Health News

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

email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net

Past issues of “Health News” are available at http://livehealthy-livewell.blogspot.com/.  It includes a search engine; just enter a key word to find past articles.  LK

VITAMIN K FOR YOUR BONES – according to a review in Nutrition Research that looked at seven large studies, high doses of the vitamin (at least 200 micrograms from supplements) improved bone quality and reduced fracture risk in postmenopausal women. Though it has little or no direct effect on bone mineral density, vitamin K may activate osteocalcin, a protein that help bones utilize calcium.  It is too early to recommend high-dose supplements, but it is a good idea to get more vitamin K in your diet – notably from broccoli, spinach, kale, and other leafy green vegetables.  Multivitamins and bone-health supplements often provide small amounts (10 to 25 micrograms). Vitamin K can interfere with the anticoagulant warfarin (Coumadin), so if you take this drug, talk to your doctor about how much vitamin K is safe to consume. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 10/09.

BEST WAYS TO REDUCE SALT INTAKE – 77 percent of the average person’s salt intake comes from processed foods and restaurant meals.  As food manufacturers and chefs eliminate trans-fats, they have been adding salt to add flavor.  To lower dietary intake of sodium, look for food labels that have the phrase “low sodium” or “sodium-free,” and eat fresh produce instead of processed foods whenever possible.  Try seasoning meals with other favor enhancers like pepper, herb, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, or wine.  Beware of consuming foods loaded with added sodium like cold cuts, Parmesan cheese, many canned soups and sauces and foods like pizza.  When eating out, request sauces or dressings served on the side to limit portions.  Men’s Health 7/10.

WEIGHT LOSS CAN HELP REDUCE HOT FLASHES – research has shown that overweight women tend to have more frequent or severe hot flashes than their leaner counterparts.  A study from UC San Francisco tested this notion by putting overweight or obese women, half of whom had hot flashes, on a six-month weight-loss program.  Compared to a control group, the women who lost weight (an average of 17 pounds) reported significant reductions in hot flashes.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 10/10.

ANTIOXIDANTS 101 – antioxidants fight free radicals, which are unstable molecules in the body that can cause DNA mutation.  Even though free radicals have been linked to serious conditions like heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer, they are not necessarily villains – they are also the byproducts of a basic metabolic process called oxidation. They are absolutely essential to life.  Immune cells will “shoot” free radicals onto invading bacteria in order to kill them.  They are in important part of the body’s defenses.

            Too many free radicals, on the other hand, are harmful. Pollutants, cigarette smoke, and sun overexposure can generate so many free radicals that the normal antioxidant defenses become overwhelmed, leaving the body vulnerable to cell damage and disease.  Some researchers also link free-radical oxidation with aging. That is the body’s use of antioxidants – to make sure that there are adequate antioxidant defenses to combat all the excess free radicals.

            The entire plant kingdom, including beans, nuts, seeds and grains, contains antioxidants.  Plants produce antioxidants to fight against predators and UV radiation.  Refined grains have been stripped of most of their antioxidant properties.

            All antioxidants are not created equal.  Any molecule that protects the cells against oxidation is technically an antioxidant. This includes familiar nutrients like vitamins, as well as more unfamiliar types of antioxidants like flavonoids and polyphenols – about 8,000 varieties in all.

            All antioxidants do not operate the same way.  Some antioxidants excel at fighting certain types of free radicals while others are effective only in specific parts of a cell.  Others can only fight free radicals only under the right conditions.

            Working out leads to more oxidation and an increase in free radicals. Scientists speculate that the oxidative stress triggered by exercise promotes insulin sensitivity and weight loss, and possibly reduces the risk of diabetes.  In this case, cellular free-radicals have an initial beneficial effect. 

            Eating a diet with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables can ensure sufficient antioxidants to combat free-radical damage. Men’s Health 6/10.

LOW-DOSE ASPIRIN – those taking low-dose aspirin for their heart may also be reducing their risk of colon cancer.  Accumulating research suggests that people taking aspirin or related drugs (such as ibuprofen) for pain relief are less likely to develop colon cancer. Studies indicate that just one baby aspirin (81 milligrams) taken daily for five years reduced colon cancer risk.  Talk to your physician about daily aspirin therapy if you have a strong family history of colon cancer or have already had polyps discovered.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/10.

DO YOU NEED A SPORTS DRINK? – unless you are exercising strenuously for more than an hour, you do not need a sports drink.  A 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade has 275 milligrams of sodium.  1,500-milligrams of sodium a day is the maximum recommend as the daily limit for people over 40.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/10.

PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS – a Johns Hopkins study found that men who gained five or more pounds prior to or up to a year after prostate surgery were nearly twice as likely to battle cancer again than those who maintained their weight.  Obesity and weight gain are associated with inflammation which might influence prostate-cancer recurrence. Men’s Health 7/10.

HEAVY WEIGHTS NOT NECESSARY – it is not necessary to lift heavy weights to gain muscle.  Lighter weights may be even more effective – provided they are lifted to fatigue, according to a study from McMaster University in Canada.  Test subjects who lifted lighter weights (30 percent of the maximum they could lift) to fatigue (at least 24 repetitions) stimulated production of new muscle proteins more than those lifting heavier weights (90 percent of their maximum) to fatigue (3 to 5 repetitions).  This is encouraging for anyone who cannot lift heavier weights due to illness, age, or other reasons.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/10.

BUYING GROUND BEEF? – look for “extra lean” with the lowest percent fat.  Labels on ground beef can be misleading.  They typically give the percent fat or percent lean, by weight.  By law, raw “lean” ground beef contains no more than 22 percent fat; “extra-lean” no more than 15 percent.  But even extra-lean beef can be fatty – 4 ounces of uncooked ground beef that is listed as 15 percent fat has 17 grams of fat (most of it saturated), which means that 63 percent of its 243 total calories are fat.  Ground beef that is 90 percent lean (10 percent fat by weight) has 11 grams of fat (50 percent of its 200 calories total) in 4 ounces.  (Think in terms of percentage of fat in calories consumed to properly compare foods-LK)

            When selecting cuts of beef like steaks, prime beef is the fattiest.  Select is the leanest and choice is in the middle.  Nutrition Action Healthletter 10/10, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 10/09.