The On-and-Off-Again for Vitamin E — HealthandAge (HealthandAge) Poor vitamin E. It started out as a mediator of improved sexual performance in male rats. Then it was thought to prolong longevity in humans. Then beneficial effects on aging changes in brain and blood vessels were proposed (and sold, and refuted ). Most recently, the vitamin has been found to have no preventive effects on cancers , and may indeed increase mortality over time. [News Source]

Member states agree on minimum vitamin and mineral levels (Food Navigator) According to the trade group European Health Product Manufacturers, which attended the meeting, said: " There was general agreement that 15 per cent was the appropriate figure, not 30 per cent." [News Source]

Vitamin D fights tuberculosis (TVNZ) African immigrants with low levels of vitamin D are much more likely to be infected with tuberculosis, a finding that suggests the vitamin may help prevent and treat TB, Australian researchers said on Tuesday. [News Source]

‘Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements Market Assessment 2007′ Reveals the VMS Market Grew by Only 0.4% in Value Terms in … (Centre Daily Times) Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81270) has announced the addition of "Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements Market Assessment 2007" to their offering. [News Source]

‘Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements Market Assessment 2007′ Reveals the VMS Market Grew by Only 0.4% in Value Terms in … (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) DUBLIN, Ireland----Research and Markets has announced the addition of "Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements Market Assessment 2007" to their offering. [News Source]

Vitamin Shoppe to open first Hawaii store (BizJournals) The Vitamin Shoppe, a New York-based chain of health stores, will open its first Hawaii store next month in Aiea. [News Source]

S.F. targets artery-clogging trans fats.

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to begin a City Hall push to get artery-clogging trans fats out of the food served in San Francisco restaurants.

[News Source]

Keeping an eye on mercury. Sushi fans in the Big Apple were no doubt dismayed by a front-page story in the New York Times this month. [News Source]

Berkeley aims to reduce emissions 80 percent by 2050. City leaders on Monday took a hydrogen-powered bus to a solar-powered building made of rice straw bales to unveil an innovative new program to reduce Berkeley's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. [News Source]

Introducing the absolute scale of food healthfulness. Since July of last year, these mascots--and others peddling food high in fat, salt, or sugar--are slowly disappearing from British television. The purge represents the U.K.'s most recent strategy to fight childhood obesity. [News Source]

Worrying times for Indian egg producers. After the outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal in eastern India many people have modified their eating habits. [News Source]

Taking worry off the plate. Watching the amount of mercury in your diet does not have to mean avoiding seafood. [News Source]