REPORTING POINT 06-00

AEROMEDICAL NEWS

“Live healthy . . . live well”

HEALTH NEWS

by Larry Kline

SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: 71663.153@compuserve.com

VITAMIN A vs. DIABETES - data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that carotenoids (plant pigments related to vitamin A) may help prevent adult-onset diabetes. The researchers found that people with normal glucose levels had the highest carotenoid levels, and those with newly diagnosed diabetes had the lowest carotenoid levels. According to the researchers, increasing fruit and vegetable intake could prevent the development of diabetes. Carotenoids are abundant in sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupe, carrots, oranges, and broccoli. Men’s Health 5/99.

FOLIC ACID REDUCES COLON CANCER RISK - scientists for years have known that folic acid, a B-vitamin, reduces heart attack risk (it reduces blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that may increase the risk of heart attack). Now, research indicates that as many as three-quarters of all colon cancer could be avoided if folic acid is consumed in sufficient quantities.

In a ten-year Harvard University study of 88,000 nurses, those with the highest intake of folic acid -at least 400 micrograms daily - were least likely to have the disease.

Folic acid (or folate) can be obtained by eating leafy green vegetables and drinking lots of orange juice as well as consuming legumes (beans). Since 1997, breakfast cereals, breads and other grain products have been fortified with the vitamin.

Only a small minority of the nurses in the study’s highest folate group received their folate by diet. The most dramatic protection came to subjects who had taken vitamin supplements daily for at least 15 years. Their risk was 75 percent lower than that of subjects not taking the supplements.

Most multivitamins include at least 400 mcg of folic acid. But don’t overdo it - doses ten to 20 times the norm could raise cancer risk.

Several smaller studies of men and women have indicated that daily doses of folic acid in the 400 mcg range might prevent 30 to 40 percent of colon cancers. But if the even greater benefit shown in this Harvard study proves correct, boosting folic acid intake would rank among quitting smoking as a cancer prevention aid. Health 1/99, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 8/99.


VASECTOMY AND PROSTATE CANCER RISK - in 1993, a controversial study of more than 47,000 men at Harvard medical school found that subjects who had received vasectomies were 66 percent more likely to have prostate cancer. Now, a recent study review in the journal Fertility and Sterility involving 200,000 men has concluded that prostate cancer is not statistically linked to vasectomies. Physicians reviewing the original study believe that the incorrect conclusions were the result of bias or chance. Men’s Health 5/99.

GETTING BURNED - did you know that certain drugs and even colognes make your skin more sensitive to ultraviolet rays and easier to burn? The following items have been found to make your skin more vulnerable to sunburns:

Aftershaves with musk scents

Diuretics like Diuril, Hygroton, and Oretic

Antibiotics like sulfonamides, and tetracycline

Painkillers containing ibuprofen or naproxen

Antihistamines such as Benadryl, Tavist-1, Actifed, and Chlor-Trimeton. Men’s Health 5/99.

IF YOU MUST SMOKE - fruits and vegetables are important for everybody, but especially for smokers. A recent study in China found that heavy smokers who ate fruit every day reduced their risk of lung cancer by 60 percent. Smokers who ate green leafy vegetables lessened their risk by nearly 70 percent. Men’s Fitness 6/99.

CALCIUM AND COLORECTAL CANCER - calcium supplements may help prevent colorectal cancer by reducing the formation of precancerous polyps. A new study by Dartmouth Medical School researchers on subjects who had already undergone a procedure to remove a polyp from the colon indicates those who took 600 mg of calcium twice a day (in calcium carbonate supplements) developed 24 percent fewer new polyps than those taking a placebo. Research indicates that calcium binds to bile acids, thus reducing irritation to the digestive tract. Self Healing 3/99.

PREVENTING HEART ATTACKS - consuming alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, related to those found in fish, seems to lower the risk of a fatal heart attack by 1/3 to ½. Not many foods are rich in it, only canola, flaxseed, soybean oils, as well as walnuts. Heart benefits were noted from consuming the equivalent of a daily tablespoon of canola oil, half an ounce of walnuts, or a little ground flaxseed. Salmon and other cold water fish are rich in this omega-3 fatty acid. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 8/99.

SHOCKING SPORTS INJURY THERAPY - shock waves may treat some bone, tendon, and tissue injuries better than surgery. Instead of cutting away damaged tissue, physicians can use shock waves to blast away the calcification (extra bone growth) and scar tissue that can interfere with healing. Surgery can require days in the hospital and months of recuperation, but shockwave therapy is a one-day outpatient procedure. The waves may also trigger a release of chemicals that encourage healing. Men’s Health 5/99.


THE “SKINNY” ON LOW-CARBOHYDRATE DIETS - three new studies on Americans and weight gain were released last fall - all indicated that obesity (the state of being more than 30 percent above one’s ideal body weight) is on the rise - from 12 percent of the population in 1991 to almost 18 percent in 1998. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of the adults in this country are now considered at least moderately overweight. All this, despite the fact that total fat consumption in the U.S. has decreased over the past decade.

What is happening is that the importance of limiting fat intake has been recognized by the population, but that overeating has not. Low and nonfat food consumption has skyrocketed and so has daily caloric intake.

The Low-Carb Theory of Weight Loss

As a result there have been many diets that attempt to address these problems. Some of these diets are focusing on a high-protein diet - such as Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, The Zone, and The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet. Each of these three diets calls for greatly cutting back on carb-rich foods like bread, rice, and potatoes and increasing high-protein foods such as meat, cheese, and eggs. The low-carb theory of weight loss focuses on carbohydrates (bread and other grains and fruits and vegetables) which are broken down by enzymes into simple sugars. The sugars stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin, the body’s main energy regulator. The insulin allows sugars to enter muscle and other tissue through receptors. The cells then use the sugars for energy. The low-carb theory postulates that any excess sugars are stored as fat for later use. If a lot of sugars are present, the body produces too much insulin, which overwhelms the receptors, and the system breaks down. The receptors lose almost all their ability to take sugars into the cell causing the body to store this excess sugar as fat. By eating fewer carbohydrates, sugar levels are reduced, allowing insulin to begin functioning correctly again. When blood-sugar levels drop low enough, stored fat is used for the body’s energy needs, causing weight loss.

On the Atkins’ diet, the first two weeks you eat as much fat and protein as you like, but eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) a day - that is the amount in two small slices of bread or one apple. You are not allowed to consume any bread or other grain product, fruit, starchy vegetables, or milk. The small amount of carbohydrates that you are allowed to eat can come only from a few vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, and cabbage. Eventually, in the “maintenance” phase of the diet, you are allowed 40 to 90 grams of carbohydrates - only 15 to 30% of the amount you would eat on a heart-healthy, high-carb diet - you are eating mainly fat and protein.

During the early stages of this diet, weight loss can be great, since much of it is water loss. By cutting out one major food group, like carbohydrates, people get bored quickly. Many dieters report a quick five-pound drop on the scales after just a week or two that’s largely because when you eliminate carbohydrates, your kidneys start pushing more fluids out of the body. But any weight loss this way will return as soon as you replace those carbs.

According to Pamela Peeke, M.D., a nutrition specialist at the University of Maryland and a senior scientist with the National Institutes of Health, “There’s simply nothing about carbs that makes you eat more or store more fat; likewise, there’s nothing about protein that magically helps you peel off pounds . . . these diets work by limiting your caloric intake to a level so low, you’d lose weight no matter what you were eating.”


On these diets, the body will burn its own fat, as it does eating normally, but without carbohydrates, the body does not burn the fat completely, causing substances called ketones to form and to be released into the bloodstream. This condition, called ketosis, makes dieting easier because it often depresses appetite and may cause nausea. Dr. Atkins considers this state normal and benign. It is the usual body reaction to fasting, but ketosis does have potential dangers.

The Risks

Although Dr. Atkins’ claim that his diet reduces cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart disease, any diet very high in saturated fat is likely to boost blood cholesterol. A 1980 study of people on the Atkins’ diet revealed an average increase of 18% in LDL (bad) cholesterol. Also, ketosis may damage LDL cholesterol, making it more likely to stick to artery walls and increasing the risk of a heart attack. Long-term use of this diet and resulting ketosis may increase blood levels of uric acid - a risk factor for gout and kidney stones in susceptible people.

High-protein diets in general can lead to calcium loss from the body, possibly decreasing bone density and increasing the risk of osteoporosis. This risk is greater if the diet is low in fruits and vegetables, which supply nutrients essential for bone health. Since you cannot get all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need on this diet, Atkins recommends supplements - preferably the ones he markets! But remember that supplements are no substitute for the vitamins and minerals that a fruit and vegetable-rich diet can supply.

Other undesirable side effects of these diets include bad breath from dehydration due to a lack of water-retaining carbs and constipation from a lack of high-fiber foods like whole-grains.

Another common symptom after a few weeks on a low-carb diet is fatigue. When the body runs out of carbs to burn, it has to take measures to get energy - not only will it burn its own fat cells, it will burn lean muscle mass, making you feel run down.

Finally, many physicians and scientists caution that sticking to a protein diet for an extended period increases risk for developing heart disease. These high protein/high fat diets may also increase the risk of cancer.

The Zone diet is lower in fats and proteins compared to the Atkins’ plan. But The Zone asks the dieter to take potassium supplements, recognizing that the diet is deficient in certain nutritional necessities, i.e. whole grains and calcium. This diet requires a great deal of attention to diet detail - i.e. eating only three olives and one macadamia nut is allowed. Like the Atkins’ plan, The Zone touts that carbs and insulin make you fat. Author Sears also talks about eicosanoids - but most of the medical and scientific communities feel that there is no scientific basis to Sears’ conclusions.

In Summary


Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be your main foods, that, when combined with low-fat dairy products and small amounts of lean meats, poultry, and fish will provide the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals you need. Eating foods that are low in saturated fat and trans-fat cuts the risk of heart disease and possibly colon and prostate cancers. This means eating low-fat versions of meats, cheese, ice cream, and milk, and cutting way back on fried foods and fatty sweets (pies, cakes, pastries, cookies). Also, cut back on empty-calories foods (like soft drinks, desserts, and starchy foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta, and crackers made of refined flour) that don’t add many vitamins, minerals, fiber, or phytochemicals to your diet

Studies have shown that such a way of eating helps protect against heart disease, diabetes, and several cancers, and aids in weight control. Combining this eating plan with regular exercise (both aerobic and strength-training), can help one gradually lose weight and then maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your life.

Dr. Dean Ornish, one of the most respected of the low-fat, heart -healthy advocates has strong feelings concerning these low-carb diets. “These books say you should eat healthy foods that won’t provoke an insulin response, like bacon, as if insulin is the only mechanism that affects health. Most people eat so much sugar that when they stop eating it, they lose weight. But they’re mortgaging their health in the process.” Dr. Ornish challenges these authors to publish results of long-term studies on their diets and their effects, as he has done. Dr. Ornish has enjoyed spectacular results in diminishing heart disease with his low-fat diet that enjoys fruits and vegetables as its main food groups (carbohydrates).

If you follow the Atkins diet, you will lose weight, but the diet can be dangerous beyond a few weeks. All of these diets work in the short term by getting you to cut down on calories therefore resulting in weight loss. These diets have you focusing on carbs, when the real attention should be to total caloric intake . . . eat less . . . lose weight. While starchy carbs should be reduced, fruit and vegetables, along with high-fiber foods are essential to long-term health. Try eating healthy foods and embracing a healthy lifestyle that incorporates exercise. This formula seems to increase the odds of having a long, healthy, active life. Having a healthy, comfortable weight is just a byproduct of this lifestyle. Time 11/1/99, Nutrition Action Healthletter 3/00, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/00, Healthy Living 3/00, Cosmopolitan 2/00, Nutrition Action Healthletter 5/00.