January 19, 2004 Health

	photo essay
	Animal Attraction There's more than one way to make hay, as birds, bees and bonobos know
	graphic
	Where Our Sex Drive Comes From Mapping the origins of sex drive on the human body
	remedies
	Love Potions A guide to some of the medical treatments available for what ails our libidos
	self-test
	The Passionate Love Scale Determine just how you feel about that special (or ex-special) someone

V I T A M I N S
News continued to trickle in on the pros and cons of taking vitamins. Here's a look at the latest discoveries.

BETA-CAROTENE: Found in carrots and other colorful produce, this antioxidant and vitamin A precursor may help fight cancer—but not necessarily for everyone. A Dartmouth study showed that beta-carotene supplements were associated with a 44% reduction in the risk of precancerous colon tumors in subjects who neither drink nor smoke. But they appeared to double the risk of tumors in smokers who drink at least once a day.

VITAMIN B: Finnish researchers concluded that B12 (found in meat, milk and fortified cereal) may beat the blues. Depressed patients with the highest levels of vitamin B12 in their blood responded best to treatment.

Researchers in Boston found that high blood levels of vitamins B6 and B12, along with folate, are linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer in some women. And another study, at Georgetown, suggested that B12 and B6 may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by lowering blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine.

VITAMINS C AND E: Could strawberries and nuts prevent a stroke? Maybe. People who smoke have an increased risk of stroke, but diets high in vitamins C and E were found to cut the risk by 70% and 20%, respectively. In a separate study, the same vitamins, given to children with abnormally high cholesterol, led to improved blood-vessel function. A third study, of more than 6,700 people, showed that the higher the level of vitamin C in the blood, the less likely a person would be infected by Helicobacter pylori, a microbe that can cause peptic ulcers and stomach cancer.

VITAMIN D: A comprehensive study of more than 3,000 U.S. veterans found that fiber-rich diets that contain lots of vitamin D—the so-called sun vitamin, which is also plentiful in mackerel, salmon and fortified milk—significantly reduce the incidence of precancerous growths in the colon. British researchers linked an abundance of vitamin D to fewer fractures in people 65 years and older.

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W I N E
Score two more points for red wine. Researchers have long believed that the antioxidants in wine promote heart health. Now they have nosed out a couple more beneficial compounds. The waxy skins of grapes contain chemicals called saponins, also found in olive oil and soybeans, that researchers believe may lower cholesterol. Grapes, especially those grown in cooler climates, also contain resveratrol, which may play a role in longevity. The chemical has been shown in the lab to prolong the life of yeast by 70%, and it mimics the effects of a low-calorie diet, which can extend life span, at least in rodents, 30% to 50%. Scientists don't know whether resveratrol will turn out to be the fountain of youth for humans, but in the meantime, what better excuse to raise a glass or two of Bordeaux a day?

W R I N K L E S
Move over, Botox. Hyaluronan is the new rejuvenator. Found in the umbilical cord, some bacteria and the red combs of roosters, hyaluronan reduces inflammation in arthritic knees and prevents scar tissue after surgery. It's also what makes up the gel Restylane, a Medicis product recently approved by the FDA to plump wrinkles around the nose and mouth. (Botox is used to erase crow's-feet, furrowed brows and other frown lines.) Europeans and Canadians have been using Restylane for years. Another wrinkle buster, Hylaform, manufactured by Genzyme, is awaiting FDA approval.

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