Health News

REPORTING POINT 05-03

HEALTH NEWS

“Live healthy...live well”

by Larry Kline

SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: skyguy737@cox.net

UNIFORM BELT A LITTLE TIGHT? - no wonder there is an epidemic of obesity - Americans consumed about 340 more calories a day, on average, in the late 1990s than they did in the mid-1980s, and at least 500 more calories a day than in the 1950s. Most of those extra calories come from increased consumption of refined grain products, added fats and oils, and added sugars. As calorie intake rose, physical activity declined among most Americans. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 1/02.

EXERCISING FOR TWO - pregnancy is a great time to get in shape - even if you have always been a “couch potato”. Whether an exercise neophyte or a fitness buff, moderate exercise (such as brisk walking) three or four times a week can decrease the risk of having a low-birth-weight baby, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. But don’t overdo it either; pregnant women who exercise too much are more likely to have problems than those who don’t exercise at all - and, as always, check with your doctor if you are new to the exercise and fitness world. Health 7/01.

SUMMER DELIGHT - lycopene, found in abundance in tomatoes, especially cooked ones, is a potent cancer-killer and is particularly useful in protecting the prostate. Another good source of lycopene is watermelon.

A Harvard study of 48,000 men found that the subjects who ate the most lycopene-rich foods reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 34 percent. Although it is 90 percent water, one cup of watermelon contains 600 milligrams of lycopene, as well as some fiber and vitamins A and C and potassium - and it only has 50 calories per serving. Men’s Fitness 12/01.

MOLD CAN MAKE YOU ILL - mold in the bathroom? Better get rid of it. A University of Maryland study found that being exposed to mold spores can trigger flu-like symptoms and may even weaken the body’s immune system to other illnesses.

Mold normally just causes allergies, but in extreme cases, inhaling mold can lead to serious illness, such as bleeding in the lungs.

Mold can be killed by wiping infested areas with a 1-to-5 solution of bleach and water. Dehumidifiers and frequent dusting prevent its return. Men’s Health 1/01.

FASTING FACTS - people fast to “detox” the body and some religions call for occasional fasts. But a fast will not cleanse the body of toxins in any way. There is no medical evidence that the body needs internal cleansing or that the digestive system needs a “rest.”

The digestive system is quite efficient at cleansing itself and ridding the body of waste. That is one of its chief functions, and other organs (the kidneys, liver, lungs, sweat glands) help also. The notion that stagnation and decay in the colon produce toxins that poison the body is an ancient one, but long discredited.

Still, many websites, books, and alternative practitioners promote fasts, lasting anywhere from a few days to two weeks, to detoxify the body. Most of those that promote fasts to detox the body never name the toxins that are supposed to cause everything from headaches, colds, and skin problems to heart disease and mental disorders.

Not surprisingly, total fasting does result in a rapid initial weight loss, but most of the loss is fluid, rather than fat. As the fast continues, you lose body fat, but also considerable muscle (including heart muscle) and minerals. Depending on the duration of the fast, the muscle and mineral loss can be dangerous. In any case, few people who actually lose weight via fasting maintain their loss once they start eating again.

For a person in good health, there is no danger in a 24-hour fast. Beyond a day or two, fasting can cause fatigue, headaches, irritability, nausea, low blood pressure, and heart rhythm problems. It is especially hazardous for anyone with a chronic illness such as diabetes or liver or kidney disease. When fasting, it is important to drink plenty of water, and, of course, pregnant women should not fast. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 3/02.

DON’T GIVE IN - there is no time off from good nutrition. According to a study from Australia, even a single fatty meal can cause temporary damage to the heart. Physicians at the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne gave a high-fat meal to one group of volunteers and a lower-fat “control” meal to a second group. Three hours later, the doctors measured the change in elasticity of all the subjects’ arteries. After just a single meal, the arteries of the patients who’d eaten the most fat were 25 percent stiffer than those of the patients who’d eaten the leaner meal. Research shows that stiff blood vessels are one of the primary causes of both heart attack and stroke. Men’s Health 6/02.

VITAMIN E FOR WEIGHT-TRAINING - vitamin E functions as an antioxidant, protecting muscles from highly reactive, unstable molecules called free radicals. Besides leading to hardening of the arteries and cancer, free radicals also contribute to aching muscles and diminished performance. Because of an increased oxygen requirement during exercise, the harder you exercise, the more free radicals are produced.

A recent study had test subjects take vitamin E capsules and start a lifting program. It was found that blood-borne free radicals were reduced and muscle damage was minimized. Vitamin E initiated the healing process, allowing the muscles to rebuild sooner. The faster the muscles begin to repair themselves, the more the muscles will grow.

Research supports the claim that vitamin E can significantly reduce the damaging effects of high-intensity resistance exercise, but the study showed that short-term use did not enhance muscle strength or power.

Some experts question the effects that antioxidants will have on increasing mass, but the protective effects of vitamin E should not be detrimental to anyone using resistance training to enhance muscle growth. In fact, the reduced level of free-radical damage should make the muscle membrane stronger and enable better and faster gains in strength and size.

Recommended supplementation is 200 to 400 IU of natural source vitamin E daily. Natural vitamin E comes in the form of d-alpha tocopherol, d-gamma tocopherol, or d-alpha tocopherol acetate/succinate, all of which are variations of natural vitamin E. Take the vitamin in one or two doses a day, preferably with a meal that contains a little fat, as the vitamin is fat soluble.

Synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopherol) is less expensive than natural vitamin E, as it is also less biologically active than the natural counterpart. Dosage with synthetic vitamin E should be 400 to 800 IU daily; amounts more than this can have side-effects. Men’s Fitness 3/02.

REDUCED-FAT FOODS NOT THE ANSWER - a few years ago, reduced-fat foods - from cookies to margarine and ice cream - seemed to be the answer for dieters seeking ways to reduce caloric intake. But many people soon discovered that these foods did not make them lose weight, in large part because many reduced-fat foods are still high in calories. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association last year showed that use of reduced-fat foods does not determine whether the subjects’ overall diet is healthful or even low in fat. More than one-quarter of people who eat reduced-fat foods daily still have a high-fat diet overall, the study found. Moreover, one-third of people whose diet is low in fat never eat these foods. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 3/02.

IS COFFEE DANGEROUS? - over 115 million Americans consume coffee every morning. Recent Norwegian research linked coffee to heart-attack risk. However, the study used unfiltered, boiled coffee, a more organic drink that is not very popular in the United States.

Another report, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that filtered coffee does appear to boost blood levels of cholesterol and homocysteine, both of which are linked to the risk of heart disease.

The findings indicate that terpenoids, naturally occurring compounds in coffee that are known to increase cholesterol, are only partly removed by a coffee filter. The researchers estimate that eliminating a four-cups-a-day habit could reduce the chances of cholesterol-related heart disease by 10 percent. The researchers hypothesize that coffee may interfere with the body’s ability to control homocysteine, perhaps by hindering the positive effects of vitamin B6.

Another Swedish study found that the amount of caffeine in just one cup of coffee increases arterial hardening for at least two hours. This atherosclerotic effect puts extra pressure on the heart, which could be dangerous for people already at risk for hart attack and stroke.

Caffeine also increases blood pressure and heart rate and may exacerbate cardiac arrhythmias. Some researchers feel that people must be careful with caffeine, especially if they have high blood pressure.

For those who are not predisposed to such problems, however, moderate daily intake of one to three cups of coffee does not appear to pose undue risk. In fact, in healthy adult athletes, it facilitates the metabolization of fatty acids for energy.

Additionally, caffeine may cause a rapid release of calcium ions in muscles, enhancing muscle contractions and making them more efficient, according to preliminary research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

If you are jittery about drinking too much coffee, quitting cold turkey can cause headaches and indigestion, so reduce intake gradually - cut back by one-half cup a day to minimize withdrawal. Also, try drinking smaller amounts of higher-quality coffee, and mix a good decaf with a favorite regular bean, or use darker beans, which have less caffeine, but no less flavor. Men’s Fitness 12/01.

IS GOLF A PAIN IN YOUR BACK? - for a golf swing without pain, check your technique and obliques.

Researchers at the University of Calgary wired electrodes to a group of professional and amateur golfers. The subjects were then measured for abdominal muscle activity as they drove balls into a net twice a minute for nearly an hour using different clubs.

The results found that those who activated their external and internal oblique muscles earlier during the back swing ended the session without back pain. While the study doesn’t clarify whether using your abs reduces pain or whether pain makes it harder to use your abs, previous research indicates that having weak abs increases the risk of low-back distress. The study was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Men’s Fitness 8/02.

REDUCING DIABETES RISK - if you are overweight, you are at higher risk for diabetes, but now a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that those who lose weight can lower their risk. In the 13 year study of more than 200,000 overweight people, researchers observed that the more weight lost, the greater the decrease in risk. Women benefitted even more than men. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 11/02.

GIVE IT A REST - a year long Dutch study of 185 men and women with tennis elbow found that traditional “wait-and-see” treatment - rest plus anti-inflammatories - is just as effective as physical therapy, and better than newer options like steroid injections. Men’s Health 6/02.

TRAIN FIRST OR EAT FIRST? - whether you eat breakfast before or after your workout depends on what you are trying to accomplish and the type of workout you are planning to do. If you work out with weights on an empty stomach, you can definitely increase your growth-hormone levels, but you must keep your workout short so that the blood sugar levels do not dip too how. Then immediately after the workout, have a carbohydrate/protein shake with glutamine in it to spike the growth-hormone levels and insulin influx into muscle. If you feel weak or light-headed when you train on an empty stomach, this strategy may not work for you. Pay attention to the signals the body is sending you to determine which workout protocol works better for you.

If you are doing a cardio workout in the morning, you also have the option of eating before or after. If you are doing a long run - 45 minutes or longer - and your goal is to build endurance, then you want to eat complex carbs and protein an hour and a half to two hours before exercise so you have the energy you need. If you are planning to do 30 minutes of low-key cardio on a treadmill to burn body fat, then you should eat afterward. That way you will be more likely to tap into body-fat stores for fuel, instead of relying on the carbohydrates you consumed beforehand.

As for other times of day, it is recommended you not eat directly before a weight-training workout. Blood is an important nutrient for building muscle, and you want as much available for that as possible. After you eat, however, you blood concentrates in the stomach area to aid digestion. For these reasons, you should not try to eat for an hour and a half to two hours before a weight-training workout. Men’s Fitness 12/01.

CONSIDERING LASIK? - in a survey of 605 LASIK patients, 25% complained of night-vision problems. The study suggests that for some patients, other vision-correction procedures may entail a lower risk of complications. Men’s Health 6/02.