REPORTING POINT 10-05
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.
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
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 23 – True or false: A package of ground beef labeled “75% lean” is a good choice for a low-fat diet since only 25% of its calories come from fat.
Answer is below.
LOWERING THE “BAR” - after analyzing over a dozen studies, researchers writing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology determined that the healthiest LDL cholesterol level is in the 50- to 70-milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) range – almost half of the current “safe” range recommended by the American Heart Association. Even lowering LDL to 79 mg/dl reduces by an average of 36 percent levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for the inflammation that is a precursor of heart disease. When LDL is lowered to 110, CRP drops by only 5 percent. High LDL cholesterol levels may be lowered by eating foods rich in soluble fiber and monounsaturated fats. Men’s Health 7/04.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: False. This is the percentage of fat by weight, which is very different from the percentage of calories from fat. This deceptive labeling exists because of a loophole for ground beef allowed by the USDA. A patty of this meat (3 ounces after broiling) has about 235 calories and 16 grams of fat. If you multiply 16 by 9 (the number of calories in a gram of fat), you get 144, which is 62 percent. Of the total calories. Thus, “75% lean” really means nearly two-thirds of the calories come from fat. Even ground beef labeled “85% lean” derives about half of its calories from fat. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.
LIFT LESS, BURN MORE – after a heavy weight-lifting session, try a “back-off” set. Use a weight about 30 to 50 percent of the most you can lift one time and complete as many repetitions as you can for one last set. Researchers in Japan found subjects using this approach increased their levels of a hormone that signals the body to burn fat and build muscle. Do not use a weight lower than 30 percent of your max single for the “back-off” set. In the study, test subjects performed regular sets using weights that were 90 percent of their maximum. When they used a weight that was only 20 percent of their maximum the effects diminished. Men’s Health 10/03.
HOT TAP WATER FOR COOKING? - even though it seems convenient, pass on cooking with hot tap water. Compared with cold water, hot water is far more likely to leach lead and copper from the pipes. In 1986 the U.S. banned lead solder in copper plumbing, but older plumbing may still contain lead-soldered joints. It took until 1988 for the law to go into effect, and in some places, lead solder may still illegally be used. Brass plumbing parts may also contain lead. The longer water stands in the pipe, the more lead and copper is likely to dissolve.
If you need warm or hot water, take the time to heat it. The microwave is a quick solution. It is especially important to use only cold tap water to mix baby food or formula. Lead is especially dangerous for fetuses, infants, and children. Let the cold water run a minute or two to flush out standing water if the faucet has been closed for a while. Consider replacing old faucets with new low-lead models. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 10/04.
CARRY A TUNE – when your wife goes into labor, bring her favorite CD to the hospital. According to a Case Western University study, music significantly reduces a woman’s labor pains. Researchers say the music soothes women’s nerves, causing the pelvic muscles to relax. Men’s Health 1/04.
FOOD MYTHS – some foods sound healthy until you read the fine print on the label:
Fat-free cookies/cakes: usually have nearly as many calories as their full-fat counterparts. Calories do count!
Sugar-free cookies/candy: just as many calories as the regular version foods, just no sucrose (table sugar).
Wheat bread/crackers: “Wheat” means refined white flour (with little fiber) unless it is preceded by the word “whole.”
Fruit drinks, beverages, punch: little fruit juice – basically sweetened water.
Fruit pops: only distantly related to fresh fruits or their juices. Essentially frozen sweetened water.
Trail mix: its “high energy” comes from concentrated calories, largely fats – much of it saturated fat.
All-fruit jam: no more nutritious than regular jam – sugar is sugar.
Reduced-fat peanut butter: corn syrup solids replace nearly as many calories as regular peanut butter – the fat.
Granola bars: nutritionally more like candy bars than whole grains.
Spinach pasta: very little spinach and no nutritional advantages.
Chicken hot dogs: only a little better than pork/beef dogs, unless labeled “reduced fat.”
Frozen yogurts: usually lots of added sugar – some have 9 grams of fat per cup – compare labels.
Bran muffins: may contain no whole-wheat flour, but lots of eggs, butter, oil, sugar, and other sweeteners. A large bran muffin may have as much fat as a Big Mac and more than 500 calories.
Packaged “air-popped” popcorn: some brands are loaded with fat and trans-fats.
Banana chips: more like potato chips than bananas or dried fruit. Lots of fat, calories, and usually sugar with trans-fats from palm or other tropical oils.
Fast-food chicken or fish sandwiches: usually breaded and deep-fried. Nearly as many calories and as much fat as a Big Mac. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 5/02.
FRUIT AND VEGGIES BENEFIT – another reason to eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day: they may help prevent cervical cancer, according to a recent Arizona study. Women infected with human papilloma virus, certain strains of which promote cervical cancer, are more likely to recover from the infection and thus not go on to develop cervical cancer if they have high blood levels of certain nutrients, such as beta carotene and lycopene, found in fruits and vegetables. Previous studies found that eating lots of produce lowers the risk of cervical cancer and those women who consume the most lycopene are less likely to have precancerous cervical cells. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 2/03.
ENHANCED PSA TEST – researchers at Northwestern University developed a new test hundreds of times more accurate at detecting changes in levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) than existing methods. Researchers sandwich strands of DNA between tiny bits of gold called nano-particles and then analyze proteins from the DNA, looking for signs of cancer. Men’s Health1/04.
HOW LONG TO BREAST-FEED – the American Academy of Pediatrics’ latest guidelines say babies should be fed breast milk exclusively for six months, then given breast milk along with solid food for at least another six months.
That may seem like a long time, but it will probably mean fewer sick days and doctor visits since breast milk protects the child from ear infections, diarrhea, and perhaps even obesity later in life. Breast-feeding also lowers the mother’s risk of ovarian and breast cancers.
Despite the benefits to baby and mom, only one-third of mothers are breast-feeding at six months. If one year of breast-feeding is not an option, whatever the mother can do will help, especially during the first two weeks when the milk is particularly rich in disease-protective antibodies. Health 6/05.
COLON CANCER IN YOUR FAMILY? – ask your doctor about taking low-dose aspirin. A recent study provided further evidence that long-term daily use of aspirin, including “baby” aspirin (81 milligrams), helps prevent colon cancer in high-risk people. In the study, subjects had colon polyps, common growths that are usually benign but may turn cancerous. Doctors are not yet advising everyone to start taking aspirin for its anti-cancer effects because even low doses can cause stomach bleeding and ulcers. But if you are already taking low-dose aspirin for its cardiovascular benefits or regular doses for pain relief, there may be additional benefits in reducing colon cancer risk. One theory is that aspirin stops the production of enzymes needed for tumor growth. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/03.
LATE NIGHT DINING – after a busy, long duty day flying, you get to the hotel and realize that you literally have not had time to eat since leaving the previous hotel. Is it a good idea to have that big meal just before going to bed?
According to Heidi Skolnik, nutritionist for the New York Giants, allow an hour between last bite and bedtime. The body’s metabolism slows at night, and the contents of the stomach won’t be easily digested. Having a large meal before sleeping can interfere with sleep, but going to bed hungry can also interfere with needed rest.
Don’t deny yourself a light snack before retiring, but don’t order the Buffalo wings or cheese nachos either. Make it a light snack of fruit, a salad, or soup. Fatty meals before bedtime can interfere with rest patterns, and the digestive system, processing such a big meal, is sluggish. Men’s Health 1/04.
LOSE WEIGHT AND LOWER RISK – being overweight or obese increases the risk of dying from nearly all leading types of cancer. Increased risks are greater for women, and the risk rises for both genders with weight. The most obese are at greatest risk – more than 50 percent higher than normal-weight people. But even the moderately overweight have an increased risk of many kinds of cancer. About 31 percent of American adults are now obese, and another 34 percent are overweight. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/03.
SELENIUM SIDE EFFECT – individuals diagnosed with skin cancer may temporarily want to avoid taking selenium supplements. Researchers found that individuals taking selenium were 25 percent more likely to develop malignant skin cancer tumors than people not taking the supplement. Men’s Health 1/04
VITAMIN E BASICS – vitamin E is a family of four tocopherols, called alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Nearly all studies have used alpha tocopherol because this is the main form in the human body. It is also the most common form in supplements. Gamma also has been mixed with alpha tocopherol in many supplements recently.
Gamma tocopherol is the main form of vitamin E in foods. Several recent studies found that foods rich in vitamin E, but not E supplements (alpha tocopherol), reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. That may be due to the gamma tocopherol in foods.
Gamma appears to function differently in the body than alpha tocopherol, but less is known about it. It has anti-inflammatory properties but is less potent as an antioxidant than alpha. It may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers via other mechanisms, perhaps by trapping reactive compounds associated with these diseases. Low blood levels of gamma have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Some studies found that mixed tocopherols are better at preventing the clumping of platelets in the blood than alpha tocopherol. Other research indicates that alpha tocopherol supplements lower gamma tocopherol levels in the body.
Experts recommend taking a supplement containing mixed tocopherols and consuming foods rich in E – nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, whole grains, and leafy greens. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/03.
LYCOPENE IS NOT ALONE – almost every male knows that the antioxidant lycopene found in tomato products helps protect the prostate gland. According to a study from Japan, spinach may be one of the top foods for fighting prostate cancer. Researchers tried growing prostate cancer cells in different laboratory cultures, each of which had been supplemented with a different type of vitamin, including beta-carotene and lycopene. Of all the vitamins researchers tested, a compound called neoxanthin was most successful at preventing cell growth. Spinach has the highest concentration of neoxanthin.
Other studies show broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables reduce the risk of prostate cancer. They contain compounds called indoles, which may protect against several cancers. The study found that the body converts one of these indoles into a substance that inhibits growth of prostate cancer cells – at least in the test tube. Men’s Health 2/02, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 8/03.
