The Mother Of All Antioxidants?

It could be the greatest thing since, well, the fountain of youth – maybe even better considering that Ponce de Leon never managed to find the fountain.

At least, that’s the view among some medical experts following the success of one researcher who has isolated a new antioxidant that he believes may alter the quality and duration of human life.

Until recently, green tea and grape seed extracts were the most powerful antioxidants known to science. Make way for “MegaH.” According to Dr. Patrick Flanagan, the medical researcher who isolated it, MegaH is 800 percent more powerful than both green tea and grape seed extracts.

The medical community is increasingly convinced that the amount of antioxidants in the body is directly tied to how long one lives.

Flanagan’s discovery associated with MegaH revealed that ionized hydrogen is as important to human cellular lifespan as oxygen --- a claim that has been validated by peer-reviewed studies published in Scientific and Medical Journals within the last 12 months.

Slaughtering Humanely

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now tracking the amount of time inspectors spend assuring that cattle and hogs are slaughtered humanely.

The closer tracking follows criticism from Garry McKee, head of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, who believes inspectors weren’t doing enough to prevent unsafe and cruel practices at plants.

It is a view echoed by Congress' investigative wing. In a General Accounting Office report released to Congress in February, congressional investigators said government inspectors were failing consistently to enforce rules on humane slaughtering despite additional money and orders to devote more resources to it.

Supplements Are No Panacea For Eyesight, Experts Warn

Consumers by the millions are turning to vitamin supplements to stave off the effects of poor eyesight associated with aging.

However, health experts warn that supplements are not necessarily a panacea.

While acknowledging that some supplements may help slow or prevent eye disease, they caution that the evidence for most of this remains largely theoretical.

"There's nothing wrong with taking a multivitamin or a vitamin with these things in it, but I don't think we should make firm claims that haven't been scientifically validated," said Dr. Michael F. Marmor, a retina specialist at Stanford University in Palo Alto.

Thinking Out Of The Box With Beef

Several years ago, USDA research chemist John Finley, who works for the USDA's Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, was troubled by an article in a local newspaper calling for an end to research into “yuppie food and nutrition" so that more effort could be focused on improving beef production.

As a former cattle producer, he understands the frustration reflected in this view, but he still believes it is dead wrong. “Production research that optimizes cattle feeding or reproduction will help producers,” he says, “but only minimally.”

“Why are people eating less beef?” he asks. “The answer is that many people see eating red meat as unhealthy. People associate eating foods such as broccoli or milk with words or phrases such as ‘healthy’, ‘strong bones’ and ‘protection against cancer or bone disease.’ Yet beef is associated with ‘heart disease’ or ‘cholesterol.’ In other words, beef is seen as something with good taste, but poor health benefits.”

The solution, Finley says, will involve convincing consumers “that beef has a place in a balanced diet.”

“Perhaps consumers ate too much beef 30 years ago, and perhaps they consumed too much fat,” he says. “But those problems have been fixed, and omitting beef entirely from the diet means losing a primary source of certain minerals, vitamins and protein. Proving and publicizing the nutritional benefits of beef is the only way to reverse declining consumption, and thus the only way to really halt the decline of the beef industry.”

A Meatpacker's Vow

In a move that has sent shockwaves throughout the U.S. beef industry, a Kansas meat packer has vowed to voluntarily test every animal processed at its Arkansas City plant for BSE, so-called mad cow disease.

The packer decided to implement the testing based on assurances by its Asian customers that they would buy carcasses that had been tested.

Creekstone Farms has requested that USDA begin voluntary testing at the plant. USDA, however, believes testing on such a massive scale isn’t cost effective and doesn’t ensure the beef is any safer.

If USDA does not approve testing within 60 days, Creekstone Farms will lay off between 10 and 15 percent of its workforce at the Arkansas City slaughter plant, which employs 750 workers, said John Stewart, chief executive officer of Creekstone Farms.

The company already has been losing about $80,000 a day and has been forced to cut back operations for days at its Arkansas City plant.

Ephedra Still Around Despite Ban

Ephedra, it appears, isn’t going anywhere. Yes, come April 12, due to a recent federal ban, it will disappear from stores and web sites that sell dietary supplements. But it will still be available, widely available in some instances.

The FDA’s ban on ephedra specifically excludes its use in traditional Eastern medicine. Teas, pills and powders containing ma huang, a type of ephedra, are commonly used with acupuncture and other Eastern medicinal practices to treat common ailments such as colds, headaches asthma and chronic coughs -- and still will be, despite the ban.

Even so, there is a clear pattern of serious side effects associated with ephedra use, including rapid heartbeat, insomnia, nausea, headaches, vomiting and urination problems. People with heart and kidney problems are especially susceptible to ephedra.

Poison control centers have reported almost 1,200 cases with side effects associated with ephedra use, while the Food and Drug Administration has linked the product to nearly 90 deaths and 1,500 reports of health problems.

Europe Joins Ban on U.S. Poultry

Joining other nations around the world, the European Union and South Korea banned the import of all U.S. poultry products following the outbreak of a strain of avian influenza in Texas.

"It is not as virulent as the outbreak in Asia, but nevertheless it's a highly contagious virus and therefore does require an immediate response from the EU," said EU Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner David Byrne. "We want to ensure there is no risk posed."

Russia, America’s largest importer of poultry products, has only banned imports from states where avian influenza has been detected. However, it’s also contemplating an all-out ban on U.S. poultry. The Philippines also is considering a ban.

The Texas avian flu strain is not the same as the one in Asia linked with the deaths of at least 22 people. In fact, experts with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe it poses little threat to humans.

Two other strains of bird flu also have turned up in three other states this year. However, investigators doubt any link between these strains and the one detected in Texas. Moreover, they say neither of these two strains resembles the Asian avian flu strain that has affected humans.

Easing The Beef Ban

Mexico and Canada, two of the most important importers of U.S. beef products, may act shortly to ease restrictions over American beef following concerns over the first detected case of BSE, so-called mad cow disease, in Washington last December.

The USDA’s chief economist, Ken Collins, predicted the barriers will come down quickly once his department outlines actions that will be taken to safeguard the U.S. food supply.

Currently, the beef bans work both ways. The United States continues to prohibit importation of live cattle from Canada, where BSE also has been detected.

Foreign bans on U.S. beef have cost the country about 90 percent of its export sales, which account for about 10 percent of U.S. production.

Japan, another major importer of U.S. beef that imposed a ban following the BSE detection in Washington, has stated it will not resume imports until the U.S. begins testing all cattle for the disease --- a request USDA Secretary Ann Veneman claims is not backed up by science.

Mine-Sensitive Weeds

Imagine a weed that turns red when it grows near land mines, saving thousands of noncombatants from lifelong physical handicaps and disfigurement. Actually, it’s not a figment of the imagination.

Scientists have genetically modified Thales cress to be sensitive to nitrogen dioxide, a natural byproduct of mines. The genetically modified weed turns from green to red when exposed to the gas.

Aresa Biodetection, a Danish biotechnology company, hopes to start selling it within a few years after completing field tests.

Currently, mines can be detected only by human or canine probing.

Taming Globalization

Radical changes in economic and immigration policies are needed for globalization to benefit many underdeveloped countries.

Concerns about globalization were outlined in a UN-sponsored report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization. The report claims that only a dozen developing countries have benefited from globalization so far and that those who have benefited least are “the poor, the assetless, illiterate and unskilled workers and indigenous peoples.”

While conceding that globalization’s “potential for good is immense,” the report calls for a balance of globalization for profit and globalization for people. Among some of the changes called for by the commission:

An international agreement on migration

Fairer trade agreements that open Western markets to agricultural and textile products from developing countries

An agreement on a “balanced framework” for foreign and direct investment that will ensure that developing countries benefit

Enforcement of labor laws and trade union rights especially in export processing zones

Better coordination between world institutions like the IMF, World Bank, ILO and World Trade Organization in ensuring that job creation is the central economic policy goal.

Too Much of A Good Thing?

Too much of a good thing can be bad. That applies to vitamins and nutrients as much as everything else in life.

Experts warn that four common nutrients – iron, and vitamins A, D and B6 – can reach toxic levels in the body if consumed carelessly.

At Auburn University, Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutritionist and professor of nutrition and food science, couldn’t agree more. Part of the problem, he believes, stems from the widespread fortification of foods with these nutrients – a practice begun decades ago to reduce the incidence of serious, but once all-too-common diseases such as rickets, pellagra and goiter.

As Keith and other experts are learning, what started out as a noble undertaking to safeguard against disease has begun working against us in a few cases.

“We’re consuming things that we never imagined would have vitamins and minerals placed in them,” Keith says. “And, of course, cereals go all the way from being a little fortified to products in which you can get 100 percent of all the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for most vitamins and minerals.”

Add to this the fact that roughly 70 percent of Americans take dietary supplements. Forty percent are taking them regularly.

“So we’re concerned that with some vitamins and minerals, we may have some people going in the opposite direction. Instead of being deprived of many essential vitamins and minerals, they may be getting too much of them.”

The Biggest Challenge Of All

It could be described as the last frontier of biotech farming. After tackling a host of other plants, geneticists are concentrating on the most challenging crop of all: wheat, the most ancient of cultivated crops, with a genome five times that of its human counterpart.

It’s as contentious an issue as it is challenging. Many farmers, for example, are concerned they won't be able to export transgenic wheat. More than half of the spring wheat grown in the United States is exported, and about 47 percent of those exports are now going to countries that have said they won't accept genetically modified wheat, according to the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies at North Dakota State University.

On the other hand, supporters --- the most optimistic ones, at least --- foresee this as the last major obstacle in the way of worldwide adoption of transgenic crops.

"For the non-GM people this is their last fight on a major crop," said Harold Trick, a wheat researcher and assistant professor at Kansas State University. "If this fails, it will be hard for them to come back from that."

Fasting For The Right Reasons

Fasting may bring you closer to God, but it is not an effective way to lose weight, experts say.

With millions of Christians throughout the world preparing to fast tomorrow on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, several nutrition experts are weighing in with advice about the ancient practice of fasting.

Brief fasts for religious reasons and those associated with medical procedures, such as blood tests and colonoscopy, are generally considered safe, experts say.

Fasting, though, is not considered an effective weight-loss method. It’s almost always counterproductive and, in some cases, downright dangerous.

Brief fasts for religious or medical reasons are generally safe. "But if you have other medical conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, or if you're pregnant or lactating, there's no religion that I know of that permits you to fast if your health is jeopardized," says Arthur Frank, director of the George Washington University Weight Loss Center.

Wordwide Asthma Epidemic

Five percent of the world’s population suffers from asthma, now one of the world’s most common long-term health conditions. That adds up to more than 300 million worldwide or about 1 out of every 20 people, according to figures released during the World Asthma Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.

Experts attribute this trend to growing urbanization and widespread adoption of Western lifestyles.

“These disturbing findings reveal for the first time the scale of the global burden of asthma. Until there is a greater understanding of the factors that cause asthma, and novel public health and pharmacological measures become available, the priority is to ensure that cost-effective management approaches are available to as many asthmatic individuals as possible worldwide," said Professor Richard Beasley, of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand and one of the authors of the Global Burden of Asthma Report.

The Daily Telegraph reported recently that British teenagers have the highest rate of asthma in the world, with almost 34 percent of 13- and 14-year-olds suffering from the condition, researchers report.

Researchers are not sure what is causing the spike, but they’re investigating factors such as the environment, diet and genetics.

Baby Steps With Biotech

Speaking to the American press in Washington on Feb. 20, Franz Fischler, the European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture, offered this explanation for Europe's seemingly tepid enthusiasm for bioengineered foods.

"The European Commission doesn't say GM (genetically modified food) is evil. We don't say it's unsafe either - the reason why millions of tonnes of scientifically approved GM maize and soya are already being used in the EU. But we believe in giving our consumers a real choice, the reason that labelling GM's as such is so important. Trying to sneak GMOs in through the backdoor, or forcing them down consumers' throat will backfire. It won't foster trust, but distrust among our folks. We are serious about delivering on our international promises. The Commission has just adopted a proposal to authorize imports of so-called BT-11 maize. I am confident that our member states will give their green light soon. And there are more authorisations to come", he concluded.

Teaching Dogs -- and People -- New Tricks

You can teach an old dog new tricks, providing he’s well-nourished.

And this new insight apparently applies not only to dogs but to humans, especially Alzheimer’s disease sufferers.

Scientists have discovered that the brains of older beagles suffering the beginning effects of cognitive impairment actually can be rejuvenated with antioxidant-rich diets.

In addition, the team found that the diet could reduce the accumulation of a protein, beta amyloid, which forms clumps in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Their study complements human trials that suggest antioxidants can cut the incidence of the disease.

Defending Pasta

Fighting back against low-carb mania, a group of determined, unrepentant pasta defenders meeting recently in Rome cited the number of dietary fads – 28 in all – that have occurred within the last few years and invoked the famous observation by Sophia Loren: "Everything you see, I owe to pasta."

John Foreyt, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and a speaker of the pro-pasta conference noted that Italians have enjoyed the health benefits of pasta for over 1,000 years.

"Pasta has been wrongly injected into the good carb/bad carb debate, and we want to dispel the notion that it should be avoided," he said in the conference's closing statement.”

The conference was organized by Oldways Preservation Trust, a Boston-based food issues think tank that stresses moderate, balanced eating – diets not overloaded with fat and protein, nor heavy with carbohydrates. It favors the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fish, fruit, vegetables, breads, rice and pasta.

Better Nutrition, Bigger Kids

Not too long ago, many Chinese kids under age 7 were guaranteed free bus fares, amusement park admission and other services, so long as they were under 3-foot-7.

Now, thanks to better nutrition, many 5-year-olds are now exceed 4 feet – a problem for many parents who now have to pay more for bus fare and other services. In fact, today's average 5-year-old Chinese is four inches taller than in 1949, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

A few localities have raised their thresholds to accommodate this growth spurt, though most haven’t --- and many Chinese parents aren’t happy about it.

The increasing availability of cheap food also is causing health problems similar to those in the West. Almost a quarter of children in Shanghai, China's most prosperous city, are reported to be malnourished because they eat too much junk food and not enough fruits and vegetables.

There is also a growing obesity problem in China and throughout much of eastern Asia. Many Asians have gone from consuming between 1,500 and 2,000 calories a day to between 2,000 and 3,000 calories. And many of these calories increasingly are being derived from milk, ice cream, cookies and soft drinks.

Third Annual Diabetes Conference

Following her appointment last year as the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s assistant director for family and community programs, Dr. Evelyn Crayton cited diabetes and childhood obesity as two of the state’s most pressing health-related issues.

Alabama, in fact, ranks number one nationwide in diabetes – a factor complicated by the rising level of childhood obesity in the state.

As part of its ongoing effort to address diabetes, Extension will sponsor its third annual Diabetes Conference, April 1 through 2, at the Governor’s House Hotel and Conference Center in Montgomery. The conference will feature a wide range of diabetes experts.

“Through education, we hope to help people who are diabetic and those who love them learn to manage this chronic condition,” Crayton said, adding that the conference also will focus on childhood obesity and strategies for its prevention.

For more information, contact Dr. Crayton at (334) 844-2224 or 844-7007.

Small-Weight Babies and Stillborns: A Connection?

A Swedish study has found that women who give birth to small-weight babies face a greater likelihood that they will have stillborns following their next pregnancy.

The study lends credence to the view that there is a connection between stillborns and low-weight fetuses.

However, because so little can be done about many fetal growth problems, it is doubted that this new insight will affect current obstetrical practices.

Tackling Alabama's Funding Crisis

Accountability provisions and even tax increases will be on the table when a bipartisan committee of Alabama legislators convenes Tuesday to discuss the state’s funding crisis.

At the top of the agenda will be Gov. Bob Riley’s $1.3 billion spending plan for state agencies next year.

If the group doesn't think it's workable, "We'll talk about how we might address some shortfalls," said Hammett, the top-ranking member of the state House of Representatives.

Some legislators on the committee already have called for tax increases.

Aiming For The Belt

Much like their British cousins, American policymakers are expressing the same concerns about rising levels of U.S. obesity.

With this in mind, USDA Secretary Ann Veneman recently announced her department will be waging its own “Battle of the Bulge” to ensure a healthier, less fattening food supply --- no value-added taxes on fatty foods, mind you, primarily just a fine-tuning of programs already in place.

USDA nutrition experts, for example, are looking at ways to improve the department's food guide pyramid, scheduled for review this year. Among other measures, the department plans to make use of existing food assistance programs, such as the School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, Food Stamps and the Women, Infants and Children program to relay new dietary recommendations.

Lingering Uncertainty About Biotech Crops

Apparently concerned about how his party’s prospects in the run up to general elections, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is wavering over a policy proposal to allow commercialization of a genetically modified maize crop.

A final decision has been postponed until next month.

Downing Street Rejects “Fatty Food Tax”

Downing Street (British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office) has rejected a proposal by a committee of policy makers to impose a value-added tax on high-fat foods aimed at reducing the U.K.’s skyrocketing obesity rate.

The idea, put forward by Blair’s Strategy Unit, would have varied the tax depending on the food’s nutritional content. However, it was dismissed as unworkable.

The tax would have affected many things associated with fatty fare -- pizzas, burgers and deep fried chicken. Other foods with high-fat content such as whole milk and certain cheeses also would have been included.

British policy makers have grown increasingly concerned over their country’s spiking obesity rates. More than 20 per cent of Britons are now classified as obese compared with less than 10 per cent 20 years ago.

CPSC and John Deere Recall Compact Utility Tractors

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Johne Deere have recalled 1,700 John Deere's 4000 Ten Series Compact Utility Tractors. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

An internal failure may occur within the hydrostatic transmission preventing the transmission from returning to neutral after the pedals are released. This can allow unexpected movement or cause the tractor to continue moving, creating a possible risk of injury to the operator or a bystander. John Deere is aware of several failures of the transmission with no reported injuries

The tractors were sold at authorized John Deere dealers nationwide and in Canada from April 2001 to August 2003 for between $18,000 and $27,000.

Consumers should stop using their tractors immediately and contact a John Deere dealer for a free repair.

The recall applies to the following models and serial numbers.
Model Serial Range
4210 CUT with HST LV4210H220677 through LV4210H221025
4310 CUT with HST LV4310H232267 through LV4310H233638
4410 CUT with HST LV4410H241367 through LV4410H241821
4610 CUT with HST LV4610H260774 through LV4610H260906
4710 CUT with HST LV4710H270806 through LV4710H271286

For more information, contact John Deere’s Customer Communications Center on (800) 537-8233, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am until 6:00 pm (Eastern Time), Saturday, 9:00 am until 3:00 pm, or at the John Deere web site at www.johndeere.com

The Next Sin Tax?

A British government public policy unit is exploring a fat tax on junk food as a way to combat the rising tide of obesity. Supporters of the measure believe it will address a problem that, if left unaddressed, will ultimately swamp the British health-care system.

No formal proposal has been submitted to Prime Minister Tony Blair – yet, at least. But supporters of the measure believe it might prove an effective way to encourage consumers and producers alike to emphasize nutrition content over convenience.

The Ultimate Urban Sprawl

From the standpoint of soil fertility, urban sprawl appears to have seriously compromised American agricultural efficiency. NASA researchers have discovered that U.S. cities have been built on the most fertile soil in the country.

Though cities account for just 3 percent of the U.S. land area, the land they occupy could produce as much as food as the 29 percent of land currently used to support agriculture.

Making Inroads

Slowly but surely, biotech crops are gaining inroads into European markets.

The British government is soon expected to grant approval to the commercial cultivation of genetically modified maize.

While conceding that the British “public was unlikely be receptive” to the measure, the Cabinet Office ministerial sub-committee on biotechnology, based on minutes of the meeting subsequently leaked, agreed that there should be a precautionary approach to this new technology that was also sensitive to public opinion.

Critics contend the government’s decision was entirely due to pressure from the Bush administration and from Monsanto, the world’s leading manufacturer of biotech crops.

Safeguarding The Infrastructure

Talk about vulnerability: Until now, potential terrorists could walk into any large library in the United States and ferret out a wealth of information about vulnerabilities in the nation’s infrastructure.

That’s about to change. Starting February 20, chemical companies, railroads, electric utilities and other parts of the nation's critical infrastructure can begin submitting sensitive information to the Department of Homeland Security about vulnerabilities with the assurance that this proprietary data will be safe from public disclosure.

Under the Homeland Security Act of 2000, material voluntarily submitted by businesses and aimed at helping the government lower the risk of terrorist attack can be classified as sensitive and out of the reach of outsiders.

The measure, however, has garnered its share of critics. They say companies could manipulate this data to avoid enforcement of environmental and health regulations.

Low-Carb Spillover

Adult fixation with low-carb diets is rubbing off on kids -- a trend that many health experts find disturbing.

True, laying off on cookies, cakes and other junk food is good, especially in at a time when childhood obesity levels have reached an all-time high. The downside is that kids who avoid these foods also are steering clear of nutritionally essential foods such as bread, potatoes, rice and fruit, all of which contain important nutrients.

An estimated 59 million U.S. adults are limiting their intake of carbohydrates, according to a recent survey by the Valen Group, a Cincinnati-based business consulting firm that does work for the low-carbohydrate food industry.

Bird Flu Spreads

A flu strain harmful to chickens but not to humans has spread to two other states, and inspectors fear more cases will soon turn up in Delaware.

The strain that has turned up in U.S. chicken flocks is different than the one detected in 10 Asian countries where 19 people have died from exposure.

Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped other countries from banning U.S. poultry exports – an effort that likely will become more intensified following the recent detection of flu outbreaks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A dozen nations already have banned U.S. exports since the first detection in Delaware.

The Mouse That Roared?

A federal jury has awarded Alabama and national cattle farmers $1.28 billion dollars in damages after concluding that Tyson Fresh Meats manipulated contracts to old down the prices it paid the producers for their beef.

During the four-week trial in Montgomery, the ranchers argued that the consolidation of the industry had helped Tyson win enough control of the market to manipulate prices and help undermine small and independent ranchers.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the industry's leading trade group, declined to support the ranchers in their suit. Kendal Frazier, the association's vice president for communication, said that his members supported instead a study of meat marketing systems. "We know there are concerns about changes going on in our industry," Mr. Frazier said, "but we haven't taken a position on the case."

"This is an industry fight between the big packers and the independent ranchers," said Joe Whatley, of the Birmingham, Ala., firm of Whatley, Drake. "If we don't stop the kinds of practices Tysons has been engaged in, we're going to lose the small, independent producer."

Heroic Potassium

Washington Post nutrition writer Sally Squires weighs in on the National Academy of Science’s recent recommendation to stop worrying so much about water consumption and eat more potassium-rich foods.

The NAS is concerned that potassium consumption amounts to only about 3 grams a day for most Americans – far below the 4.7 grams considered essential. Potassium skimping is a bad idea. Taken at adequate levels, potassium has been shown to lower blood pressure and offset the effects of high-sodium diets. Researchers even believe potassium may contribute to healthier bones and reduce the risk of kidney stones.

"An increased intake of potassium would not only lead to lower sodium intake but tends to help mute the effects of sodium in the diet," said Paul Whelton, an NAS committee member and senior vice president of academic affairs at Tulane University. "It's a win-win situation and is especially important for certain subgroups of the population who have a disproportionate burden of illness and seem particularly sensitive to high salt and low potassium. African Americans are a classic example."

Alabama and Georgia Seek Water-Use Plans

If you think that plentiful rainfall this year has prompted Alabama and Georgia policymakers to scrap their water-use legislation, think again.

Alabama’s Office of Water Resources, a division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, has proposed a drought-management plan for the state --- one that would encompass both ground and surface water, writes Southeast Farm Press editor Paul Hollis.

According to ADECA Water Resources Director Trey Glenn, the plan outlines both long-term and short-term measures aimed at mitigating the effects of prolonged drought.

Meanwhile, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s staff is working with key legislators on the latest draft of a similar water plan. This year’s version, drafters hope, will be without the controversy that killed last year’s bill.

Are sweets and fats drugs?

It all depends on who you ask, though many scientists are amazed at the almost junkie-like reaction associated with some foods.

One scientist, in fact, flatly describes some foods as addictive substances. Writing in a recent book “Breaking the Food Seduction,” Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine maintains that certain foods -- chocolates and cheese, for example – are addictive.

No, they’re not as powerful as narcotics, but they do “stimulate the release of chemicals in the brain’s pleasure center that keep you hooked.”

Other scientists aren’t convinced, though most concede that fats and sugars pack a powerful punch. Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have shown that merely glancing at favorite, fatty foods results in the brain releasing dopamine, a chemical associated with reward and craving. Fat and sugar also have been shown to calm the brain, lowering levels of stress hormones. That’s why they’re often called comfort foods.

A Custom-Fit Pyramid?

Custom fits may soon be the rage at USDA.

Until now, the USDA food guide pyramid has been based on a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach.

“The Food Guide Pyramid was viewed as being for everybody, but it wasn’t related to the individual,” said Eric Hentges, executive director of the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Health Promotion. “If people wanted to make a change, they didn’t see how they could use our food guidance to make the change.”

But times they are a-changin’. As USDA officials and experts begin updating the pyramid, they want to explore ways it can be tailored to individual needs. Visitors to the USDA may soon have the option of visiting an interactive site where they can enter all sorts of personal data about themselves – for example, how many carbohydrates, proteins they consume every day. Visitors also may be able to tailor their diet based on how many calories they burn a day through exercise.

Stricter Provisions For Farmers

The Alabama Department of Public Safety is placing greater emphasis on rules governing the safe transportation of potentially hazardous chemicals – one that will affect farmers.

The laws have been on the books for a long time, but following 9/11, state regulators believe it's time to enforce them more strictly.

Two of the most commonly transported materials affected by these regulations are certain quantities of diesel fuel and fertilizer.

Many farmers are exempt from having a commercial drivers license (CDL) because they are considered a farm vehicle driver, but they are still required to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and hazardous materials regulations.

As Big A Problem As Global Warming?

Soil erosion is as big a problem as global warming and the only reason why it doesn’t get as much coverage from mainstream media is because it is less spectacular. That is the view of a couple of scientists speaking last Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Seattle.

Prof. Jared Diamond, a physiologist at the University of California Los Angeles and author of Guns, Germs and Steel, paints a very gloomy picture of the planet in terms of soil erosion and contends agricultural practices in some parts of the world deserve much of the blame. He cited the Fertile Crescent, the cradle of agriculture and modern Western civilization, as an example of what happens when “soil problems, salinization, erosion, coupled with problems of deforestation,” take their toll.

Even today, he believes, soil erosion, already a serious problem in Australia, China and parts of the U.S., threatens modern civilization in much the same way.

Although 99 percent of the world’s food comes from soil, experts estimate that about 25 million acres of cropland are lost due to the effects of rain and wind abrasion on topsoil.

Another conference speaker, Ward Chesworth of the University of Guelph, Ontario, contended that farming had produced an “agricultural scar” on the planet that affected one third of all suitable soils.

An All-Out War On Child Obesity

Decrying what is widely viewed as a national epidemic, a Montgomery County delegate to the Maryland General Assembly rolled out one of the most ambitious plans yet to combat the mounting problem of child obesity in the schools.

Delegate Joan Stern’s plan would involve a multi-pronged attack. Lunchroom nutrition would undergo a complete overhaul, including a soft-drink ban. Children also would receive five hours of exercise every week through mandatory gym class. They would also be required to fill out a health questionnaire to ensure that school authorities had a stronger grasp of the problem and were better prepared to apply for federal health grants.

About 15 percent of people ages 6 to 19 are overweight, a percentage that has tripled since 1980, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Critics of the plan contend it would undermine other efforts that also must receive top priority.

"We really barely have time for English, language arts, math and the core components," John R. Woolums, director of governmental relations for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, who is urging the legislative committee entrusted with initial review of Stern’s plan not to pass it.

Tapped Out

It’s easy for residents of the humid Southeast to overlook the chronic water shortages prevalent throughout much of the world. True, water makes up 70 percent of the world’s surface, but only 3 percent of that is fresh. And the vast majority of that is locked up in polar icecaps or too far underground to reach, meaning that only 1 percent of the planet’s water supply is fresh and accessible.

The news gets even sobering: Human use for fresh water has quadrupled since the 1940’s and is still growing, driven by population increases and more affluent lifestyles that depend on heavy water use. Add to that the increasing costs of supplying fresh water – a challenge complicated by the fact that 6 out of 10 of the world’s largest rivers have been fragmented by dams, canals or some other diversion.

Chronic water shortages are no longer solely a problem of the underdeveloped world. Britain, the most water-stressed country in Europe, declared a drought this winter. Even in America, the government wants to purchase rights to divert Canadian arctic river waters to Los Angeles and much of the rest of the water-starved West.

Small wonder why many experts predict that water shortages will be one of the most pressing policy issues of the 21st century.

"Wars have been fought over water for centuries, so it's certainly nothing new," says Dr. James Hairston, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System water quality scientist.

In recent centuries, causes of most international conflicts have stemmed from differences over politics and religion, Hairston says. But, with population growth rapidly outstripping existing water resources in many regions of the world, the ancient struggle for water will crop up again - perhaps even sooner than we think.

Hairston believes most of these conflicts will take place in underdeveloped countries, where concerns over water appear to be most acute.

"Population is increasing at an astounding rate - about 80 million a year by some estimates," he says. "And 95 percent of this growth is in underdeveloped countries where serious shortages already have occurred."

In the water-starved West, many communities are recycling gray water --water used for washing that contains traces of detergents. While it's not suitable for drinking, scientists have discovered it can be recycled and used for irrigating plants.

Gray water recycling alone won't solve all water shortages associated with the West. With many lakes and streams already pumped dry, localities in the region have become dangerously reliant on groundwater resources, and this has many experts, including Hairston, concerned.

"In the future, the major issue will be groundwater, and the West isn't alone in this respect. People the world over are tapping into these reserves," Hairston says.

Considering it took centuries for many water supplies to be formed from the slow trickle-down effect in the soil caused from rainfall, he says people shouldn't take these resources for granted. Unfortunately, most do, he adds.

"The technology that has enabled us to pump millions of tons of oil also has enabled us to pump groundwater," Hairston says. "The major difference is while you have alternatives to oil, such as solar power, there is no alternative to water. Another difference is you can't drink oil, so water is a more precious commodity than oil."

Unfortunately, Hairston says, many nations won't take note of the problem until water supplies are seriously depleted. Then it's too late to do anything. There are numerous examples of civilizations that thrived in areas of low rainfall and inadequate water supplies. They didn't understand the water cycle and the ecological implications of what they were doing and ended up destroying their capacity to produce foods.

The Middle East often is called the graveyard of empires and for good reason.

"Centuries ago, people of this region changed their climate and failed to understand the implications involved, and ended up paying dearly for it," Hairston says. "It should be a lesson for the 20th century as well."

Substandard Hay This Winter?

Southern farmers have baled plenty of hay for winter feeding, but just how good is it?

Two Alabama Extension forage nutrition experts are asking that same question.

Dr. Don Ball, Alabama Cooperative Extension System forage agronomist, is concerned that rainy weather over much of the South has prevented many producers from cutting hay at peak quality.

One of Ball’s co-workers, Extension beef nutritionist Dr. Darrell Rankins, agrees. The two nutrients of most concern, he said, are protein and energy content, since younger cattle need higher percentages of energy and protein in their diet than older animals.

West Nile Virus Spraying Not To Blame

Critics of pesticide spraying to control West Nile virus claim it is threatening bird populations.

Rubbish, says one expert in environmental risk assessement.

Writing recently in an op-ed piece for the Heartland Institute’s Environmental News, Angela Logomasini, director of Risk and Environmental Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, argued that West Nile virus and other factors in the natural environment pose far greater threats to birds and other wildlife than pesticide spraying.

She cited data from the Centers for Disease Control revealing that WNV killed birds from at least 138 species, including some that are endangered. By one estimate, as many as 400,000 great horned owls may have succumbed to the disease last year alone.

Bed Bugs Are Biting Again

The old saying “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” would strike most Americans precisely as that – an old saying with very little relevance to the present day.

As it turns out, these bugs may be closer than you think. Health professionals across the country, in fact, are noticing a dramatic rise in their numbers.

Randall Armstrong, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System agent in Lauderdale County, quoted recently in the Times-Daily, cited figures showing a 300-percent increase in bedbugs between 2000 and 2001.

They increased another 70 percent in 2002 and 2003 respectively, he added.

Contrary to popular opinion, no one is safe, not even the most fastidious housekeeper.

The good news, Armstrong said, is that bugs don’t harbor diseases like many other pests. There are also effective control measures to keep these troublesome bugs at bay.

Why have the bugs returned with such a vengeance in recent years? Experts cite the increase and ease of international travel as a major factor.

Don't Blame The Teacher

All-too-frequent adolescent nodding off in class may not necessarily be because of boring teachers. A growing body of evidence points to sleep deprivation.

A study involving roughly 2,200 middle school students in Illinois revealed a rising level of sleep deprivation between the sixth and eighth grade. Results of the study also contradicted the prevailing view that lack of sleep was caused by depression. Rather, it appears that sleep deprivation may contribute to depression and low self-esteem.

Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutritionist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and foods science, has expressed similar views.

“If kids require nine hours of sleep, and children have to get up at 6:00 a.m. to go to school, then parents should insist that they go to bed at 9:00 p.m.,” he says. “Because if they’re waiting to go to bed at about the same time as their parents – 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. – they’re sleep deprived and are not going to be doing so well.”

Research also has shown that sleep is much more effective when it takes place in a regular pattern, Keith says.

“Sleeping 10 hours to make up for the six hours you got the night before is not as effective as a regular sleep pattern,” he says. “Instead, you should be going to bed at regular hours and striving to get up at the same time every morning, because your body needs the right amount of sleep in a regular pattern.”

“This is particularly true for kids, especially when they’re in school.”

Catnaps don’t work.

True, some of history’s most famous insomniacs, most notably Winston Churchill, claimed to have gotten by with daily catnaps. But what was good for Churchill, a wartime leader leading a life-and-death struggle against Nazi Germany, isn’t the best choice for a student or, for that matter, ordinary person holding a day job.

“Sleep typically involves patterns where you start out with lighter sleep and pass into a much deeper sleep – a cycle that may be repeated several times a night,” Keith says. “Getting adequate sleep requires passing through all of these phases – something you don’t get with catnaps.”

Pyramid Schemes

Supporters of the Atkins diet are lobbying the USDA to adopt a revised food guide pyramid that places much less emphasis on carbs.

The Atkins Physicians Council, a committee of physicians who support the Atkins diet, claim the current pyramid is obsolete because it is too carbohydrate-friendly, stressing foods such as breads, rice and pasta.

In the Atkins-inspired model, breads and refined sugars are squeezed in with red meat in the peak of the pyramid, emphasizing least desirable foods, while fats, at least the more heart healthy kinds such olive oil, occupy the more favored base.

The Next Big Kid On The Block

Are potholes the only thing standing in the way of Brazil becoming a major world trading power in cotton? Texas cotton producer and National Cotton Council Vice Chairman Woody Anderson thinks so. Once the nation manages to fill in the canyon-sized potholes in its farm-to-market roads, it stands to become a huge player, he believes.

It’s already halfway there, having mastered cotton production by adopting the American model, Anderson said. All it lacks now are infrastructural improvements. And forget lingering images of subsistence farming. There is no small cotton industry in Brazil – not, at least, in the state of Mato Grasso where Anderson toured recently. There are only about 200 cotton farmers in Mato Grasso yet they account for 2 million bales of cotton production.

Anderson believes Brazil also has tremendous potential to increase its farming area to grow cotton. During his tour, he spoke with one mill executive who said there is a potential to expand crop production by 200 million acres. By comparison, America's soybean, corn and wheat acreage totals 210 million acres.

Anderson discussed his Brazilian encounter with other cotton producers at the Belt Wide Cotton Conference, held recently in San Antonio

Four Secrets To A Long, Healthy Life?

Dr. David Demko has never bought into the idea that genes alone determine one’s longevity. He believes that 80 percent of the factors that control how long one lives can be traced to lifestyle. Demko, who received the distinguished service award from the American Association of University Professors, has also served on two U.S. government commissions exploring the effects of aging.

True, genetic inheritance is important, he said, but three other factors also play a role: living a meaningful life, diet, exercise and an alert mind.

Oh, be sure to take Demko’s longevity test that is posted with the article.

Too Ambitious

With a state herd exceeding 1-million head, many New York cattle producers contend federal efforts under way to track every animal are too expensive. And a New York legislator couldn't agree more.

Sen. Nancy Larraine Hoffmann said U.S. Ag Secretary Ann Venneman's ambitious plan to track every cow in the United States is unfair to producers, who will have to bear the financial brunt of this new tracking system.

Hoffmann operates a 60-head beef cattle farm near Syracuse.

Let Your Thirst Be Your Guide

The National Academy of Sciences offers some pointed advice to Americans: Quit worrying so much about drinking enough water and worry more about your salt intake.

Indeed, the academy rejected the age-old advice that people should drink eight glasses of water a day. Instead, they say it’s better for more Americans to let their thirst be their guide.

On the other hand, the academy said Americans could do more to reduce their blood pressure levels by consuming more fruits, vegetables and other foods rich in potassium while drastically cutting back on processed food and other sodium-rich fare.

Doctors and nutrition experts, in fact, have known for a long time that potassium, widely available in fresh fruits and vegetables, is a major player in blood pressure reduction.

"If we can get people to eat fresh fruits and vegetables at least five times a day, they’re getting less sodium and more potassium," said Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutritionist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science. "We’ve discovered people with more potassium and relatively less sodium in their diets tend to have lower blood pressure, while people with high blood pressure tend to consume foods higher in sodium and lower in potassium."

In fact, studies have shown that some people who do not reduce sodium intake can reap significant benefits merely by increasing their intake of potassium.
"I can take a person who is consuming relatively high amounts of sodium and increase his potassium intake beyond his sodium," Keith says. "In such cases, blood pressure will not go up and may even come down.

"Potassium is a key player in reducing hypertension, and we want people to ensure their daily intake of this nutrient exceeds sodium."

One important rule of thumb for people trying to increase their potassium intake is to concentrate on fresh vegetables and to avoid canned vegetables.
Canned vegetables, in fact, tend to be high in sodium and low in potassium.

"A cup of fresh peas amounts to several hundred milligrams of potassium and almost no sodium at all," Keith says. "On the other hand, if you use canned peas, you’ll get just the opposite: several hundred milligrams of sodium and very little potassium."

As for the academy’s advice about drinking water, Keith couldn’t agree more. He, along with many other nutrition experts, has always questioned the eight-glass-a-day maxim.

Even if people occasionally fail to consume eight glasses a day of water or some other beverage on any given day, it is no cause for concern, Keith says. While beverages supply the bulk of our daily water intake, a lot of this also comes from eating food.

"What people don’t realize is that you don’t have to drink water in order to get water in your body," he says. "You can even ‘eat it’ instead of drink it."
Many common foods, in fact, are largely made up of water. Many fruits and vegetables – peaches, apples, for example -- are made up of about 90 percent water. The same holds true for pasta and spaghetti.

"By the time these foods are eaten and reach the intestinal tract, the water has been extracted and absorbed into the body just like beverages," Keith says. "It’s the same as if you had derived this water from drinking beverages."

One other argument for drinking lots of water, especially bottled water, is because it helps flush toxins out of the body more efficiently.

However, this ignores the kidneys' amazing power to filter toxins even when you aren’t consuming that much water, Keith says.

"Kidneys do a very good job of getting rid of toxins even down to the point where the body is becoming dehydrated," he says. "If you’re not drinking that much, your kidneys will compensate by loading more toxins per liter of urine."

"Likewise, if you drink more water than your body needs, the kidneys will compensate by loading fewer toxins per liter of urine."

Freeze Frame

The column space being devoted to the obesity issue on virtually a daily basis underscores how a personal issue is fast becoming a public policy bombshell. Yesterday, for example, three dailies in the English-speaking world devoted extensive coverage to their countries’ obesity problems.

In the United Kingdom, The Daily Telegraph reported on the efforts of British physicians to address what they describe as “the terrifying health consequences” of British obesity. A joint report by the Royal College of Physicians, the Faculty of Public Health and the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health warned that if current trends were not reversed, at least a third of adults would be obese by 2020.

The physicians are pushing for action at every level to tackle the problem. A special effort, they said, should be targeted to children to ensure they don’t follow same path.

Meanwhile, in Canada, The London Free Press stressed that the excess weight carried around by one out of every two Canadians poses as serious a threat to the nation’s long-term health as smoking three decades ago.

“This is a marker for a health crisis that is looming and ready to explode,” said Murray Huff, a Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher at Robarts Research Institute and the University of Western Ontario.

Half a world away, The Sidney Morning Herald pondered similar grim facts. Of special concern are the nation’s elderly. A report by the Institute of Health and Welfare found the number of obese older Australians increased threefold from 1980 to 2000, from 310,000 to 940,000.

A Boiling Cauldron

One of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. cotton industry is to avoid becoming boiled in a cauldron of alphabet soup composed of WTO, CAFTA, FTAA, AGOA III and others, said Mark Lange, president of the National Cotton Council.

Lange highlighted the political and economic issues facing U.S. cotton during this winter's Georgia Cotton Workshop, held in Statesboro.

A Dead Man's Girth

A deceased man’s girth has become a major flash point in the diet wars. Critics of the Atkins diet, the hugely popular high-fat, low-carb weight-loss plan, are pointing to the late Dr. Robert Atkins’ coroner’s report, which shows the 6-foot diet founder weighed 258 lbs. at the time of his death -- a weight considered obese for his height.

A physicians group highly critical of the diet also cite details in the coroner’s report indicating the late physician suffered from heart problems.

The Atkins Physicians Council, however, disputes those findings. It contends Atkins gained more than 60 pounds in fluid retention during the eight days spent in a coma prior to his death from a severe fall last spring. He weighed 195 lbs. prior to the accident, the council said.

In addition, the late doctor’s heart problems, the council maintains, stemmed from heart enlargement caused by a virus. Poor lifestyle habits were not a factor.

Since Atkins diet was first debuted in 1972, it has remained widely controversial. It was initially condemned as “potentially dangerous” by the American Medical Association.” Atkins was even summoned before Congress to defend his approach.

More recently, however, research has shown that people who follow the diet can lose weight without compromising their health. Studies also show people who followed the dietary recommendations improved their cardiovascular health and cholesterol levels.

Second Farm Tested Positive For Bird Flu

Avian flu has been detected at a second Delaware farm, located within five miles of the farm that had previously tested positive.

Health officials admit being caught off guard with the new detection, especially since testing in poultry houses within a 2-mile radius of the first farm had turned up no new cases.

China is the most recent addition to a growing number of nations that have banned U.S. poultry exports following the detection in Delaware. Poland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea have all banned imports from the US, while the biggest market for American poultry, Russia, has imposed a ban only on Delaware-grown chickens.

Thrips Threaten Onions

What many would consider the world’s most delectable onion is mortally threatened by thrips.

Even worse, the danger comes from a type of thrips – Thrips tabaci -- that scientists have never encountered before in the Vidalia-producing region of Georgia. And if that isn’t bad enough, the pests are sick, spreading a virus to the plants that leave them too weak to produce.

"It is a potentially very damaging virus," said David B. Langston, a plant pathologist at the University of Georgia. "Potentially it could be devastating."

Obesity, Pregnancy and Health

More reasons for women to lose weight before becoming pregnant. A Swedish study reveals that obesity not only creates severe pregnancy complications in the mother but increases the likelihood of several health problems for the baby, including a higher risk of neonatal death.

Dr. Marie Cendergren, an obstetrician in the division of obstetrics and gynecology at Linkoping University, stresses that a BMI below 30 significantly reduces risks," and she encourages women to aim for that goal. A BMI, or body mass index, is an indication of the level of body fat. A "normal" BMI ranges from 19 to 26, depending on height, Cendergren says.

Borderline Nation

From the standpoint of health, America has become a borderline nation full of people precariously close to chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high cholesterol.

In fact, the majority of Americans fall within at least one category of what is now being described as pre-disease. Following changes in the U.S. dietary guidelines in 2001, for example, about 104 million Americans, roughly 50 percent of American adults, either have high or borderline high cholesterol.

In addition, more than 95 million Americans are now classified as requiring some sort of treatment for high blood pressure treatment, either through medication or lifestyle changes.

One of the most disturbing trends of all concerns the millions of American young people already are being treated for conditions that ultimately will develop into full-blown diabetes – a condition not only associated with genetics but with poor diets and lack of exercise.

Closing A Chapter On BSE

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ending its investigation of additional cases of mad cow disease.

Critics of the investigation have expressed concern that USDA investigators have not accounted for some of the animals that possibly may have consumed the infectious feed. However, Dr. Ron DeHaven, USDA’s chief veterinarian said he remains confident these animals, though never positively identified, “represent little risk.”

USDA’s Web site now features a technical briefing on the wrap up of the BSE investigation.

A Stealth Disease Until Now

Many people don’t know that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, so-called mad cow diseases, is only one of several transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, all of which share similar characteristics.

That is why U.S. researchers and regulators are taking a closer look at chronic wasting disease, a degenerative brain disease known to affect deer and elk. Like BSE, chronic wasting disease appears to be caused by misfolded proteins known as prions. But unlike its bovine counterpart, the disease spreads far more easily in both wild and captive herds.

The good news is that there is no known link between chronic wasting disease and humans, though scientists believe it is conceivable that the disease could overcome the species barrier and threaten people.

Chronic wasting disease has gotten the attention of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It will be holding a two-day advisory hearing on the whole family of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, focusing on how the various diseases are spread from animal to animal and, in the case of mad cow disease, from animals to humans.