Health News

REPORTING POINT 12/07
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 at http://health.theballfamily.org. It includes a search engine; just enter a key word to find past articles. LK

AVOID GETTING STONED – too much vitamin C may cause kidney stones. Researchers from Washington State University gave 2,000 mgs of vitamin C (more than 22 times the daily recommendation of 90 mgs) to test subjects for six days, 40 percent of the participants experienced a 10 percent increase in their levels of urinary oxalate, a building block of kidney stones. Instead of taking large doses of supplemental vitamin C, get vitamin C from healthy food sources. An 8-ounce can of orange juice and a bowl of fortified cereal contain about 200 mgs. Many nutritionists recommend limiting supplemental vitamin C to 500 mgs. per day and taking the supplements twice a day since what the body does not absorb is excreted. Men’s Health 11/05.

BEWARE OF OUTDOOR SMOKING – keep your distance from outdoor smokers. Indoor smoking bans in 25 states have smokers stepping outside to light up. Stanford University research reveals that secondhand smoke – which increases the risk for heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory infections – can be just as concentrated in outdoor gathering spots like patios or playgrounds as it is indoors. Just being near a smoker outdoors can expose you to 100 times the toxic pollutants in the air on a typical smoggy day. The Stanford University scientists recommend staying at least 12 feet from outdoor smokers (upwind, a 6-foot buffer zone is adequate). Health 10/07.

TRADE TURF FOR SURF – regularly consuming one serving of fish per day can cut the risk of developing colon cancer in half. A European study of over one-half million people found that red meat consumption increases the risk of the disease, while people who ate fish daily were 49 percent less likely to develop the cancer. Men’s Health 11/05.

MENTAL PERFORMANCE AND LACK OF SLEEP – people who are hard up for sleep are more likely to make risky decisions, like trying to run a yellow light, because they unrealistically expect a good outcome. This is the suggestion of a joint study from Duke University and the National University of Singapore, which shows that the part of the brain that is wired to help you learn from mistakes is less active when you are sleep-deprived. Even a two-hour deficit may affect brainpower and judgment. Consider this when pursuing long duty days into challenging weather situations which could require your best performance and judgment – it is hard to make good decisions when you are exhausted. Health 10/07.

YOGA FOR FLEXIBILITY AND STRENGTH - yoga can help you gain flexibility and strength, but do not expect it to burn many calories or provide a cardiovascular workout. A study showed previously sedentary women burned only 144 calories per 55 minute yoga session – about as many as a slow walk. The sessions, done three times a week for eight weeks, improved strength, flexibility, and balance. Some new fast-paced types of yoga, such as “power yoga,” can burn more calories and boost heart rate more (though not as much as true aerobic workouts), but that increases the risk of injury and may reduce the flexibility and relaxation benefits. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 1/06.

ALL TYPES ARE BAD – all forms of tobacco can cause a heart attack. It does not matter whether you smoke cigarettes, cigars, a pipe, chew tobacco, or use a water pipe. Any tobacco use at least doubles the risk, and in some cases quadruples it, according to a Canadian study in the Lancet.
And if you are trying to quit smoking, take a walk when you get a craving. Any low-intensity exercise – walking, cycling, even stretching – may be enough to curb a craving and also reduce irritability, poor concentration, and other withdrawal symptoms, according to a review of 14 studies in the journal Addiction. It might even be as effective as, if not better than, oral nicotine-replacement therapy, other research shows. Nicotine gum, for instance, can take 10 minutes to kick in, while the benefit of a walk is immediate. Exercise may help by reducing tension and increasing the same mood-enhancing chemicals that nicotine boosts.
If you still cannot give up tobacco, consider taking an aspirin daily. Smokers who take a daily NSAID (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as aspirin or ibuprofen) can lower their risk of oral cancer.