Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo

A daily handful of nuts might help some people feel better and may possibly boost heart health, according to the Journal of Proteome Research. Spanish researchers report that just 1 ounce of mixed nuts increased levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to mood, energy balance, metabolism and glucose levels. These changes could be especially important to patients with metabolic syndrome.

Researcher Cristina Andres-Lacueva with the University of Barcelona compared serotonin markers in the urine of 42 metabolic syndrome patients over 12 weeks. One group was given a daily dose of mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts), while the control group was told to avoid nuts. The nut-eating group also showed increased metabolism and higher levels of heart-healthy fats.

Jeffrey Blumberg with Tufts University, which also reported on the study in its February Heath and Nutrition Letter, explains that identifying serotonin is new and surprising. Overall, 20 apparent biomarkers of nut intake (from among hundreds of compounds measured) were found, including 19 others previously linked to nut consumption.

Eating 1 ounce of nuts — about 1/4 cup — a day is more than most Americans consume on a daily basis, says Blumberg. While this is a small study, other studies have shown that nuts have health benefits because of their "good" fats. A note of caution, however: Nuts are high in calories. If you boost nut consumption, you have to substitute them for something else so total calories don't increase. An ounce of walnuts has 185 calories.

Information courtesy the Journal of Proteome Research and Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter.

Q AND A

Q: I'm totally confused by the conflicting things I'm hearing about whether vitamin D can reduce cancer risk. What's the current advice about vitamin D?

A: The current national recommendations for vitamin D from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) are 600 International units per day for adults up to age 70 and 800 IU/day for older adults, but these are based primarily on evidence for bone health.

The IOM report concluded that research on whether vitamin D reduces cancer risk is inconsistent. In cell studies, researchers have identified ways that vitamin D can keep cancer in check, and in other studies they've shown that animals deficient in vitamin D show early signs of prostate cancer and develop faster-growing colon cancer. Some large human studies do link lower blood levels of vitamin D with greater risk of certain cancers, but overall, these studies show mixed results.

In fact, there are also studies that link very high blood levels of vitamin D (achievable only with supplements) with greater risk of pancreatic and prostate cancer. A new analysis involving more than 2400 women followed for 10 years shows no link between blood levels of vitamin D and cancer-related or overall deaths.

Individuals taking the same amount of vitamin D can end up with different blood levels of the nutrient, so researchers are working to identify what blood levels seem to bring most protection without raising health risks.

"Before we assume there's any cancer protection from higher amounts, we need rigorous controlled testing," said Dr. JoAnn Manson, a professor at Harvard Medical School. She's directing the Vitamin D and OmegA-3 Trial, the first large-scale randomized trial of vitamin D (2000 IU daily) in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease (VitalStudy.org), and other trials are under way as well.

Meeting the current recommended daily allowance for your age is smart for overall health. If you choose to go slightly higher (4000 IU is the highest dose considered safe) — which most likely requires either a supplement or highly fortified food — it should be safe, but don't assume there's added cancer protection.

Information courtesy the American Institute for Cancer Research.

RECIPE

February is American Heart Month. Let's celebrate with heart-healthy dishes, such as this recipe for stuffed shells from Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine. It has half the fat of the typical version.

Makeover Easy Beef-Stuffed Shells

— 20 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
— 1 pound lean (90 percent) ground beef
— 1 large onion, chopped
— 1 medium green pepper, chopped
— 1 1/4 cups reduced-fat ricotta cheese
— 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend, divided
— 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
— 1/4 cup prepared pesto
— 1 egg, lightly beaten
— 1 can (14.5 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes
— 1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce
— 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg and half of the beef mixture. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Spread 3/4 cup in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef mixture and tomato mixture; spoon over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 10 servings, two shells per serving.

Per serving: 295 calories, 22 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 436 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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