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Vitamin D for Bone Mineral Density? Little Evidence of Benefit
Vitamin D supplementation does not appear to improve bone mineral density (BMD) in generally healthy adults, according to a Lancet meta-analysis. Journal Watch

Study: Herbal products omit ingredients, contain fillers
Consumers of natural health products beware. The majority of herbal products on the market contain ingredients not listed on the label, with most companies substituting cheaper alternatives and using fillers, according to new research from the University of Guelph. The study, published today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, used DNA barcoding technology to test 44 herbal products sold by 12 companies. Only two of the companies provided authentic products without substitutions, contaminants or fillers. Eurekalert!

Scientists review effects of soy and whey protein supplementation post-exercise
Our main findings demonstrate that 14 days of supplementation with soy protein does appear to partially blunt serum testosterone. In addition, whey influences the response of cortisol following an acute bout of resistance exercise by blunting its increase during recovery. Protein supplementation alters the physiological responses to a commonly used exercise modality with some differences due to the type of protein utilized," wrote the researchers. MedicalXpress

Exercise Eases Low Back Pain
The more obese a person is, the more likely the risk of low back pain, but it's possible to reduce the odds by engaging in a moderate amount of exercise, according to research presented here. The paper, presented Thursday at the North American Spine Society's annual meeting, is the latest to link weight and exercise to one of the most common conditions afflicting Americans and one of the first large studies to use an objective measure to study back pain: accelerometers that track a person's daily exercise levels. MedPage Today

Compound in grapes, red wine could help treat multiple types of cancer, study finds
A recent study by a University of Missouri researcher shows that resveratrol, a compound found in grape skins and red wine, can make certain tumor cells more susceptible to radiation treatment. This research, which studied melanoma cells, follows a previous MU study that found similar results in the treatment of prostate cancer. The next step is for researchers to develop a successful method to deliver the compound to tumor sites and potentially treat many types of cancers. University of Missouri

Plant Sterols the Better Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease? A Mechanistical Study
Mice fed with stigmasterol-enriched diets confirmed protective effects in vivo, suggesting that dietary intake of phytosterol blends mainly containing stigmasterol might be beneficial in preventing AD. Burg VK, Grimm HS, Rothhaar TL, Grösgen S, Hundsdörfer B, Haupenthal VJ, Zimmer VC, Mett J, Weingärtner O, Laufs U, Broersen LM, Tanila H, Vanmierlo T, Lütjohann D, Hartmann T, Grimm MO. J Neurosci. 2013 Oct 9;33(41):16072-16087. PMID: 24107941

Relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease
Given the low cost, safety, and demonstrated benefit of higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, vitamin D supplementation should become a public health priority for combating common and costly chronic cardiovascular diseases. Ku YC, Liu ME, Ku CS, Liu TY, Lin SL. World J Cardiol. 2013 Sep 26;5(9):337-346. Review. PMID: 24109497

Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in the California Teachers Study cohort
The finding that greater consumption of a plant-based dietary pattern is associated with a reduced breast cancer risk, particularly for ER-PR- tumors, offers a potential avenue for prevention. Link LB, Canchola AJ, Bernstein L, Clarke CA, Stram DO, Ursin G, Horn-Ross PL. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Oct 9. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24108781

Profermin is Efficacious in Patients with Active Ulcerative Colitis-A Randomized Controlled Trial
Supplementation with Profermin (consists of water, fermented oats, barley malt, lecithin, and Lactobacillus plantarum 299v) is safe, well tolerated, palatable, and able to reduce SCCAI scores at a statistically and clinically significant level in patients with mild-to-moderate UC with a flare-up. Krag A, Munkholm P, Israelsen H, von Ryberg B, Andersen KK, Bendtsen F. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2013 Oct 8. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24108114