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
KIDNEY
STONE/STROKE LINK – if you have had a kidney stone, you may be
at increased risk of a stroke. According
to research from Taiwan, people diagnosed with kidney stones were 50 percent
more likely to have a stroke within the next five years than those who never
had stones. Kidney stones are caused by
excess calcium and oxalates in the urine, along with not enough citrate, a
combination that may promote the hardening of arteries in the brain. Men’s
Health, 09/12.
VITAMIN D FOR COLDS AND
FLU –
vitamin D may help reduce the risk of colds and flu. In a published Yale study, healthy adults
with higher blood levels of vitamin D during the fall and winter were less
likely to develop viral respiratory infections than those with lower
levels. In a 2009 large nationwide study
published in the Archives of Internal
Medicine similar results were found.
A Japanese study in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that schoolchildren given vitamin D supplements (1,200 IU a day) throughout
winter were 40 percent less likely to develop the flu. Vitamin D plays several important roles in
aiding the immune system. University of California Berkeley Wellness
Letter, 09/10.
Olive Oil: the Good and the Not So Good
By Christine Kline, R.D.,
CNSC
You might have read articles letting you know how wonderful olive oil
can be for your health, which can be very true. However, choosing the correct type of olive
oil, and how you use it in cooking, and how much you use can also lead to some
negative outcomes.
First: The Good.
Helping your Heart: Olive oil is made up of 75 percent of its fat
from oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat. Canola oil is the second highest oil with 60
percent monounsaturated fat. Eating a diet
low in saturated and higher in unsaturated fats has shown to reduce
blood LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.
Polyphenols in olive oil have an anti-inflammatory affect and help
protect the cells that line our blood vessels from being damaged. Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants which
further protect the blood cells from damage and also prevent the clumping of
platelets which can clog our blood vessels.
Cancer: A study done a the Mario Negir Institute for Pharmacological
Research Institute in Milan, Italy found olive oil played a part in reducing
cancer of the breast, lungs, and digestive system.
Possible Bone Health and
Cognitive Benefits: Some animal studies have
shown improved bone health with those eating olive oil and also improved
cognitive function. However, true value
will have be to studied in humans.
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132
Second: The
Not So Good:
Even
though olive oil has many health properties, if not used correctly, these good
properties may be reduced and unhealthy properties may even appear.
Weight Control: Olive oil, like all fats, is still a fat and
very high in calories: 120 calories in 1
TBSP. Using too much of this "good
thing" can result in unwanted weight gain.
Nutritional Values of olive
oils can easily change depending on the type of oil you choose, how you store
it, and why you use it.
Variable Smoke Point: Depending on the type of olive oil you select
and where and how long you store it can affect its "smoke point,"
which is the point where fat is generally not considered safe as its character
changes which can not only change the
flavor of the oil but also oxidize and change the good nutrients so they are no
longer beneficial and may result in formation of acryl amide and oxygen
radicals. Even inhaling the smoke or vapors from the heated oil can be
unhealthy. Note: Some of these changes
can occur even before the smoke point so it is best not to use oils with a
lower smoke point for cooking.
Examples
of Smoke Points of various oils include:
Safflower Oil: 475-500
Sunflower, Soybean, and Clarified
Butter: 450 -475
Canola Oil 425-475
Corn Oil 400-450
Lard 375
Olive Oil 325-375**
Butter 350
Vegetable Shortening (Hydrogenated) 325
(info
from Harlan; website DrGourmet (http://www.drgourmet.com/). Dr. Harlan is
assistant professor of clinical medicine at Tulane University)
Type of olive oil and storage can affect the smoke point. Many references offer different smoke points
because of this. See more information
below on factors affecting smoke points and nutrition content.
Below
are some tips on how to select, store, and use olive oil to make sure it is
healthful and not harmful.
Preparing
food with Olive Oil:
Per Dr. Robert Wolke's article "Where There's Smoke, There's
a Fryer," (5/16/2007),"Oils
with a higher percent of free fatty acids, fragments of whole fat molecules,
have a lower smoke point because such acids burn easily". Conversely
highly refined oils with less fatty acids have higher smoke points. The lighter the oil the more refinement. Extra-virgin or virgin olive oil are less
refined and have lower smoke points (often <300 accelerates="accelerates" an="an" and="and" any="any" breakdown="breakdown" constant="constant" cooking.="cooking." do="do" drop="drop" even="even" expose="expose" food="food" for="for" from="from" heat="heat" into="into" it="it" its="its" longer="longer" lower="lower" lowers="lowers" more.="more." nbsp="nbsp" not="not" note="note" o:p="o:p" oil="oil" particles="particles" point.="point." point="point" points="points" re-use="re-use" reason="reason" remain="remain" small="small" smoke="smoke" that="that" the="the" this="this" to="to" used="used" when="when" you="you">
Extra-virgin and virgin olive oil (the least processed) are the
healthiest of the olive oils as they have the highest number of nutrients when
used in salad dressing and preparing food other than cooking. Also, olive oil labeled "pure" is a
blend of refined and unrefined oils which is not as healthy as extra virgin and
virgin.
Selecting
and Storing Olive Oil.
Olive oil easily loses it health benefits or even becomes rancid
depending on the way it is bottled and stored.
True
contents of olive oil may vary from company to company. Those companies which adopt the IOOC (International Olive Oil Council )
standards for International Brands or COOC
(California Olive Oil Council) for United States companies list the contents of
their oils truthfully. Look for these letters on each bottle. For French oils,
look for AOC, Italian, look for DPO and Spanish: DO for higher quality oils.
Storage:
Length: Olive oil stored properly
and used within one to two months has the least negative affect on its health
benefits and taste. Purchase only the
amount you will use in that time.
Light: Light degrades olive oil; tinted glass bottles and metal containers are
best. Transferring the oil to a sealed
ceramic container also works. Store all
oil in a light proof area.
Temperature: Oil at room temperature will usually last
7-10 days. Transfer the amount you will
use into a small container for this period and refrigerate the rest or keep all
in the refrigerator. Chilled oil with
solidify and turn dark, however, returns to normal once back to room
temperature. Store the un-refrigerated
oil in a cool, dark place; never by the
stove or heat
Food preparation: As above, olive oil is best used for non-cooking
food preparation. If you plan to use some
olive oil for a quick sautéing at low heat, use the lighter, highly-refined
oils, not the virgin or extra virgin. An
alternative to cooking with olive oil would be canola oil which is rich in
heart-healthy unsaturated fat (alpha-linolenic acid-an omega-3 fat). It is a good, inexpensive choice as a cooking
or salad oil.
Summary:
Selecting
the right type of olive oil and using it in preparing versus cooking food will
ensure that you will receive the great health benefits that it provides.
References:
If Olive Oil is High in
Fat, Why is it Considered Healthy? Donald Hensrud, MD
What's in your Olive Oil? by Gina Shaw and reviewed
by Dr. Laura J Maring in WebMD
Where There's Smoke,
There's a Fryer: By Robert L Wolke, May
16, 2007
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132
website DrGourmet (http://www.drgourmet.com/)
University
of California Berkeley Wellness Letter , 11/11.
Exercise When You're Sick - The choice to exercise or
not sometimes depends on the sickness or disease. Our bodies work harder and
use more energy when we are fighting an illness. If symptoms are above the neck
(sore throat, runny nose), it is probably okay to exercise. If you're sick but
still want to exercise, simply reduce your intensity and duration. You should
not exercise if you have body aches, fever, diarrhea or vomiting, shortness of
breath or chest congestion, dizziness or light-headedness. When resuming your
regular exercise routine, try starting with 50 percent effort and 50 percent
duration. Loyola University
Health System, 11/12.
