High blood pressure is a significant public health problem worldwide which is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and renal disease. The development of this disease is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The results of many studies have linked increased consumption of milk and milk products with lower blood pressure and reduced risk of hypertension. The intake of several minerals found in milk has been demonstrated to have an inverse relationship with blood pressure. Peptides formed during the digestion of milk proteins have also been demonstrated to have a blood pressure lowering effect. Other components in milk that have been examined for their effects on blood pressure have been less promising. More recent data indicate that a dietary pattern that is low in fat, with fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products can significantly reduce blood pressure and lower risk of developing high blood pressure.

Dietary fat is the number one nutrition concern of Americans. In response to rising consumer demand for reduced-fat foods, the food industry has developed a multitude of nonfat, lowfat, and reduced-fat versions of regular food products. To generate reduced-fat or fat-free products that have the same organoleptic characteristics of the regular fat version, food manufacturers frequently employ fat substitutes in the formulation of these foods. Fat substitutes are made from either carbohydrate, protein, or fat, or a combination of these components. Researchers have questioned the impact of fat substitutes on both fat and caloric intake. The majority of research studies in which fat substitutes were either covertly or overtly substituted for dietary fat indicate that in short-term, carefully-controlled conditions, fat substitutes can decrease both dietary fat intake and percentage of calorie intake from fat. However, individuals compensate for the caloric deficit created by the fat substitutes by increasing their consumption of other macronutrients, primarily carbohydrate. The long-term effect of fat substitutes on the fat intake of free-living individuals and weight control are unknown. People tend to eat more of a food when they know that food is reduced in fat. Fat substitutes should not be considered a substitute for sound nutrition education and a healthy lifestyle which includes regular exercise.

Effects of maternal restrictions in vitamin B-6 on neuron differentiation and synaptogenesis in developing neocortex were examined. Rats were fed ad libitum a vitamin B-6-free diet supplemented with 0.0 or 0.6 mg pyridoxine hydrochloride (PN.HCl)/kg diet during gestation followed by a control level of 7.0 mg/kg diet during lactation, or they were fed the vitamin B-6-free diet supplemented with 0.6 or 7.0 mg PN.HCl/kg diet throughout gestation and lactation. Neocortices of the offspring were examined at 30 d of age by light and electron microscopy. All maternal restrictions in vitamin B-6 reduced the number of higher order dendrites on stellate neurons in layer II and on pyramidal neurons in layer V of the neocortex and decreased synaptic density in the neuropil of the neocortex. The findings indicated that vitamin B-6 restriction during gestation, either marginal or severe, was the critical treatment factor that adversely affected synaptogenesis and at least one event in neuron differentiation in the neocortex, the arborization of dendrites.

Age exerts a major influence on the nutritional needs for bone health. Age influences the nutrient requirements for bone health by influencing: the growth and development of bone; the deposition of minerals leading to peak bone mass; the rate of bone loss; the levels of hormones which influence bone; the absorption and retention of nutrients required for optimal bone health, physical activity, food intake, and the level of sun exposure. Adequate calcium intake benefits bones at any age. However, dietary calcium needs vary at different ages. In June 1994, a National Institutes of Health expert panel recommended higher calcium intakes than current Recommended Dietary Allowance for several age groups. Many population groups in the United States, including young girls and women, continue to consume significantly less calcium than current recommended levels. In addition, diets low in calcium are often low in many other essential nutrients important for good bone health, including vitamin D, vitamin B6, and magnesium. Dietary recommendations for bone health should be placed in the full context of the total diet rather than a singular emphasis on calcium. To truly benefit consumers, dietary recommendations for bone health should emphasize consumption of foods high in calcium as part of a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

The effect of maternal vitamin B-6 deficiency on concentrations of pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) within four different regions of the central nervous system (CNS) of progeny, the corpus striatum (CS), hypothalamus (H), cerebellum (C), total brain and first cervical segment (C-1) of the spinal cord was determined at 7, 15, 21 and 50 days of age. PLP concentrations in each CNS region, as well as in total brain at 15, 21 and 50 days postnatally, paralleled the level of vitamin B-6 in the deficient (0.6, 0.8, 1.0 mg pyridoxine . HCl per kilogram diet) and control diets (7.0 mg pyridoxine . HCl per kilogram diet). By 21 days of age, PLP concentrations had essentially plateaued in CNS regions of controls, whereas in the vitamin B-6-restricted groups, a significant catch-up in concentration was observed between 21 and 50 days of age in all CNS regions except C-1 of the spinal cord. Throughout postnatal development, PLP concentrations in the C-1 region of spinal cord and in hypothalamus appeared least affected by vitamin B-6 restriction and levels in CS and C were most affected. These findings suggested that the mechanism for intracellular trapping of B-6 vitamers may develop in a caudal to rostral direction within the CNS.