Health News

REPORTING POINT 12/13

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

PROTECT YOUR SMILE – after your morning coffee, wait 30 minutes to brush your teeth.  Acidic foods and beverages weaken enamel, and brushing immediately after consuming them can cause further damage.  Men’s Health, 05/13.

GLUTEN FACTS – there has been much in the media about gluten-free dieting…from Dr. Oz to diet books touting its benefits. Gluten is a protein found in wheat.  Just 0.71 percent of Americans experience an abnormal immune system reaction to gluten.  If eating wheat products seems to cause gastrointestinal discomfort, canker sores, or a rash, try keeping a food log when these symptoms occur, listing what food was consumed and when.  If gluten is the common factor, go without it for two weeks while keeping up with the dietary diary.  At the end of this washout period, revert to the former diet with your normal gluten intake for two more weeks.  If you react to the inclusion of gluten in the diet, you may wish to eliminate gluten foods permanently. Your physician can order blood tests that can detect some of the antibodies associated with celiac disease. Remember to keep eating gluten foods before the test to obtain accurate test results. Men’s Health, 04/13.

EXERCISE FOR ALLERGY RELIEF? – According to a study from Thailand, exercise can help relieve allergy symptoms.  After allergy sufferers ran for 30 minutes, their sneezing, runny nose, and nasal itching and congestion all decreased by more than 70 percent.  One theory is that cardio exercise decreases inflammatory proteins in the nasal passages.  The scientists recommend a moderate pace (65 to 70 percent of your heart rate reserve - calculated by subtracting your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate).  Maximum heart rate is your age multiplied by 0.7 and then subtract the result from 207. Men’s Health, 04/13.

SUNSCREEN USE SLOWS SKIN AGING – an Australian study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine provides compelling evidence that daily sunscreen use reduced photo-aging (the visible signs of aging caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays) by 24 percent.  The study’s test subjects used a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15.  Besides reducing the visible effects of aging on the skin, the study’s subjects also reduced their risk of skin cancer.  USA Today, 6/4/13.

MINIMIZING PROSTATE CANCER RISK – “maintaining a healthy weight is good for preventing chronic disease,” states a researcher who is an expert in the epidemiology of prostate diseases at the Washington University School of Medicine.  Research from Europe showed that men with the most visceral fat (the belly fat that surrounds the organs in your core) also had the highest risk of prostate cancer.  That is because visceral fat produces inflammatory substances that disturb the metabolism and promote the growth of cancerous cells.  To aid in reducing weight, increase your intake of fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidant flavonoids, such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, onions, and greens.  The fiber can fill you up while the flavonoids may lower our risk of aggressive prostate cancer.  Besides eating a healthier diet, increasing workouts, especially with high-intensity interval training is a proven way to reduce visceral fat. 

Green tea has long been touted by the Chinese for its medicinal value. The green tea health benefits could include cutting a man's risk of advanced prostate cancer by half. How much do you need to drink? In a study, men who drank 5 or more cups of green tea per day had half the risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with men who sipped less than a cup a day. Another way to ensure a healthy prostate: Avoid a diet high in saturated fat and include plenty of fruits and veggies in your diet. Men’s Health, 03/13, Real Age 07/31/13.

MAGNESIUM-RICH FOODS MAY REDUCE RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER – a study and research analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that this potential benefit was only valid in overweight or obese people over 55.  In the analysis, which included data from nine previous studies, each 100-milligram daily increase in dietary magnesium was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer.  That is the amount in four ounces of fish, a cup of beans, two ounces of peanuts, or half a cup of cooked spinach.  Most other studies have confirmed these results.  Magnesium-rich foods also have healthful benefits for the heart, bones, and blood sugar control.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, 01/13.

WARNING: DO NOT MIX – even the most common supplements can have surprising interactions with drugs and other supplements.  Below are just a few:

            FISH OIL- Taking fish oil with blood pressure-lowering drugs can increase the effects of these drugs and may lower blood pressure too much.  Taking high doses of it with herbs that slow blood clotting (including ginkgo) may cause bleeding.

            CALCIUM- Calcium can reduce the absorption of many medications, including certain prescription osteoporosis drugs; antibiotics in the tetracycline and quinolone families (like Cipro); and levothyroxine, which treats hypothyroidism.

            ECHINECEA- Echinacea’s alleged ability to stimulate the immune system may interfere with drugs that decrease the immune system, such as the steroid prednisone.

            MELATONIN- Since melatonin may make you drowsy, taking it with sedative drugs may cause too much sleepiness.

            VITAMIN D- High doses of vitamin D combined with a diuretic medication may result in too much calcium in the body, which can cause kidney problems.  Health, 12/10.

MERCURY AND DIABETES – studies in animals suggest that mercury can damage the pancreatic cells that produce insulin.  Now scientists have found a link between mercury and diabetes in people. 

            Researchers followed adults aged 20 to 32 in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.  All supplied toenail clippings when they entered the study.  Those with the highest levels of mercury in their toenails had a 65 percent greater risk of diabetes over the next 18 years than those with the lowest levels.

            People with the higher mercury levels were healthier – they were less likely to be overweight, had smaller waists, did more exercise, and were less likely to smoke.  They were also more educated and consumed more magnesium, omega-3 fats, and fish (which is probably where they got the mercury).

            Yet when the researchers took those and other factors into account, the high-mercury group still had a higher risk of diabetes.

            This study does not prove that mercury causes diabetes, but to protect the developing nervous system, health authorities already advise children and some women (those who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant) to avoid mercury.  These groups should eat no albacore tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish, and should limit light tuna to 2 ounces a week (half that amount for children under 55 pounds).  Other adults can eat up to 3 ounces of albacore, or 12 ounces of light tuna a week. 

            Everyone should aim for two servings of fish a week.  Low-mercury fish include salmon, freshwater trout, catfish, and tilapia.  Diabetes Care 2013.

INTRODUCTION - The Health News has been published in various forms by SWAPA since January 1992.  As the opening banner indicates, our desire is to provide pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.  With mandatory retirement looming in early 2014 for me, I will gladly climb out of the “left seat” of the Health News.  Captain Billy Combs has generously volunteered to continue to provide this valuable information to you. He will assume this responsibility starting in March, 2014. Billy shares my passion for health and fitness and I am confident that you will enjoy his contribution in continuing to provide this information to you. I would also like to thank those of you who have provided positive feedback on our efforts to provide a quality, concise, pilot-oriented product to help you make good decisions about your health and wellness. May you enjoy all of life’s blessings and thank you for enriching this experience.  LK