REPORTING POINT 08-03
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: skyguy737@cox.net
(Past issues of “Health News” are available on my son’s website, which includes a word-search engine - just go to the site with your browser and insert the key word to find past articles: http://home.earthlink.net/~candace_ball/healtharticles/frameset.htm) - LK
BERRY-FLAVORED ASPIRIN - berries, oranges, and peppers are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and salicylic acid - one of the active ingredients in aspirin. Researchers in Scotland compared blood samples from vegetarian Buddhist monks, who rarely use any medication, to a group of healthy men who took aspirin regularly. To the researchers’ surprise, they found that the monks had just as much salicylic acid in their systems as the frequent aspirin takers. This may explain why eating lots of fruits and vegetables provides the same heart-healthy benefits as taking a daily aspirin. Men’s Health 6/02.
JUST 20 MINUTES TWICE A WEEK - exercise doesn’t have to be all that painful in order to produce results, nor do you have to be a “gym rat” to reap great health benefits.
According to researchers at Oklahoma State University, people who exercise as little as two days a week, 20 minutes per session, are better equipped to fight off illness than those who are not involved in a regular exercise program. The study which examined the absentee records of 79,000 workers, also found that the exercisers took significantly fewer sick days than their inactive peers. Men’s Fitness 12/01.
GOT A GUT..BEWARE! - the fat around the belly is different from fat elsewhere in the body. Body fat in the mid-section is metabolically active tissue that actually functions like a separate organ, releasing substances into the rest of the body that in excess, can increase the risk of disease.
The risk of visceral (belly) fat has been known for quite some time. Back in the 1940's, French physician Jean Vague observed that some obese patients had normal blood chemistry while some moderately overweight patients showed serious abnormalities that predisposed them to heart disease or diabetes. These moderately overweight patients almost always carried their fat around their mid-sections.
Visceral fat carries more risk than other body fat because of the number of substances this fat secretes to the heart, liver, and other vital organs. Visceral fat secretes:
Free fatty acids - released directly to the liver, these acids impair the ability to break down insulin, which over time can lead to diabetes.
PAI-1 - this blood-clotting agent increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
CRP - this protein inflames blood vessels, making them more susceptible to artery-clogging plaque.
A recent study conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that of all the risks of cardiovascular disease, the single biggest risk factor wasn’’t family history or cholesterol profiles - it was the amount of abdominal fat. Men’s Health 7/02.
LYCOPENE - ONE OF MAN’S BEST FRIENDS - lycopene is a powerful phytochemical found in tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, ketchup, and tomato juice. It is an antioxidant that is very beneficial to men’s prostate - recent research indicates that those men who ate tomato sauce more than twice a week lowered their risk of an aggressive form of prostate cancer by as much as 35 percent, according to the Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Lycopene also benefits other organs in the body.
LUNGS - a group of men who drank 12 ounces of V8 daily for just two weeks showed 20 percent less damage to lung-cell DNA from ozone air pollution, an EPA study showed.
HEART - middle-aged men with low lycopene levels are three times more likely to have heart attacks or strokes, researchers in Finland found. Lycopene keeps LDL (bad cholesterol) from oxidizing into a form that injures arteries.
SKIN - a German study found that eating 1.4 ounces of tomato paste daily can reduce skin damage from ultraviolet rays by 40 percent.
EYES - lycopene lodges in eye pigment and deters macular degeneration, research at the University of Maryland shows. Men’s Health 6/02.
PEPPERMINT MAY BOOST PERFORMANCE - researchers have discovered that smelling peppermint boosts exercise performance levels. The scent alters the perception of how hard you are working, which makes workouts seem less strenuous, slower-paced, and easier to complete. Any minty smell should work, including the scent of mouthwash, gum, or juleps in the water bottle. Men’s Health 1/01.
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME - as Americans spend more time online, this ailment is becoming much more common. Years ago, it was generally secretaries who were afflicted; now it seems that anyone can have the symptoms of CTS.
The carpal tunnel in the human body is a narrow, rigid canal running from the forearm to the wrist, through which the median nerve (controlling the thumb, index, middle finger and the thumb side of the ring finger) and related tendons travel down the arm and into the hand. Eight carpal bones of the wrist form the tunnel’s structure one three sides, capped by the transverse carpal ligament. The whole structure is very rigid and inflexible; irritations or swelling of the tissues can lead to problems.
When inflammation occurs, the swollen tendons pinch or crush the median nerve and obstruct blood flow. This results in the symptoms of CTS - pain, tingling, weakness and loss of dexterity in the fingers, hand, and forearm.
CTS is most frequently caused by intense, repetitive motion. It isn’t just excessive typing or poor ergonomics that can lead to CTS; using heavy power tools can cause the injury. Even some racquet sports, golf, and riding motorcycles have contributed to the syndrome. CTS isn’t a trauma-related injury, but rather a wear-and-tear injury that develops over time. At the onset, there might be a tingling or numbness in the thumb, fingers, or pain in the wrist.
Initially, the pain is often more severe at night. When we sleep, we tend to curl our hands. The wrist flexion, when coupled with the normal shifting of fluid to the extremities and the lack of movement for several hours, tends to increase stiffening and swelling. As CTS progresses, the pain becomes worse and more frequent, and weakness may set in, along with the inability to hold things and to bring the thumb across the palm.
Prevention includes proper keyboard technique, maintaining straight wrists by adjusting the height of the chair and using a mouse pad with a wrist support.
In the gym, keep the wrists straight as dumbbells and bars are gripped. As you tire from reps or increased weight, the hands and wrists may tend to tilt back or dip to the thumb side of the hand, an adjustment known as radial deviation. This adds stress to the carpal tunnel area with each repetition. To lessen the stress, reduce the number of reps or take added rest time between sets.
Certain strength-training exercises involving pushing weight away from the body, such as bench pressing, can also stress the area. Do not wrap the thumbs around the bar, which gives the wrists the opportunity to roll back when fatigued. A tingling numbness when finishing a set is a warning sign of problems with the median nerve.
The key to curing CTS is to catch it early. If you discover the warning signs mentioned earlier, minimize repetitive motion and give the wrists a rest. If the injury becomes worse, a physician may recommend rehabilitative exercises, prescribing diuretics to reduce fluid accumulation; injecting the carpal tunnel with anti-inflammatory corticosteriods to bring relief; or surgically cutting a ligament to relieve pressure on the median nerve.
Preventive exercises to prevent injury include the following three exercises: Stretch your arm out in front of you, parallel to the floor, as if making a policeman “stop” motion. Using the other hand, hold the fingertips of the stretched hand and gently pull them back toward the face. Hold for a count of 10 seconds - perform one set of 10 and then repeat with the other hand.
For the second exercise, stand in front of a mirror. Bring the hands together at chest height as if in prayer. Keep the hands flat and press the palms together - for a greater stretch, lower the palms but hold the elbows in place - hold for 20 seconds - perform one set of ten.
The last stretch is a “Reverse Phalen’s maneuver”. Stand with the arms parallel to the floor. Put the backs of the hands together, fingers pointing to the floor, again at chest level. Raise the wrists so they are higher than the elbows while trying to keep the hands together - hold for a count of 10 seconds - perform five repetitions.
Finally, if you do experience minor CTS symptoms, icing after exercise reduces swelling and anti-inflammatory medication can relieve pain. Do not use compression in the area - CTS is the result of too much compression within the tunnel already. Men’s Fitness 12/01.
MORE BENEFITS OF WHOLE GRAINS - besides fiber, researchers have recently discovered that whole grains, especially wheat, are good sources of disease-fighting antioxidants. The brown wheat shell, in particular, is rich in orthophenols, a potent cancer fighter. In a study on rats, those on a whole grain diet had a lower cancer risk by 60 percent, and it also helped reduce the size of tumors already present.
To be sure to receive this benefit, look for “whole wheat” flour on the label and don’t be fooled by “multi-grain” or other phrases - these foods usually name “enriched wheat flour” as their main ingredient which is processed and milled, eliminating the health bran from the flour. Men’s Health 7/02.
HAIRY SOLUTIONS - whether it is thinning, flaking, or greasy, those crewmembers who chose not to continue wearing the uniform cap are now showcasing their dome much more in public. To address certain maladies which seem more evident now that we are “exposed” more, here are a couple suggestions to some hairy problems:
THINNING - some hair loss is due to excessive DHT, a hormone that lengthens the resting phase of hair’’s growth cycle. To save your scalp, try minoxidil, an over-the-counter product approved by the FDA to help stop hair loss and grow new hair.
Also, there is a new product, not yet FDA-approved, called FNS (Follicle Nutrient Serum), which contains a natural insulin substitute that allows nutrients to get into the cells of the follicles and stimulate hair growth.
FLAKES - dandruff (seborrhea) is an inflammation of the scalp usually caused by yeast or bacteria that causes redness, itching, and telltale flaking.
The recommended therapy to combat this common ailment is a multi-frontal approach - use shampoos with both antifungal and antibacterial ingredients, one with zinc (Head & Shoulders) to reduce inflammation, and one with salicylic acid (Neutrogena T/Sal) to penetrate. It is recommended to use one shampoo for a few days and then switch. If this method is ineffective, see a dermatologist, who will probably recommend a steroid-based shampoo.
GREASY - this is usually a genetic disposition to secrete more sebum - scalp oil - than others.
Recommended treatment includes washing your hair occasionally with dish-washing liquid soap. It is too drying to use everyday, but periodic use may help stem the oil flow.
DRY - perhaps your sebum production is lower than normal, or many hours spent swimming has dried-out your hair. Recommended treatment includes using a conditioner - after showering - to moisturize the hair. Put a dime-sized amount in the palm, rub your hands together, and run this through your hair. This will moisturize the hair more quickly.
Another solution is to use a shampoo with the non-drying ingredient sodium laureth sulfate. Men’s Health 7/02.
PREGNANT? - AVOID ALCOHOL! - according to a recent study from the University of Wisconsin, even small amounts of alcohol can harm the fetus and cause attention disorders, problems with coordination and language. Also, drinking a couple of glasses of wine, beer, or spirits poses a greater risk to the fetus than drinking the same amount over a week.
Unfortunately, many health care providers are not aware of the risk that even small amounts of alcohol can cause. In one survey, about half of obstetricians and gynecologists still believe that one drink a week does not pose a health risk. Because every woman metabolizes alcohol differently and one fetus may be more vulnerable than another, it could be that a couple of glasses over the course of a pregnancy may be acceptable. However, because prenatal exposure to alcohol is one of the leading preventable causes of birth defects, it is safest to abstain from any alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Health 12/01.
