REPORTING POINT 5/10
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
NATURE’S ENERGY GEL – raisins provide the same cardio boost as energy gels do. When San Diego State scientists had cyclists consume 3.5 ounces of raisins or a similarly carbo-packed gel before training, they found that both enhanced performance equally.
Raisins, however, also deliver antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins, and at a fifth of the cost of gels, raisins are an economical choice. Men’s Health 5/08.
AMERICANS ARE GETTING LARGER BY THE YEAR - the average daily calorie intake of American adults increased by about 500 calories between the early 1970s and the early 2000s, and by 350 calories for children.
That is more than enough to explain the 19 pound average weight gain in adults and 9 pound increase in kids during this period. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 12/09.
B VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS? - do not take B vitamin supplements in the hope they will help prevent heart disease or strokes. Some early research suggested that certain B vitamins, notably folic acid, B12, and B6, might reduce the risk by lowering blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with cardiovascular disease. But subsequent research has been disappointing, and a new analysis from the Cochrane Collaboration of eight of these studies concluded that there is no evidence to support the use of B vitamins as a preventive. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 2/10.
FLOSS OR BRUSH FIRST? – most dentists recommend flossing first. Flossing first will not only lessen the chance that you will skip this vital ritual altogether, but it will also help ensure that whatever flotsam is stirred up by flossing does not stay in the mouth.
With this sequence, you can disrupt plaque and dislodge food particles from between the teeth, which can then be better removed by brushing.
Choose floss that is the easiest to slip between the teeth.
A study published in the Journal of Periodontology compared different kinds of flosses, including unwaxed, waxed, and shred-resistant and found almost no difference in their ease of use or overall effectiveness. Men’s Health 5/08.
DO COPPER BRACELETS WORK? – copper bracelets and magnetic wrist straps do not reduce pain and other symptoms of osteoarthritis, despite the claims. In a study from the University of York in England, people with arthritis wore a commercially available magnetic wrist strap, a weak magnetic wrist strap, a copper bracelet, and a demagnetized wrist strap (the placebo) in random order, each for four weeks, and found no difference in pain , stiffness, or physical function. People have tried almost everything to relieve arthritis – from cow dung poultices to raisins soaked in gin. Arthritis pain waxes and wanes, and thus remedies often seem to work because people try them when they are in significant pain, and when the pain eventually eases, they tend to credit whatever they are trying at the time. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 2/10.
NUKE YOUR SPONGE TO BE GERM-FREE - University of Florida researchers confirm that nuking a sponge kills more than 99 percent of germs. Soak the sponge in water before placing it in the microwave for two minutes. Don't microwave a soapy sponge as it could release potentially toxic fumes, and use caution (use tongs) when removing the sponge as it will be very hot. Health 6/07.
SELENIUM AND CHOLESTEROL - earlier studies suggested that taking extra selenium may raise the risk of diabetes and non-melanoma skin cancer. If new findings are borne out, extra selenium may also raise LDL (bad) cholesterol.
British scientists measured selenium and cholesterol in the blood of roughly 1,000 men and women aged 19 to 64 who participated in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
Those with the highest selenium levels also had the highest levels of LDL cholesterol.
Do not take selenium supplements or daily multivitamins that contain more than 55 micrograms (mcg) of selenium. That is the government's Recommended Dietary Allowance.
Although this study is not proof that too much selenium raises cholesterol, there is no good reason to take more of the trace element than you might get naturally from food sources. Nutrition Action Healthletter 1/10.
DELAYING DIABETES - diet and exercise can delay diabetes for at least a decade and those lifestyle changes work better than a popular drug.
In the late 1990's, the Diabetes Prevention Program randomly assigned, to one of three groups, 3,200 people who were at risk for diabetes because they were overweight or obese and had fasting blood sugar levels that were elevated (at least 95 mg/dl) but no high enough to warrant a diagnosis of diabetes (126 mg/dl or higher).
Those assigned to the intensive lifestyle group were encouraged to lose at least 7 percent of their body weight and to exercise for at least 2 1/2 hours a week. The drug group was given the oral diabetes drug metformin (850 milligrams twice a day), and the placebo group was given look-alike but inactive pills.
In 2001, the researchers halted the study one year earlier than planned because the results were so clear: the risk of diabetes was 58 percent lower in the intensive lifestyle group than in the placebo group. Metformin cut the risk by 31 percent versus the placebo.
In a follow-up study, the researchers invited the people from all three of the original groups to attend coaching sessions on intensive lifestyle changes every three months. During the next six years, the people from the original intensive lifestyle group maintained their lower risk of diabetes, while the risk of people from the original drug and placebo groups declined.
But since the people in the original lifestyle group had a head start, their 10-year risk of diabetes was 34 percent lower than the risk of those in the original placebo group. The metformin group's risk was 18 percent lower than the original placebo group's risk. Nutrition Action Healthletter 1/10.
Season Your Way to Health
Antioxidants are very important chemicals which are used by our body to enhance our immune systems and reduce inflammation which may be a factor in many chronic diseases. Dark colored fruits and vegetables are the more commonly know sources of antioxidants. Another great source of antioxidants which is not as well known is that of spices. .
For example: ½ tsp. of ground cinnamon contains as many antioxidants at ½ cup of raspberries. ½ tsp. of oregano leaves contain as many antioxidants as 3 cups of fresh spinach!
To compare the antioxidant values of different foods, a measurement system known as
The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) level has been developed. Below is a list of some of the ORAC values of spices compared to fruits and vegetables to:
Serving Size ORAC
Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp. 6956
Pomegranate Juice ½ cup 5853
Blueberries ½ cup 4848
Turmeric, Ground 1 tsp 3504
Raspberries ½ cup 3002
Strawberries ½ cup 2969
Oregano dried ½ tsp 1801
Asparagus ½ cup, chopped 1441
Almonds 1 oz 1263
Curry Powder 1 tsp. 970
Red Grapes ½ cup 951
Green Pepper ½ cup chopped 688
Broccoli ½ cup chopped 620
Ground Ginger 1 tsp. 519
Spinach 1 cup 455
Thyme 1 tsp 407
Carrots 1 med 406
Paprika 1 tsp 376
Rosemary 1 tsp 364
Tomatoes ½ c. chopped 330
Cantaloupe ½ c. chopped 250
Chris Kline, RD, CNSD
NO HELP FROM COHOSH - the herb black cohosh did not curb hot flashes caused by menopause in the longest and largest trial done to date.
Researchers randomly assigned women aged 45 to 55 who reported at least two hot flashes a day to get:
-black cohosh (160 milligrams a day),
-a multi-herb supplement with black cohosh (200 mg a day) and nine other herbs,
- the multi-herb supplement plus advice to consume more soy foods,
-estrogen replacement therapy, or
-a placebo.
After one year, the women who took black cohosh or the multi-herb supplement (with or without the soy advice) were just as likely to report hot flashes as the women who took the placebo. As expected, estrogen cut symptoms significantly. Annuals of Internal Medicine 145:869, 2006.
SELENIUM AND PROSTATE CANCER - higher blood levels of selenium may cut the risk of prostate cancer, but only in men who have higher intakes of vitamin E or who take multivitamins.
Among men who reported taking multivitamins or consuming at least 28 IU a day of vitamin E (from food or supplements), those with the highest blood levels of selenium had roughly a 40 percent lower risk of prostate cancer. Multivitamins typically contain around 30 IU of vitamin E.
It is not clear why selenium appeared to protect only men who take vitamin E or multivitamins. Results from the SELECT trail - which is now testing selenium and/or vitamin E on prostate cancer risk in 35,000 men - are due in 2013. Until then, it makes sense to take a multivitamin that contains roughly 55 micrograms of selenium. Nutrition Action Healthletter 3/07.
