REPORTING POINT 12-00
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
HEALTH NEWS
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: skyguy737@cox.net
DON’T WANT TO BREAK A HIP LATER...EXERCISE NOW - men interested in reducing their risk of breaking a hip in later life should exercise in middle age, according to a new study.
Researchers in Finland followed the exercise habits of 3,262 middle-age men over a 21-year period. They found that those men who were physically active in their 40s and 50s had a much lower risk of hip fracture as they aged than did their more sedentary counterparts. This is a potentially important finding because hip fractures can result in immobility and earlier death.
The study also found that while vigorous activity was associated with a greater reduction in hip fracture risk, even moderate activity had a protective effect.
As it does with women, regular physical activity appears to help protect men from osteoporosis, a condition in which bones lose density. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, works directly on bones in your hips to slow mineral loss. Exercise also helps reduce the risk of falls by improving overall fitness.
If you’re already exercising regularly, keep up the good work. If you are not, it is never too late to reap health benefits from exercise. However, if you are middle-age or older and normally sedentary, or if you have health problems, consult your doctor before starting an exercise program. Mayo Clinic Health Letter 7/00.
SWEETENER GUIDE - only four sugar substitutes are used in the U.S. today (several others are awaiting FDA approval). There is also stevia, an herbal extract, plus a group of reduced-calorie sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol. Here is what is known about each of these sugar substitutes.
ASPARTAME (brand name NutraSweet or Equal). Approved by the FDA in the early 80's, aspartame is made from two amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and has almost no calories. It is used in countless foods and beverages, but can’t be used in baked goods. Lately there have been rumors-mainly on the Internet-that aspartame causes everything from multiple sclerosis, lupus, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease to diabetes, Gulf War syndrome, and finally brain tumors. Reputable health organizations have denounced the rumors. Aspartame has been more intensively studied than almost any other food additive. Leading authorities, including the FDA, AMA, and the World Health Organization, have concluded that it is safe. Aspartame’s only proven danger is for people with phenylfetonuria, an uncommon genetic disorder.
ACESULFAME-K, or acesulfame potassium (brand name Sunette or Sweet One), was approved by the FDA in 1989 and is used in soft drinks (sometimes combined with aspartame), candy, baked goods, and other foods. More than 90 studies have given it a clean bill of health, though some consumer groups still worry about it. Acesulfame-K passes through the body unchanged and is thus noncaloric. It contains only a small amount of potassium per serving. It doesn’t break down when heated and can be used in baked goods and other cooked foods.
SACCHARIN. The oldest approved sugar substitute, saccharin has been under a cloud since the 1970s, when studies found that it caused cancer in rats and the FDA proposed a ban on it (overruled by Congress). In May of this year, the U.S. government, citing accumulating evidence from animal and human studies, removed saccharin from its official list of potential cancer-causing agents. It is used in sugar-free soft drinks, jams, salad dressings, mouthwash, and toothpastes. It has a slight aftertaste.
SUCRALOSE. Related to sugar (sucrose), but 600 times sweeter, sucralose has no calories since it is not digested. It tastes like sugar and can be used in just about anything, though so far it is approved for only 15 foods and beverages.
STEVIA. This herbal extract is widely used as a calorie-free sweetener in South America and Japan. Until 1995 the FDA banned its import, on the basis of its unproven safety of a food additive. But under the Dietary Supplement Act of 1994, stevia, like other herbal products, can be sold as a “dietary supplement” in health food stores, on the Internet, and by mail order. It can’t be labeled a “sweetener,” which is a food additive, or used in any commercial food or beverages in this country, Canada, or the European Union because of long-term safety questions. It is 200 to 300 times as sweet as sugar, has a licorice-like aftertaste, and can be used for cooking.
SUGAR ALCOHOLS (xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol). These have about half the calories of sugar and are absorbed more slowly, which is a plus for diabetics. They promote little or no tooth decay and are used mostly in “sugar-free” or “dietetic” candies, chewing gums, and cookies. They can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea in some people.
In summary, sugar substitutes don’t cause tooth decay and since they don’t affect blood sugar, they are good for diabetics. However, it appears that the increased use of sugar substitutes have not helped Americans lose weight. On the contrary, Americans have consistently gained weight during the past 30 years. Remember, artificially sweetened foods tend not to be nutritious. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 9/00.
SURVIVE THE OPERATION - researchers at Johns Hopkins University have determined that critical-care specialists can triple the odds of surviving surgery. The researchers evaluated 2,987 heart-surgery patients and found that those receiving postoperative treatment from physicians certified in critical care had only a 7 percent mortality rate, compared with a 21 percent rate for those treated by regular M.D.’s. “A man who is scheduling any major surgery should ask if critical-care specialists are available. If the answer’s no, consider going elsewhere,” says the lead study author. Men’s Health 7/99.
LYCOPENE - HELPS PREVENT AND CURE - lycopene, the compound that makes tomatoes red, can help prevent prostate cancer. Now, a recent study at the Karmanos Cancer Institute found that it may also treat the disease. The researchers gave men with prostate cancer 15 milligrams of lycopene twice a day (equivalent to the amount in 1 ½ cups of tomato sauce). After 3 weeks, 80% of the test subjects had slightly smaller tumors. Lycopene seems to stop prostate cancer cells from multiplying, according to the study’s leader. Men’s Health 7/99.
SUPPLEMENT MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK - chromium picolinate has been used by some to control insulin for weight control and by body builders to enhance muscle growth. When researchers at the University of Alabama exposed cell DNA to low levels of chromium picolinate, the DNA became vulnerable to breakage, which may contribute to cell mutations and cancerous changes. “Given the cell changes we saw in the lab, I wouldn’t take the stuff.” says the study’s author. Men’s Health 7/99.
DO YOU NEED A MULTIVITAMIN? - nearly 40 percent of Americans have turned to multivitamin/mineral tablets, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
By correcting common nutritional shortfalls, multivitamin/mineral supplements can help reduce the risk of serious disorders such as birth defects and some dementias. Ironically, studies show that the people most likely to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement are those least likely to suffer nutritional deficits: health conscious individuals who eat a balanced diet.
Do these supplements provide protection from disease? A recent analysis of nearly 90,000 participants in Harvard Medical School’s ongoing Nurses’ Health Study found that women who took multivitamins for at least 15 years were 75 percent less likely to develop colon cancer, even after controlling for diet, family history, and other contributing factors. Another Seattle-based study also linked multivitamin use with a reduced chance of colon cancer.
Further data from the nurses’ study indicate that multivitamins may reduce the risk of breast cancer in a subset of women at possibly increased risk because of moderate to heavy alcohol use.
Concerning cardiovascular disease risk, an elevated blood level of the amino acid homocysteine appears to raise the risk of coronary disease and stroke. High homocysteine levels have been linked to low intake of certain B vitamins: folic acid, B6, and B12. At least one study has indeed found lower homocysteine levels in women who take multivitamins.
A good diet (low in saturated fats) can help guard against many major killers. Risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancers of the colon, stomach, lung, and esophagus is lower for people who eat a varied, lean diet. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables includes important substances that multivitamins don’t provide, notably fiber and photochemical - plant-based compounds that help fight disease.
Most multivitamins/mineral pills are relatively inexpensive, costing $1 to $4 per month. They are useful for people who don’t eat a sufficiently nutritious diet, are pregnant, breast-feeding, or seriously ill, or have trouble absorbing enough nutrients from food. These pills don’t contain fiber or photochemical, and they supply only minimal amounts of vitamin E and calcium. Most important, remember that taking a multivitamin doesn’t mean that you can neglect eating a nutritious diet. You don’t have to spend a fortune on “designer vitamins”; usually the generic brands are sufficient. Look for brands that contain: vitamin A, C, D, E, and B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12), chromium, copper, iodine, magnesium, and zinc. Consumer Reports on Health 10/00.
FROM THE FLIGHT SURGEON
“It’s to Diet From, Too!”
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
(edited for this publication - LK)
Well, so far good, bad and indifferent on the “diet” front from our last article. Let’s talk a moment about a few popular weight loss methods and how they stack up.
1. Diet pills: surely no one in their right mind thinks this is not dangerous. Starting way back with the amphetamines up to and including Fen-Phen and the “Herbal Fen-Phen.” To the docs that prescribe this garbage: “Go get a real job!”
2. Special foods and combinations: the “grapefruit diet” is an example. Happens not to be scientifically proven. Go overboard on this and you’ll compromise nutrition and in time reach a state of “unhealth.”
3. Very low calorie diets: popular at Dachau and Oranienberg. Need I say more? Common sense should tell you that we need a certain amount of gas in our tanks to get from A to B in order to maintain our daily activities. Not so drastic is the now popular “Atkins’ Diet.” (Where has Pritikin gone?) Atkins’ got a nice gimmick! - check your urine for ketones - visual proof that you’re burning stored fats. I don’t quite understand how high fat and protein intake affects cholesterol metabolism and deposition on blood vessel walls, but an attempt to do so is offered. If a large, well-designed study of this relationship to the Atkins’ diet has been published, I haven’t found it yet. Obviously it lets a guy eat good stuff he likes, which is a plus. It certainly isn’t as extreme or boring as some of the avenues open. So I guess it’s OK. Whether it’s the latest and greatest, I don’t know yet. At the moment it’s just the latest.
4. Replacement foods: “Nutrisystem” and others cover their butts by including instructions for exercise. I can’t imagine a steady, prolonged consumption of this prepackaged stuff.
5. Surgery: stomach stapling, gastric resection, bypasses and lipo-suction are options, but only ethically done for people at serious risk from obesity. I have personal experience with only two such cases. (Hardly an adequate sampling). Both cases “relapsed.”
Earlier I said that very few obese people are victims of metabolic or hormonal problems. That still goes. Haunting me a bit is the idea of a genetic influence - Ketchiner’s “body types.” Fat shapes, in between shapes and thin body types. This must fit in somewhere, but I’m not sure how or why. I think genetics would like to rule.
6. Bottom line: many people can lose weight, but fewer can keep it off. As long as some people can and do, we have a chance. Don’t forget that! Stay away from the goofy extreme approaches by all means. Understand that a lifestyle change is mandatory, but difficult. Should you join a “health club?” Find a good reason for a motivation-split rear seam in your pants; being attractive to the opposite sex? Hit on some good personal reason to shed the lard and you will!
It isn’t true that you will never die if you subsist only on tofu and bean sprouts. It’s just that you may be denied the pleasure of good steaks, wines, and Bud Lite during your time here. But then, who would consider lifestyle and pleasure to be more important than longevity? Who has accurate knowledge of the extent of the span of days you have on our planet? Personally, I don’t think I’d want it anyway - it’s more fun and challenging the way it is!
Best,
Joe
