The effects of soy milk and isoflavone supplements on cognitive performance in healthy, postmenopausal women.

RATIONALE: The decline in estrogen concentrations in women after menopause can contribute to health related changes including impairments in cognition, especially memory. Because of the health concerns related to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), alternative approaches to treat menopausal symptoms, such as nutritional supplements and/or diet containing isoflavones, are of interest. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether soy isoflavones (soy milk and supplement) could improve cognitive functioning in healthy, postmenopausal women. PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTION AND DESIGN: A total of 79 postmenopausal women, 48-65 years of age, completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which they were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups: cow's milk and a placebo supplement (control); soy milk and placebo supplement (soy milk, 72 mg isoflavones/day); or cow's milk and isoflavone supplement (isoflavone supplement, 70 mg isoflavones/day). MEASUREMENTS: Cognitive functioning was assessed using various cognitive tasks before the intervention (baseline) and after the intervention (test). RESULTS: In contrast to predictions, soy isoflavones did not improve selective attention (Stroop task), visual long-term memory (pattern recognition), short-term visuospatial memory (Benton Visual Retention Test), or visuo-spatial working memory (color match task). Also, the soy milk group showed a decline in verbal working memory (Digit Ordering Task) compared to the soy supplement and control groups. CONCLUSION: Soy isoflavones consumed as a food or supplement over a 16-week period did not improve or appreciably affect cognitive functioning in healthy, postmenopausal women.

Field gleaning as a tool for addressing food security at the local level: case study.

Field gleaning, or harvesting crops after the commercial harvest, has been promoted as a way to increase food security; however, the effectiveness of gleaning programs is not well documented. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of gleaning on individual gleaners and the community by documenting total amounts gleaned, individual uses of produce, and self-reported benefits and barriers to gleaning. During the 1997 season, approximately 50 gleaners participated in the Pierce County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Gleaning Project; 29 participated in an intensive 4-week study to track use of produce by gleaners. Onsite weighing of gleaned produce revealed that of the 110,000 pounds gleaned by these 50 gleaners from Pierce County farms and orchards during 1997, 85,000 pounds (77%) were donated to local emergency food programs; 25,000 pounds (23%) were taken home by gleaners. Of the produce taken home by the 29 study participants, an estimated 9% was used fresh, 48% was preserved for later user, and 43% was shared with others. During a combination of telephone and in-person interviews, gleaners reported using more fresh produce and sharing knowledge about gardening and food preservation. The most important benefits of gleaning were "stretching my food budget" and "helping provide food for the community." Detailed exploration of the impact of gleaned produce on dietary patterns and use of validated food security measures is warranted considering the volume of produce used fresh, preserved for later use, and given away by gleaning participants.

Use of nonvitamin, nonmineral dietary supplements among college students.

The authors assessed the use of nonvitamin, nonmineral (NVNM) dietary supplements in a college population. They found that the use of NVNM dietary supplements among college students might be higher than that of other population groups and that the types of NVNM products they use differ from those used by an older population. Of the 272 students who completed the questionnaire, 48.5% reported they took an NVNM supplement during the past 12 months. The most frequently used NVNM products were echinacea, ginseng, and St John's wort. Of the 27 students who took NVNM products to promote weight loss, 81.5% had body mass index (BMI) values in the acceptable range. Eleven of the 19 participants who reported an adverse reaction to an NVNM supplement continued to take the products despite negative effects. Users and nonusers of NVNM supplements did not differ significantly by age, ethnicity, gender, perceived dietary adequacy, or by exercise patterns.

Sources of error and nutritional adequacy of the food guide pyramid.

The authors assessed the accuracy of college students' use of the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) in their diets and evaluated sources of error and nutritional adequacy of the pyramid. Students enrolled in an undergraduate nutrition class (N = 346) completed 3-day dietary records that were analyzed, using computer software, to determine individual recommended dietary allowance (RDA) values and the extent to which the students' diets met those values. The students' most common error in using the FGP was underestimating serving sizes. Only 8% of the students consumed the minimum recommended number of servings for all food groups, but diets that satisfied FGP recommendations also tended to satisfy RDA requirements. Less than 2% of the students who met the minimal number of FGP servings did not satisfy their RDA values, but less than 45% of the survey participants, regardless of gender or residence, met the recommended intake for dietary fiber. The FGP was judged to be a good indicator of dietary adequacy.

Leptin is present in human milk and is related to maternal plasma leptin concentration and adiposity.

Leptin is elevated during pregnancy and may be involved in the regulation of milk production in women. Immunoreactive leptin was quantified in human milk by modified radioimmunoassay. Leptin concentration was higher in whole vs. skim milk fractions; however, leptin concentration was not correlated with percentage milk fat. Leptin concentrations in whole and skim milk were correlated with maternal plasma leptin concentrations, maternal body weight, body mass index, and tricep skinfold thickness, but not with plasma insulin concentration. These data provide the first evidence for the presence of leptin in human milk in the range of concentrations found in human plasma and indicate that the concentration of leptin in milk reflects maternal adiposity. Determining the biological role(s) of milk-borne leptin could add to our understanding of neonatal metabolism and the mechanisms underlying the development of body fat and obesity in humans.

Know your numbers: comparing participants and nonparticipants in a university health screening program.

University faculty and staff members were offered the opportunity to participate in a worksite health screening program. Both the participants and the nonparticipants responded to a questionnaire concerning their dietary and health practices. Participants' values for total serum cholesterol, blood pressure, and percentage of body fat were measured. No significant differences between the two groups were observed for the parameters of self-reported total serum cholesterol or blood pressure, and the participants' self-reported and measured serum cholesterol values were not significantly different from those of the nonparticipants. However, the measured and self-reported percentages of body fat of participants were significantly different from reported percentages of body fat of those who did not participate. Further exploration of the motivation of participants in health screening programs is called for.

Attitudes and beliefs about exercise among persons with non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

This study examined attitudes and beliefs about exercise among 83 persons with non-insulin-dependent diabetes who had completed outpatient diabetes counseling. An adaptation of the Health Belief Model, labeled the Exercise Behavior Model, guided perceptual measures. Fifty-two percent of the subjects were exercising 3 or more days per week. Those with a greater length of time since diabetes counseling were more likely to be currently exercising. Positive and negative attitudes toward exercise characterized the group; however, only negative attitudes were related to exercise. Both exercisers and nonexercisers perceived barriers to exercise. Other people, chance happenings, physical discomfort, and perceptions of fitness, weight, and appearance played a role in whether the subjects exercised. The results indicate that providing assistance in identifying support for exercise and overcoming perceived barriers to exercise may increase compliance to this important aspect of the diabetes regimen.

Problems in deterrence: a comparison of the driving histories of DUII and non-DUII drivers.

Driving records of subjects arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), both recidivists and nonrecidivists, were compared with records of an age- and sex-matched random sample of non-DUII drivers. Major differences were found between DUII and non-DUII groups in the incidence of traffic violations but some differences also existed between nonrecidivist and recidivist DUII subjects. Rehabilitative diversion programs for first-time DUII offenders did not affect recidivism rates in the study population. Findings in this study suggest that general deterrence directed at the non-DUII population should receive emphasis equal to specific deterrence directed at DUII offenders.

The effect of student residence on food choice.

This study assessed the effect of student residence on food choices and dietary practices of students enrolled in an undergraduate nutrition class at Washington State University. We compared food consumption patterns of students living on campus, off campus, and in Greek housing. We also identified differences between men and women in food consumption and dietary practices. The results suggested that students' residence and sex may influence food choice and dietary practices. Significant differences in food choice related to students' residence were found for 8 of the 27 variables included on a food frequency list. Differences in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, beer, fish, unsweetened cereal, white bread, and cookies were identified. In addition, students who lived in Greek housing were found to skip meals less frequently than other students, and men were found to consume significantly more beer, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, meat, and white bread than women students. Men were also more accurate in their perception of their body weight.

Predictors of recidivism in DUIIs.

The prior driving records of 397 drivers arrested for drinking and driving in the year 1983 were examined with the purpose of comparing biographical factors and variables relating to driving history and arrest circumstance between recidivist and nonrecidivist drinking drivers. Of these drivers, 174 (44%) had more than one arrest within a 12-year study period, while 223 (56%) had only one. Significant differences were found among drivers with different numbers of drinking and driving offenses. Drivers with one or two DUII arrests had more non-moving traffic violations than drivers with three or more DUII arrests. Drinking and driving offenders with higher levels of arrests were more likely to be unemployed, to have a past criminal record, to be arrested for drinking and driving on a weekday during afternoon and early evening hours, to drive with a suspended or revoked license and to refuse a blood alcohol level determination test. In this study DUII offenders with four or more arrests fit the descriptive model of alcoholism.