REPORTING POINT 07/09

HEALTH NEWS

“Live healthy…Live well”

by Larry Kline

BEWARE OF “ENERGY DRINKS” – energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster usually have lots of sugar and caffeine (and/or other stimulants) which may cause tooth erosion and can lead to cavities.  These drinks are very acidic, like many sodas, but a recent study in General Dentistry found that Red Bull is much more corrosive than soda, Gatorade, or a coffee drink.  If you do drink such beverages, be sure to rinse with water afterwards.

The same advice applies to those who eat dried fruit.  Dried fruit is a great snack food as it is a good source of minerals (iron, copper, and potassium), beta carotene, and fiber, but also sugar and thus calories.  The sugar, combined with the sticky texture, makes dried fruit bad for teeth.

Drying fruit destroys most of the vitamin C and any heat-sensitive phytochemicals.  If you cannot brush your teeth after eating dried fruit, at least rinse with water after consuming.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/08.

A BETTER SUNSCREEN – for sensitive face and neck protection, the FDA-approved sunscreen Anthelios SX is tops.  It contains Mexoryl, a UVA-blocking compound that retains its effectiveness longer than other sun-stopping chemicals.

As for SPF, choose 15 or 30 – anything greater than that has limited to negligible benefits.  The FDA is considering banning any numbers higher than 45.  The only downside to Anthelios is that it does not come in spray-on or waterproof versions yet, and you will need both at the pool or beach.  Sprays guarantee better full-body coverage.  Men’s Health 7/07.

THE “OBESITY” EPIDEMIC – For the first time, more Americans are obese than merely overweight.  About 34 percent of us are now obese, up from 23 percent two decades ago, while the percentage for overweight has stayed at 33 percent.  Six percent are severely obese; double the percentage from twenty years ago.

For someone 5’8” tall, overweight is 165 pounds to 196 pounds, obese is over 197 pounds, and severely obese starts at 263 pounds, based on body mass index (BMI).  To figure out where you stand, go to www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi.

Here is a link showing how this major health risk is spreading: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/ University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/09.

PROTEIN TYPE MATTERS FOR MUSCLE RECOVERY – researchers at Canada’s McMaster University found that those who drank skim milk after a weight workout experienced a greater rate of muscle growth than those who consumed a soy beverage, even though both drinks contained the same amount of protein.

The scientists think it is because milk proteins digest more slowly than the soy variety, delivering a smaller but steadier dose of nutrients to the muscles for a longer time frame.

Many strength-training experts recommend using whey-and-casein blends of protein powders as they contain both types of major milk proteins, and skipping the soy-based protein products.  Also men need to limit the amount of soy that they consume as excessive soy consumption may be an estrogen-mimicker that could affect testosterone levels.  Men’s Health 7/07.

STAND TO BOOST CALORIE BURN – standing while doing weight training forces the body to stabilize, so the muscles work harder and burn more calories.  It also strengthens core muscles and improves balance and posture.  Health 5/09.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH…AND YOUR HEART – lots of research has now linked heart disease with periodontal disease, suggesting that if you have one of these conditions you may also be at risk for the other – and that treating one may help treat the other as well.

A Finnish study in the journal Oral Health found that people with periodontal disease who were on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs had less severe gum disease than those not taking them.  Statins are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, so the findings were not a complete surprise, since gum disease is characterized by inflammation.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/08.

IT TAKES BOTH – reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease by having a committed exercise program, which includes cardiovascular and strength-training, and by dieting.

A Norwegian study indicated that dieting plus exercise is best at reversing metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms that includes high triglycerides and elevated blood sugar.  67 percent of those who used the combination of cutting calories and doing three hours of cardio-exercise per week were cured of metabolic syndrome in one year.

Only 23 percent of men who simply exercised and 35 percent who just dieted alleviated their symptoms.

Exercised and diet impact metabolic syndrome through different mechanisms, so they have an additive effect.  Men’s Health 7/07.

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR VITAMIN “D” PREVENTING FRACTURES – women with low blood levels of vitamin D are 70 percent more likely to fracture a hip than those with high levels, according to a study of postmenopausal women taking part in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study.

While sun exposure makes the skin produce vitamin D, the safest way to get it is from milk and other fortified foods, fatty fish such as salmon, and supplements.  Most people should aim for 800 to 1,000 IU a day.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/08.

DOES GLUCOSAMINE HELP ARTHRITIS? – the largest trial ever of glucosamine – the government-sponsored Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), found that neither glucosamine hydrochloride nor chondroitin sulfate, alone or together, reduced pain and other symptoms significantly better than a placebo.  (The prescription pain reliever Celebrex also tested fared only slightly better.)

The main claim for these supplements – that they slow or prevent the deterioration of joint-cushioning cartilage – was tested in a subsequent study recently released.  This study indicates that subjects who used glucosamine and chondroitin together or separately for a period of several years and then had X-ray exams to measure cartilage loss found only insignificant differences in cartilage loss between the groups.  Glucosamine and chondroitin did worse when taken together than alone, but nothing worked much better than the placebo.

Americans spend billions of dollars every year on unproven arthritis remedies.  There is no cure, but everything seems to work at least for some people for a while, in part because there is such a strong placebo effect – the placebo helped relieve symptoms in a whopping 60 percent of subjects in GAIT, about the same as the supplements).  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/08.

THIRD-HAND SMOKE RISK – people who insist on a smoke-free room at hotels and a smoke-free rental car may be reducing their health risk.  The residue that smoke leaves on furniture, carpets, and clothing is known as third-hand smoke.  A study in Pediatrics finds that while many people know the dangers of second-hand smoke, fewer realize that smoking leaves a residue of chemicals and compounds that may be absorbed by those after the smoke source is gone.  People, especially children, may be exposed to hazardous substances such as toluene and carbon monoxide.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/09.

THE RIGHT SPEED – 3.1 mph is the speed where you will burn the most fat if you have 10 or more pounds to lose.  Instead of a faster jog, a brisk walk may help you burn a greater percentage of fat with your cardio-exercise.  Health 5/09.

ARE YOGURT-COVERED SNACKS HEALTHIER? – many yogurt-covered snacks like pretzels and raisins are not healthy.  In most cases, the yogurt coating is predominantly sugar and fat, with little if any yogurt.  A 1.4-ounce serving (8 pieces) of Sunridge Farms Yogurt Pretzels, for example, contains 7 grams of saturated fat (more than a third of what most people should eat in a day) and only 40 milligrams of calcium (4 percent of the Daily
Value).  A far better snack is low-fat or nonfat yogurt, which has little or no saturated fat and as much as 450 milligrams of calcium per cup – top it off with raisins or fresh fruit.  University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/09.

A MEMORY BOOST BEFORE YOUR NEXT PC? – if you think you need a memory boost, try:

1. Aerobic exercise.   Older adults who do regular aerobic exercise (at least three hours a week) show increased blood flow to the brain, which could prevent a decline in brain function, according to findings presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North American.

2. Go to bed earlier. Researchers from the University of Chicago found that getting a good night’s sleep after learning something new helps you remember exactly how to do that task.

3. Eat more cauliflower. A study indicates that citicoline supplements can help boost energy and efficiency in the frontal lobe – the region responsible for decision-making, reasoning, and working memory.  Choline is found in certain foods like cauliflower, soybeans, egg yolks, fish, and peanuts.  The body absorbs choline, a B-vitamin-like nutrient, through the intestines and converts it to citicoline in the brain.  Health 5/09.