By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

KASTELI, Greece — Dr. Michalis Stagourakis has seen a transformation of his pediatric practice here over the past three years. The usual sniffles and stomachaches of childhood are now interspersed with far more serious conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. A changing diet, he says, has produced an epidemic of obesity and related maladies.

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By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

THE FACTS

By now the cardiovascular benefits of a daily glass of wine are well known. But many teetotalers wonder whether they can reap the same rewards from wine’s unfermented sibling, or are they simply left out altogether.

Grape juice may not provide much buzz, but you can still toast to good health when it comes to its ability to avert heart disease. Alcohol in moderation can relax blood vessels and increase levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol. But the substances believed to provide much of red wine’s heart benefits — resveratrol and flavonoids — are also found in grape juice, especially the variety made from red and dark purple Concord grapes.

Independent studies have found that like alcohol, grape juice can reduce the risk of blood clots and prevent LDL (“bad” cholesterol) from sticking to coronary arteries, among other cardiac benefits. One, conducted by scientists at the University of Wisconsin and published in the journal Circulation, looked at the effects of two servings of Concord grape juice a day in 15 people with coronary artery disease. After two weeks, the subjects had improved blood flow and reduced oxidation of LDL. Oxidized LDL can damage arteries.

Other studies in humans and animals, including one last year in the journal Atherosclerosis, have shown that daily consumption may lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But beware: some varieties of juice have sugar and artificial ingredients.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Studies suggest that some kinds of grape juice may provide the cardiac benefits of red wine.

By DENISE GRADY

Three weeks of radiation treatment work just as well as the usual course of five weeks or more for women with early-stage breast cancers, Canadian researchers have reported, after monitoring a large group of patients for 12 years.

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Being a vegetarian may actually be bad for your brain, according to a study published in the Sept. 9 issue of Neurology, The Sun reported.

The study said those on a meat-free diet are six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage as the most vitamin B12 is found in meats, liver, fish and milk.

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Drinking coffee may increase heart attack risk in people whose gene make them slow caffeine metabolizers, showed a study in Costa Rica to be published in Wednesday’s Journal of American Medical Association.

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Studies Show Children of Alcoholics Suffer Lifelong Effects but Can Bounce Back

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES

“What is your emergency?” asked the 911 operator. The little boy replied, “My mom is making me blow air into her interlock.”

The Albuquerque, N.M., youngster was asked to help his mother break the law and blow into her ignition interlock device to start the car. Police responded to the call this week and charged 30-year-old Genevieve Sullivan with violating her probation for drunken driving.

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Dieters Who Keep Track of What They Eat Lose Weight Twice as Fast

By KENDALL KRAUSE, M.D.

Dieters may be able to take solace in the fact that one of the most powerful weight-loss tools available may be as close as a pen and paper.

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By BENEDICT CAREY

Scientists have for the first time recorded individual brain cells in the act of summoning a spontaneous memory, revealing not only where a remembered experience is registered but also, in part, how the brain is able to recreate it.

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A genetic link controlling both appetite and fertility has been found by US researchers.

A gene, TORC1, appears to act as a “master switch”, switching off food intake and allowing pregnancy.

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