Journal of Nutrition Supplement Focuses on Nutrition to Reduce Poor Pregnancy Outcomes

The Journal of Nutrition opens its electronic doors to the world community to review its recently published supplement (2003;133:1598-1768) on nutrition and pregnancy outcomes. The full contents of the supplement are available at http://www.nutrition.org/current.shtml.

Nutrition Trivia Chilling Out Chili

Question: What do chili peppers and arthritis have in common?

Answer: Capsaicin, the !Dios mio! factor in chili peppers. Capsaicin produces the burning sensation related to the ingestion of hot chili peppers. It also activates receptors responsible for the burning pain that is associated with inflammation and arthritis. According to the Harvard Medical School researchers publishing the study (R-R Ji, et al. Neuron. 2002:36,1-20), drugs that inhibit these "chili-pepper receptors" may turn out to be useful to treat inflammatory pain.

This Nutrition Trivia item was contributed by Nutrition Today Editorial Board Member Judy Brown, PhD. Look for more Trivia in upcoming issues.

Heterocyclic Amines Beware-Red Wine and Blackberries Are Coming to Get You!

Heterocyclic amines (HA), which are produced when some foods are heated to high temperatures, have been linked in some epidemiologic studies to cancers of the large intestine, breast, and prostate. Researchers working on the project in the European Union find that extracts from plant foods, such as green tea, red wine, blueberries, blackberries, red grapes, kiwi, watermelon, parsley, and spinach, can significantly reduce the harmful effects of these amines.

(http://FoodNavigator.com, March 16, 2003.)