Health News

REPORTING POINT 11-04

HEALTH NEWS

“Live healthy...live well”

by Larry Kline

SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@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

PREGNANT? – FORGO DENTAL X-RAYS – women who have dental x-rays while pregnant might have a higher risk of delivering an underweight baby.

Previous studies linked mothers’ history of medical x-rays to a higher risk of underweight babies, which are defined as those weighing less that 5 ½ pounds at birth.

The main concern is radiation exposure may affect the thyroid gland. The researchers estimate radiation exposure based on a full-mouth x-ray results in a dose of 1.6 milligray – about the same dose passengers receive from atmospheric radiation by flying 16 round trips between New York and London. On the other hand, the radiation dose from a bitewing series of dental x-rays is equivalent to only two New York-to-London flights.

Women exposed to more than 0.4 milligray were slightly more than twice as likely to have a low birth-weight baby as women who had no dental x-rays during pregnancy.

Most health professionals believe that dental x-rays are safe as there is no direct exposure to the fetus. However, the recent data suggests that exposure to the mother’s thyroid may place the fetus at risk for lower birth-weight and possibly delay brain development in offspring. USA Today.

NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 12 - True or false: Honey is more nutritious than white sugar.

Answer is below.

HOT TUB HAZARDS – hot tubs and whirlpools are very popular today. Using a hot tub requires extra vigilance to ensure that the water is kept clean and safe. The combination of warm water and human use can turn hot tubs into breeding grounds for bacteria, which can lead to mild skin irritation or to a disease as serious as Legionnaires’ Disease.

Hot tubs tend to breed pseudomonas. This bacteria, folliculitis, can cause ear infections, but the most common result is a rash, known as “hot tub buns”. While not a serious health threat, public hot tubs can be closed by health authorities if they are found to harbor pseudomonas. But waters that can breed pseudomonas are also able to produce more hazardous microbes.

Legionella bacteria occur naturally in our environment (rivers and lakes) where they are generally not a problem for humans. However, they also live in water systems associated with buildings and the workplace – hot or cold storage tanks, cooling towers, fire-fighting equipment, and spa baths. Legionella bacteria can survive at low temperatures, although they will not multiply, but it thrives in hot water. It is carried into the air on the spray from the tub. If you breathe it in, you can get a serious form of pneumonia called Legionnaires’ disease, which can be fatal. Legionella are a particular problem in spas and hot tubs because the water is at an optimum temperature for them to grow; dirt, and dead skin from the people using the tubs provide food for the bacteria to grow; the piping for the air and water circulation provide a large surface area for the bacteria to grow; and the agitated water forms aerosols and spray by which the bacteria can be inhaled.

The first major outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease caused by a hot tub occurred on a cruise ship in 1994. Over 50 people were affected with one fatality. The Centers for Disease Control investigated the incident and concluded that the large sand filter that served three individual spas was contaminated with the deadly bacteria.

Last fall, the CDC investigated a second major Legionnaires’ outbreak, caused by a consumer hot tub. The tub was in the showroom of a store in Virginia. Nobody even got into the tub, but 23 customers got Legionnaires’ disease simply by walking near it, with two of the victims dying.

To keep hot tub waters safe, chlorine is normally used for large commercial spas, while bromine is mostly used for home hot tubs. Chlorine and bromine attach themselves to harmful microbes to kill them – if there is enough chemical in the tub to accomplish this task.

Most tub owners use a test kit to measure the water quality. Using a sample from the tub and adding chemicals from the test kit that react with the water sample from the tub, the resulting colors indicate, usually, two aspects of the water quality – acidity and disinfectant levels.

The proper amount of disinfectant is supposed to keep bathers safe. But some test kits may not indicate the correct amount of disinfectant chemical available and lead to a false sense of security.

There are generally two types of test kits, DPD kits and Orthatolodine, referred to as OT kits. Many health professionals do not recommend the OT kits, as you only get five seconds to read the kit or the reading may be inaccurate. Most OT kits are made of plastic which may tend to discolor, which will distort the color of the water sample in the test chamber.

Before the cruise ship incident, the CDC recommended disinfectant levels of 3-5 parts per million (ppm) for chlorine or bromine, but they now recommend a minimum of 4 ppm as it seems legionella bacterium is less susceptible to disinfectant than other bacteria. It is recommended that commercial operators of spas and hot tubs check water samples daily, at a minimum, with more checks with heavy use and that the water be drained weekly and the whole system be disinfected.

ARE CARBS TO BE AVOIDED? – carbohydrates are the main source of calories in virtually every diet worldwide. Most carbs come from plant-based foods with dairy products being the only animal-derived foods with lots of carbs. All carbohydrates (except fiber) are transformed by the body into blood sugar (glucose) – the body’s basic fuel. There are two general types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. The simple ones are sugars: glucose and fructose from fruits and some vegetables, lactose from milk, sucrose from cane or beet sugar, and others. Many of the simple carbs are sugars added to processed foods such as sodas and cookies. Complex carbs, which are chains of sugars, consist primarily of starches, the storage form of carbohydrates in plants. Foods rich in complex carbs include grains and grain products (such as bread and pasta), beans, potatoes, corn, and some other vegetables.

The glycemic index ranks foods by how fast their carbs are digested into glucose and absorbed, and thus how rapidly and how high they cause blood sugar to rise that affects insulin levels. The higher the number, the greater the food’s effect on blood sugar. Instant rice is at the top of the glycemic index, releasing blood sugar the quickest, along with white potatoes, watermelon, raisins, carrots, pretzels, rice cakes, most breakfast cereals, crackers, and white bread. Beans and unrefined grains are generally low on the list.

Many people avoid high glycemic foods like carrots, raisins, etc, because of fear of insulin spikes in blood sugar. But these healthy foods are usually not generally eaten alone, but with meals or combined with other foods that alter the digestion and absorption of these carbs and the resultant blood sugar levels. The amount of fat, fiber, and protein consumed with the carbohydrate, along with whether the food was cooked or processed alters the blood sugar rate. Different forms of the same foods also alter the GI scale; potatoes are high on the index but are lower when consumed with meat or cheese. Mashed potatoes are even higher on the index. The riper the fruit, the higher on the index as some of the starches are converted to sugars during oxidation (ripening).

Recent research indicates that portion size is more directly related to insulin spikes because of the rapid release of blood sugar.

Carbohydrates provide the basic sources of energy for the body along with beneficial phytochemicals, fiber, and nutrients. Some foods that are high on the GI scale should be avoided, like white bread. However, there is no reason to avoid all foods high on the index – many are very nutritious, such as carrots.

Choose foods rich in fiber and unrefined complex carbohydrates – fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. They are nutritious, filling, and relatively low in calories. Many are also low on the glycemic index. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/03.

WATER FOODS – much information in the media implores the reader to drink water – at least 8 glasses a day, to ensure proper hydration. However, there are other ways to get the required amount of water daily – by eating plenty of low-calorie fruits and vegetables that serve just as well for hydrating the body and can easily be carried with you, even when on a long trip. It is possible to get up to half of your daily water requirement via food.

WATERMELON: a fat-free, low-calorie energy boost, watermelon contains vitamins A, B-6, and C, and high concentrations of lycopene, which may help reduce prostate cancer risk.

APPLES: perfect to carry in a food bag on a trip, they do not require refrigeration and keep well. Apples boost energy and are fat-free and water-rich. The phytonutrients in apples help fight the effects of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

CELERY: virtually absent of calories, celery contains potassium and vitamin C.

GRAPEFRUIT: high in fiber and vitamins A and C, grapefruit is also fat- and cholesterol-free.

GRAPES: grapes have phytochemicals such as resveratrol, which has been shown to fight breast, liver, and colon cancers. Tennis 1/04.

FIRST, IT WAS THE HATS TO GO… - according to a new study, wearing a tie could increase the risk of glaucoma, a condition that can lead to irreversible blindness. Researchers at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary found that wearing a tight necktie for just 3 minutes could increase pressure within the eyes enough to raise the risk of glaucoma.

The tighter the necktie, the more the tie constricts the jugular vein, increasing pressure in the blood vessels leading to the eyes.

To avoid this problem, the researchers suggest wearing a tie loose enough so that you can stick two fingers between your neck and the collar. Men’s Health 11/03.

CHRONIC HEARTBURN? – if you suffer from chronic heartburn (esophageal reflux) at night, try sleeping on your left side. This position will keep the acidic contents of the stomach below the juncture with the lower esophagus, thus reducing acid backup into the esophagus. Elevating the headboard by at least six inches can also reduce heartburn – wooden blocks or phone books can work well. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/04.

NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: False. Honey has no nutritional advantages over other sweeteners. Some honey contains small amounts of antioxidants but not enough to matter. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.

IS IT REALLY A “BEER” BELLY – people who drink beer are no more likely to have a beer belly than those who do not drink beer, according to a study conducted in the Czech Republic, which is the country with the highest per capita beer consumption. Most studies have found that alcoholic beverages are no more likely to cause weight gain than other caloric beverages and that drinkers are no more likely to be obese than nondrinkers. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 3/04.

LEAFY RELIEF – according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health, eating foods high in magnesium like spinach, oat bran, and beans may reduce the risk of diabetes.

The researchers found over the course of a 12-year study that the subjects with the lowest magnesium intake had up to a 30% greater risk of the disease than those with the highest levels of magnesium in their diet. Men’s Fitness 4/04.

LIGHT YOUR FIRE? – candles are causing more fires than ever, accounting for 4% of all American home fires in recent years, up from 1% in 1980, and accounting for about 100 deaths a year. The main reason is that candle sales have increased dramatically in the 1990s, with 4 out of 10 candle fires occurring when burning candles are left unattended. Half of these fires occur in the bedroom. Candles also release pollutants into the air. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 3/04.

BEER MAY REDUCE COLON CANCER RISK – according to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer, drinking beer may reduce the risk of colon cancer by up to 22%. Japanese researchers gave a group of rats already in the early stages of colon cancer beer and found that the beer appeared to protect DNA against cellular damage, thereby slowing the growth of cancer cells. Men’s Fitness 4/04.