Health News

REPORTING POINT 11/13

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

CHEESE FOR YOUR SMILE – it’s no replacement for your toothbrush, but cheese may help prevent cavities.  In a study published in the journal Caries, people who ate cheese (just 1/3 ounce) after rinsing with a sugar solution had a rapid decrease in acidity, which lowers the risk of cavities.  Older studies have found a similar protective acid-buffering effect.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 03/09.

CAUTION WITH AYURVEDIC MEDICINES – these traditional Indian remedies come in two types – herbal-only and rasa shastra.  In the latter type, the herbs are combined with lead, mercury, or arsenic, which Ayurvedic practitioners claim are safe and effective.  A study from the Boston Medical Center recently found dangerously high levels of these heavy metals in many products, whether made in the U.S. or India.  About 40 percent of the rasa shastra products had high levels, but so did 17 percent of the herbal-only products.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 01/09.

USE A SECOND COAT – applying two layers of sunscreen may be the best way to avoid a burn.  A Japanese study found that people who applied sunscreen used only about 60 percent of the amount needed to achieve the promised SPF.  When they added a second coat, they got 100 percent of the sunscreens’ SPF protection.  The extra layer will thicken the UV barrier and also covered spots missed on the first application.  Men’s Health, 05/13.

TEA WITH YOUR MEAL? – when mice were fed EGCG, an antioxidant found in green tea, along with a starchy meal, the rise in their blood glucose was 50 percent lower than the rise experienced by mice given starches only.  The study authors say EGCG may reduce the activity of an enzyme that helps break down starches, blunting blood-sugar spikes as a result.  Future studies may yield similar results in humans.  Men’s Health, 04/13.

FAT FACTS – WHERE DOES THE FAT GO?  When you enjoy a fatty treat, like a milk shake, the fat gets broken down in your mouth and stomach, and then goes to your small intestine.  There, it mixes with bile salts to form emulsion droplets, then enters the bloodstream.  The fat molecules, now called chylomicrons, are sent to the liver, and then shipped to other body parts, where they may either:

a.    Be used for energy. (They may also stay in the liver to be used for fuel there, if necessary.) Or, if your body’s cells already have all the energy they need, the chylomicrons can…

b.    Go to build biological components, such as cell membranes (omega-3 fats are especially likely to be used for this). They may also…

c.    Be stored for later use as fat. But this happens when you eat carbs and protein, too.  Anytime you have excess calories, regardless of what kind of food they come from, the liver converts them to fat.

GOOD FATS – Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), found in plant foods like nuts, avocados, olive oil, and canola oil, and in poultry.

MUFAs can actually lower cholesterol levels, and in doing so, the risk of heart disease.  A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that replacing a carb-rich diet with one high in monounsaturated fats can do both, and reduce blood pressure, too.

            Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), found in fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon, and corn and soybean oils.

            Like MUFAs, PUFAs have been shown to improve cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease risk.  One type is the omega-3 fatty acid, which is plentiful in some kinds of fish-not to be confused with omega-6 fatty acids, found in meats, corn oil, and soybean oil.  Some research finds that Americans eat about 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3; we should be only getting 4 times as much.  To do this, substitute fish for meat occasionally in your diet.

            USE-IN-MODERATION FATS – Saturated fat, found in meat and dairy products such as cheese, butter, and milk.

            Consuming saturated fat raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.  The link to increased risk of heart disease and stroke from consuming large amounts of saturated fat is well documented.  However, some saturated fats do seem to have healthful benefits.  Lauric acid, a type of saturated fat abundant in coconut oil appears to lower heart disease risk in some studies. 

Many dieticians now recommend that most of the fat that we consumed be unsaturated and that you reduce your weekly intake of red meat and use olive oil instead of butter when possible.

BAD FAT – Trans-fat, found in some fried foods, shortening, and packaged snacks like crackers and desserts.

Trans-fat – found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, raises LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol.  A high LDL/low HDL combination can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.  Partially hydrogenated oil remains a fairly common ingredient in processed foods, in part because adding hydrogen to vegetable oil gives it a longer shelf life.

            Experts agree that trans-fat should be cut from your diet altogether.  Limiting your intake of processed foods, commercial snacks, and fast food will aid you in avoiding trans-fats.  (Read food labels…any mention of “hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils” means that you are getting trans-fats.  Food manufacturers are allowed to show “zero trans fats” if the food product contains 0.5 grams of trans-fat per serving or less.- LK)

EAT FAT-LOSE WEIGHT – Fat has 9 calories per gram compared to 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates or protein.  However, consuming good fats may increase a sense of satiety, which means you will consume less of it and will likely be less tempted to snack later. Some studies have also indicated that certain fats work to help you stay slim – Harvard researchers found that people who ate nuts regularly gained less weight over a four-year period than those who did not.  Foods labeled “reduced fat” or “fat-free” can actually contain more calories than their full-fat counterparts, because the fat has been replaced with sugar, starch, and other fillers with little or no nutritional value.

Most of the dairy you consume should be of the reduced-fat variety to lower saturated fat and calorie intake. 

However, three foods that you should consider buying full-fat are peanut butter (reduced fat peanut butter tends to have sugar, salt, and corn syrup added while the full-fat version contains the good fats), cheese (full-fat cheese in moderation seems to result in greater satisfaction and fullness than the reduced-fat version), and salad dressing (the oil in salad dressing tends to be soybean, canola, or olive-all good fats.)

The American Heart Association recommends that unsaturated fats make up 18 to 28 percent of the calories in our diets, with no more than 7 percent of our daily calories coming from saturated fat.  The best food sources of dietary fat should be from vegetable oils, fish, and plant-based foods.  Health, 04/12.

STOP SNACK CRAVINGS –a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reports that antioxidants in coffee may help the body stave off hunger by increasing the levels of peptide YY, a stomach hormone that regulates appetite.  The report indicates that black coffee was effective at appetite-suppression; milk may reduce the effectiveness of the antioxidants.  Men’s Health, 04/13.