A study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology has isolated a strain of probiotic bacteria that may inhibit Helicobacter pylori, one of the main causes of ulcers in humans and present in 50% of the population. A research team led by E. Chenoll at the University of Valencia, Spain, studied the strain, Bifidobacterium bifidum, in vitro as well as in the relatively untested in vivo state using mice. They found that Bifidobacterium bifidum has all the core properties of a probiotic but also acted against H. pylori. both in vitro and in vivo.

Consumption of fructose, a natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables, does not lead to greater food intake, nor does it affect body weight or fat levels in the blood of overweight or obese people, according to a study that examined earlier research. The review looked at data regarding the normal consumption of fructose and any subsequent development of alterations in lipid or and/or glucose metabolism or weight gain in overweight people. The researchers did not find any relationship between fructose and hyperlipidemia or increased weight, noting that the findings applied to “both normal weight people and people that are overweight or obese." The review was performed by scientists affiliated with a food industry consultancy and with food ingredients provider Tate & Lyle, whose products include Splenda Sucralose and high fructose corn syrup.

U.S. researchers working in mice have shed light on the mechanism by which omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish and fish oil supplements, protect against some forms of blindness. According to the study, omega-3s directly affect angiogenesis by nurturing healthy blood vessel growth and restricting abnormal blood vessel growth. Two specific compounds in omega-3 fatty acids were isolated: a metabolite of DHA, known as 4-HDHA, and  the enzyme that produces it, known as  5-LOX, which activates the same receptor targeted by "glitazone" drugs taken by type 2 diabetics to boost sensitivity to insulin. The study found that COX-inhibiting drugs like aspirin and NSAIDs do not interfere with omega-3 activity, suggesting a safer way to raise insulin sensitivity in diabetics.

Soy isoflavone supplements apparently improve the endothelial function of blood vessels of hypertensive patients, leading to a drop in blood pressure, according to a new meta-study by Chinese researchers. The review of findings from eleven clinical trials showed that a daily intake of 65 to 153 mg of soy isoflavones with soy protein for at least a month and up to a year significantly lowered blood pressure in people with  high blood pressure. According to the researchers, the average decrease in blood pressure (5.9 mmHg) compares favorably to decreases induced by antihypertensive agents, such as beta-blockers. The researchers said it is still not clear how soy isoflavones work in hypertensive individuals, but evidence suggests that “oral isoflavone supplementation leads to a significant improvement in endothelial function.”

Scientists at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service who randomly collected and examined regular large shell eggs found them to contain 14 percent less cholesterol and 64 percent more vitamin D than previously thought. The average amount of cholesterol in a large egg is 185 mg, while vitamin D content is 41 IU. According to Dr. Jacob Exler, a nutritionist with the ARS Nutrient Data Laboratory, the last time nutrient analysis was done on eggs was nine years ago. He said that, except for cholesterol and vitamin D, protein and other nutrients “remained similar to those values” of 2002.

A British/Canadian study of 4,000 children born in 1991-92 has found that a diet of mainly processed food  high in fats and sugars at age three was associated with a lower IQ at the age of 8.5, whether or not the diet improved after that age. Likewise, a healthy diet rich in vitamins and nutrients at age three was associated with a higher IQ at the age of 8.5. Every one point increase in dietary pattern was linked to a 1.2 increase in IQ. Dietary patterns between the ages of 4 and 7 had no impact on IQ. Researchers identified three dietary patterns: "processed;" "traditional" (meat and vegetables); and "health conscious" (salad, fruit, vegetables, rice and pasta). Scores were calculated for each pattern for each child.

A study by U.S. researchers has found a significant correlation between the length of time a mother is employed and the body mass index (BMI, a measure of obesity) of her children. Researchers examined data from 990 school-age children in a national study, finding that for a child of average height, every standard-hours working period of 5.3 months was linked to a weight gain of nearly one pound beyond normal weight gain as a child ages. The association was  much stronger at 6th grade, the researchers noted. However, they found that nonstandard work (evenings, nights, weekends, or irregular shifts) was not associated with BMI increases. The researchers suggested that further research should focus on ways  to support families trying to balance work and family life.

Researchers at the University of California-Davis and Baylor College of Medicine found that drinking vegetable juice is an efficient and effective means of increasing vegetable intake and managing weight. These are two areas of concern highlighted in the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Both of the 12-week studies were supported in part by Campbell Soup Company, which produces the V8 line of vegetable juice. The UC-Davis study involved 90 healthy adults; Baylor College looked at 81 adults with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Researchers at UC-Davis observed that subjects who drank an eight-ounce glass of vegetable juice each day received almost twice the servings of vegetables as those who did not. Baylor College scientists found that incorporating one to two servings of vegetable juice daily into a healthy diet enhanced weight loss..

The ability of polyphenol-enriched cocoa powder to reduce oxidative stress makes it a viable functional ingredient for the aged, who are more prone to the damaging effects of oxygen radicals. The researchers tested a newly developed cocoa powder with high flavonoid content on genetically-manipulated strains of the yeast S. cerevisiae and the worm C. elegans as model organisms. After inducing oxidative damage in the organisms using hydrogen peroxide, the researchers found that flavonoid-enriched cocoa induced resistance to oxidative stress in the yeast and the worm. “All in all,” the researchers concluded, “these results confirm that this polyphenol-enriched cocoa powder, with antioxidant activity, has great potential use as a functional food ingredient for elderly people.”