Health News

REPORTING POINT 09-05

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://health.theballfamily.org) – LK

WANT TO BE THIN? – if you really want to lose weight, Tufts University researchers have published their recommendations that have determined that eating fruit, reduced-fat dairy products, and high-fiber grains and legumes can stem the tide of adult weight gain. Specifically, people who reported eating the largest quantities of these three food groups realized an average of two inches smaller waist measurements than those whose diets were more meat or sweets-based. The study’s author attributes the slimming effect to fiber’s filling powers as the thinner group consumed ten grams more fiber per day than the others.

In another study, Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center discovered during a decade-long study of 15,000 subjects that vitamin B12 may help eliminate extra pounds. Test participants who consumed at least 35 mcgs of B12 daily gained five fewer pounds than those who took in less B12. Vitamin B12 is involved in metabolism; it may help dieters utilize energy rather than store it. Most multivitamins contain only about 18 mcgs of B12, but natural food sources of B12 include oysters, trout and salmon. Men’s Health 12/04.

ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT – being obese appears to increase the likelihood of developing aggressive prostate cancer and having it recur, according to two recent studies in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The studies looked at men who already had localized prostate cancer so it is not known whether obesity also boosts the odds of developing prostate cancer in the first place. The researchers suggested that substances stored in body fat may promote tumor growth. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 3/04.

COFFEE COULD CUT LIVER CANCER RISK – consuming a cup of coffee in the morning could help prevent the most common type of liver cancer. A study of more than 90,000 Japanese found that people who drank coffee daily or nearly every day had half the risk of liver cancer as those who never drank coffee. The American Cancer Society estimates that 19,000 cases of liver cancer were diagnosed in the United States last year, and over 14,000 died the illness. USA Today 2/16/05.

BEEF BASICS – Before World War II, cattle were raised on grass. It could take four years to fatten a steer. Then the industry switched to corn. Today calves start out on milk and grass, but then, when six months old, they are sent to a feedlot. By the time they are about 14 months old, corn-fed steers weigh enough to be slaughtered. Corn is not healthy for cattle.

Cattle are ruminants. Their digestive systems are designed for grass, not grain. Fed on corn, they fatten rapidly. A corn diet makes cattle sick, sometimes fatally. The animals must have antibiotics to stave off illnesses and infection until they weigh enough to be slaughtered, as well as hormones to promote quick growth. All of this saves money for the growers and keeps the price of beef low.

Corn-fed beef is not good for people, particularly the people who regularly eat fatty steaks and burgers. Corn-fed beef is tender, with the marbling consumers have come to expect, which results in meat that is higher in fat, especially saturated fat. A four-ounce serving of grass-fed beef typically has 7 to 10 grams of total fat, compared to 14 to 16 grams in the same cut of corn-fed beef. Grass-fed beef, besides being lower in saturated fat, also contains more of the beneficial unsaturated fatty acids called omega-3s (similar to those in fish), as well as more vitamin E, and more conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), another type of healthy fat.

Grass-fed beef is becoming more popular, although it is more expensive than corn-fed beef. Be sure to trim the fat from all beef, whether from corn-fed or grass-fed. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 2/03.

DOCTOR SUBSTITUTES – it sometimes takes months to get an appointment to see a physician. A new trend has physician assistants or nurse practitioners seeing up to 10 percent of patients. What are their qualifications?

NURSE PRACTITIONERS: these are RNs with 2 additional years of specialized training. They are qualified to diagnose and treat everyday illnesses and injuries. They can stitch wounds, prescribe drugs, and order tests such as x-rays.

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS: most PA students have bachelor’s degrees before starting 26 months of specialized medical instruction, including rotations in specialized fields. PAs work closely with MDs and are trained to spot unusual cases that require a physician’s attention. PAs can write prescriptions and order diagnostic tests.

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS: have at least a bachelor’s degree, although many have master’s and doctoral degrees. They are trained to treat lingering muscular ailments, as well as injury prevention. In many states, you can see a PT without a doctor’s referral. They can’t prescribe drugs. For serious injuries, see a physician before a PT.

CHIROPRACTORS: complete 2 to 4 years undergraduate education and four years of specialized training. They specialize in back and neck pain treating patients with spinal manipulation and physical therapy. Men’s Health 12/04.

NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 22 – True or false: The whey (the watery part) is the most nutritious part of yogurt or cottage cheese.

Answer is below.

IS BLUE BETTER? – no we aren’t talking about Viagra, but blue corn, usually milled for tortillas, pancake mixes, and corn chips, has more protein than white or yellow corn, as well as more zinc and more lysine (an amino acid, which is a building block of protein.) Blue corn also has a blue pigment that may be healthful, but no one knows how much survives in chips.

Yellow corn is richest in beta carotene. White and yellow corn have more boron, a trace mineral, than blue corn does.

Overall, corn chips are not rich in nutrients. Like potato chips, most corn chips are high in calories and fat. You are better off to pick those lowest in fat and sodium than buy by color. Baked chips are lowest in fat. Corn chips do contain some fiber, but you’d have to eat a lot of chips to consume significant amounts of fiber.

Corn itself is good low-fat food. To get the most nutrients, eat corn in less processed forms – such as cornmeal (in breads or polenta) or fresh, frozen, or canned corn. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 5/02.

BONE UP ON MAGNESIUM – it takes more than calcium and protein (and weight-bearing exercising) to maintain strong bones. According to research from Tufts University, magnesium may help keep the skeletal system healthy by preventing calcium and potassium from seeping out of bones. Magnesium is most abundant in unprocessed, whole foods, like spinach, yogurt, brown rice, bananas, and almonds. Men’s Health 10/03.

EYE OPTIONS – nearly half of all people wear eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct refractive errors. These errors, which arise from an imperfectly shaped eyeball, cornea (the front of the eyeball covering the pupil), or lens, are of three basic types. In myopia, or nearsightedness, focus falls in front of the retina and only nearby objects are clear. In hyperopia, or farsightedness, focus falls behind the retina and only faraway objects are clear. In astigmatism, the cornea is irregularly shaped and thus images are blurred. In addition, there is age-related Presbyopia which results when the lens of the eye loses some ability to focus on near objects. This condition affects almost everybody starting at 45 or 50, when reading glasses become a necessity.

Now there are surgical procedures, including implants, that can correct these problems, to a greater or lesser degree, by actually changing the shape of the cornea. Refractive surgery is a growth industry; about one million Americans had it done in 1999. As with all surgeries, there are risks associated with the procedure. A small percentage of people end up with worse vision. Prices start at about $2,000 per eye and the surgery is not covered by insurance.

The operation changes the shape of the cornea so that the refractive error is corrected. This is done on an outpatient basis, and the only anesthetic needed is a numbing drop in the eye. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes per eye. Sometimes both eyes are done at the same time; some surgeons will wait to see the results for the first eye before doing the second eye.

The new lasers used in these procedures (excimer lasers) vaporize tissue rather than cutting it, and are approved by the FDA for correcting mild to moderate nearsightedness. There are two basic techniques:

LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomilesis), a special device is used to cut a hinged flap of thin corneal tissue off the outer layer of the eyeball; the flap is then lifted out of the way. The laser then reshapes the underlying corneal tissue, and the surgeon replaces the flap, which quickly adheres with no stitches.

PRK (photorefractive keratectomy), the thin top layer of the cornea is simply removed and the cornea reshaped. The resulting abrasion takes at least a few days to heal. Vision may be hazy during that time. The risk of permanently having hazy vision or seeing starbursts and halos is greater than with LASIK.

Recent studies indicate that at least 80% of those undergoing either PRK or LASIK will have better than 20/40 vision. Many will achieve 20/20 vision, but even with 20/20, some people still see halos at night. Sometimes further surgery is required to make small corrections.

Those with mild myopia or astigmatism might consider intrastromal corneal rings, or Intacs. These half-moon plastic rings are implanted within the cornea. They do not require permanent alteration of the cornea and are surgically removable. The FDA approved them in 1999.

Finally, according to a Wake Forest University study, those who get LASIK in the summer are up to 50 percent less likely to wind up with perfect vision than those who get laser surgery in either the fall or winter. When it is humid, the eyes store more water, making it harder for the laser to make the proper corrections to the cornea. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 1/00, Men’s Fitness 8/04.

HOT LIPS? – when your mouth is on fire from too much hot pepper, water will not quench it. The burning component, capsaicin, binds to the taste buds and other receptors in the mouth and doesn’t dissolve in water. Instead, try milk, yogurt, or ice cream. Casein, the principal protein in milk, helps remove capsaicin from your mouth. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/03.

BUYING A NEW CAR? – opt for the side air bags. A study at the University of Alabama found that in frontal collisions, side air bags protected the head and neck as well as seatbelts and better than front air bags. Side air bags also reduced head injury by 75 percent in side collisions. Men’s Health 7/04.

NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: False. It does contain B vitamins and minerals and is low in fat, so it is worth stirring it back into the yogurt or cottage cheese. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.

DO YOU NEED TO STRETCH? – a study by the National Institutes of Health shows that stretching and strength training twice a week may help reduce the risk of exercise-related injury by about 45 percent. The total time spent stretching seems to matter more than the amount of time spent on any single stretch.

(The benefits of stretching before exercising have been debated, but post-exercise stretching seems to aid in muscle recovery, reduction of lactic acid which may reduce muscle soreness, and minimizing tightness of muscles after intense workouts. Added flexibility and range-of-motion all contribute to better fitness levels and less chance of injury. Apparently, as one ages, stretching and flexibility become even more important to leading an active and quality life and remaining injury-free. Cardiovascular exercising, strength training, proper nutrition, and post-exercise stretching are the basics of leading a healthy lifestyle-LK.) Men’s Health 10/03.