Fwd: Vital Choices Newsletter: Red Meat Raises Breast Risk; DHA Cuts Dementia Danger; Bean-Salmon Soup; Citrus-Cilantro Salmon (or Halibut)

November 17, 2006

Note: forwarded message attached.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Issue 106

VOLUME 3

ISSUE 106

CHANGING YOUREMAIL ADDRESS?Click here to update it

In This Issue

Breast Cancer Risk Raised by too Much Red Meat

Dementia Danger Slashed by Brainy Marine Omega-3

Letters: Clarifying the vitamin D-calcium cardiac connection

Creamy Bean and Salmon Soup; Citrus and Cilantro Salmon (or Halibut)

Online Store =Easy Shopping

Click here for our main shopping directory, or go straight to our products:SeafoodWild Alaskan SalmonSmoked Salmon Albacore Tuna (low-mercury, troll-caught)Alaskan HalibutAlaskan Weathervane ScallopsAlaskan Sablefish (Black Cod)Salmon Sausage BurgersSalmon Caviar (Ikura)Canned Salmon, Tuna, SardinesSalmon Dog TreatsSockeye Salmon OilCapsules or LiquidOrganic FoodsOrganic NutsOrganic BerriesOrganic ChocolateOrganic TeaOrganic Herbs SpicesOrganic EV Olive and Macadamia OilsGiftsGift CertificatesGift PacksSampler Packs, Specials, ExtrasDr. Perricone PackDr. Northrup Mom-Baby PackSampler PacksSpecial Grill PacksCedar BBQ PlanksCookbooksTo get a free catalog, click here, or call us toll-free at 1-800-608-4825.

Publisher/EditorRandy HartnellProducerCraig WeatherbySend Mail To:VitalChoices

The Vital Choice Advantage

Click here to learn about the Vital Choice Advantage ... the many reasons why William Sears, M.D. - renowned as "America's Baby Doctor"- calls Vital Choice his favorite salmon source.

Vital Choice was founded by two longtime Alaska fishermen-Randy Hartnell and Dave Hamburg-who know where to get the highest quality fish. And they test it periodically to ensure your safety.

Feed that HungrySalmon Hound

Your canine companion will love our Wild Alaskan Salmon Organic Pet Treats. These chewy, human food-grade salmon jerky pieces will make him or her very happy and healthy. Make a Vital Choice for fido!

Organic Berries

Vital Choice fresh-frozen organic blueberries, strawberries and red raspberries are rich in anti-aging antioxidants, and draw customer comments like this: " OH MY GOODNESS! I cannot believe the flavor ... the taste reminds me of something from my childhood. Thanks for a great product!

Berries are incredibly healthful foods, and it's smart to seek out organic berries, grown without synthetic pesticides.

Our organic berries come in convenient one pound bags, each yielding about 3-1/2 cups. They freeze well, so you can keep plenty on hand!

Lox to Live For ...

Vital Choice smoked salmon is far superior to the preservative-laden farmed product found in most grocery stores.

After curing in natural alder wood smoke, our Smoked Sockeye Portions and silky, cold-smoked Sliced Nova Lox are immediately vacuum-packed and flash-frozen. Thawed and served, they taste as though they came fresh out of the smoker.

"I am in love with the hot-smoked salmon. It is fabulous flaked and scrambled with eggs and onions. They give the eggs a lovely zing." - Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook.

Pure, UnrefinedSockeye Salmon Oil

Vital Choice Salmon Oil (top left) vs. two standard fish oilsWe put only whole, unrefined oil from wild Alaskan sockeye salmon in our premium salmon oil supplements. Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon is one of the cleanest fish in the sea: a trait reflected in the purity of our unrefined sockeye oil, which is now certified by NSF: one of the best-respected independent labs in the U.S.Because our naturally pure salmon oil does not need to be distilled, it provides the essential omega-3 fatty acids (EPA DHA), plus 30 other natural fatty acids and astaxanthin: the potent antioxidant that gives sockeye its distinctive deep-red color.

We use fish-gelatin capsules, and now offer our Salmon oil in liquid form for kids and others who have trouble swallowing pills. Last but not least, ours is the only salmon oil supplement certified as sustainably sourced by the Marine Stewardship Council (www.msc.org).

Scrumptious Weathervane Scallops

People seem to swoon over our sweet, succulent, sustainably harvested Alaska weathervane scallops. Unlike common farmed varieties, Vital Choice scallops grow as nature intended in the cold, clear waters near Kodiak Island, Alaska.

They're individually quick frozen and available in convenient re-sealable bags, so that you can take only the scallops you need and return the rest to the freezer.

Succulent Salmon Sausages

" I just tried your new Country breakfast sausage for the first time they are wonderful! I never thought a salmon sausage would be this good. Thanks! " - Dr. Bruce Felgenhauer

People are excited about our new Wild Sockeye Salmon Sausage, which comes in two succulent varieties: Savory Country Breakfast Style and Spicy Italian.

The ingredients couldn't be simpler: just Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, 100% organic herbs and spices, organic arrowroot, natural sea salt, and water.

For tips on how to cook 'em from straight from the freezer, see our Web site.

Our Terrific Tuna ...It's Pure and Tasty

Our young, low-weight Pacific Albacore Tuna-fresh or canned-is simply superior!

Smaller means safer: Vital Choice troll-caught tuna weigh just 12 lbs. or less, so they contain less mercury, and more omega-3s, than the larger troll-caught tuna touted by other " minimal mercury " vendors.

No loitering allowed: Our tuna are hauled in fast, bled, and flash-frozen within about two hours. (Standard long-line-caught albacore spend 12 hours in the water.)

Better, fresher flavor, even in the can: Unlike standard canned albacore-which is cooked twice at great cost to flavor and omega-3 content-Vital Choice tuna is cooked only once (in the can) to preserve its healthful oils and fresh flavor.

To change your email address,

Click here to forward this email

Breast Cancer Risk Raised by too Much Red Meat

First study to focus on younger pre-menopausal women finds an increased risk for hormone receptor-positive breast tumors

by Craig Weatherby

The results of an innovative study affirm the dangers of excessive enjoyment of red meat. While they don't mean that women can't eat red meat safely, these findings indicate that it may make sense to practice moderation and stick to grass-fed beef.

The authors of the study--led by Harvard's Eunyoung Cho, Sc.D. (pictured at left)--noted that while high red meat intake is considered conducive to breast cancer, none of the previous studies included substantial numbers of young, pre-menopausal women.

This data gap explains why, when Dr. Cho's group set out to look for any links between red meat consumption and breast cancer, they focused on pre- menopausal women: specifically, 90,659 members of the Nurses' Health Study II whose average age was 36 at the outset of the study.

In addition, the Boston-based team were looking for any differences in risk between the two major types of breast cancer:

Key Points

Rates of hormone receptor-positive breast tumors are rising in the U.S. Pre-menopausal women's risk of hormone receptor-positive cancer was twice as high if they ate more than one and one-half servings of red meat a day, compared with those who ate three or fewer servings per week. Red meat consumption did not affect their risk of breast cancer overall or hormone-receptor-negative cancers.

" Hormone receptor-positive " tumors in which women's sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) bind to receptor proteins on the surfaces of the tumor cells.

" Hormone receptor-negative " tumors in which this does not occur.

As they said, " The association between red meat intake and breast cancer is unclear, but most studies have assessed diet in midlife or later. Although breast tumors differ clinically and biologically by hormone receptor status, few epidemiologic studies of diet have made this distinction. "

Any difference in the degree of breast cancer risk posed by high red meat intake is of special interest because, as the Boston team wrote, " the incidence of hormone receptor-positive tumors has been increasing in the United States, especially among middle-aged women. "

Dr. Cho and her colleagues-who included legendary Harvard nutrition researcher Walter C. Willett, M.D.--followed the women from 1991 through 2003.

The women completed an initial diet questionnaire in 1989, and responded to subsequent food

Co-authorWalter Willet, MD, DrPHintake surveys in 1991, 1995 and 1999.Every two years they reported whether or not they had developed breast cancer. Any reported cases were confirmed through hospital records and pathology reports.

Only pre-menopausal women never diagnosed with cancer were included in the data, and any who experienced menopause or an ovariectomy during the 12 years of the study were not.

By the end of the study, the women reporting the highest red meat intake were not at significantly greater risk for breast cancer overall or for hormone-receptor-negative cancers, but did show an increased risk of hormone receptor-positive cancer.

In fact, the risk of hormone receptor-positive cancer was twice as high among women who ate more than one and one-half servings of red meat a day, compared with those who ate three or fewer servings per week.

Why would red meat cause hormone receptor-positive breast cancer? The researchers noted three reasons:

Cooked or processed red meats contain known cancer-causing compounds that increase mammary tumors in animals and are suspected of causing breast cancer in humans.

Cattle in the United States are treated with hormones to promote growth, which could influence breast cancer risk.

The form in which iron occurs in red meat may promote tumors.

It's probably safer to stick to certified grass-fed beef, whose fat profile leans heavily toward anti-cancer omega-3s, with many fewer cancer-fueling omega-6 fats than occur in standard, grain-fed beef.

Source

Cho E, Chen WY, Hunter DJ et al. Red Meat Intake and Risk of Breast Cancer Among Premenopausal Women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2253-2259.

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Dementia Danger Slashed by Brainy Marine Omega-3

Population study links DHA levels with lower rates of dementia: findings echo earlier results and hold out preventive hope amidst rising tide of brain decline

by Craig Weatherby

Last month, Swedish researchers reported positive results from the first-ever clinical trial designed to determine whether supplemental omega-3s can help prevent or ameliorate Alzheimer's disease: the most common form of dementia.

Fortunately, they found that fish oil capsules reduced progression of Alzheimer's disease in people with mild, early-stage cases of the dreaded disorder. (See " Fish Oil May Halt Memory Decline in Alzheimer's " .)

Now, a mere month after release of the Swedes' landmark results, American researchers present us with yet more evidence of the dementia-discouraging effects of fish and fish oil, and add a scientifically significant detail (Schaefer EJ et al 2006).

The new findings suggest that one of the two key omega-3s in fish fat-called DHA-may deserve the most credit for the brain-preserving benefits of fish fat.

USDA-Tufts team probes DHA's role in dementia-prevention

In 2003, after analyzing data from participants in the world-famous Framingham Heart Study, a team led by Ernst Schaefer, M.D. report a major finding with regard to fish oil and dementia. (Dr. Schaefer performs research at the USDA-funded Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.)

Ernst Schaefer, M.D.

The Tufts team divided the study population into four groups (quartiles) reflecting the participants' differing blood levels of omega-3 DHA.

After accounting for other risk factors, they found that the volunteers with the highest blood levels of DHA were 47 percent less likely to have developed dementia and 39 percent less likely to have developed Alzheimer's disease, compared with people in the three quartiles with lower blood levels.

The participants with the highest blood levels of DHA reported eating an average of 2.9 fish servings (about 10 ounces) a week: an intake level that would deliver an average of 0.18 grams of DHA a day. The participants in the lower-DHA-level quartiles reported eating 1.3 to 2.3 servings of fish per week, on average.

This nine-year-long branch of the Framingham Heart Study included 899 men and women (average age 76) who were participating in the Framingham Heart Study.

The researchers took blood samples from and administered mental tests to all 899, while subgroup of 488 also filled out a food-frequency questionnaire.

After nine years, there were 99 new diagnoses of dementia, including 71 cases of Alzheimer's disease, among the participants.

We should note that the study had two limitations:

Martha C. Morris, Sc.D.

DHA measurements were taken only once Food intake data was only available from about half of the participants.

Still, as Dr. Martha Clare Morris of Chicago's Rush University Medical Center said in an accompanying editorial, " The study is an important contribution to a young field of study on diet and neurodegenerative diseases. [it] provides the first evidence that [higher levels of] DHA in human [blood are] related to lower Alzheimer disease risk. "

Why was DHA brain-protective but not fish or EPA?

It seems odd and therefore significant that reduced risk of dementia in this study was linked to participants' blood DHA levels, but not with their fish intake or with their blood levels of EPA, the other key omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil.

The failure to find a link with fish seems strange for two reasons:

Virtually all of the DHA measured in the participants' blood came from the fish they ate. Several earlier studies found that dementia risks fall as fish consumption rises.

However, as Dr. Morris said in her editorial, " it is possible that the analysis was [too statistically] underpowered to observe a protective association of fish consumption, as the inverse relative risk was based on a relatively small sub-

Death before dementiacalled increasingly uncommon

Many people in developed countries live well into their 80s or 90s, and a new study suggests that dementia may become more common among them than believed.

British scientists enrolled people aged 65 or older and examined them periodically for 10 years, with sobering results recorded among the 2,500 or so participants who'd died by the end of the study:

-- Overall, 30 percent had dementia at the time of death.

-- Six percent of those who died between 65 and 69 had dementia.

-- 58 percent of those who died above age 95 had dementia.

-- Almost 80 percent of those who died above age 95 suffered from moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment.

-- Women were at higher risk.

However, as the study authors noted, preventive measures could delay the onset of dementia, with enormous personal and societal benefits.

Source: Brayne C et al. Dementia before Death in Ageing Societies- The Promise of Prevention and the Reality. PLoS Med. 2006 Oct 31;3(10). sample of 488 subjects. "

What about the lack of a link between dementia risk and EPA? This finding echoes the widely reported results of the Chicago Health and Aging Project study led by Dr. Morris, which found a strong preventive effect from eating fish: an outcome related to blood levels of DHA but not to blood levels of EPA (Morris MC et al 2003).

It wouldn't be unreasonable to suppose that EPA might be more important than DHA for dementia-prevention, since inflammation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and EPA is the stronger anti-inflammatory agent.

But there are good reasons why omega-3 DHA displays superior brain-protecting power.

First, recent findings indicate that fish oils possess brain-protective properties unrelated to the anti-inflammatory powers of EPA:

The body uses DHA to make a unique anti-inflammatory compound: one proven to protect brain cells from the beta-amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. (See " Research Reveals How Fish Oil Deters Alzheimer's Disease " ) Rats fed omega-3s display complete reversals in age-related deficits in the glutamate receptors of brain cells: a protective effect unrelated to inflammation (see " New Insight into Anti-Aging Brain Benefits of Omega-3s " ).

And, compared with EPA, DHA is far more critical to optimal brain function:

The most abundant fatty acid in the brain's gray matter is DHA.

DHA is most concentrated in the most active areas of the brain (cerebral cortex, nerve synapses, and mitochondria).

DHA is abundant in the membranes of " ion channels " in the brain, making it easier for them to change shape and transmit electrical signals.

Regardless of the precise reason for the fish-driven benefits it records, this newest branch of the venerable Framingham Heart Study awards fish another accolade in the fight to delay and diminish Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senile dementia.

Delaying dementia as long as possible seems a strong incentive to up our fish and turmeric intake. The minds we save will thank us or themselves, depending on one's point of view.

[Click here for full article and sources]

Enlightening Letters to the Editor

Letters: Clarifying the vitamin D-calcium cardiac connection

The last issue of Vital Choices included a report titled " Vitamin D May Reduce Heart and Diabetes Risks. "

That article included the following sidebar, in which we noted some phenomena related to widespread vitamin D deficiencies that might help explain the sunshine vitamin's apparent ability to reduce heart disease risks. As you'll see in the last line, we acknowledged ignorance of the possible reasons:

Vitamin D-calcium link may explain cardiac benefits

Women with osteoporosis tend to have more calcium in the walls of their arteries and they run a greater risk of cardiac death than women with strong, dense bones.

Two bad things happen when blood levels of vitamin D are low:

Bones cannot absorb sufficient calcium.

Calcium accumulates in artery walls and promotes formation of dangerous fatty plaques.

The same processes that lead to calcium loss from bones may induce the accumulation of calcium in arteries, for unknown reasons.

Soon, we received an email from Dr. Peggy L. Manuel, in which she proposed two plausible explanations for the twin calcium-related phenomena described our sidebar.

Here's what Dr. Manuel wrote, with the text of her email shown in red:

Hello,Just FYI from my point of view:

Women with osteoporosis have the connection with increased calcification along the blood vessels likely because their bones have been dissolving to maintain the calcium level in the bloodstream, since they were unable to absorb enough calcium from their diet due to an insufficiency of vitamin D. This effect is also linked to stiffer arteries and higher blood pressure.

The link between type 2 diabetes and insufficient vitamin D may be association rather than cause and effect, since most people who get diabetes type 2 are overweight, and vitamin D is stored in their fat cells, which is less available to them.

It takes about 3 times more vitamin D to get the same benefit in someone who is overweight. So, people who are overweight will have 3 times lower vitamin D in their bloodstream, given the same amount of vitamin D dietary or from sunshine.

Thanks for the great articles,

Peggy L. Manuel, M.D., FAAP

And we thank you, Dr. Manuel, for the enlightening communication!

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Vital Choice Recipes

Creamy Bean and Salmon Soup; Citrus and Cilantro Salmon (or Halibut)

Our Citrus and Cilantro Salmon (or Halibut) recipe was created by Leah Hines of the Vital Choice Customer Service team.

As Leah says, " This is good stuff, and my children love it as well. I usually serve it with a side dish of whole wheat orzo (rice-shaped pasta) with a little lemon and olive oil and some fresh veggies. It's simple and good. "

Creamy Bean and Salmon Soup

Makes 7 servings

2 cans traditional pack wild sockeye salmon (7.5 oz. each) OR 2 cans skinless, boneless wild sockeye salmon (6.5 oz. each)

1 can (14.5 oz.) fat-free chicken broth

1 package (10.5 oz.) frozen cut green beans or Italian beans

1 package (10.5 oz.) frozen lima beans

2 cans (12 oz. each) evaporated skim milk

1 can (14.5 oz.) corn or Mexicorn (corn kernels, red and green sweet peppers)

1 can (8.75 oz.) black-eye peas or red beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon Vital Choice Organic Marinade seasoning (or mesquite, Cajun, or Creole seasoning)

1/2 teaspoon dried organic basil or thyme

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Drain salmon, reserving liquid. Remove skin and bones (if any, only if desired); chunk salmon. In stockpot or large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil; stir in green beans and lima beans.

Cook 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir in reserved salmon liquid, evaporated milk, corn, black-eye peas, and seasonings. Continue cooking over low heat 5 minutes. Stir in salmon; heat through.

Nutrients per serving: 367 calories, 6g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 15% of calories from fat, 43mg cholesterol, 33g protein, 46g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 1247mg sodium, 585mg calcium and 1.2g omega-3 fatty acids

Citrus and Cilantro Salmon or Halibut

4 (6 oz each) wild Alaskan halibut or salmon fillets

2 limes, juiced

2 oranges, juiced

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1tbsp. organic black pepper

1/2 cup organic extra virgin organic olive oil

Place oil, juice from lime and orange, cilantro or parsley, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Mix on high for one minute. Brush on fish and place on baking rack, heat over to 350 (fish can stand while oven heats, to marinate) bake for 15-20 minutes until fish flakes readily under a fork.

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Subscribe to Vital Choices

To to our newsletter, just enter your email address in the box below.You can expect to receive one or two newsletters each week.We will never provide your infomation to any third party.Your Email Address: Add Remove Send As HTML

A Vital Community Connection Vital Choice contributes a portion of its net profits to the Weil Foundation, the Live Strong Foundation, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and other causes devoted to improving the health and well being of people and the planet that sustains us.

Published by

Vital Choice Seafood

Information in this newsletter is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by medical professionals, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Copyright is held by Vital Choice Seafood, to which all rights are reserved. Other than personal, non-commercial use or forwarding, no material in this newsletter may be copied, distributed, or published without the express permission of Vital Choice Seafood.

Click here to send me to a friend!

Powered by IMN

This email was sent to: kellykebby From Vital Choice Seafood, 605 30th Street, Anacortes, WA 98221 USA (REMOVE) - to be excluded from this list and/or future mailings.(CHANGE FORMAT) - receive future messages in plain text format.(UPDATE) your r information and preferences.(REPORT ABUSE) and remove me from the list.