REPORTING POINT 07-04
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
FREQUENCY COUNTS - drinking alcohol can reduce the risk of having a heart attack, but according to a new study, it is how frequently you drink, not how much, that may be the key to avoiding heart disease. In a study of over 38,000 men, researchers found that those who drank three or four times a week were 68 percent less likely to have a heart attack than those who drank less than once a week, regardless of the type or amount of alcohol they consumed. Men’s Health 5/03.
FREQUENCY COUNTS, AGAIN - you know that hand-washing is the most effective way to minimize your risk of infection. Columbia University researchers have now tested the hands of hundreds of people for bacteria. A single washing did little to remove the microbes, the experts founds, even when the subjects used antibacterial soaps. It seems that frequent hand-washing over time drastically reduced germ counts, whether people used plain soap or antibacterial soaps. Health 11/03.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION - even though the French eat more dietary fat than Americans, they enjoy much lower rates of obesity and heart disease. French meals are 25 percent smaller than compared to American meals, and they drink much less soft drinks. Health 11/03.
MEN VS WOMEN - the top 10 leading causes of death by gender:
MEN WOMEN
1. Heart disease 1. Heart disease
2. Cancer 2. Cancer
3. Stroke 3. Stroke
4. Accidents (mostly motor vehicle) 4. Bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema
5. Bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema 5. Diabetes
6. Diabetes 6. Flu and pneumonia
7. Flu and pneumonia 7. Alzheimer’s disease
8. Suicide 8. Accidents
9. Kidney disease 9. Kidney disease
10. Liver disease and cirrhosis 10. Bacterial infection
Alcohol warning: the 4th, 8th, and 10th leading killers of men are alcohol related. Forty to 50 percent of all car fatalities are alcohol related; 50 percent of cirrhosis is due to alcohol abuse, and, according to researchers at Brown University, those that abuse alcohol are more likely to contemplate suicide.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that alcohol is involved in about 30 percent of all emergency-room visits in the United States, involved in one-third of suicides, one-half of homicides, one-half of sexual assaults, one-third of child-abuse cases, and a large portion of deaths from falls, burns, and drownings. Men’s Health 5/03.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 8 - lycopene, a red pigment related to beta carotene, may help prevent prostate cancer, and the best source is cooked or processed tomatoes. Other sources include:
a) red chili peppers
b) pink and red grapefruit
c) watermelon
d) cherries
Answer is below.
FOLIC ACID - NOT JUST FOR MOMS - folic acid received a great deal of media attention a decade ago as a crucial nutrient for expectant mothers - critical for fetal development. New data indicates that folic acid may be just as important to men; consuming at least 400 micrograms a day can reduce the risk of colon cancer by more than 50 percent. It also assists in maintaining cardiovascular health by helping keep arteries clear, improves memory, and can aid in keeping sperm motive.
Homocysteine is manufactured in the body and high levels are thought to be a risk factor for heart disease. It has been found that three B vitamins (B6, B12, and folic acid) convert homocysteine into amino acids. A deficiency in these vitamins, especially folic acid, can cause a build up of homocysteine in the body and damage blood vessels that could lead to heart disease. Other studies have found that boosting folic acid intake improves blood vessel function in people who already have heart disease and it also lowers risk of stroke.
A high intake of folic acid also appears to play a role in reducing the risk of colon cancer. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables go along with a lower risk of colon cancer, and the folate in these foods may be one reason for the reduced risk. There is also some preliminary research that indicates a high intake of folic acid may reduce the risk of cervical cancer and, for heavy drinkers, the risk of breast cancer.
Folic acid (called folate in its natural state) is found in leafy green vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, and is usually included in most multi-vitamin supplements. Also, most grain products are now fortified with folic acid (breads and pastas). Those on high-protein/low carbohydrate diets will need to supplement to achieve the recommended daily intake of this important vitamin. Men’s Health 5/03, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/03.
HIGH CHOLESTEROL? - even if you exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, you may have higher cholesterol numbers than you like. If this is the case, consider taking Metamucil. Metamucil is the brand name for psyllium husk, a natural plant fiber. While it is used primarily as a laxative, psyllium also carries cholesterol out of the body via the digestive tract. Psyllium binds with the bile acids that form cholesterol, a process that keeps them from reabsorbing into the blood. Research has shown that people who add psyllium to their diets reduce both their total cholesterol and harmful LDL cholesterol levels by up to 15 percent, while keeping protective HDL levels intact. The FDA recommends 7 grams of psyllium a day, the amount in one tablespoon of Metamucil. Men’s Health 1/03.
LOW-DOSE ASPIRIN THERAPY - if you take low-dose aspirin to protect your heart, do not take ibuprofen, such as Advil or Motrin, or naproxen, such as Aleve, frequently, since these products can block the anti-clotting effect of the aspirin. Occasional use is fine, but taking ibuprofen or naproxen during the few hours before the aspirin is not recommended. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/03.
SITTING FOR LONG PERIODS? - according to recent research, sitting for long periods of time places one at risk for an event known as deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), which are blood clots that form in the deep veins of the legs. If a clot breaks loose and reaches the lungs, it can block a pulmonary artery or one of its branches - called an embolism - potentially with fatal results. Those who are obese, smoke or sedentary are at greater risk for DVT.
Solution to minimize risk? -
1) Take an aspirin one hour before flight to inhibit blood clotting.
2) Get up one an hour and walk, if possible, as exercise increasing blood circulation.
3) While standing, do toe-raises. Also, drinking plenty of water will minimize the risk of blood clots.
Symptoms of DVT may include pain, swelling, discoloration of the affected area, and skin that is unusually warm to the touch. Men’s Health 6/03.
FRUIT FIGHTS ULCERS - in a recent study, those at risk of infection with helicobacter pylori, the germ that causes stomach ulcers and gastric cancer, had a 25 percent reduction in risk of the disease by getting the recommended 75 mgs. of vitamin C daily. One orange contains about 70 mgs. of vitamin C. These findings were only valid for Caucasian test subjects. Health 11/03.
BE A ADIPPER”, NOT A ASPREADER” - while waiting at a restaurant for your meal, ask for olive oil to dip the bread into, instead of spreading butter on it. The oil contains mostly monounsaturated fat instead of saturated fat. Researchers studied diners with the option for using either olive oil or butter with their bread found that the oil users consumed 26% more oil than butter per slice of bread, since the bread soaks up oil like a sponge, but that the diners using oil ate 23% less bread than those using butter and ended up consuming 230 fewer calories. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/03.
MERCURY WARNING - until recently, only pregnant women were warned away from eating fish that are high in mercury - swordfish, mackerel, and shark. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that those with the highest blood levels of mercury had about twice the heart-attack risk of those with the lowest levels.
Mercury promotes free-radical production and might also promote platelet aggregation (clotting). To get the heart-saving omega-3s minus the heart-damaging mercury, stick with salmon, tuna, and sardines. Men’s Health 5/03.
MEDICAL MYTH - PSA> 4.0 = PROSTATE CANCER - many men have heard that a PSA level of 4 or more can only mean prostate cancer. But any trauma or inflammation can cause PSA to leak into the surrounding tissue of the prostate, where it is picked up in the bloodstream. Everything from a bacterial infection to a long bicycle ride can cause a minor jump in the PSA levels of the blood.
PSA scores between 4 and 10 fall into a diagnostic gray zone, where, until recently, the only way to confirm the presence of cancer is with a biopsy. Now, doctors can follow up with a complexed PSA (cPSA) or percent-free PSA exam. These tests measure different molecular forms of PSA which is the best way to determine whether elevated PSA levels are due to cancer or a benign condition. Even if the PSA levels are 2.5, ask the urologists for a cPSA or percent-free PSA exam. Men’s Health 5/03.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: b) and c) Not all red foods contain lycopene, but red pigments still have healthful components. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.
BE A SUGAR “SLEUTH” - sugars are an intrinsic part of many foods. Milk contains the milk sugar lactose, and fruits contain fructose. But many processed foods have added sugars mainly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, which is not only added to obvious products like soft drinks, but also to such products as canned ravioli. Recently, the World Health Organization recommended that a healthy diet only incorporate no more than 10 percent of total calories from sugars that are not inherently part of a food. American foods have added sugars everywhere - Yoplait’s Yumsters strawberry low-fat yogurt, while sounding healthy, contains 18 grams of sugar, more than 10 grams of this is added with the second ingredient listed as sugar and the fourth ingredient high-fructose corn syrup - another sugar source. All this added sugar to the average American diet may be contributory to the epidemic of obesity and type-2 diabetes.
Many health-conscious people try to limit their consumption of foods with added sugars, but much of the added-sugar is difficult to find as it is labeled under various names. Added sugars appear on labels under the following names:
corn syrup, high-maltose corn syrup
crystalline fructose honey lactose
dextrose invert sugar
fructose lactose
fruit-juice concentrates malt
glucose maltose
high-fructose corn syrup molasses
sucrose syrup
Consumer Reports 1/04.
MIGRAINES, PART 2 - last issue we discussed diagnosing migraines and possible cures. Some recent research by the Headache Care Center in Springfield, Missouri, found that common triggers for migraines include red wine, nuts, bright lights, chocolate, smoke, lack of sleep, irregular exercise, climate changes, and alcohol (sounds like a typical 4 day trip). If you can identify a headache’s trigger, a simple lifestyle change may relieve the problem. Men’s Health 11/03.
A LITTLE HELPS A LOT - looking good in a Speedo isn’t the only reason to exercise. Two recent studies have found that even modest amounts of low-intensity activity can safeguard the heart, even if you do not lose weight. Duke University researchers discovered that walking just a couple of miles most days of the week can protect you from heart disease and stroke. By transforming smaller, heavier (and more dangerous) cholesterol particles into larger, lighter ones that are less likely to clog the arteries.
The Cooper Clinic in Dallas determined that performing any exercise at all can help lower the levels of C-reactive protein in the blood. Health 5/03.
