Nutrition News
Extracts of articles from 2003 - 2006, from
various health & news sources to try to present a balanced view.
No endorsements are implied.
Please note our Terms of Use,
in regard to information from other sources.
Some articles have been edited for clarity,
hopefully without loss of information.
the right balance
Good nutrition is just one of the factors in a healthy
lifestyle - the right balance can help to get you through the day.
Food:
many sources suggest that a well-balanced diet includes fish, lean meats, fresh fruit and
vegetables; at the same time, eating less processed foods, fats and sugars
/ carbohydrates;
Eating habits are also important: freshly
prepared, well-balanced meals, instead of snacks & fast foods
Water:
drinking more fresh, pure water & less caffeine & sugary
drinks
Exercise:
regular, moderate exercise is great for the body and also helps
to reduce stress;
taking exercise with friends is a great way to find support
Stress:
recognising excess stress & managing to keep stress levels
down
Support:
having supportive friends & family seems to be very important to our health
and helps to
reduce stress
Differences: it is recognised that men & women find
different ways to tackle stress at work & different ways to
recover in the home:
- as a general rule, men prefer
to be appreciated, are less likely to talk about problems and often
like to have some relaxation time at home;
- women generally prefer
to be supported & listened to, they are more likely to talk through
their problems & are more likely to be busy in their homes.
Cholesterol Lowering Foods:
Natural foods fight cholesterol in a number of ways. Although dietary supplements are available for many of these natural
substances, they are generally not thought to be as effective as the real thing.
The following
have known cholesterol-lowering components:
1.
Soluble fibre - regulates your body's production and elimination of
cholesterol.
Good sources of soluble fibre include apples, lentils, dried
beans, peas, barley, citrus fruits, carrots and oats.
Products
containing rolled oats and oat bran claim to reduce the risk of
heart disease when combined with a diet low in saturated fat and
cholesterol. However, in order to reap the
cholesterol-lowering benefits of oats, you must eat a sizable
portion - the equivalent of about 3/4 cup of raw oatmeal each day!
2. Soy - Experts believe natural soy compounds called isoflavones
act like human hormones that regulate cholesterol levels.
People in Asian countries, where diets contain much more soy than in
the West, have significantly lower levels of heart disease. A 1998 study concluded
that regular consumption of soy isoflavones may reduce total
cholesterol levels by up to 10 percent. A minimum of 25 grams of soy protein must be consumed daily in order
to reap optimal cholesterol-lowering benefits. Good sources of soy
protein include soy milk, tempeh, tofu, and textured soy protein, a
main ingredient in many meat substitutes.
3.
Fish - Researchers have found that, in general, the more fish people
eat, the less coronary artery disease they have. Fish contain high
concentrations of a unique type of fat, omega-3 polyunsaturated
fatty acids. In addition to lowering blood fats (triglycerides),
studies suggest that omega-3 oils make the blood more "slippery" and
less likely to clot.
The recommendation is to eat fish two or three times a week.
A unique study completed in 1997 provided compelling evidence that
eating fish can reduce blood cholesterol levels. Researchers studied
people in two African villages located 40 miles apart. People from
both villages had very similar lifestyles, but their diets were
quite different - one group ate a fish-rich diet, the other
group ate a healthy vegetarian diet consisting largely of rice and
maize. Researchers found that the villagers who ate lots of fish had
lower cholesterol than the vegetarians.
Reports that certain
fish contain "mercury", appear to have been refuted. According to research published in the journal Science
in 2003 - Challenge
to fish mercury warning - there is no danger that fish
such as tuna, marlin, shark and swordfish are polluted with methyl
mercury - these fish do tend to absorb mercury,
but it is probably a
less toxic form of mercury than was previously thought.
Should pregnant women be concerned?
Due to the "scare" over mercury in fish, women who are
planning to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding were advised to eat
only one or two portions of these fish a week. However, tuna, in
particular, is very affordable and contains large quantities of
essential fatty acids which are probably very good for baby brain
development.
The best advice is to be aware of all the information & weigh up the
potential risks for yourself.
4.
Plant sterols - Foods containing plentiful plant sterols naturally
occurring compounds found in certain plants and vegetable oils also
may improve cholesterol levels. Plant sterols are known to
specifically block cholesterol from being absorbed by the
intestine. However, very large portions of plant sterols extracted in powder
form must be consumed in order to benefit.
"Functional foods" may soon
make consumption of plant sterols more feasible.
SALADS: Eating one
serving of salad or raw vegetables a day greatly
boosts the likelihood of having recommended daily
intake of certain nutrients, said a U.S. study.
Researchers at the University of California at Los
Angeles and Louisiana State University studied
dietary data on more than 17,500 men and women. They
found that each serving of salad consumed correlates
with a 165 percent higher likelihood of meeting
recommended dietary allowances for vitamin C in
women and 119 percent greater likelihood in men.
The study also found that consumption of salad and
raw vegetables correlated with higher concentrations
of folic acid, vitamins C and E, lycopene and alpha
and beta carotene in the bloodstream, according to
the study published in the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association.
The study is believed to be the first to examine the
relationship between normal salad consumption and
nutrient levels in the bloodstream.
"The consistently higher levels of certain nutrients
in the bloodstream of salad-eaters suggest these
important components of a healthy diet are being
well-absorbed from salad," said Lenore Arab,
visiting professor of epidemiology at the UCLA
School of Public Health and co-author with L. Joseph
Su, of the LSU School of Public Health.
Copyright 2006 by
United Press International |
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LIFESTYLE: On average,
U.S. college freshman gain about 15 pounds because
of greater access to food and a lack of sleep,
according to a dietician.
"Most incoming college students don't have mom to
pick out their foods for them anymore or pack their
lunches, and so (the students) start making unwise
choices," said Dr. Janet Colson, professor of human
sciences and a registered dietician at Middle
Tennessee State University.
Many on-campus eateries offer all-you-can-eat
buffets; thus, portion control is not often on the
minds of those who frequent them, while students in
a rush may choose to ride shuttle buses across
campus, not walk to classes, which also decreases
the daily activity level.
Poor nutrition, coupled with improper rest, is a
natural recipe for weight gain, said Colson. On
average, most female students need about 2,000
healthy calories per day, while males may need up to
3,000 daily, depending on activity levels and body
size.
"When students don't make proper lifestyle choices,
it doesn't just cause weight gain and stress, it
also will impact performance in school," Colson
warns. "And when you add the fact that (many
freshmen and other students are) not getting rest
they need, combined with a diet that's not
sufficient in nutrients and probably some partying
in there, you are going to have poor academic
performance."
Copyright 2006 by
United Press International |
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COFFEE & FAIRTRADE:
Is that morning cup of coffee
good for you or not?
It seems to depend on which new survey you read. One
recent study found that light-to-moderate
coffee-drinking adults of middle to old age had an
increased risk of heart attack in the hour after
their first morning cup.
People already at risk from heart disease from high
blood pressure, diabetes or who smoked were singled
out in particular. Those who exercised little were
also in danger from that sudden surge of caffeine.
According to the report in Epidemiology, coffee may
increase nervous system activity and blood pressure
enough to burst a pre-existing fatty deposit on the
artery walls, obstructing blood flow and causing a
heart attack.
Heavy coffee drinkers, on the other hand, develop a
tolerance to these side effects of caffeine, so are
less at risk.
The American Cocoa Research Institute - which
presumably has a positive view of the caffeine
beverage - funded a study that found that the
significant amount of antioxidants in coffee might
provide protection from cancer.
Although antioxidants are found in fruit and
vegetables, the study's leader Joe Vinson, a
chemistry professor from the University of Scranton,
revealed Americans get more of their antioxidants
from coffee than anything else.
A different study found no connection between heart
disease and heavy drinkers of filtered coffee. Yet
another indicated that any negative effects of
coffee drinking upon the heart might rather be the
result of genetics.
But if that cup of coffee isn't doing you any good
and you still insist on drinking it, it may as well
do good to someone.
Small coffee farmers toiling long hours in tough
conditions in the fields are often not paid enough
to cover the cost of production - even in times of
glut when the coffee companies can reap bigger
financial benefits from lowered prices.
Importers of Fairtrade certified coffee, on the
other hand, must meet stringent criteria set by an
international certification body and pay a minimum
$1.26 per pound to the farmer. In Britain,
according to the Financial Times, Fairtrade sales
account for 20 percent of the roasted and ground
coffee market.
The U.S.'s Rainforest Alliance, a conservation group
and coffee certifier, provides certification in a
market increasingly interested in protecting
biodiversity and the ecosystem. Although this
doesn't guarantee a price to the farmer, its more
stringent environmental standards allow its farmers
to sell certified coffee at higher prices - though
often more cheaply than Fairtrade-certified coffee.
In 2004, Kraft, the world's second-largest food
business after Nestle, bought up 5 million pounds of
Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee and in 2005, 13
million pounds. This year, it's expected to buy over
20 million.
And last year, McDonald's said it would sell
Fairtrade coffee in 650 outlets across the U.S.
By JULIA
WATSON, UPI Food Writer
Copyright 2006
by United Press International |
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High heels are safe for knees:
A study in the Journal of Environmental and Community Health by the
School of Health and Social Care at Oxford Brookes University found
that high heels do not
damage women's knees. Professor Ray Fitzpatrick commented, "If anything, the opposite was
the case."
The researcher interviewed 111 women aged 50 to 70,
some needing knee replacement and some with healthy knees, and
collected information about jobs, smoking habits and their taste in
shoes. The highest heel chosen for each five-year period was used in the
analysis.
"A consistent finding in the analysis was a reduced risk of
osteoarthritis in association with regular high heel usage," the
team reported.
In contrast, being overweight, having suffered knee injuries and
heavy smoking did show a correlation to arthritis, according to the
study.
Study: Antacid pills may cause allergies:
A study, involving approximately 300 people, found that those
who took anti-acid pills were more likely to suffer an allergic
reaction to some foods. The BBC
reported that researchers at the University of Vienna suspect that antacid medications may interfere with digestion, causing
food to enter the intestine before it was fully broken down,
triggering an attack.
Professor Erika Jensen-Jarolim and her
colleagues gave half of the volunteers in
the study ranitidine, which acts in a similar way to
indigestion tablets, and the rest placebos.
The scientists found people taking the drug developed
signs of food allergy symptoms. None in the placebo group
showed these symptoms.
The benefits of aspirin:
Aspirin reduces the risk of a first heart
attack by 32% and reduces the combined risk of heart attack, stroke and
vascular death by 15%, according to Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart
Institute, based on a meta-analysis of five major
randomized clinical trials involving 55,580 participants, published in Archives of
Internal Medicine, 2003.
Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, co-director
of cardiovascular research, first demonstrated
the benefit of aspirin in reducing the risk of a first heart attack
in a landmark 1988 study. This data, along with the findings that aspirin reduces the
risk of death by 23 percent if given during a heart attack and by 15
percent in a wide range of people who have survived prior
cardiovascular events, demonstrate the benefits of aspirin.
Always consult your GP or doctor about taking aspirin.
Aspirin is a very versatile drug with many benefits, but there can
be side-effects. See: A
century of aspirin
See also: Aspirin
'halves lung cancer risk'
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Aspirin could be a life-saver for the over 50 in Wales
(April 13 2005) A daily dose of aspirin for everyone aged 50 and over could
save tens of thousands of lives every year, a report has
revealed.
Researchers claimed a quarter of all heart attacks and
strokes could be prevented at a cost of less than 1p a tablet,
according to the Daily Mail.
A 25-year study of 2,500 men in Wales discovered the risk of
heart attacks across the now middle-aged group was so great that
all 50-year-olds, including women, should take aspirin daily. The research conducted by Cardiff University's College of
Medicine found that 80 per cent of men pass this risk threshold
around the age of 50.
Professor Peter Elwood, who led the study, said many such men
were unlikely to consult a doctor because they were unaware of
the problem. He said doctors generally only prescribed aspirin if a
patient was found to have a 3 per cent or higher chance of a
heart attack or stroke in the next five years.
Professor Elwood said the recommended dosage of one 75mg tablet per day
could be obtained by a doctor's recommendation for less than 1p
a day.
Some GPs are reluctant to prescribe aspirin because of
possible side-effects such as stomach bleeding, but he said the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks
and such difficulties only affected two or three
patients in every 1,000 and was rarely fatal.
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Five a day
As a rule, a well-balanced diet with
plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables should provide all the
essential vitamins & minerals that we need.
Fighting cancer the natural way:
Eating more fruits and vegetables does the most to reduce the risk
from a variety of cancers.
Studies show that people who consume LESS THAN 2 servings of fresh
fruit and vegetables a day are TWICE as likely to develop cancer of
the digestive and respiratory tracts as those on 5 or more servings
of fruits and vegetables daily. (Source: National Cancer
Institute, 2000).
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of Vitamin
A, Vitamin C, and fibre, which are proven to be effective in
preventing certain cancers. In addition, fruits and
vegetables, combined with a low-fat diet, also will help to reduce
the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Recent reports show that you can't just pop a vitamin pill to get
enough vitamins. Isolated vitamins do not provide the combination of
different micronutrients that provide benefits to our health.
Exercise and Food go hand in hand. By
eating more good foods (carbohydrates/cereals, fruits &
vegetables, fish) and less bad foods (meats, dairy products, fats
and sugars) and exercising more you can burn more calories off and
reduce fat.
Recommendations:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and major
governments recommend that we aim to eat 5 portions of varied fruits
& vegetables every day to reduce the risks of cancer and
coronary heart disease, as well as maintain general good health.
(see references 1 - 4)
References & Links:
(1). J H John & others, University of Oxford, "Effects of fruit &
vegetable
consumption on plasma antioxidant concentrations and blood
pressure", Lancet (Vol. 359, 8th June 2002)
A 6-month, randomised, controlled trial of 690 healthy participants, aged
25-64
(2). UK Dept. of
Health:
Five-a-day
web-site
(3). BBC Health:
Nutrition
web-site |
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