The Hot (and Not) Health Headlines of 2006

As we bid farewell to the year that was, it’s time to take a look back at the health and medical headlines during 2006. It was a year filled with good news—super-charged foods, new vaccines—in addition to plenty of bad, such as this fall’s massive E. coli outbreak that had stores and customers tossing bags of spinach into the trash and avoiding Taco Bell.

We developed an extensive list of what’s hot and what’s not from 2006, as determined by public interest and sources in the medical community. Here’s our rundown:

Hot for 2006

Cranberry magic: This little red berry is not just the latest in a long line of fruits and vegetables trying to claim the mantel of “superfood,” it has the research portfolio to match the hype. According to Amy Howell, a scientist at Rutgers University, researchers have isolated the “magic” compound in the berry—called proanthocyanidin—that actually prevents bacteria from sticking to cells in the body. And if the bacteria can’t stick to anything, it can’t grow, multiply and become an infection.

That, says Howell, is how a daily glass or two of cranberry juice works to prevent urinary tract infections and stomach ulcers. There is also evidence that it prevents plaque from building up on teeth and gums (stay tuned for cranberry mouthwashes). Not convinced? The National Institutes of Health is. It’s currently funding 11 research projects on the health benefits of the cranberry.

Going trans fat free: The law requiring food manufacturers to list trans fats on nutrition labels went into effect in January 2006, and the fallout was evident all year as manufacturers of cookies, crackers and other snacks found ways to replace partially hydrogenated oils and proclaim their trans-fat-free status. Wendy’s led the fast food charge to eliminate trans fat, with KFC and Taco Bell following suit to make their menus trans fat free by April 2007.

In early December, the New York City Board of Health passed a ban (by a unanimous vote) on all trans fats at restaurants. By July 2007, all frying oils used at city restaurants must be trans fat free, and by July 2008, the menus need to be completely devoid of the deadly fats. Word is Chicago is considering the same.

Whole grains, with a grain of salt: After years of Atkins-fueled carbo-phobia—and a serious run on bacon and eggs without the toast—people finally started to realize that not all carbohydrates were evil. In fact some—those whole grain varieties—are downright good for you. Hence, there has been a renewed interest in cereals, breads, pastas and crackers that promise to deliver ample amounts of the heart-healthy grains. But since not everyone’s taste buds are primed to love the earthiness of whole grains, manufacturers decided to get sneaky.

To trick picky eaters into consuming whole grains, Nabisco snuck them into Fig Newtons and even Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies (three cookies has nearly as much whole grain as a serving of brown rice!). And Wonder Bread managed to create a variety made with whole grain flour that was miraculously still as white and squishy as the original.

Silicone breast implants, Part 2: Silicone breast implants were once quite popular, but during the ’80s and ’90s numerous women filed lawsuits against implant makers. The claims: Implants were prone to rupture and that the resulting silicone spill was the cause of complications including hardening of the breasts, pain to connective tissue disease and cancer.

But in November, the Food and Drug Administration once again approved the use of silicone implants for breast augmentation and reconstruction. Before you rush to the plastic surgeon, know that the approval comes with a few caveats—namely that recipients of silicone implants will need to get regular MRIs to screen for ruptures (a costly procedure that most likely will not be covered by insurance).

HPV vaccine: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 50 percent of sexually active Americans will become infected with the sexually transmitted disease HPV—and every year brings more than 6 million new cases in the U.S. Some types of the disease have been linked to the development of cervical cancer, a disease that affects nearly 10,000 women each year. So the announcement in June of the FDA approval of a Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents four HPV types, was very good news. For now, it’s been tested (and is approved) only for girls and women ages 9 to 26. Research on boys, men and women older than 26 is ongoing.