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.
