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

BEVERAGES THAT CAN HARM YOUR TEETH – energy drinks (such as Red Bull) and sports beverages (such as Gatorade) can damage your teeth.  Highly acidic, they cause irreversible erosion of your teeth’s enamel and underlying dentin.  A study in General Dentistry tested 22 of these drinks on samples of tooth enamel and found that while sports drinks were erosive, energy drinks were twice as damaging.  Acidity levels varied among brands and even among flavors of the same brand.  Rinse your mouth with water after consuming such beverages, the researchers advised, but do not brush within an hour, since that can actually worsen the damage cause by the acids.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 09/12.

Take A Hike For Your Heart - Going for a hike, a jog, or taking a brisk walk every day could reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke by 50 percent. Researchers found that people who jog or who walk briskly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who lead more sedentary lives or who walk at slower speeds. British Heart Foundation, 10/12.

STRONTIUM FOR BONE HEALTH – found in small amounts in the soil, drinking water, and food, this chemical element is not classified as a nutrient, but the human body can absorb it and use it as if it were calcium.  One form, strontium ranelate, is sold as a prescription drug for osteoporosis in Europe and elsewhere, but not in the United States where the FDA considers it an “investigational new drug.”   Clinical trials have shown that it can reduce bone breakdown and promote bone growth as well as reduce fractures in older women.  Though short-term studies suggest that strontium is safer than bisphosphonates (such as Fosamax), not enough is known about its long-term safety.

            Strontium is sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement.  These products contain different forms of strontium (usually citrate) that have been less studied and are not standardized, so it is not known if they have the same effects as strontium ranelate.

            Strontium as a prescription treatment or as a supplement for osteoporosis is promising, but more research is needed.  For now, if you have osteoporosis, keep taking calcium and vitamin D, along with any drug your doctor may have prescribed.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 09/12.  

BEER FOR YOUR BONES - Twelve million older American men have bones that are getting thinner and more brittle each day. The bone-saving secret in beer is silicon, a chemical that stimulates collagen production. Collagen is a protein that makes your bones denser and your joints more flexible. Brews with the most hops and malted barley are the richest in silicon.  Bananas and brown rice also are silicon-packed. Other good food sources of silicon include cereals, apples, oranges, cherries, raisins, almonds, peanuts, raw cabbage, onions, carrots, pumpkin, cucumber, fish, honey, oats, unrefined grains/cereals with high fiber content, nuts and seeds.

 Men with osteoporosis are often also low in zinc, which is used in the bone-building process. If you don't eat zinc-rich foods like oysters, beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products, consider a 15 milligram zinc supplement. Add a bone-strengthening combo supplement with 600 milligrams of calcium, 1,000 international units of vitamin D3, and 200 to 300 milligrams of magnesium. Weight-bearing exercises like push-ups and hiking toughen up bones as well as muscles. Dietary calcium from green vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and edamame (soybeans) also helps keep your bones from becoming brittle, but limit dietary salt as it flushes calcium out of the body.  Real Age, 11/09/12, Article Alley, 04/07.

Cherries and Gout - Eating cherries over a two-day period reduced the risk of gout attacks by 35 percent. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 10/12.

ANATOMY OF STARBUCK’S BEVERAGES – the fancier the beverage, the higher in calories, fat, and added sugars:

            CAFFE AMERICANO (espresso, water)

                        15 cal /0 g fat/ 0 g sugar

            CAFFE LATTE (espresso, 2% milk)

                        190 cal/ 7 g fat/ 17 g sugar

            CAFFE MOCHA - no whip (espresso, 2% milk, mocha sauce)

                        260 cal/8 g fat/ 34 g sugar

            CAFFE MOCHA - with whip (espresso, 2% milk, mocha sauce, whipped cream)

                         330 cal/ 15 g fat/ 35 g sugar

            ICED PEPPERMINT MOCHA (espresso, 2% milk, mocha sauce, whipped cream, peppermint syrup, chocolate curls

                        390 cal/ 17 g fat/ 49 g sugar. Men’s Health, 03/12.

COFFEE REDUCES CANCER RISK – another potential benefit of coffee is that it may reduce the risk of head and neck cancers.  In a summary of nine previous studies on neck and head cancers, regular drinkers of caffeinated coffee had a lower risk of cancers of the mouth and pharynx (part of the throat behind the mouth), while there was no effect on cancer of the larynx (voice box). Data on decaf were too sparse to draw conclusions; teas had no effect on any of these cancers.

A German study of 42,000 found that people who consumed at least three cups a day of regular or decaffeinated coffee were about 25 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes over the nine-year period than those who drank little or no coffee.  Other studies have found comparable protection against diabetes, as well as Parkinson’s disease and gallstones. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 09/10, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 08/12.

LASIK RISK – the FDA has reported complaint letters from recipients of LASIK eye-surgery.  The complaints ranged from blurred eyesight, poor night vision, and other problems.  (About 5 percent of people are dissatisfied with the procedure, which uses a laser to permanently reshape the cornea). Further clinical evaluations are scheduled to investigate the quality of life post-LASIK.  Health, 09/08.

LACK OF SLEEP = WEIGHT GAIN – lack of sleep can cause weight gain.  A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found a new explanation for this via MRI scans.  When subjects slept only four hours a night for six nights and were then shown images of food, their brain activity (especially in areas that respond to pleasurable activities) increased much more than when they slept nine hours.  That would increase the likelihood of overeating, the researchers said.  Previous research suggested that lack of sleep can cause weight gain by affecting appetite hormones.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 08/12.

Grapes - Grape consumption is linked to healthier diet habits and higher intake of nutrients. Individuals who consume products made with grapes also have higher intake of the following: dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Grape consumption is associated with higher vegetable, whole grain, seed, and nut intake, as well as a decreased intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, and total fat, compared with adults who did not consume grape products. Grapes can assist in lowering blood pressure, strengthen blood flow, and lower inflammation in men suffering from metabolic syndrome. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food, 10/12.

ADDING GREEN = LEANER – according to Penn State University researchers, people who added a salad to their entrée consumed 11 percent fewer calories than when they ate no greens with their meal.  Eating a salad increases the body’s satiety levels without packing on significantly more calories since most healthy salads have a high-water content.  Men’s Health, 03/12.