Health News

HEALTH NEWS

“Live healthy...Live well”

CREATINE HELPS BUILD MUSCLE – weight or resistance training by itself strengthens muscles and bone.

Creatine, a compound that makes energy available to muscles during times of high demand, can increase the benefits of resistance training. The liver and kidneys make about two grams of creatine every day from three amino acids (glycine, methionine, and arginine) that are in the protein we eat. Supplemental creatine is also sold over the counter as a powder and in pills.

Athletes and bodybuilders become stronger after taking supplemental creatine, and now we know that older men and women can benefit as well.

Creatine is a high-energy compound, so if you have more of it in your muscles, you can lift heavier weights more intensely and longer. Creatine also seems to turn on muscle-building genes, which direct muscle proteins to grow. Creatine also stimulates satellite cells, which are stem cells found in muscle. Satellite cells help form new muscle fibers after muscles have been damaged by injury, disease, or weightlifting. Creatine also prevents proteins from breaking down, which can help preserve bone.

Creatine works in both men and women, although many women do not like the fact that in the beginning it leads to water retention and increased body weight.

Taking creatine seems to work better in vegetarians, who do not get as much from their food and have lower levels in their muscles. People who eat red meat or seafood more than once a day may see less impact on their muscles.

If you want to try creatine, take one gram for every 20 pounds that you weigh, half before a strength-training session and half after. A 160-pound person would need 8 grams of creatine on exercise days. For an extra boost, combine the creatine with 20 to 25 grams of protein. Mixing two cups of skim milk with creatine and drinking half before a workout and half after would give you the protein amount suggested with the supplemental creatine.

There can be side effects like loose stools or cramping at the onset when someone takes too much. (Start off taking smaller amounts and work up to this recommended amount as you will experience these symptoms if you start out at this full dosage-LK.) Creatine makes the liver and kidneys work harder, which would not be a problem for a healthy exerciser. But if you have cirrhosis or kidney problems, check with your physician before taking creatine. Nutrition Action Healthletter 12/09.

OLDER PEOPLE AND VITAMIN D – older people with optimal blood levels of vitamin D have lower death rates than those with low levels, according to recent studies. One, in Nutritional Research, looked at 3,400 Americans over 65 during a seven-year period; the other, in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, focused on 700 women in their seventies over six years. Both of these studies found that those with low blood levels of vitamin D were 2.5 times more likely to die during that period than those with high levels. Accumulating research has linked vitamin D with a reduced risk of everything from osteoporosis, cancer, and heart disease to multiple sclerosis and age-related muscle weakness. The national Academy of Sciences is considering raising the official recommended intakes of vitamin D, with recommendations of getting 800 to 1,000 IU a day, especially for people over 60. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/09.

THE FULLNESS FACTOR – there is no magic fix for being overweight – no diet pill, supplement, or fad diet. One promising approach to weight loss has been to identify factors that promote satiety, the feeling of fullness. If you feel full longer, you are less likely to overeat later. In some cases, you may be able to eat more and still lose weight.

Satiety is a complex issue and some people eat beyond satiety, often for emotional reasons or boredom.

WAYS TO FEEL MORE FULL

Eat slowly. There is some evidence that slow eaters tend to feel more satisfied and eat less. Slow eating allows more time for satiety signals to reach the brain (it takes about 20 minutes). The process of chewing itself may also stimulate satiety signals. The concept of “mindful eating” includes eating slowly, paying attention to each bite, and being aware of your surroundings, so you eat less overall but enjoy your food more.

Start your meal with soup, salad, or fruit. Research by Dr. Barbara Rolls at Pennsylvania State University has shown that foods low in energy density – that is, with fewer calories relative to their weight/volume – increase satiety. Studies indicate that people who eat vegetable soup before lunch ate 20 percent fewer calories, on average, for that meal. Similar results were also seen for those who ate salads that are low in energy density and with whole apples eaten before meals.

However, starting a meal with high-calorie foods can increase the total number of calories you eat. Make sure that the soup eating is broth-based (not cream) and skip high-calorie salad add-on such as cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and croutons and use high-fat dressing sparingly. Choose whole fruit over juice.

Eat more protein. For some people, protein is more satiating than carbohydrates and fats. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity, showed that overweight people on a low-calorie diet who ate eggs for breakfast had greater weight loss than those eating a bagel breakfast with the same number of calories. Choose lean protein sources or those rich in healthy fats such as fish, nuts, and soy.

Drink water before meals. A study found that overweight older women who drank two cups of water a half hour before breakfast ate 74 fewer calories than when they did not drink the water, possibly because water delays stomach emptying, which reduces hunger and promotes fullness.

Perhaps more important than any individual food or food component in increasing satiety is choosing foods that are low in energy density.

Since people tend to eat the same amount of food a day, regardless of calories, eating low-energy-dense foods allows you to fill up on fewer calories. Consider grapes versus raisins. For the same 120 calories you can eat ¼ cup of raisins but more than a cup of grapes. The chances are that you will feel more full and more satisfied after eating the grapes. The best way to lower the energy density of your diet is to eat more foods with a high water and fiber content (fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, and cooked whole grains) in place of low-moisture and/or high-fat foods (such as cheese, crackers, and French fries).

CALCULATE ENERGY DENSITY

To calculate the energy density of a food, divide the calories by the number of grams in a serving (listed on the nutrition label). For example, a food that has 100 calories and weighs 200 grams (about seven ounces) has an energy density of 0.5. This simple calculation does not take into account many other factors that affect satiety, such as a food's volume and fiber content, which can also affect satiety.

Energy Density Examples Less than 1.0-eat freely Most vegetables and fruits, both-based soups, applesauce, tofu, most beans, salsa, nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese .

1.0 to 2.0-eat in moderation Fish, shrimp, pasta, rice, low-fat dairy, lean protein sources, sweet potatoes, corn, sorbet.

2.0 to 3.0-eat small potions Bread, waffles, most breakfast cereals, meat, ice cream, dried fruit, jam.

More than 3.0-eat sparingly Most cheese, cake, cookies, chocolate, butter, oils, salad dressing, fried foods, nuts, bacon.

University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 10/09.

LAB TESTS ONLINE - www.labtestsonline.org: this site provides information that help visitors understand lab tests that are part of routine medical care, as well as those that help diagnose and treat dozens of critical and chronic conditions. Resources on the site include descriptions of why lab test are important, how they are given, and how to interpret the results; a library of conditions linked to diagnostic test; and information on how to p0repare for specific tests and deal with pain, discomfort, and anxiety. Vitality 6/10.