Food and mental health roundup

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December 2011

EFSA issues psychological health claims guidance

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published draft guidance on the scientific requirements needed to support neurological and psychological health claims on food. Stakeholders had until 16th December to comment. The type of claims included in the draft guidance cover:

cognition
alertness
attention
memory
mood
anxiety, stress
vision
sleep

The guidance presents examples drawn from current or past evaluations to illustrate the approach of the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies, who drafted the guidance. The 12 page draft document is here http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/111017.pdf

Source: Foodnavigator.com, 18th October 2011
Original source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu

Industry criticises study into link between food packaging chemical and poor child behaviour

The American Chemistry Council (ACA) has criticised research, undertaken jointly by the Harvard School of Public Health, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Centre. The results, from a cohort of 244 mothers and their 3-year-old children, found Bisphenol A (BPA, used in a range of food packaging) in over 85% of the mothers’ urine samples and 97% of the children.

Taking other factors into account, the team linked increasingly gestational BPA concentrations with more hyperactive, aggressive, anxious and depressed behaviour, as well as poorer emotional control and inhibition in girls but not in boys. The ACA has criticised the study design and pointed out that other studies have supported the continued safe use of BPA.

Source: Foodnavigator.com, 24th October 2011
Original source: Pediatrics, November 2011: 128(5) Braun, J et al. Impact of Early Life Bisphenol A Exposure on Behaviour and Executive Function in Children.

Study links soft drinks to violence

New research published in the medical journal Injury Prevention suggests a link between high soft drink consumption in teens and aggressive behaviour. The study, which analysed the soft drink consumption of 1,878 Boston public school students, showed teens who drank more than five cans of non-diet soft drink a week were 9 to 15 per cent more likely to act aggressively than those who consumed less. The research also found evidence of a dose-response relationship, and found the increase in aggressive behaviour remained, despite taking into account factors including age and gender, alcohol and cigarette consumption and average amount of sleep. However, the researchers cautioned against making too many judgments based on the results.
Source: Weekly News Brief from International Association for the Study of Obesity, 27th October 2011, newsnet@iaso.org
Their source: ABC News Australia, www.abc.net.au

Low vitamin B12 levels in elders cause brain shrinkage and possible dementia

Dementia and brain shrinkage in older people may be caused by low levels of vitamin B12 (found in many foods, including as shellfish, poultry, eggs and milk). The research, published in Neurology, was undertaken at Rush University Medical Centre, Chicago and led by Dr Christine C Tangney. From a biracial group of 10,000 participants in the Chicago Health and Aging Project 121 people over age 65 had their blood levels of B12 measured and were given memory and other thinking tests. After four and a half years their brains were scanned and the researchers found those with B12 deficiency had the lowest cognitive test scores as well as smaller brain volumes.

Source: Foodsmatter newsletter no.47, 29th October 2011, info@foodsmatter.com
Original source: Neurology journal

Tart cherry juice improves sleep quality and duration

Researchers at Northumbria University found that tart cherry juice from Montmorency cherries significantly increased melatonin levels in the 20 volunteers in their study. Urine samples were collected, the volunteers wore actigraphy watch sensors to monitor sleep and wake cycles, and they also kept a daily dairy of sleeping patterns. Those who drank the tart cherry juice for seven days had more urinary melatonin, and had a 25 minute increase in total sleep time, plus increased “sleep efficiency”.

Source: Foodnavigator.com, 3rd November 2011
Original source: European Journal of Nutrition

Poor diet could increase mental health risk in adolescents

Researchers from Deakin University’s Barwon Psychiatric Research Unit, in Australia, analysed data from more than 3000 Australian adolescents in 2005 and again two years later. Dr Felice Jacka, who led the study, said “On average, adolescents whose diets improved ove the two-year period experienced an improvement in mental health…this wasn’t explained by changes in physical activity levels or weight”.

Source: Choice magazine, November 2011 www.choice.com.au
Original source: www.plosone.org, September 2011

Fatty food addictive as drugs in growing body of science

Twenty-eight scientific studies and papers on food addition have been published in 2011, according to a National Library of Medicine database. Researcher Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the USA said, “We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain”. Studies have found that sugary drinks and fatty foods can produce addictive behaviour in animals, and brain scans of obese people and compulsive eaters reveal disturbances in brain reward circuits similar to those experienced by drug abusers.

Source: Weekly News Brief from International Association for the Study of Obesity, 3rd November 2011, newsnet@iaso.org
Original source: Bloomberg Business Week, 3rd November 2011 http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-03/fatty-foods-addictive-as-cocaine-in-growing-body-of-science.html

Study into effects of black pepper and rosemary on mental energy and fatigue

University of Georgia researchers, led by Dr Patrick O’Connor, are examining whether rosemary or black pepper could tackle mental fatigue. This follows earlier research (published in the Journal of Medicinal Food) showing a dose-dependent effect of rosemary on speed of memory among 28 people (average age 75). The lowest dose (750mg of dried rosemary leaf powder) had a statistically significant beneficial effect but the highest does (6,000mg) had a detrimental effect.

The studies are being funded by the McCormick Science Institute (MSI), set up five years ago by McCormick & Co. spice company. The MSI does not fund research on spice blends proprietary to McCormick & Co. and research results must be submitted to reputable scientific journals.

Results from the new study should be available next year.

Source: Foodnavigator.com, 10th November 2011

NICE postpones review of ADHD guidance until 2014

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced that it will be July 2014 before it reviews its guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children, young people and adults. The current guidelines were published in September 2008 and were due for review in November 2011. The NICE review recommendation is that the guideline should not be updated at this time.

Source: More details are available here http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG72

Choline may help protect the brain from effects of ageing

Choline is found in foods such as saltwater fish, eggs, liver, chicken, milk and some legumes, including kidney beans and soy. Researchers, led by Rhoda Au at Boston University’s School of Medicine, analysed data from the long-running Framingham study. Some 1,400 adults, (aged between 36 and 83 years) completed a food frequency questionnaire and undertook tests of their memory and other cognitive abilities, along with an MRI brain scan. Those with higher reported choline intakes performed better on memory tests.

Choline is the precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, so this may account for the difference. However, the researchers emphasised that the differences in test scores were small and no single nutrient should be regarded as a cure for dementia or age-related mental decline.

Source: Source: Foodnavigator.com, 30th November 2011
Original source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol 94, no 6, pp1584-1591. Poly, C et al. The relation of dietary choline to cognitive performance and white-matter hyperintensity in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.

Events

Training for counsellors and therapists
A series of workshops over three days are being held at The Sustainability Hub Buildings, Keele University in Staffordshire to introduce nature-guided therapy to counsellors and therapists. Organised by Dr John Hegarty of Green Age at Blore Heath Farm it is being run in association with the Counselling Psychology Short Course programme at Keele University. The dates are:

Saturday, January 14th, 2012
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
Saturday, March 17th, 2012

See for http://www.green-age.org.uk/ for details.
Source: http://www.carefarminguk.org/ November e-bulletin