Rising temperatures caused by climate change are contributing to low diet quality and malnutrition among young children in many parts of the world, researchers say. Warmer temperatures now equal or exceed the impact of traditional causes of child malnutrition and low quality diets, such as poverty, poor sanitation and low levels of education, according to investigators from the University of Vermont. “Certainly, future climate changes have been predicted to affect malnutrition, but it surprised us that higher temperatures are already showing an impact,” study co-author Meredith Niles said in a school news release. She’s an assistant professor of nutrition and food sciences and a fellow at the university’s Gund Institute for Environment. The researchers assessed diet diversity among 107,000 children, 5 years and younger, in 19 countries in Asia, Africa and South America, using three decades of temperature, precipitation, socioeconomic, ecological and geographic data. Of the six regions included in the study — Asia, Central and South America, North, West and Southeast Africa — five had significant temperature-related reductions in young children’s diet diversity. Diet diversity is used to measure diet quality and intake of iron, folic acid, zinc and vitamins A and D — all critical for child development. A lack of such nutrients is a cause of malnutrition, which affects one-third of children younger than 5. On average, children in the study had…  read on >  read on >

A cup of java may not be a bad idea for men’s health: Drinking lots of coffee may reduce their risk of prostate cancer, researchers report. The investigators analyzed data from 16 studies conducted around the world. Together, the studies involved more than a million men, about 58,000 of who went on to develop prostate cancer. The team was led by urologist Dr. Kefeng Wang, of China Medical University in Shenyang. Their analysis couldn’t prove cause-and-effect, but compared to men with the lowest coffee consumption, those who drank the most coffee had a 9% lower risk of prostate cancer. As well, each additional daily cup of coffee was associated with a 1% reduction in risk, according to the research published online Jan. 11 in the journal BMJ Open. Further analysis showed that compared to those with the lowest consumption, men who drank the most coffee had a 7% lower risk of localized prostate cancer, and a 12% to 16% lower risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer, respectively. The highest amounts of coffee consumption ranged from two to nine or more cups a day, while the lowest ranged from none to fewer than 2 cups a day. “This study suggests that increased coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer,” Wang’s group wrote. “Further research is still warranted to explore the…  read on >  read on >

There’s an expanded nationwide recall of Sportmix pet food products underway, after links were found between a mold-borne toxin in the food and the deaths of 70 dogs, with 80 other dogs being sickened, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. The announcement expands upon a recall first issued on Dec. 30 by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. At the time, the company said that at least 28 dogs had already died after eating Sportmix pet food. Testing of the pet food products conducted by the Missouri Department of Agriculture found “very high levels of aflatoxins,” the FDA noted. Aflatoxins are toxins produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus. They can trigger very serious illness in pets, and these poisons can be present even if the food doesn’t appear to be moldy. On Monday, after reports of at least 70 canine deaths tied to the tainted food, Midwestern “expanded the recall to include all pet foods containing corn and manufactured in the company’s Oklahoma plant, and having an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022,” the FDA said in its statement. The agency said not all of the dog deaths have been confirmed as caused by aflatoxin, but the FDA also stressed that “this count is approximate and may not reflect the total number of pets affected.” The agency said it is conducting an ongoing…  read on >  read on >

A cup of java may not be a bad idea for men’s health: Drinking lots of coffee may reduce their risk of prostate cancer, researchers report. The investigators analyzed data from 16 studies conducted around the world. Together, the studies involved more than a million men, about 58,000 of who went on to develop prostate cancer. The team was led by urologist Dr. Kefeng Wang, of China Medical University in Shenyang. Their analysis couldn’t prove cause-and-effect, but compared to men with the lowest coffee consumption, those who drank the most coffee had a 9% lower risk of prostate cancer. As well, each additional daily cup of coffee was associated with a 1% reduction in risk, according to the research published online Jan. 11 in the journal BMJ Open. Further analysis showed that compared to those with the lowest consumption, men who drank the most coffee had a 7% lower risk of localized prostate cancer, and a 12% to 16% lower risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer, respectively. The highest amounts of coffee consumption ranged from two to nine or more cups a day, while the lowest ranged from none to fewer than 2 cups a day. “This study suggests that increased coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer,” Wang’s group wrote. “Further research is still warranted to explore the…  read on >  read on >

There’s an expanded nationwide recall of Sportmix pet food products underway, after links were found between a mold-borne toxin in the food and the deaths of 70 dogs, with 80 other dogs being sickened, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. The announcement expands upon a recall first issued on Dec. 30 by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. At the time, the company said that at least 28 dogs had already died after eating Sportmix pet food. Testing of the pet food products conducted by the Missouri Department of Agriculture found “very high levels of aflatoxins,” the FDA noted. Aflatoxins are toxins produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus. They can trigger very serious illness in pets, and these poisons can be present even if the food doesn’t appear to be moldy. On Monday, after reports of at least 70 canine deaths tied to the tainted food, Midwestern “expanded the recall to include all pet foods containing corn and manufactured in the company’s Oklahoma plant, and having an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022,” the FDA said in its statement. The agency said not all of the dog deaths have been confirmed as caused by aflatoxin, but the FDA also stressed that “this count is approximate and may not reflect the total number of pets affected.” The agency said it is conducting an ongoing…  read on >  read on >

Gut microbes may play a significant role in the eating disorder anorexia, a new British study says. Researchers from the University of Oxford reviewed available evidence suggesting that in people with anorexia gut microbes could affect affect appetite, weight, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and compulsive behavior. The findings appear online Jan. 12 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. “Anorexia nervosa is a very common psychiatric disorder and can be incredibly debilitating or even fatal, but is unfortunately still quite challenging to treat,” said study co-author Ana Ghenciulescu, from Oxford’s Corpus Christi College. “Moreover, there has been a great deal of recent excitement about the idea that gut microbes affect many aspects of our health, including our mental health — and that this relationship goes both ways,” she said in a journal news release. People with anorexia restrict their eating and become dangerously thin. However, they may believe they are fat. In anorexia, microbial communities seem to be less diverse and more abundant in “harmful” species,” noted co-author Phil Burnet, an associate professor in Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry. For example, it’s been found that anorexia patients may have more bacteria that consume the protective mucus layer of the gut. This makes the gut “leaky” and contributes to chronic inflammation, which is linked with mental health symptoms. Other microbes found in anorexia patients may…  read on >  read on >

Gut microbes may play a significant role in the eating disorder anorexia, a new British study says. Researchers from the University of Oxford reviewed available evidence suggesting that in people with anorexia gut microbes could affect affect appetite, weight, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and compulsive behavior. The findings appear online Jan. 12 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. “Anorexia nervosa is a very common psychiatric disorder and can be incredibly debilitating or even fatal, but is unfortunately still quite challenging to treat,” said study co-author Ana Ghenciulescu, from Oxford’s Corpus Christi College. “Moreover, there has been a great deal of recent excitement about the idea that gut microbes affect many aspects of our health, including our mental health — and that this relationship goes both ways,” she said in a journal news release. People with anorexia restrict their eating and become dangerously thin. However, they may believe they are fat. In anorexia, microbial communities seem to be less diverse and more abundant in “harmful” species,” noted co-author Phil Burnet, an associate professor in Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry. For example, it’s been found that anorexia patients may have more bacteria that consume the protective mucus layer of the gut. This makes the gut “leaky” and contributes to chronic inflammation, which is linked with mental health symptoms. Other microbes found in anorexia patients may…  read on >  read on >

Americans battling hypertension may have one less thing to worry about: Blood pressure drugs do not affect outcomes of people hospitalized with COVID-19, a new study finds. Researchers looked at whether two types of medications used to treat high blood pressure — ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) — could either lessen complications or lead to more severe COVID symptoms. “At the start of the pandemic, patients were worried about perceived harm based on limited and incomplete information and, unfortunately, some insisted on stopping their medications,” said study first author Dr. Jordana Cohen, an assistant professor in the university’s Perelman School of Medicine. “However, stopping these medications unnecessarily can increase the risk for severe complications, including heart attack and stroke,” “Now, we have high-quality evidence to support our recommendation that patients continue to take these medications as prescribed,” Cohen said in a university news release.”Our trial results importantly show that these medications can be safely continued for patients hospitalized with COVID-19,” said researchers from the University of Pennsylvania. The study involved 152 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and already using one of the blood pressure drugs. The researchers randomly assigned the patients to either continue their medications or stop using them. The investigators found no difference in outcomes between the two groups. More than 49 million Americans take high blood pressure medications, and…  read on >  read on >