Scientists find last unknown enzyme in the synthesis of vitamin C in plants (News-Medical-Net) Vitamin C is possibly the most important small molecule whose biosynthetic pathway remained a mystery. [News Source]

High calcium and vitamin D intake may have a down side (Reuters via Yahoo! News) In one of the first studies to examine the relationship between diet and brain lesions, researchers observed that elderly people who reported higher calcium and vitamin D intake were much more likely to have greater volumes of brain lesions -- regions of damage that can increase risk of cognitive impairment. [News Source]

High Calcium, Vitamin D Intake May Harm Aging Brain (HealthCentral.com) Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved. TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who consume high levels of calcium and vitamin D are much more likely to have larger brain lesions that can lead to cognitive impairment, depression or stroke, new research reveals. [News Source]

Plants’ production of vitamin C studied (Moldova.org) U.S. researchers reported discovering the biosynthetic pathway by which plants manufacture vitamin C.UCLA and Dartmouth University scientists who normally work on genes involved in aging and cancer in animals, said the discovery came while they were studying a gene in worms.We uncovered the last unknown enzyme in the synthesis of vitamin C in plants, said Charles Brenner of the Dartmouth Medical ... [News Source]

High Calcium And Vitamin D Intakes Associated WIth Higher Risk Of Cognitive Impairment In Elderly (Science Daily) Elderly men and women who consumed higher levels of calcium and vitamin D are significantly more likely to have greater volumes of brain lesions, regions of damage that can increase risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and stroke. [News Source]

Highlights from the May 2007 Journal of the American Dietetic Association (EurekAlert!) Consumption of vitamins E and D, folate, calcium and fiber was low for children of all ages, compared with recommended amounts. Consumption of vitamin A, magnesium and phosphorus was "suboptimal" in children older than 9. [News Source]

Plants’ production of vitamin C studied (UPI) U.S. researchers reported discovering the biosynthetic pathway by which plants manufacture vitamin C. [News Source]

High Calcium, Vitamin D Intake May Harm Aging Brain (HealthDay via Yahoo! News) TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who consume high levels of calcium and vitamin D are much more likely to have larger brain lesions that can lead to cognitive impairment, depression or stroke, new research reveals. [News Source]

The USDA’s unhealthful budget.

A long-running contradiction in U.S. farm policy is fattening the waistlines of Americans and the profits of agribusiness at the same time. For the 30 years that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been issuing dietary guidelines, there has been a stark inconsistency between the federal government’s advice and its food funding.

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Courses here, nationally debate pesticide use. Harding Park, which is a public course, has been hailed as an environmental model because, in addition to its jaw-dropping beauty, it uses far fewer pesticides than any PGA course in the country. [News Source]

KFC is giving up trans-fat frying. KFC's fried chicken buckets soon will be stamped with a health message proclaiming that its chicken has zero grams of trans fat per serving. [News Source]

Paying for pollution. Carbon footprints are a way of representing the effect humans have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced. [News Source]