REPORTING POINT 04-04
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
HIGH PROTEIN DIET WARNING - among the previously expressed concerns of the safety of the high-protein, high-fat Atkins-like diets, a recent study indicates that kidney damage is possible. A high-intake of protein, especially from meat, can accelerate the loss of kidney function in those with mild kidney problems (about 1/4 of the test subjects.) There are millions of Americans who are unaware that they have the problem. At high risk for kidney disease are those over 65 and those with high blood pressure or diabetes. If you are considering going on an Atkins-type diet, you should first be checked by your doctor and then be monitored periodically, particularly for kidney function. Dr. Atkins books recommend a medical checkup and monitoring. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 5 - Ounce for ounce, which of these has three times as much vitamin C as oranges?
a) sweet potatoes
b) green peppers
c) spinach
Answer is below.
SUPER-SIZING YOUR WAISTLINE - at most fast-food restaurants, you can add hundreds of excess calories, many from fat and/or sugar, for just a few pennies more. Researchers from the American Institute for Cancer Research found at one fast-food burger chain, a super-sizing meal-deal provided 1,380 calories total for only 58 cents more - which is almost twice the calories recommended for lunch.
At Cinnabon, the upgrade from the 300-calorie Minibon to the 670-calorie classic Cinnabon netted 123% more calories for only 23% more money. At 7-Eleven, you can go from a Coke for 150 calories to 600 calories for only 37 cents more. That is four times the sugar calories for less than forty cents more.
Why are these companies hard-selling the excess calories? Simple - more profits.
Since food, as opposed to labor, rent or utilities, is their smallest cost, fast-food companies make money on such deals, according to the AICR Newsletter. The researchers found that generally 70% of customers eat everything that they are served.
In a society where people spend billions to lose weight, and where low-calorie and low-carb products bring premium prices at weight-loss centers, grocery stores, and some eateries, why would someone want excess empty calories? It may be simply impulse buying.
Since fast-food deals are mainly for extra fat and sugar, learn to think small when ordering. Make your decision based on nutrition and avoid empty, fattening calories, no matter how cheap the meal-deal is. Broiled chicken sandwiches and salads become excellent choices compared to most meal-deals. Also consider adding a side salad with fat-free dressing instead of the fries or onion rings.
Beware of specialty burgers and extra toppings, whether marketed as deals or not. The Quarter Pounder has 420 calories and 21 grams of fat. With cheese, it has 530 calories and 30 grams of fat. Upgrade again to the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and you get 760 calories with 48 grams of fat, 20 grams of the fat is saturated - 430 calories from fat.
Healthier alternatives include a trip to the salad bar (watch the dressing - lots of hidden fat in some of the dressings), and some eateries like El Pollo Loco chicken restaurants which offer heart-healthy foods. Muscle & Fitness 11/03.
MIND/BODY CONNECTION: LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE - according to some scientists, laughter affects many regions of the forebrain, producing certain beneficial effects on the body. Laughter might protect the heart by preventing inflammation of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining the blood vessels in the heart. Laughter improves blood pressure and heart rate, and may increase nitric-oxide production (laughing gas) - which is why once you start laughing, it may be hard to stop.
To benefit the respiratory system, laughing brings more oxygen to the lungs, which can help ease chronic respiratory conditions.
Laughter benefits the immune system by helping to increase production of natural killer cells and T cells, which are the major antiviral and antitumor defenses of the immune system. Also when you laugh, the abdomen and diaphragm contract, the facial muscles stretch and the back and shoulders unkink. So pop in a video of your last PC and have a good laugh. Men’s Health 3/03.
VEGGIES LOWER CHOLESTEROL - eating lots of vegetables may reduce LDL cholesterol nearly as well as statin drugs. According to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adults with high cholesterol followed one of three diets: a very low saturated fats, low-fat dairy and high whole-grain cereal diet; a low saturated fat, low-fat dairy/high whole-grain diet plus a daily 20 mg statin drug (lovastatin); or a high-fiber vegetarian diet with foods such as eggplant, okra, almonds, barley, soy protein, psyllium, and margarine containing plant sterols. After a month, the LDL of the low-fat group had fallen 8%, the statins group 30.9%, and the veggies group 28.6% USA Weekend 9/26/03.
FAT FACTS - while we have written about all the dangers of a diet high in fats, it is important to remember that not all fat is bad. Certainly it is desireable to minimize saturated and trans-fat consumption, but limiting some dietary fat can deprive the body of essential nutrients, and leave you feeling hungry and even depressed.
While the proportions differ, all fats are mixtures of the different types of fatty acids. For better health, replace some of the bad saturated and trans fats with the good fats - monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Monounsaturated fats can help lower the bad cholesterol and may increase the good HDL cholesterol. Olive oil is highest in monounsaturated fats; canola oil is another good source. Polyunsaturated fats - high in safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils - can also bring down cholesterol, although not as significantly as monounsaturated fats.
One type of highly unsaturated fat, the omega-3 fatty acids, enhance cardiovascular health as well as combat inflammation in the body, which could make sore muscles and joints less achy. They also appear to have some benefit with the normal function of the central nervous system and the eye.
Omega-3's are not found in many foods, but are abundant in fatty cold-water fish like salmon, as well as flaxseed oil and walnuts.
But don’t over-consume these heart-healthy fats, as they are calorie dense - 9 calories per gram compared to 4 calories/gram for protein and carbohydrates.
9 FRIENDLY FAT FOODS:
-Salmon is a good source of omega-3's and protein. A 3-ounce serving of salmon has 175 calories, 19 grams protein and 11 grams of fat (2.1 grams saturated, 3.8 grams monounsaturated, 3.8 grams polyunsaturated and 1.6 grams omega-3's).
-A 3-ounce serving of sardines has 158 calories, 14.5 grams protein, and 10.6 grams of fat (2.7 grams saturated, 4.9 grams monounsaturated, 2.1 grams polyunsaturated, and 1.2 grams omega-3's).
-Canned white tuna in water contains 20 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat - 1.2 grams of it omega-3's.
-One tablespoon of flaxseed oil has 7.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.
-Canola oil is high in monounsaturated fat and omega-3's, with 1.5 grams per tablespoon.
-Olive oil, an essential ingredient of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, is high in monounsaturated fat, vitamin E and polyphenols that may protect against cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
-Walnuts are high in alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. Just one ounce yields almost 2 grams of omega-3's.
-Peanuts, the ubiquitous Southwest snack is a great food. Just one ounce will give you 166 calories, 7 grams of protein and 14 grams of fat, mostly mono- and polyunsaturated. Peanuts, which are really a legume and not a nut, also provide niacin, vitamin E, magnesium, folate, thiamine, and resveratrol, a phytochemical that may aid cardiovascular health.
-Avocado, a high-fat fruit, also is a good source of heart-healthy fats. Half an avocado has 9.7 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.1 grams polyunsaturated fat and 1.8 grams saturated fat. It also has 4.2 grams fiber, vitamin B6, folate, niacin, and iron. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, 2002.
IS SOY ESSENTIAL? - About a decade ago, a number of studies started showing that soy, grown mainly in the United States for cattle feed, may actually help protect the human heart. In 1999, the FDA agreed to let manufacturers list claims on their labels that soy’s protein reduces heart disease risk.
In addition to that benefit for both sexes, soy contains isoflavones, a group of estrogen-like substances, which may offer women at least some of the benefits of the female hormone estrogen, including relief from hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, a reduced risk of osteoporosis, and additional heart protection. Some evidence suggests that those benefits might come without the risks of human estrogen, notably increased susceptibility to breast cancer. It is possible that plant estrogens might even reduce the chance of breast cancer and even reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men.
As news of these studies has reached the media, sales of all kinds of soy products has increased dramatically, including soy-based burgers, hot dogs, and taco mixes.
SOY AND THE HEART
Before approving the new health claim for soy, the FDA reviewed more than 160 studies on how the bean affects cholesterol levels. Researchers compared the effects of two equally low-fat, low-cholesterol diets, one containing at least 25 grams of soy protein per day, the other an equal amount of animal protein. The soy-protein diet lowered blood-cholesterol levels by 5 to 10 percent more than the animal-protein diet did, with the greatest reductions occurring in people with the highest elevations. Those reductions should produce a 10 to 30 percent drop in heart-attack risk.
There is growing evidence that soy isoflavones, and possibly other substances in soy, may also help prevent coronary heart disease. In one study, researchers at Wake Forest University placed subjects with moderately high cholesterol levels on the usual low-fat diet and randomly assigned them to take either a placebo pill or a daily supplement containing soy protein plus varying amounts of isoflavones. After nine weeks, cholesterol levels had declined 8 to 10 percent in those who consumed the most isoflavones and had the highest initial cholesterol levels.
Soy isoflavones may possibly provide one additional coronary benefit - increased elasticity of the arteries. While isoflavones are chemically similar to the female hormone estrogen, there is no evidence that the typical doses have any adverse affect on the male body.
It is still unclear whether the protein in soy, the isoflavones, both, or some other substances account for soy’s cholesterol-lowering effect. Therefore, soy foods are generally better than soy supplements for protecting the heart, since foods are more likely to contain the full complement of beneficial compounds present in soy.
SOY FOR OSTEOPOROSIS
In older women, the dwindling presence of estrogen during and after menopause triggers bone loss. In most experiments with animals whose ovaries were removed to simulate menopause, feeding them either isoflavone-rich soy foods or isolated isoflavones slowed the thinning of the bones because the estrogen-like substances in those products compensated for the loss of the animals’ estrogen.
In a study by the University of Illinois, researchers had menopausal women test subjects take a placebo or a daily soy supplement. Six months later, the group taking the soy supplements had gained bone - as much as women in other studies typically gain on estrogen-replacement therapy - while group taking the placebo lost bone mass.
Women at high-risk for osteoporosis (and low risk for breast cancer) should stick with estrogen-replacement therapy or other bone-strengthening drugs. However, those with a lower risk of breast cancer might want to talk with their doctor about possibly consuming isoflavone-rich soy foods as an alternative to estrogen therapy.
SOY AND MENOPAUSE
The menopausal drop in women’s estrogen levels can trigger hot flashes and other uncomfortable symptoms. However, fewer than 25 percent of women in Japan, where soy is a dietary staple, experience those personal summers (hot flashes) during menopause, compared with some 85 percent of North American women.
Soy may possibly help relieve hot flashes and other symptoms of menopausal women. But improvement appears to be mild compared with that of estrogen therapy.
SOY AND CANCER
Numerous test-tube and animal studies and some human research have suggested that soy may inhibit the development of both breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Theoretically, soy isoflavones may fight breast cancer by filling receptor sites normally occupied by the female hormone estrogen, without actually stimulating those sites. By preventing human estrogen from binding to those sites, isoflavones may block the stimulation of breast-cancer growth. Other research suggests that isoflavones may hinder the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors and help convert certain human hormones that promote cancer into safer, more benign versions.
The risk of breast cancer is ab out six times lower in women of Asian descent who have recently immigrated to the United States than in Asian-American women who were born and raised in this country and have probably consumed less soy products. Some studies have found that women with the highest intake of soy develop breast cancer less often than those with the lowest intake - at least after menopause.
An isoflavone called genistein kills human prostate-cancer cells in the test tube and a combination of soy protein plus isoflavones slows the growth of prostate cancers in lab animals. These results, plus the ability of soy to hinder a tumor’s blood supply, and neutralize cancer-promoting hormones, might help explain why Japanese men have a much lower risk of prostate cancer than American men.
Many studies have indicated that men who consume less-saturated fat in their diets are at less risk for prostate cancer. Substituting soy protein for animal protein may reduce prostate cancer risk, although this link has not been proven in clinical studies.
Soy is an excellent high-protein substitute for meat, and even a modest intake of soy products combined with ample amounts of other healthful foods might reduce the risk of certain cancers. Consumer Reports on Health 5/00.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: b) and red and yellow peppers have twice as much vitamin C as the green one - 170 milligrams in three ounces. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.
