assumption that the distance each travels to get to your local store is roughly the same as well, probably about 60 miles (100 km). Milk homogenized at 50 degrees Fahrenheit has a density of 1,032 grams per liter, so the weight of each filled container is simply the package weight plus 1,032 grams. So the weight as-transported for the glass bottle is 1,442 grams, the plastic jug is 1,083 grams, and the TetraPak is 1,067 grams. Transportation emissions are measured in grams of greenhouse gases per ton per kilometer (t-km) and for a semi tractor-trailer truck, the emissions are 242 g/t-km. So, by doing the math, I found that the greenhouse gas emissions for transporting the milk is 35 grams for the glass, 26 grams for the plastic jug, and 26 grams for the TetraPak. The total greenhouse gas emissions for the manufacture of the packaging and the transportation, all other things being assumed equal, are 265 grams for the glass, 101 grams for the plastic jug, and 32 for the TetraPak. So, while the TetraPak is questionable due to limited recycling capabilities in the US, it does have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions. What is clear is that the glass creates the most greenhouse gas emissions, even if it is reusable (and indeed gets reused instead of tossed or recycled), mainly due to the higher transportation weight. <b>Is Home Milk-Delivery Making a Comeback?</b> Back in the day, milk was delivered to our doorsteps early in the morning by a milkman. With an increase in farmer's markets and ''buy local'' campaigns, it is only natural to expect a resurgence in home milk delivery. Besides being a nostalgic throwback and great way to support local dairies, is home milk delivery also more green? The beauty of home delivery, whether it's mail-order shopping, a cloth-diaper service, or grocery delivery, is that it can combine multiple deliveries in a single trip and help you avoid using your personal car. If you compare home delivery of milk with a personal vehicle trip to the store, then the home delivery is much more efficient (particularly when you consider that home-delivered milk would probably come from a local dairy closer than the 60-mile distant creamery used in the math above). But, if you have to go to the store for other groceries anyway, getting milk there is a negligible addition to your greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, there are other factors involved in addition to the greenhouse gas emissions. Locally-produced milk might be more natural, taste better, and certainly supports your local economy more than buying your milk from a supermarket chain that sources its milk from a factory farm. http://www.treehugger.com yes http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/which-milk-container-has-lowest-carbon-emissions.php#ch02 http://www.favoredmilk.com/story.php?guid=5 5 Pablo Paster Friday, July 17, 2009 at 10:17 am http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Omega-3-linked-to-lower-body-weight-Study/?c=m6p%2FsjglvgAcNcpbabKKvw%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily Increased blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA is linked to lower incidence of obesity, suggesting a role for fish oils in weight management Increased blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA is linked to lower incidence of obesity, suggesting a role for fish oils in weight management. New findings reported in the British Journal of Nutrition indicate that overweight and obese people have blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids almost 1 per cent lower than people with a healthy weight. “Our findings suggest that n-3 PUFA may play an important role in weight status and abdominal adiposity,” wrote the researchers, led by Professor Monohar Garg from the University of Newcastle, and president elect of the Nutrition Society of Australia. Previous studies have implicated omega-3 in protective benefits against obesity, and the new study adds to this small but growing body of evidence. A considerable number of studies already support the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3) for cardiovascular health, and cognitive health. Other areas of potential for the fatty acids include mood and behaviour, eye health, cancer risk reduction, and improved infant development. “Previous studies involving children and adolescents have shown a negative correlation between adiposity and plasma omega-3 PUFA and DHA concentrations, but there appears to be a paucity of research in adults,” explained the researchers. <b>Study details</b> The researchers recruited 124 people of varying weights: 21 were classified as having a healthy weight, according to their body mass index (BMI); 40 were classed as overweight; and 63 were obese. The researchers note that people who consumed omega-3 supplements were excluded from their study. Blood samples were taken after the subjects fasted for at least ten hours. Prof Garg and his co-workers recorded an inverse relationship between total omeg-3 blood levels, as well as blood levels of DHA and EPA, with BMI, the subject’s waist size, and their hip circumference. Indeed, obese people had omega-3 levels of 4.53 per cent, compared to 5.25 per cent in their healthy-weight peers. When the researchers classed the people according to their omega-3 levels, and not by their weight, they again observed that increased omega-3 levels were associated with a healthier BMI, a smaller waist, and a lower hip size. “[Other] studies, along with our observations, suggest that omega-3 PUFA supplementation may play an important role in preventing weight gain and improving weight loss when omega-3 PUFA are supplemented concomitantly with a structured weight-loss programme,” wrote the researchers. <b>Biologically plausible</b> Commenting on the potential mechanism, the Australia-based researchers noted that is was “biologically plausible” that omega-3 fatty acids may aid weight management. Results from animal studies, for example, suggested that omega-3s may increase the production of heat by burning energy (thermogenesis). Another study suggested a role of omega-3s in boosting the feeling of fullness after a meal (postprandial satiety) during weight loss in both overweight and obese individuals. Such observations are linked to changes in levels of hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin which impact on appetite, said the researchers. “Thus, the idea that fish oil can regulate weight status via improved appetite control along with a subsequent reduction in energy intake is plausible and worthy of further investigation,” wrote Prof Garg and his co-workers. <b>Further study</b> It is not clear from the results of this study if the link is causal or mere correlation. “[The studies conducted to date] make the basis for conducting more intervention trials in adults examining the influence of dietary supplementation with omega-3 PUFA-rich fats/oils in assisting weight loss and weight maintenance,” they concluded. http://www.nutraingredients.com yes http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Omega-3-linked-to-lower-body-weight-Study/?c=m6p%2FsjglvgAcNcpbabKKvw%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily http://www.favoredmilk.com/story.php?guid=6 6 Stephen Daniells Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 9:27 am http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/NutraIngredients.com/Research/CLA-may-protect-against-elderly-muscle-loss/?c=m6p%2FsjglvgDhPnRFiNaVeg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) prevented age-related muscle loss in mice, says a new study using Lipid Nutrition’s Clarinol ingredient Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) prevented age-related muscle loss in mice, says a new study using Lipid Nutrition’s Clarinol ingredient. Mice receiving daily supplements of the commercially available CLA showed higher muscle mass than control animals, according to findings published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) is a fatty acid naturally present in ruminant meat and dairy products. Due to changes in the Western diet, average intake of CLA has fallen; if the fat is removed from a dairy product to make a low fat version that will be acceptable to consumers, CLA is removed along with it. <strong>The benefit of both forms</strong> Lipid Nutrition's CLA ingredient is derived from safflowers. It has two CLA isomers - known as trans-10 cis-12 and cis-9 trans-11, are respectively responsible for the effects. According to the new findings, the presence of both forms is important for the benefits. “The trans-10 cis-12 CLA isomer is the active component of the CLA-mix that exerts an anti-[muscle loss] effect seen in this study.However,the trans-10 cis-12 CLA isomer alone is known to have some adverse effects, such as, fatty liver formation, insulin resistance, etc. which can be corrected by combining with the cis-9 trans-11 CLA isomer, which is known to improve insulin sensitivity as well as fatty liver formation,” wrote the researchers. “As CLA-mix also showed an equal efficacy as of trans-10 cis-12 CLA isomer alone, therefore, the CLA-mix could be an ideal dietary supplement to protect/delay age-associated skeletal muscle loss.” According to the research team, led by Gabriel Fernandes from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, humans typically lose between 1 and 2 per cent of their muscle mass every year after the age of 50. “Such age-related loss of muscle mass has far reaching consequences for the elderly, including impaired physical function, increased risk of falls, fractures, dependency, and death,” they said. <strong>Study details</strong> Fernandes and his co-workers divided 12-month old into four groups, one of which received a diet with 10 per cent corn oil, while the others were supplemented with 0.5 per cent of only cis-9 trans-11, only trans-10 cis-12, or a mix of both (Clarinol). After six months the researchers note that both the trans-10 cis-12 and CLA-mix showed “significantly higher muscle mass, as compared to corn oil and cis-9 trans-11 CLA groups”. Both groups also exhibited increased cellular energy production (ATP), as well as higher levels of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase in the muscles, compared to the corn oil and cis-9 trans-11 CLA groups. “Thus, CLA may be a novel dietary supplement that will prevent [age-related muscle loss] by maintaining redox balance during ageing,” concluded the researchers. Commenting on the study, Lipid Nutrition’s John Kurstjens told NutraIngredients that there results were “very interesting”. He said that people want to remain healthy and active for a longer time and that the study indicated a role for CLA’s to reduce age-related loss of muscle mass. With ageing populations common in many countries, “this is a very interesting market for CLA,” he added. Source: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 12 June 2009, Volume 383, Issue 4, Pages 513-518 ''Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) prevents age-associated skeletal muscle loss'' Authors: M.M. Rahman, G.V. Halade, A. El Jamali, G. Fernandes http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com yes http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/NutraIngredients.com/Research/CLA-may-protect-against-elderly-muscle-loss/?c=m6p%2FsjglvgDhPnRFiNaVeg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily http://www.favoredmilk.com/story.php?guid=7 7 Stephen Daniells Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 9:01 am