Last Updated: 2008-09-16 11:30:13 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Michael Kahn
LONDON (Reuters) - A study has for the first time linked a common chemical used in everyday products such as plastic drink containers and baby bottles to health problems, specifically heart disease and diabetes.
Until now, environmental and consumer activists who have questioned the safety of bisphenol A, or BPA, have relied on studies showing harm from exposure in laboratory animals.
But British researchers, who published their findings on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed urine and blood samples from 1,455 U.S. adults aged 18 to 74 who were representative of the general population.
Using government health data, they found that the 25 percent of people with the highest levels of bisphenol A in their bodies were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and, or diabetes compared to the 25 percent of with the lowest levels.
"Most of these findings are in keeping with what has been found in animal models," Iain Lang, a researcher at the University of Exeter in Britain who worked on the study, told a news conference.
"This is the first ever study (of this kind) that has been in the general population," Lang said.
Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry group, said the design of the study did not allow for anyone to conclude BPA causes heart disease and diabetes.
"At least from this study, we cannot draw any conclusion that bisphenol A causes any health effect. As noted by the authors, further research will be needed to understand whether these statistical associations have any relevance at all for human health," Hentges said in a telephone interview.
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel of outside experts on Tuesday will hear testimony on health effects from BPA as it reviews a draft report it issued last month calling BPA safe.
"The study, while preliminary with regard to these diseases in humans, should spur U.S. regulatory agencies to follow recent action taken by Canadian regulatory agencies, which have declared BPA a 'toxic chemical' requiring aggressive action to limit human and environmental exposures," Frederick vom Saal of the University of Missouri and John Peterson Myers of the nonprofit U.S.-based Environmental Health Sciences, wrote in a commentary accompanying the study.
BOTTLES TO UTENSILS
BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastic, a clear shatter-resistant material in products ranging from baby and water bottles to plastic eating utensils to sports safety equipment and medical devices.
It also is used to make durable epoxy resins used as the coating in most food and beverage cans and in dental fillings.
People can consume BPA when it leaches out of plastic into liquid such as baby formula, water or food inside a container.
In the study, the team said the chemical is present in more than 90 percent of people, suggesting there is not much that can be done to avoid the chemical of which over 2.2 million tonnes is produced each year.
The researchers, who will also present their findings at the U.S. FDA session on Tuesday, added it was too early to identify a mechanism through which the chemical may be doing harm.
Animal studies have suggested the chemical may disrupt hormones, especially estrogen.
The researchers also cautioned that these findings are just the first step and more work is needed to determine if the chemical actually is a direct cause of disease.
"Bisphenol A is one of the world's most widely produced and used chemicals, and one of the problems until now is we don't know what has been happening in the general population," said Tamara Galloway, a University of Exeter researcher who worked on the study.
Canada's government in April decided BPA was harmful to infants and toddlers and announced plans to ban some products.
The European Union's top food safety body said in July the amount of BPA found in baby bottles cannot harm human health.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Potassium May Help Lower Blood Pressure: Studies
Last Updated: 2008-07-30 15:18:31 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Research shows that boosting levels of potassium in the diet may lower a person's risk of developing high blood pressure and may decrease blood pressure in people who already have "hypertension."
High blood pressure remains the chief reason for visits to doctors' offices and for prescription drug use in the U.S., two researchers from Nashville, Tennessee note in a special supplement to The Journal of Clinical Hypertension this month.
Dr. Mark C. Houston, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Dr. Karen J. Harper from Harper Medical Communications, Inc. in Nashville, also point out that a healthy intake of potassium is thought to be one reason why vegetarians and isolated populations have a very low incidence of heart disease.
In isolated societies consuming diets low in sodium and high in fruits and vegetables, which have and therefore high levels of potassium, hypertension affects only 1 percent of the population, they note. In contrast, in industrialized societies, where people consume diets high in processed foods and large amounts of dietary sodium 1 in 3 persons have hypertension.
The typical American diet contains about double the sodium and half the potassium that is currently recommended in dietary guidelines. Low potassium is intake is thought to contribute to the prevalence of high blood pressure in Americans.]
Based on their review of published studies on the topic, Houston and Harper say if Americans were to boost their potassium intake, the number of adults with known high blood pressure could fall by more than 10 percent. In 2006, the American Heart Association issued new guidelines calling for Americans to get 4.7 grams per day of potassium.
"An increase in potassium with a decrease in sodium is probably the most important dietary choice (after weight loss) that should be implemented to reduce cardiovascular disease," Houston and Harper contend.
Some studies also show that diets containing at least 500 to 1,000 milligrams magnesium daily and more than 800 milligrams of calcium daily may help lower blood pressure and the risk of developing high blood pressure.
"A high intake of these minerals through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may improve blood pressure levels and reduce coronary heart disease and stroke," Houston and Harper conclude.
For more articles on Health, Nutrition & Fitness, please visit: www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Hypertension, July 2008.
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Research shows that boosting levels of potassium in the diet may lower a person's risk of developing high blood pressure and may decrease blood pressure in people who already have "hypertension."
High blood pressure remains the chief reason for visits to doctors' offices and for prescription drug use in the U.S., two researchers from Nashville, Tennessee note in a special supplement to The Journal of Clinical Hypertension this month.
Dr. Mark C. Houston, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Dr. Karen J. Harper from Harper Medical Communications, Inc. in Nashville, also point out that a healthy intake of potassium is thought to be one reason why vegetarians and isolated populations have a very low incidence of heart disease.
In isolated societies consuming diets low in sodium and high in fruits and vegetables, which have and therefore high levels of potassium, hypertension affects only 1 percent of the population, they note. In contrast, in industrialized societies, where people consume diets high in processed foods and large amounts of dietary sodium 1 in 3 persons have hypertension.
The typical American diet contains about double the sodium and half the potassium that is currently recommended in dietary guidelines. Low potassium is intake is thought to contribute to the prevalence of high blood pressure in Americans.]
Based on their review of published studies on the topic, Houston and Harper say if Americans were to boost their potassium intake, the number of adults with known high blood pressure could fall by more than 10 percent. In 2006, the American Heart Association issued new guidelines calling for Americans to get 4.7 grams per day of potassium.
"An increase in potassium with a decrease in sodium is probably the most important dietary choice (after weight loss) that should be implemented to reduce cardiovascular disease," Houston and Harper contend.
Some studies also show that diets containing at least 500 to 1,000 milligrams magnesium daily and more than 800 milligrams of calcium daily may help lower blood pressure and the risk of developing high blood pressure.
"A high intake of these minerals through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may improve blood pressure levels and reduce coronary heart disease and stroke," Houston and Harper conclude.
For more articles on Health, Nutrition & Fitness, please visit: www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Hypertension, July 2008.
Don't Get Too Stressed Out!
If you are dealing with hormone-related issues, such perimenopause or PMS, you may experience mood swings, anxiety, depression, and irritability on a daily basis. In addition to supplementation with nutrients known to support feminine health--such as isoflavones, indole-3-carbinol, and vitamins B6, B12, and E--several stress-reducing techniques may be of value to you.
In order to reduce stress, you must first allow enough time to properly take care of yourself. Taking good care of yourself involves building a foundation of good health that enables normal physical and mental functioning, and includes getting plenty of sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. Many people find that practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, mediation, regular massage therapy, or other forms of bodywork can reduce physical and emotional tension.
Experts also suggest that maintaining a positive attitude, managing your time efficiently, and developing leisure activities can help you relieve excess stress. There are many serious events in our lives and it is very important to have an outlet that brings us enjoyment. Try your best to engage in activities that inspire you to smile, laugh, and think positively!
Look for more information at www.abdproducts.com & follow-up articles to follow.
In order to reduce stress, you must first allow enough time to properly take care of yourself. Taking good care of yourself involves building a foundation of good health that enables normal physical and mental functioning, and includes getting plenty of sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. Many people find that practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, mediation, regular massage therapy, or other forms of bodywork can reduce physical and emotional tension.
Experts also suggest that maintaining a positive attitude, managing your time efficiently, and developing leisure activities can help you relieve excess stress. There are many serious events in our lives and it is very important to have an outlet that brings us enjoyment. Try your best to engage in activities that inspire you to smile, laugh, and think positively!
Look for more information at www.abdproducts.com & follow-up articles to follow.
Targeted Exercise Improves Function, Lessens Pain in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors
Last Updated: 2008-07-25 12:43:19 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Progressive resistance exercise training following surgery helps reduce upper extremity pain and dysfunction in certain head and neck cancer survivors, according to Canadian researchers.
"The trial," lead investigator Dr. Margaret L McNeely told Reuters Health, "demonstrates important improvements from progressive resistance exercise training on shoulder pain and disability, upper extremity strength and movement in post-neck-dissection head and neck cancer survivors."
In the July 1st issue of Cancer, Dr. McNeely of the University of Alberta, Edmonton and colleagues observe that shoulder pain and disability are well known complications of surgery in such patients.
In an earlier pilot study, the researchers found that progressive resistance exercise appeared to be beneficial, and in the current study they randomized 52 patients to the progressive approach or to a standardized therapeutic exercise protocol.
At 12 weeks, intention-to-treat analysis showed that patient-rated disability and pain overall fell by 14.6 points in the progressive group compared to 4.8 in the standard group, a significant difference after adjustment.
There were also significantly greater improvements in upper extremity strength and endurance in the progressive group than in the standard group. In addition, there was a trend towards reduced neck-dissection impairment and fatigue, and improved quality of life.
Given these encouraging results, Dr. McNeely concluded that "the addition of progressive resistance exercise training to standard physical therapy should be considered in the rehabilitation of head and neck cancer survivors."
Cancer 2008;113:214-222.
For more articles on Health, Nutrition & Exercise, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Progressive resistance exercise training following surgery helps reduce upper extremity pain and dysfunction in certain head and neck cancer survivors, according to Canadian researchers.
"The trial," lead investigator Dr. Margaret L McNeely told Reuters Health, "demonstrates important improvements from progressive resistance exercise training on shoulder pain and disability, upper extremity strength and movement in post-neck-dissection head and neck cancer survivors."
In the July 1st issue of Cancer, Dr. McNeely of the University of Alberta, Edmonton and colleagues observe that shoulder pain and disability are well known complications of surgery in such patients.
In an earlier pilot study, the researchers found that progressive resistance exercise appeared to be beneficial, and in the current study they randomized 52 patients to the progressive approach or to a standardized therapeutic exercise protocol.
At 12 weeks, intention-to-treat analysis showed that patient-rated disability and pain overall fell by 14.6 points in the progressive group compared to 4.8 in the standard group, a significant difference after adjustment.
There were also significantly greater improvements in upper extremity strength and endurance in the progressive group than in the standard group. In addition, there was a trend towards reduced neck-dissection impairment and fatigue, and improved quality of life.
Given these encouraging results, Dr. McNeely concluded that "the addition of progressive resistance exercise training to standard physical therapy should be considered in the rehabilitation of head and neck cancer survivors."
Cancer 2008;113:214-222.
For more articles on Health, Nutrition & Exercise, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Scientists Develop Cancer Fighting Tomato
Last Updated: 2008-10-27 9:01:50 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Michael Kahn
LONDON (Reuters) - A purple tomato genetically engineered to contain nutrients more commonly seen in dark berries helped prevent cancer in mice, British researchers said on Sunday.
The finding, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, bolsters the idea that plants can be genetically modified to make people healthier.
Cancer-prone mice fed the modified fruit lived significantly longer than animals fed a standard diet with and without regular tomatoes, Cathie Martin and colleagues at the government-funded John Innes Center in Britain reported.
"The effect was much bigger than we had expected," said Martin, a plant biologist.
The study focused on anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant found in berries such as blackberries and black currants that have been shown to lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases.
While an easy health boost, many people do not eat enough of these fruits, the researchers said.
Using genes that help color the snapdragon flower, the researchers discovered they could get the tomatoes to make anthocyanins -- turning the tomato purple in the process.
Mice genetically engineered to develop cancer lived an average of 182 days when they were fed the purple tomatoes, compared to 142 days for animals on the standard diet.
"It is enormously encouraging to believe that by changing diet, or specific components in the diet, you can improve health in animals and possibly humans," Martin said in a telephone interview.
The researchers cautioned that trials in humans are a long way off and the next step is to investigate how the antioxidants actually affect the tumors to promote better health.
But the findings do bolster research suggesting that people can significantly improve their health by making simple changes to the daily diet, other researchers said.
"It's exciting to see new techniques that could potentially make healthy foods even better for us," said Dr. Lara Bennett, science information officer at Cancer Research UK.
"But it's too early to say whether anthocyanins obtained through diet could help to reduce the risk of cancer."
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
By Michael Kahn
LONDON (Reuters) - A purple tomato genetically engineered to contain nutrients more commonly seen in dark berries helped prevent cancer in mice, British researchers said on Sunday.
The finding, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, bolsters the idea that plants can be genetically modified to make people healthier.
Cancer-prone mice fed the modified fruit lived significantly longer than animals fed a standard diet with and without regular tomatoes, Cathie Martin and colleagues at the government-funded John Innes Center in Britain reported.
"The effect was much bigger than we had expected," said Martin, a plant biologist.
The study focused on anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant found in berries such as blackberries and black currants that have been shown to lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases.
While an easy health boost, many people do not eat enough of these fruits, the researchers said.
Using genes that help color the snapdragon flower, the researchers discovered they could get the tomatoes to make anthocyanins -- turning the tomato purple in the process.
Mice genetically engineered to develop cancer lived an average of 182 days when they were fed the purple tomatoes, compared to 142 days for animals on the standard diet.
"It is enormously encouraging to believe that by changing diet, or specific components in the diet, you can improve health in animals and possibly humans," Martin said in a telephone interview.
The researchers cautioned that trials in humans are a long way off and the next step is to investigate how the antioxidants actually affect the tumors to promote better health.
But the findings do bolster research suggesting that people can significantly improve their health by making simple changes to the daily diet, other researchers said.
"It's exciting to see new techniques that could potentially make healthy foods even better for us," said Dr. Lara Bennett, science information officer at Cancer Research UK.
"But it's too early to say whether anthocyanins obtained through diet could help to reduce the risk of cancer."
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
Turkey Talk
How nutritious is your turkey? (KIRK MCKOY / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
Of course we're going to pig out this week. For the rest of the year, here's what you should know about turkey science -- nutrition, antibiotics and more.
If you gain a little weight this Thanksgiving, blame it on the stuffing, the corn bread, the mashed potatoes and gravy. Blame it on the pumpkin pie.
Just don't blame it on the turkey.
"Turkey is wonderful healthy food . . . especially if you have breast meat," says Susan Roberts, professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston.
And most especially if you take the skin off. Skinless turkey breast is about as close to a fat-free meat as you can get. Besides which, it's loaded with protein, as well as some important vitamins and minerals.
It's hard to find a nutrition expert who doesn't think eating turkey is good for your health. Ironically, though, many scientists worry that turkey farming may be bad for public health in general. They fear that some widely used methods are implicated in the emergence of "superbugs" -- bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, thus making some human diseases much harder to treat.
"We're on the brink of a global crisis," says microbiologist Lance Price, director of metagenomics and human health at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix. "Some say it's already here."
Now, as the nation prepares to dig in and pig out, we consider several good reasons to give thanks for turkeys -- as well as a few bones some people have to pick with the industry. Plus we offer a little food for thought to help you decide which turkey you want to plump for at the store.
***
Turkeys, turkeys everywhere at this time of year, and most of them Broad Breasted Whites. But those come in different varieties, and there are other kinds of turkeys too. From a health point of view, does it make any difference which you choose?
Broad Breasted White turkeys can be be conventional, free-range or organic.
Conventional
Most of the birds that will wind up on tables this Thursday are these. You'll know a turkey is conventional if the label doesn't boast about being anything else. Conventional turkeys are raised in barns, free to roam around (not kept in cages) but not to go outside.
Free-range
The definition of "free-range" is a little loosey-goosey. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the term can be applied to any turkey that "has been allowed access to the outside." There is no requirement that the turkey has gone outside often, or at all. Such access may just mean that at times, a door is opened to a small pen attached to the barn, says Francine Bradley, extension poultry specialist at UC Davis.
Some free-range turkeys do spend a good deal of time outdoors, indulging their taste for bugs. (Turkeys love bugs.) But they're given turkey feed too.
Organic
Organic turkeys eat the same sort of feed as conventional turkeys, but all of the feed ingredients have to be certified as organic. They must be free-range and can never be treated with antibiotics.
Heritage
These turkeys represent a return to old-fashioned breeds: Beltsville Small Whites, Royal Palms and Standard Bronzes. They don't grow as fast or big as broad-breasted birds. Often they're raised to be free-range and organic.
What matters?
Price-wise, conventional turkeys are the best deal, free-range more expensive, organic more expensive still, and heritage generally most expensive of all. Factors to think about:
All organic turkeys must be raised without use of antibiotics. Sometimes other types of turkeys are too. "That's the most important thing to look for on the label," says microbiologist Lance Price of the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix.
Antibiotic use doesn't affect nutritional value but may have consequences for public health if it fosters the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch in Northern California and a member of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, argues that conventional turkeys are likely to get sick more often because they're raised in crowded, stressful conditions -- and thus increase a flock's exposure to antibiotics.
But Bradley says the amount of space turkeys need has been scientifically determined and the barns meet those standards.
If free-range birds spend a lot of time -- and do a lot of eating -- outdoors, they may have a better balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
Typical American diets often have too much omega-6 relative to omega-3. Some studies have shown that when cattle are fed mostly grass instead of grain, it ups the omega-3 content of beef. The same may be true for turkeys.
Because they grow more slowly, heritage birds may have more fat. And in general, female turkeys (hens) have a few more calories and a bit more fat, while males (toms) are a little saltier.
Still, there's no evidence to date of any large nutritional differences among turkey types. Daniel Fletcher, head of the Animal Science Department at the University of Connecticutdoubts that major differences exist. "Personally, I always buy the cheapest turkey I can get my hands on."
Some people do feel strongly that unconventional turkeys are superior. And just spending more for something can make it taste better, Fletcher acknowledges. "It's psychological, but that's very real."
***
Here are a couple more turkey facts to get your teeth into -- one of them something you don't need to think about.
You may see some turkeys advertised as "hormone free."
The Foster Farms website -- to name just one example -- says of its fresh turkey: "You can feel good about serving it to your family as we promise that it will be the freshest available at your store and will never contain added hormones or steroids."
The Whole Foods Market website also proclaims that its turkeys lack added growth hormones -- and then notes, in small letters, that "federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising pork and poultry."
So don't be overly impressed by such claims. It's been illegal to treat poultry with hormones since the 1950s. "And they were never, ever used in turkeys," says Francine Bradley, extension poultry specialist in the Animal Science Department at UC Davis.
In short, the only hormones turkeys have are the ones they produce themselves.
Similarly, any claim you may see about a steroid void is another red herring since the use of any steroids in turkey production is also illegal.
Extra ingredients
Some turkeys are injected with a solution intended to make them tastier and juicier.
If this has been done, the package label must say "basted" or "self-basted," list the ingredients in the solution and tell how much of each was used.
Possible ingredients include salt, partially hydrogenated soy or corn oil, and butter. The weight of the injected solution is included in the weight of the turkey.
Different brands use different solutions, but in general, based on nutrient data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, self-basted turkeys are much saltier and somewhat fattier, although gram for gram they have fewer calories -- and less protein -- because they have more water.
Data comparison
For example, when cooked, self-basted turkey breast with skin has about 18% fewer calories than non-self-basted turkey breast with skin. But it has about 24% less protein, 8% more fat, 13% more saturated fat -- and 650% more salt.
Similarly, self-basted dark meat with skin has about 14% fewer calories than non-self-basted dark meat with skin. But it has about 32% less protein, 21% more fat, 25% more saturated fat -- and 475% more salt.
***
"If you're going to eat meat, turkey is one of the best ones to eat," says James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado in Denver. "What gets us in trouble at Thanksgiving is all the stuff we eat with it."
Skinless turkey breast has a lot of protein. It doesn't have a lot of fat or calories. Consider these stats from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service Nutrient Data Laboratory:
Compared with skinless chicken breast (which is considered very lean) skinless turkey breast has almost as much protein, but 18% fewer calories, 79% less fat and 76% less saturated fat.
Skinless dark turkey meat has less protein and more fat and calories than skinless breast meat. But it's a pretty good food nonetheless -- not much fattier than skinless chicken breast and much less fatty than lean ground beef.
If you opt to leave the skin on your turkey, the calorie amounts go up by more than 10%, and the fat amounts go up much more -- by nearly 65% for dark meat and more than 300% for breast meat.
Yet even with skin, breast meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat without skin. And dark meat with skin is fairly comparable to lean ground beef -- a few more calories, a little more fat, but also a little more protein and quite a bit less saturated fat. (See the accompanying chart.)
Turkey is also a good source of several minerals and vitamins, including iron (in the form most easily absorbed), niacin (helpful for increasing good HDL cholesterol), selenium (which has antioxidant properties), zinc (important for the immune system and wound-healing) and vitamin B6 (important for the immune system).
Parts of the bird differ nutritionally for functional reasons: Meat is basically muscle, and both the fat content and the color of turkey meat are determined by the kind of exercise different muscles get.
Turkeys do a lot of standing and walking around. The energy for this slow, steady exercise comes from burning fat, which requires oxygen (i.e., it's aerobic). So the leg and thigh muscles (responsible for the standing and walking) need to have some fat around as well as a good supply of oxygen. Oxygen is stored in a red protein called myoglobin, which makes muscles, or meat, dark.
The muscles in a turkey's breast and wings are meant to be used to fly, which wild turkeys can do for short distances, though domestic ones no longer can. Brief flights require brief spurts of intense exertion, and for that muscles burn glucose, not fat. This does not require oxygen (i.e., it's anaerobic) so these muscles have much less myoglobin, and that's why the meat is white.
The fat distributed throughout the thigh and leg meat is only a small portion of the fat in a turkey. Most of it is deposited in or under the skin or inside the abdominal cavity. This is very handy for diet-conscious consumers, says Francine Bradley, extension poultry specialist in the Animal Science Department at UC Davis. "You can just pull the fat off if you don't want to eat it. The marbling in beef makes it much harder to extract."
***
Turkeys, like other animals, get sick. And though few dispute that they should then be treated, many scientists, medical professionals and animal experts are concerned that too much medicine is being given to too many turkeys -- and to too many food animals in general.
"The use and misuse are rampant," says Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch in Northern California and a member of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.
Those concerned fear serious human health consequences -- development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- and that this is already beginning to happen.
Antibiotics are approved in turkeys both for therapeutic use (meaning to treat sick turkeys) and for disease prevention -- which usually means the rest of the flock will also be treated to keep the disease from spreading. Antibiotics are used in this same way in other food animals, and in some cases they're also used for growth promotion, although that's not supposed to be done with turkeys.
Antibiotic resistance develops when antibiotics kill off only some of the bacteria they're supposed to -- so only the super-strong survive. If this happens enough, the susceptible bacteria are wiped out, but a strain of resistant bacteria takes over in their place, and the antibiotics that used to work don't work any longer.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call antibiotic resistance one of its top concerns.
"There are bacteria that were once treatable with antibiotics that are now resistant to everything," says microbiologist Lance Price, director of metagenomics and human health at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix. Price says that part of the problem is certainly due to agricultural use.
One example is the use of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones to treat Campylobacter in chickens, says Dr. Sherwood Gorbach, distinguished professor of public health and medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
Campylobacter is the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea in the United States and is typically treated by the fluoroquinolone Cipro. But since the mid-1990s, resistance to Cipro has risen from 2% to 20% or even higher, Gorbach says. And he believes it's due to the use of Baytril, the form of the drug used in chickens. In 2005, the FDA banned the use of fluoroquinolones in poultry.
Breeders do need antibiotics sometimes, to treat sick birds and keep the disease from spreading to the whole flock, says Daniel Fletcher, head of the Animal Science Department at the University of Connecticut. "If we didn't use antibiotics," he says, "we'd have a tough time meeting the nutritional needs of people in this country."
Gorbach says there's a bill before Congress intended to allow more use of fluoroquinolones in chickens again and adds, "We feel very strongly that's the wrong thing to do."
***
Different ways to slice a turkey
When it comes to calories, fat and protein, how do various parts of the turkey compare, and how do they stack up against chicken and lean beef? Data for 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked meat:
Turkey breast (skinless)
Calories: 135
Protein:30.1 grams
Total fat: 0.7 gram
Saturated fat:0.2 gram
Dark turkey meat (skinless)
Calories: 162
Protein:28.8 grams
Total fat: 4.3 grams
Saturated fat:1.5 grams
Turkey breast (with skin)
Calories: 153
Protein:29 grams
Total fat: 3.2 grams
Saturated fat:0.9 grams
Dark turkey meat (with skin)
Calories: 182
Protein:27.7 grams
Total fat: 7.1 grams
Saturated fat:2.1 grams
Chicken breast (skinless)
Calories: 165
Protein:31 grams
Total fat: 3.6 grams
Saturated fat:1 grams
95% lean ground beef
Calories: 171
Protein:26.3 grams
Total fat: 6.6 grams
Saturated fat:3 grams
***
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service Nutrient Data Laboratory
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
Of course we're going to pig out this week. For the rest of the year, here's what you should know about turkey science -- nutrition, antibiotics and more.
If you gain a little weight this Thanksgiving, blame it on the stuffing, the corn bread, the mashed potatoes and gravy. Blame it on the pumpkin pie.
Just don't blame it on the turkey.
"Turkey is wonderful healthy food . . . especially if you have breast meat," says Susan Roberts, professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston.
And most especially if you take the skin off. Skinless turkey breast is about as close to a fat-free meat as you can get. Besides which, it's loaded with protein, as well as some important vitamins and minerals.
It's hard to find a nutrition expert who doesn't think eating turkey is good for your health. Ironically, though, many scientists worry that turkey farming may be bad for public health in general. They fear that some widely used methods are implicated in the emergence of "superbugs" -- bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, thus making some human diseases much harder to treat.
"We're on the brink of a global crisis," says microbiologist Lance Price, director of metagenomics and human health at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix. "Some say it's already here."
Now, as the nation prepares to dig in and pig out, we consider several good reasons to give thanks for turkeys -- as well as a few bones some people have to pick with the industry. Plus we offer a little food for thought to help you decide which turkey you want to plump for at the store.
***
Turkeys, turkeys everywhere at this time of year, and most of them Broad Breasted Whites. But those come in different varieties, and there are other kinds of turkeys too. From a health point of view, does it make any difference which you choose?
Broad Breasted White turkeys can be be conventional, free-range or organic.
Conventional
Most of the birds that will wind up on tables this Thursday are these. You'll know a turkey is conventional if the label doesn't boast about being anything else. Conventional turkeys are raised in barns, free to roam around (not kept in cages) but not to go outside.
Free-range
The definition of "free-range" is a little loosey-goosey. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the term can be applied to any turkey that "has been allowed access to the outside." There is no requirement that the turkey has gone outside often, or at all. Such access may just mean that at times, a door is opened to a small pen attached to the barn, says Francine Bradley, extension poultry specialist at UC Davis.
Some free-range turkeys do spend a good deal of time outdoors, indulging their taste for bugs. (Turkeys love bugs.) But they're given turkey feed too.
Organic
Organic turkeys eat the same sort of feed as conventional turkeys, but all of the feed ingredients have to be certified as organic. They must be free-range and can never be treated with antibiotics.
Heritage
These turkeys represent a return to old-fashioned breeds: Beltsville Small Whites, Royal Palms and Standard Bronzes. They don't grow as fast or big as broad-breasted birds. Often they're raised to be free-range and organic.
What matters?
Price-wise, conventional turkeys are the best deal, free-range more expensive, organic more expensive still, and heritage generally most expensive of all. Factors to think about:
All organic turkeys must be raised without use of antibiotics. Sometimes other types of turkeys are too. "That's the most important thing to look for on the label," says microbiologist Lance Price of the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix.
Antibiotic use doesn't affect nutritional value but may have consequences for public health if it fosters the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch in Northern California and a member of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, argues that conventional turkeys are likely to get sick more often because they're raised in crowded, stressful conditions -- and thus increase a flock's exposure to antibiotics.
But Bradley says the amount of space turkeys need has been scientifically determined and the barns meet those standards.
If free-range birds spend a lot of time -- and do a lot of eating -- outdoors, they may have a better balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
Typical American diets often have too much omega-6 relative to omega-3. Some studies have shown that when cattle are fed mostly grass instead of grain, it ups the omega-3 content of beef. The same may be true for turkeys.
Because they grow more slowly, heritage birds may have more fat. And in general, female turkeys (hens) have a few more calories and a bit more fat, while males (toms) are a little saltier.
Still, there's no evidence to date of any large nutritional differences among turkey types. Daniel Fletcher, head of the Animal Science Department at the University of Connecticutdoubts that major differences exist. "Personally, I always buy the cheapest turkey I can get my hands on."
Some people do feel strongly that unconventional turkeys are superior. And just spending more for something can make it taste better, Fletcher acknowledges. "It's psychological, but that's very real."
***
Here are a couple more turkey facts to get your teeth into -- one of them something you don't need to think about.
You may see some turkeys advertised as "hormone free."
The Foster Farms website -- to name just one example -- says of its fresh turkey: "You can feel good about serving it to your family as we promise that it will be the freshest available at your store and will never contain added hormones or steroids."
The Whole Foods Market website also proclaims that its turkeys lack added growth hormones -- and then notes, in small letters, that "federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising pork and poultry."
So don't be overly impressed by such claims. It's been illegal to treat poultry with hormones since the 1950s. "And they were never, ever used in turkeys," says Francine Bradley, extension poultry specialist in the Animal Science Department at UC Davis.
In short, the only hormones turkeys have are the ones they produce themselves.
Similarly, any claim you may see about a steroid void is another red herring since the use of any steroids in turkey production is also illegal.
Extra ingredients
Some turkeys are injected with a solution intended to make them tastier and juicier.
If this has been done, the package label must say "basted" or "self-basted," list the ingredients in the solution and tell how much of each was used.
Possible ingredients include salt, partially hydrogenated soy or corn oil, and butter. The weight of the injected solution is included in the weight of the turkey.
Different brands use different solutions, but in general, based on nutrient data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, self-basted turkeys are much saltier and somewhat fattier, although gram for gram they have fewer calories -- and less protein -- because they have more water.
Data comparison
For example, when cooked, self-basted turkey breast with skin has about 18% fewer calories than non-self-basted turkey breast with skin. But it has about 24% less protein, 8% more fat, 13% more saturated fat -- and 650% more salt.
Similarly, self-basted dark meat with skin has about 14% fewer calories than non-self-basted dark meat with skin. But it has about 32% less protein, 21% more fat, 25% more saturated fat -- and 475% more salt.
***
"If you're going to eat meat, turkey is one of the best ones to eat," says James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado in Denver. "What gets us in trouble at Thanksgiving is all the stuff we eat with it."
Skinless turkey breast has a lot of protein. It doesn't have a lot of fat or calories. Consider these stats from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service Nutrient Data Laboratory:
Compared with skinless chicken breast (which is considered very lean) skinless turkey breast has almost as much protein, but 18% fewer calories, 79% less fat and 76% less saturated fat.
Skinless dark turkey meat has less protein and more fat and calories than skinless breast meat. But it's a pretty good food nonetheless -- not much fattier than skinless chicken breast and much less fatty than lean ground beef.
If you opt to leave the skin on your turkey, the calorie amounts go up by more than 10%, and the fat amounts go up much more -- by nearly 65% for dark meat and more than 300% for breast meat.
Yet even with skin, breast meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat without skin. And dark meat with skin is fairly comparable to lean ground beef -- a few more calories, a little more fat, but also a little more protein and quite a bit less saturated fat. (See the accompanying chart.)
Turkey is also a good source of several minerals and vitamins, including iron (in the form most easily absorbed), niacin (helpful for increasing good HDL cholesterol), selenium (which has antioxidant properties), zinc (important for the immune system and wound-healing) and vitamin B6 (important for the immune system).
Parts of the bird differ nutritionally for functional reasons: Meat is basically muscle, and both the fat content and the color of turkey meat are determined by the kind of exercise different muscles get.
Turkeys do a lot of standing and walking around. The energy for this slow, steady exercise comes from burning fat, which requires oxygen (i.e., it's aerobic). So the leg and thigh muscles (responsible for the standing and walking) need to have some fat around as well as a good supply of oxygen. Oxygen is stored in a red protein called myoglobin, which makes muscles, or meat, dark.
The muscles in a turkey's breast and wings are meant to be used to fly, which wild turkeys can do for short distances, though domestic ones no longer can. Brief flights require brief spurts of intense exertion, and for that muscles burn glucose, not fat. This does not require oxygen (i.e., it's anaerobic) so these muscles have much less myoglobin, and that's why the meat is white.
The fat distributed throughout the thigh and leg meat is only a small portion of the fat in a turkey. Most of it is deposited in or under the skin or inside the abdominal cavity. This is very handy for diet-conscious consumers, says Francine Bradley, extension poultry specialist in the Animal Science Department at UC Davis. "You can just pull the fat off if you don't want to eat it. The marbling in beef makes it much harder to extract."
***
Turkeys, like other animals, get sick. And though few dispute that they should then be treated, many scientists, medical professionals and animal experts are concerned that too much medicine is being given to too many turkeys -- and to too many food animals in general.
"The use and misuse are rampant," says Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch in Northern California and a member of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.
Those concerned fear serious human health consequences -- development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- and that this is already beginning to happen.
Antibiotics are approved in turkeys both for therapeutic use (meaning to treat sick turkeys) and for disease prevention -- which usually means the rest of the flock will also be treated to keep the disease from spreading. Antibiotics are used in this same way in other food animals, and in some cases they're also used for growth promotion, although that's not supposed to be done with turkeys.
Antibiotic resistance develops when antibiotics kill off only some of the bacteria they're supposed to -- so only the super-strong survive. If this happens enough, the susceptible bacteria are wiped out, but a strain of resistant bacteria takes over in their place, and the antibiotics that used to work don't work any longer.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call antibiotic resistance one of its top concerns.
"There are bacteria that were once treatable with antibiotics that are now resistant to everything," says microbiologist Lance Price, director of metagenomics and human health at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix. Price says that part of the problem is certainly due to agricultural use.
One example is the use of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones to treat Campylobacter in chickens, says Dr. Sherwood Gorbach, distinguished professor of public health and medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
Campylobacter is the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea in the United States and is typically treated by the fluoroquinolone Cipro. But since the mid-1990s, resistance to Cipro has risen from 2% to 20% or even higher, Gorbach says. And he believes it's due to the use of Baytril, the form of the drug used in chickens. In 2005, the FDA banned the use of fluoroquinolones in poultry.
Breeders do need antibiotics sometimes, to treat sick birds and keep the disease from spreading to the whole flock, says Daniel Fletcher, head of the Animal Science Department at the University of Connecticut. "If we didn't use antibiotics," he says, "we'd have a tough time meeting the nutritional needs of people in this country."
Gorbach says there's a bill before Congress intended to allow more use of fluoroquinolones in chickens again and adds, "We feel very strongly that's the wrong thing to do."
***
Different ways to slice a turkey
When it comes to calories, fat and protein, how do various parts of the turkey compare, and how do they stack up against chicken and lean beef? Data for 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked meat:
Turkey breast (skinless)
Calories: 135
Protein:30.1 grams
Total fat: 0.7 gram
Saturated fat:0.2 gram
Dark turkey meat (skinless)
Calories: 162
Protein:28.8 grams
Total fat: 4.3 grams
Saturated fat:1.5 grams
Turkey breast (with skin)
Calories: 153
Protein:29 grams
Total fat: 3.2 grams
Saturated fat:0.9 grams
Dark turkey meat (with skin)
Calories: 182
Protein:27.7 grams
Total fat: 7.1 grams
Saturated fat:2.1 grams
Chicken breast (skinless)
Calories: 165
Protein:31 grams
Total fat: 3.6 grams
Saturated fat:1 grams
95% lean ground beef
Calories: 171
Protein:26.3 grams
Total fat: 6.6 grams
Saturated fat:3 grams
***
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service Nutrient Data Laboratory
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
In Movie Theaters Everywhere: 'Attack of the Artery-Clogging Popcorn'
Sarah Gilbert
Nov 21st 2009 at 4:00PMText SizeAAAFiled under: Company News, Healthcare More
The biggest horror show in movie theaters right now isn't on screens but in the tubs of popcorn resting in audience members' laps, if you ask one consumer advocate. Snacking on a medium popcorn and soda at one of Regal Entertainment Group's (RGC) cinemas is the nutritional equivalent of eating three McDonald's (MCD) Quarter Pounders slathered with 12 pats of butter, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The twist in the plot? Both Regal and AMC -- the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 theater chains -- understate the calories in their popcorn servings by big amounts, according to laboratory analyses commissioned by the nonprofit.
Regal, for example, indicates its medium popcorn is 720 calories, while its large is 960 calories, the center says. But both medium and large sizes end up containing about 1,200 calories, the Washington, D.C., outfit says. And because the kernels are popped in coconut oil, they contain 60 grams of saturated fat -- three times the daily recommended allowance, the group adds. "You might think you're getting Bambi, but you're really getting Godzilla," says Jayne Hurley, the center's senior nutritionist.
Rival chain AMC states its large popcorn contains 660 calories, the center says. But according to its analysis, the tubs were loaded with 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat. The center equates that to putting away a pound of baby-back ribs topped with a scoop of Häagen-Dazs ice cream -- except that the popcorn has an additional day's worth of saturated fat.
Enough Calories for "Climbing Mt. Everest"
No. 3 U.S. theater chain Cinemark's (CNK) large tub is slightly lower, at 910 calories. And because it uses heart-healthy canola oil instead of coconut oil, it reviews much better on the fat front, with only 4 grams of saturated fat. But the center isn't exactly giving it two thumbs up. The reason? It contains about twice as much sodium as the popcorn from the other chains.
"Sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly like climbing Mt. Everest," says Hurley. "Why do theaters think they need to feed us like it is?"
Requests for comment from all three chains on Saturday were not immediately returned.
News of the calorie count behind supersize popcorn comes at an interesting time. These cinemas aren't likely to face any regulatory backlash after having understated, as the center reports, the calorie and fat data. They're not required to publish this data at all.
In fact, no restaurant or food-service operation is required to publish nutritional data on its menus, websites or menu boards. There are exceptions. The data must be featured if the food is prepackaged or if the establishment is making health claims about its food ("low-fat," for instance).
But that all could change in the next few years. How? If health reform passes.
Chains in California Go on Diet
Deep in the House's health care reform bill, around page 1,528, is a requirement that restaurants prominently display nutrition information on the menu, along with a "succinct statement about suggested calorie intake." These facts would also need to be displayed on menu boards, alongside items on salad bars and on vending machines where individual items' nutrition facts were not available.
Several years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mentioned it would move to require nutritional information on menus if its "ambitious program" encouraging restaurants to voluntarily release information "doesn't work, or if it has an adverse effect." What adverse effect concerned the FDA isn't known. Certainly, the program seems to have had the positive effect of reducing serving sizes at many large chains that went along with the program.
But requirements have been proven to be far more effective. In California, where the first phase of a labeling law very similar to the one in the House bill went into effect in July, many chains have already reformulated surprisingly fattening menu items.
As far as restaurateurs and other food-service businesses are concerned, the biggest complaint about the FDA's request that they voluntarily release nutrition information on their menus was the cost. The move would, restaurant lobbyists insisted, put many smaller businesses in dire financial straits.
None of them, however, mentioned the other problem: It might frighten customers enough for them to go home to eat, instead.
Menu labeling, and truthful disclosures, can only be good for the American consumer. Yes, it should be everyone's right to choose whether the government's nutritional recommendations are worth following. But it should also be a right to know whether you're even in the ballpark. If you believe the Center for Science in the Public Interest's numbers, that hasn't been the case at the big movie chains.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
Nov 21st 2009 at 4:00PMText SizeAAAFiled under: Company News, Healthcare More
The biggest horror show in movie theaters right now isn't on screens but in the tubs of popcorn resting in audience members' laps, if you ask one consumer advocate. Snacking on a medium popcorn and soda at one of Regal Entertainment Group's (RGC) cinemas is the nutritional equivalent of eating three McDonald's (MCD) Quarter Pounders slathered with 12 pats of butter, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The twist in the plot? Both Regal and AMC -- the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 theater chains -- understate the calories in their popcorn servings by big amounts, according to laboratory analyses commissioned by the nonprofit.
Regal, for example, indicates its medium popcorn is 720 calories, while its large is 960 calories, the center says. But both medium and large sizes end up containing about 1,200 calories, the Washington, D.C., outfit says. And because the kernels are popped in coconut oil, they contain 60 grams of saturated fat -- three times the daily recommended allowance, the group adds. "You might think you're getting Bambi, but you're really getting Godzilla," says Jayne Hurley, the center's senior nutritionist.
Rival chain AMC states its large popcorn contains 660 calories, the center says. But according to its analysis, the tubs were loaded with 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat. The center equates that to putting away a pound of baby-back ribs topped with a scoop of Häagen-Dazs ice cream -- except that the popcorn has an additional day's worth of saturated fat.
Enough Calories for "Climbing Mt. Everest"
No. 3 U.S. theater chain Cinemark's (CNK) large tub is slightly lower, at 910 calories. And because it uses heart-healthy canola oil instead of coconut oil, it reviews much better on the fat front, with only 4 grams of saturated fat. But the center isn't exactly giving it two thumbs up. The reason? It contains about twice as much sodium as the popcorn from the other chains.
"Sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly like climbing Mt. Everest," says Hurley. "Why do theaters think they need to feed us like it is?"
Requests for comment from all three chains on Saturday were not immediately returned.
News of the calorie count behind supersize popcorn comes at an interesting time. These cinemas aren't likely to face any regulatory backlash after having understated, as the center reports, the calorie and fat data. They're not required to publish this data at all.
In fact, no restaurant or food-service operation is required to publish nutritional data on its menus, websites or menu boards. There are exceptions. The data must be featured if the food is prepackaged or if the establishment is making health claims about its food ("low-fat," for instance).
But that all could change in the next few years. How? If health reform passes.
Chains in California Go on Diet
Deep in the House's health care reform bill, around page 1,528, is a requirement that restaurants prominently display nutrition information on the menu, along with a "succinct statement about suggested calorie intake." These facts would also need to be displayed on menu boards, alongside items on salad bars and on vending machines where individual items' nutrition facts were not available.
Several years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mentioned it would move to require nutritional information on menus if its "ambitious program" encouraging restaurants to voluntarily release information "doesn't work, or if it has an adverse effect." What adverse effect concerned the FDA isn't known. Certainly, the program seems to have had the positive effect of reducing serving sizes at many large chains that went along with the program.
But requirements have been proven to be far more effective. In California, where the first phase of a labeling law very similar to the one in the House bill went into effect in July, many chains have already reformulated surprisingly fattening menu items.
As far as restaurateurs and other food-service businesses are concerned, the biggest complaint about the FDA's request that they voluntarily release nutrition information on their menus was the cost. The move would, restaurant lobbyists insisted, put many smaller businesses in dire financial straits.
None of them, however, mentioned the other problem: It might frighten customers enough for them to go home to eat, instead.
Menu labeling, and truthful disclosures, can only be good for the American consumer. Yes, it should be everyone's right to choose whether the government's nutritional recommendations are worth following. But it should also be a right to know whether you're even in the ballpark. If you believe the Center for Science in the Public Interest's numbers, that hasn't been the case at the big movie chains.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
HEALTH Boost Your Immunity Before Christmas
Monday, 23 November 2009
Don’t miss Christmas – boost your immune system now
Ask the pharmacist
James Geraghty
With swine flu in the news nearly every day, many people are wondering how to keep their immune system as healthy as possible. The festive season is also fast approaching, and everyone would like to be in top form and in good health for the parties and get togethers. Immunity plays a central role in fighting off the seasonal maladies that can ruin Christmas.
Healthy immunity depends on a broad array of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and carbohydrates. Therefore a nutrient-rich diet crammed with fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables is essential.
Good immune-strengthening foods include garlic, onions, olives, olive oil, beetroot, peppers, fresh herbs, chillies, sweet potato, carrots, apples, nuts, seeds, tofu, miso, lemon, lime, honey, blueberries... the list goes on, but generally lots of raw, colourful fruit and veg.
Where possible, opt for organic food over non-organic. Research shows that it is more nutritious with higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients – and fewer potential toxins like synthetic pesticides and antibiotics.
Essential fatty acids are also important. They are required for the normal functioning of lymphocytes (white blood cells), which are directly responsible for producing antibodies to fight against infection. Oily fish, nuts and seeds or flax seed oil are all good sources.
For those with a weak digestive system, probiotics can also help to strengthen the immune system. Aim for 5-20 billion bacteria daily.
Specific vitamins and minerals can also lend support. Vitamin C and zinc in particular are often linked with a healthy immune system, so increase supply where necessary. Ester-C, a buffered ‘body ready’ form of vitamin C is better absorbed by the body and a personal favourite.
There’s also an increasing amount of research suggesting that the mineral selenium can help to fight against infection by slowing the replication of virus cells in the body. Good food sources include brazil nuts, oats and brown rice.
As far as herbal remedies are concerned, Olive Leaf Extract can be very useful. With powerful antimicrobial activity, it can help against a whole range of bugs (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites), including those responsible for the common cold. Check with your local health shop for safe use, especially if taking any other medication.
Finally, immune support wouldn’t be complete without giving a nod to echinacea and elderberry. Both are believed to help strengthen the immune system and fight infection.
James Geraghty is the managing director of the Molloy’s Lifestyle Pharmacy Group. He has a degree in biochemistry and pharmacy, as well as 15 years’ experience of the health industry. A huge believer in the importance exercise and wellbeing, he regularly lectures to active retirement and special interest groups around the county.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com.
Don’t miss Christmas – boost your immune system now
Ask the pharmacist
James Geraghty
With swine flu in the news nearly every day, many people are wondering how to keep their immune system as healthy as possible. The festive season is also fast approaching, and everyone would like to be in top form and in good health for the parties and get togethers. Immunity plays a central role in fighting off the seasonal maladies that can ruin Christmas.
Healthy immunity depends on a broad array of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and carbohydrates. Therefore a nutrient-rich diet crammed with fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables is essential.
Good immune-strengthening foods include garlic, onions, olives, olive oil, beetroot, peppers, fresh herbs, chillies, sweet potato, carrots, apples, nuts, seeds, tofu, miso, lemon, lime, honey, blueberries... the list goes on, but generally lots of raw, colourful fruit and veg.
Where possible, opt for organic food over non-organic. Research shows that it is more nutritious with higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients – and fewer potential toxins like synthetic pesticides and antibiotics.
Essential fatty acids are also important. They are required for the normal functioning of lymphocytes (white blood cells), which are directly responsible for producing antibodies to fight against infection. Oily fish, nuts and seeds or flax seed oil are all good sources.
For those with a weak digestive system, probiotics can also help to strengthen the immune system. Aim for 5-20 billion bacteria daily.
Specific vitamins and minerals can also lend support. Vitamin C and zinc in particular are often linked with a healthy immune system, so increase supply where necessary. Ester-C, a buffered ‘body ready’ form of vitamin C is better absorbed by the body and a personal favourite.
There’s also an increasing amount of research suggesting that the mineral selenium can help to fight against infection by slowing the replication of virus cells in the body. Good food sources include brazil nuts, oats and brown rice.
As far as herbal remedies are concerned, Olive Leaf Extract can be very useful. With powerful antimicrobial activity, it can help against a whole range of bugs (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites), including those responsible for the common cold. Check with your local health shop for safe use, especially if taking any other medication.
Finally, immune support wouldn’t be complete without giving a nod to echinacea and elderberry. Both are believed to help strengthen the immune system and fight infection.
James Geraghty is the managing director of the Molloy’s Lifestyle Pharmacy Group. He has a degree in biochemistry and pharmacy, as well as 15 years’ experience of the health industry. A huge believer in the importance exercise and wellbeing, he regularly lectures to active retirement and special interest groups around the county.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Natural Therapies For Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Summary
By Kristi Hawkes, N.D.
HOW IS FIBROMYALGIA DIAGNOSED?
Fibromyalgia can be diagnosed by a tender point examination. Mildly irritating to completely debilitating tenderness in at least 11 of 18 defined points, such as in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips, signifies FM.
WHAT CAUSES IT?
The cause of FM has yet to be determined. But research suggests that abnormalities in the muscular, en
docrine, nervous, or digestive systems should be addressed, and exposure to toxic substances should be reduced.
Muscular System: Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to be a primary cause of FM. Mitochondria are found in all cells of the body, but are highly concentrated in muscle cells. They are responsible for cellular energy production. Decreased cellular energy production in muscle cells can result in increased muscle stiffness, pain, and fatigue in FM patients.
Nervous System: Toxin Exposure
Every day we are exposed to numerous toxins such as pesticides, food additives (e.g., MSG, aspartame), and chemicals that can adversely affect various bodily functions, including nervous system function. Excessive toxin exposure can result in increased and prolonged pain sensation by the nervous system, contributing to the chronic pain associated with FM.
Digestive System: Intestinal Tract Abnormalities
Data suggest that up to 70% of patients with FM complain of symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), such as chronic abdominal pain, alternating diarrhea and constipation, morning stiffness, and fatigue. Since IBS and FM have overlapping symptoms, it has been suggested they may have a common cause. It is further theorized that dysfunction in nerve pathways between the intestinal tract and the brain help to explain the increased pain sensitivity and fatigue in FM.
Endocrine System: Hormone Imbalance
Many patients with FM have experienced significant amounts of stress, which can contribute to abnormalities in the endocrine system. The endocrine system regulates hormone (e.g., serotonin, cortisol, thyroxine) production by portions of the brain, as well as by the adrenal and thyroid glands. Imbalanced hormone production caused by stress can contribute to the increased fatigue, sleep disturbances, and psychological distress experienced by FM patients.
HOW IS IT TREATED?
Conventional Medical Approaches
Doctors may prescribe antidepressants, sleeping pills, muscle relaxants, and/or pain-relief medications. Unfortunately, none of these medications have been shown to be of significant benefit and they can cause adverse side effects (e.g., headache, nausea, stomach bleeding).
A Natural Treatment Approach
In addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise program as prescribed by your healthcare provider, incorporating a basic nutritional regimen that addresses the abnormalities previously discussed may be of benefit (Table 1).
What a Basic Nutritional Supplement Program for FM Patients May Include
Multivitamin/Mineral Formula Overall health and energy levels
EPA/DHA 30:20 Formula (Omega-3 fatty acids) Overall health of cells that house mitochondria
Mitochondrial Antioxidant Formula Muscular system: comprehensive
mitochondrial support
Malic Acid/Magnesium Complex OR Magnesium/Potassium Aspartate Complex Muscular system: mitochondrial energy production
Bifunctional Detoxification Support Formula Nervous system: elimination of toxins
L. Acidophilus NCFM® and Bifidobacteria Digestive system: intestinal health and
function
If stress is an issue, then add:
Traditional Ayurvedic Holy Basil Combination Endocrine system: hormone balance and stress response
B6/Pantothenic Acid Complex Endocrine system: adrenal hormone
production and energy
ADDITIONAL THERAPY
Frequency-Specific Microcurrent
Injured tissue has altered electrical dynamics as compared to healthy tissue. These altered electrical dynamics can cause changes in cellular function, resulting in impaired healing and painful inflammation. Frequency-specific microcurrent therapy is the application of an extremely low frequency of electrical current (approximately one millionth of an amp) to control pain and stimulate healing of injured tissue, such as muscle, on a cellular level. This "bio-electric therapy" supports the natural healthy electrical current flow in tissue, which is important to mitochondrial energy production, the transport of nutrients to cells, and the removal of wastes from cells. The actual electrical current administered is so small that it cannot be felt.
CONCLUSION
Because FM has been associated with abnormalities in multiple body systems, treatment that addresses each of these systems may be of benefit. While medications commonly prescribed for FM complaints may provide temporary relief, they may not address the underlying factors involved and can cause undesirable side effects such as headache, nausea, or stomach bleeding. On the other hand, good nutrition, exercise, and dietary supplements that support the muscular, nervous, digestive, and endocrine systems and facilitate the elimination of toxins may assist in the healing process.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
Lax Joints Raise Girls' Knee Injury Risk: Study
Last Updated: 2008-06-26 13:01:12 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young female athletes who have loose joints may be at greater risk of tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee, a new study suggests.
The ACL is a tough band of tissue that runs from the thigh bone to shin bone, playing an important part in stabilizing the knee joint. When it tears, it's often the result of a sudden, forceful twist -- such as an awkward landing from a jump that torques the knee.
It's long been known that female athletes are much more likely than their male counterparts to tear the ACL.
The new findings, based on more than 1,500 teenage female athletes, suggest that joint "laxity" may contribute to their risk of ACL injuries.
Researchers found that young women whose knee ligaments tended to be less taut, and who therefore had less-stable knee joints, were at greater risk of suffering an ACL tear over four years.
In particular, there was a five-fold higher risk of ACL tears among athletes whose knees were hyperextended -- meaning that when the leg is straight, the knee joint goes beyond a neutral alignment and bows backward.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
After puberty, ligament laxity and joint flexibility tend to increase in females and decrease in males -- a difference that might factor into female athletes' higher rate of ACL tears.
"There are many factors that contribute to (the risk of ACL tears), and this might be one of them," lead researcher Gregory D. Myer, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, told Reuters Health.
Nothing can be done to change ligament laxity, Myer explained, but certain training techniques may help reduce athletes' risk of ACL tears -- something that might be especially important for those with greater laxity in the knee joint.
For example, learning how to land from a jump with proper alignment, and not in a "knock-kneed" position, may help prevent ACL injuries.
In addition, strengthening the hamstring muscles, which help stabilize the knee joint, appears particularly important, according to Myer.
He said he and his colleagues are continuing to investigate the types of exercises that are most effective at lowering the risk of ACL tears. Exercises that go beyond the knee and focus on building strength in the hips and "core" of the body are also showing promise.
For more articles on Health, Wellness, & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: American Journal of Sports Medicine, June 2008.
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young female athletes who have loose joints may be at greater risk of tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee, a new study suggests.
The ACL is a tough band of tissue that runs from the thigh bone to shin bone, playing an important part in stabilizing the knee joint. When it tears, it's often the result of a sudden, forceful twist -- such as an awkward landing from a jump that torques the knee.
It's long been known that female athletes are much more likely than their male counterparts to tear the ACL.
The new findings, based on more than 1,500 teenage female athletes, suggest that joint "laxity" may contribute to their risk of ACL injuries.
Researchers found that young women whose knee ligaments tended to be less taut, and who therefore had less-stable knee joints, were at greater risk of suffering an ACL tear over four years.
In particular, there was a five-fold higher risk of ACL tears among athletes whose knees were hyperextended -- meaning that when the leg is straight, the knee joint goes beyond a neutral alignment and bows backward.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
After puberty, ligament laxity and joint flexibility tend to increase in females and decrease in males -- a difference that might factor into female athletes' higher rate of ACL tears.
"There are many factors that contribute to (the risk of ACL tears), and this might be one of them," lead researcher Gregory D. Myer, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, told Reuters Health.
Nothing can be done to change ligament laxity, Myer explained, but certain training techniques may help reduce athletes' risk of ACL tears -- something that might be especially important for those with greater laxity in the knee joint.
For example, learning how to land from a jump with proper alignment, and not in a "knock-kneed" position, may help prevent ACL injuries.
In addition, strengthening the hamstring muscles, which help stabilize the knee joint, appears particularly important, according to Myer.
He said he and his colleagues are continuing to investigate the types of exercises that are most effective at lowering the risk of ACL tears. Exercises that go beyond the knee and focus on building strength in the hips and "core" of the body are also showing promise.
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SOURCE: American Journal of Sports Medicine, June 2008.
Green Tea May Shield Brain From Sleep Apnea Effects
Last Updated: 2008-05-19 7:45:16 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Compounds found in green tea may help ward off the neurological damage that can come with the breathing disorder sleep apnea, a new animal study hints.
Researchers found that when they added green tea antioxidants to rats' drinking water, it appeared to protect the animals' brains during bouts of oxygen deprivation designed to mimic the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
The findings suggest that green tea compounds should be further studied as a potential OSA therapy, the researchers report in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
OSA is a common disorder in which soft tissues in the throat temporarily collapse and block the airway during sleep, causing repeated stops and starts in breathing throughout the night.
The immediate symptoms include chronic loud snoring and gasping, as well as daytime sleepiness. Left untreated, OSA can eventually have widespread effects in the body; it's linked to high blood pressure, and research suggests that the intermittent dips in oxygen to the brain may lead to memory and learning difficulties.
In the new study, Dr. David Gozal and colleagues at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky looked at whether green tea compounds called catechin polyphenols could help shield the brain from this oxygen deprivation.
Catechin polyphenols act as antioxidants, which means they help neutralize cell-damaging particles called oxygen free radicals. Free radicals are normal byproducts of metabolism, but in excess they lead to a state known as oxidative stress.
It's thought that the oxygen deprivation of OSA leads to oxidative stress, and that this, at least in part, explains the cognitive problems seen in some people with the sleep disorder.
Gozal and his colleagues found that when rats were exposed to periodic bouts of oxygen deprivation over 14 days, it did boost signs of oxidative stress in the brain. This didn't happen, however, if rats had been given water containing green tea polyphenols.
What's more, compared with rats given plain water, these animals performed better on a standard test of learning and memory -- a water "maze" designed to encourage the animals to remember the location of an escape platform.
In theory, Gozal told Reuters Health, a regular cup of green tea could be beneficial, used alongside standard OSA treatment.
"However," he said, "definitive proof that green tea would help will have to await a trial in human patients."
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, May 15, 2008
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Compounds found in green tea may help ward off the neurological damage that can come with the breathing disorder sleep apnea, a new animal study hints.
Researchers found that when they added green tea antioxidants to rats' drinking water, it appeared to protect the animals' brains during bouts of oxygen deprivation designed to mimic the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
The findings suggest that green tea compounds should be further studied as a potential OSA therapy, the researchers report in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
OSA is a common disorder in which soft tissues in the throat temporarily collapse and block the airway during sleep, causing repeated stops and starts in breathing throughout the night.
The immediate symptoms include chronic loud snoring and gasping, as well as daytime sleepiness. Left untreated, OSA can eventually have widespread effects in the body; it's linked to high blood pressure, and research suggests that the intermittent dips in oxygen to the brain may lead to memory and learning difficulties.
In the new study, Dr. David Gozal and colleagues at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky looked at whether green tea compounds called catechin polyphenols could help shield the brain from this oxygen deprivation.
Catechin polyphenols act as antioxidants, which means they help neutralize cell-damaging particles called oxygen free radicals. Free radicals are normal byproducts of metabolism, but in excess they lead to a state known as oxidative stress.
It's thought that the oxygen deprivation of OSA leads to oxidative stress, and that this, at least in part, explains the cognitive problems seen in some people with the sleep disorder.
Gozal and his colleagues found that when rats were exposed to periodic bouts of oxygen deprivation over 14 days, it did boost signs of oxidative stress in the brain. This didn't happen, however, if rats had been given water containing green tea polyphenols.
What's more, compared with rats given plain water, these animals performed better on a standard test of learning and memory -- a water "maze" designed to encourage the animals to remember the location of an escape platform.
In theory, Gozal told Reuters Health, a regular cup of green tea could be beneficial, used alongside standard OSA treatment.
"However," he said, "definitive proof that green tea would help will have to await a trial in human patients."
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, May 15, 2008
Cool Water Bath Boosts Post-Exercise Recovery
Last Updated: 2008-08-21 13:58:03 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A dip in chilly water can help endurance athletes recover faster after a tough workout, while alternating between cold and hot water immersion is also beneficial, according to new research published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.
On the other hand, soaking in hot water was only slightly better than resting for the same amount of time in helping athletes to maintain performance, Dr. Joanna Valle, of the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, and her colleagues found.
All three types of water immersion are becoming increasingly popular for helping athletes in many sports recover after exertion, Valle and her team note. She and her colleagues sought to compare their effectiveness in maintaining cyclists' performance across five days of strenuous exercise, similar to the "demanding and consistent performances on multiple days" required in stage racing.
They had 12 male cyclists complete a five-day "fatigue-inducing" cycle of exercises, four times each, with nine days' rest between each cycle. The athletes used one of four recovery strategies after each day of exercise: immersion in a 15 degree C (59 degree F) pool for 14 minutes; immersion in 38 degree C (100.4 degree F) water for 14 minutes; alternating between cool and hot water every minute for 14 minutes; or 14 minutes of rest.
Cyclists' sprint and time trial performance was maintained or slightly improved with cool water immersion and contrast water therapy, but both declined with hot water dips or rest only, the researchers found.
Cold water improved sprint performance by 0.5 to 2.2 percent and time trial performance by 0.1 to 1.0 percent, while contrast water therapy improved sprint and time trial performance by 0.1 to 1.4 percent and 0.0 to 1.7 percent, respectively. Sprint performance fell by up to 3.7 percent with hot water immersion, and time trial performance dropped by up to 3.4 percent, only slightly less than was seen with rest only.
The findings "suggest that cold water immersion and contrast water therapy may be beneficial recovery interventions following and between events such as track cycling where the task requires short maximal efforts, as well as longer events such as stage races where the task requires continuous high-intensity efforts on successive days," the researchers conclude.
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SOURCE: International Journal of Sports Medicine, July 2008.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A dip in chilly water can help endurance athletes recover faster after a tough workout, while alternating between cold and hot water immersion is also beneficial, according to new research published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.
On the other hand, soaking in hot water was only slightly better than resting for the same amount of time in helping athletes to maintain performance, Dr. Joanna Valle, of the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, and her colleagues found.
All three types of water immersion are becoming increasingly popular for helping athletes in many sports recover after exertion, Valle and her team note. She and her colleagues sought to compare their effectiveness in maintaining cyclists' performance across five days of strenuous exercise, similar to the "demanding and consistent performances on multiple days" required in stage racing.
They had 12 male cyclists complete a five-day "fatigue-inducing" cycle of exercises, four times each, with nine days' rest between each cycle. The athletes used one of four recovery strategies after each day of exercise: immersion in a 15 degree C (59 degree F) pool for 14 minutes; immersion in 38 degree C (100.4 degree F) water for 14 minutes; alternating between cool and hot water every minute for 14 minutes; or 14 minutes of rest.
Cyclists' sprint and time trial performance was maintained or slightly improved with cool water immersion and contrast water therapy, but both declined with hot water dips or rest only, the researchers found.
Cold water improved sprint performance by 0.5 to 2.2 percent and time trial performance by 0.1 to 1.0 percent, while contrast water therapy improved sprint and time trial performance by 0.1 to 1.4 percent and 0.0 to 1.7 percent, respectively. Sprint performance fell by up to 3.7 percent with hot water immersion, and time trial performance dropped by up to 3.4 percent, only slightly less than was seen with rest only.
The findings "suggest that cold water immersion and contrast water therapy may be beneficial recovery interventions following and between events such as track cycling where the task requires short maximal efforts, as well as longer events such as stage races where the task requires continuous high-intensity efforts on successive days," the researchers conclude.
For more articles on Health, Wellness, Fitness & Nutrition, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: International Journal of Sports Medicine, July 2008.
Friday, November 20, 2009
High Vitamin C Linked to Lower BP in Young Women
Last Updated: 2008-12-30 15:59:21 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Joene Hendry
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study in young adult women links high blood levels of vitamin C with lower blood pressure.
This "strongly suggests that vitamin C is specifically important in maintaining a healthy blood pressure," lead author Dr. Gladys Block, of the University of California, Berkeley, told Reuters Health.
Previous research linked high plasma levels of vitamin C with lower blood pressure among middle-age and older adults, typically those with higher than optimal blood pressure readings, Block and colleagues report in the Nutrition Journal.
The current study involved 242 black and white women, between 18 and 21 years old, with normal blood pressures, who were participants in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. The girls had entered the trial when they were 8 to 11 years old. Over a 10-year period, their plasma levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and blood pressure were monitored.
At year 10, Block and her colleagues found that blood pressure, both the systolic and diastolic (top and bottom reading), was inversely associated with ascorbic acid levels.
Specifically, women with the highest levels of ascorbic acid had a decline of about 4.66 mm Hg in systolic and 6.04 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure compared with women with the lowest ascorbic acid levels. This difference still held true after researchers allowed for differences in body mass, race, education levels, and dietary fat and sodium intake.
Women with the lowest levels of plasma ascorbic acid likely consumed average amounts of fruits, vegetables, and fortified foods while those with the highest plasma ascorbic acid levels likely ate diets rich in fruits and vegetables or took multivitamins or vitamin C supplements, the researchers note.
Further analyses of vitamin C and blood pressure changes over the previous year, "also strongly suggested that the people with the highest blood level of vitamin C had the least increase in blood pressure," Block said.
Since these findings infer a possible association between vitamin C and blood pressure in healthy young adults, Block and colleagues call for further investigations in this population.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com
SOURCE: Nutrition Journal, December 17, 2008
By Joene Hendry
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study in young adult women links high blood levels of vitamin C with lower blood pressure.
This "strongly suggests that vitamin C is specifically important in maintaining a healthy blood pressure," lead author Dr. Gladys Block, of the University of California, Berkeley, told Reuters Health.
Previous research linked high plasma levels of vitamin C with lower blood pressure among middle-age and older adults, typically those with higher than optimal blood pressure readings, Block and colleagues report in the Nutrition Journal.
The current study involved 242 black and white women, between 18 and 21 years old, with normal blood pressures, who were participants in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. The girls had entered the trial when they were 8 to 11 years old. Over a 10-year period, their plasma levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and blood pressure were monitored.
At year 10, Block and her colleagues found that blood pressure, both the systolic and diastolic (top and bottom reading), was inversely associated with ascorbic acid levels.
Specifically, women with the highest levels of ascorbic acid had a decline of about 4.66 mm Hg in systolic and 6.04 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure compared with women with the lowest ascorbic acid levels. This difference still held true after researchers allowed for differences in body mass, race, education levels, and dietary fat and sodium intake.
Women with the lowest levels of plasma ascorbic acid likely consumed average amounts of fruits, vegetables, and fortified foods while those with the highest plasma ascorbic acid levels likely ate diets rich in fruits and vegetables or took multivitamins or vitamin C supplements, the researchers note.
Further analyses of vitamin C and blood pressure changes over the previous year, "also strongly suggested that the people with the highest blood level of vitamin C had the least increase in blood pressure," Block said.
Since these findings infer a possible association between vitamin C and blood pressure in healthy young adults, Block and colleagues call for further investigations in this population.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com
SOURCE: Nutrition Journal, December 17, 2008
Women Tea-Drinkers Have Less Plaque in Arteries
Last Updated: 2008-02-15 12:34:08 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who drink tea may be protecting themselves from a build-up of artery-clogging plaque, so lowering their risk for heart disease and stroke, findings from a French study suggest.
Dr. Mahmoud Zureik and colleagues found that older women who reported drinking at least three cups of tea a day were less likely to have plaque in the carotid arteries in their neck than those drinking less tea.
The investigators, all with INSERM, France's national institute for medical research, report their findings in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Zureik's team analyzed ultrasound measures of carotid artery plaque among 2,613 men and 3,984 women, aged about 73 years old on average, in relation to tea drinking and other dietary habits, and medical and personal history obtained during in-person interviews conducted from 1999 to 2001.
Carotid plaques were evident in 44 percent of female non-tea-drinkers, in 42.5 percent of women who reported drinking 1 to 2 cups of tea daily, and in only 33.7 percent of those who reported drinking 3 or more cups per day.
The association between fewer instances of carotid plaques and increased daily tea consumption was independent of other dietary habits, major vascular risk factors, age, area of residence, and education, the investigators note.
"There was no association of tea consumption with carotid plaques in men," the team found.
The investigators did not gather data on the types of tea consumed or the duration of tea drinking among participants, and they are unclear why the association occurred among women and not men.
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SOURCE: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, February 2008.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who drink tea may be protecting themselves from a build-up of artery-clogging plaque, so lowering their risk for heart disease and stroke, findings from a French study suggest.
Dr. Mahmoud Zureik and colleagues found that older women who reported drinking at least three cups of tea a day were less likely to have plaque in the carotid arteries in their neck than those drinking less tea.
The investigators, all with INSERM, France's national institute for medical research, report their findings in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Zureik's team analyzed ultrasound measures of carotid artery plaque among 2,613 men and 3,984 women, aged about 73 years old on average, in relation to tea drinking and other dietary habits, and medical and personal history obtained during in-person interviews conducted from 1999 to 2001.
Carotid plaques were evident in 44 percent of female non-tea-drinkers, in 42.5 percent of women who reported drinking 1 to 2 cups of tea daily, and in only 33.7 percent of those who reported drinking 3 or more cups per day.
The association between fewer instances of carotid plaques and increased daily tea consumption was independent of other dietary habits, major vascular risk factors, age, area of residence, and education, the investigators note.
"There was no association of tea consumption with carotid plaques in men," the team found.
The investigators did not gather data on the types of tea consumed or the duration of tea drinking among participants, and they are unclear why the association occurred among women and not men.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com
SOURCE: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, February 2008.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Immunity-Boosting Tips for Flu Season
When flu season comes around, there are a number of ways to boost your immunities. Aside from flu shots and eating healthy, you can also take a variety of supplements. We spoke with Whole Foods to get tips on the best ones for your body.
1) Nutrient Dense Foods:
It is important to eat nutrient dense foods, be sure your diets are filled with a rainbow of colors available from fresh fruits and vegetables. These nutrients help provide the body with the building blocks it needs to stay healthy and fight off infections. If you struggle with getting your family three daily servings of fruits and veggies - you can try a product called Amazing Grass. It's a chocolate-flavored vegetable and fruit supplement.
2) Multivitamins:
It's important to take a daily multi-vitamin to ensure you are getting essential vitamins and minerals.
3) Vitamin C and Vitamin D:
Recommended by Dr. Oz. There are products for babies and kids as young as 6 months old and are great to boost immune function.
4) Probiotics (Acidophilus):
Did you know almost 70% of your immune system function is in your digestive tract? These healthy bacteria helps fight off any potential invaders there, and if you or your children have been on antibiotics, those healthy bacteria also get killed off…so be sure to supplement with Probiotics. There are products for babies and kids as young as 6 months old in both chewable and powder forms.
5) Black Elderberry Syrup:
The berries from the Elderberry tree are packed with powerful antioxidants that have been used for centuries to decrease severity of cold and flu symptoms as well as shorten the duration of cold and flu.
All of these supplements and products are available at Whole Foods and other natural food stores. Please remember, we've provided this information for educational purposes. We're not doctors and you should follow the advice of your health care provider.
Below you'll find a number of shopping lists to help you decide what to purchase for your family. This list is only a guide to assist you in your shopping for products available.
Adult Shopping List:
-365 Adult Multivitamins
-365 Chewable Vitamin C (500mg)
-Whole Foods Vitamin D (1000 IU)
-Jarrow Jarro- Dophilus EPS Probiotics
-Nature's Way Sambucus Original Black Elderberry Syrup
-Amazing Grass
Kid's Ages 4 and up:
-365 Kids Gummy Multivitamins
-Whole Foods Kids Essentials Vitamin C Chewables
-Rainbow Light Vitamin D (400 IU) Sunny Gummies
- Renew Life Buddy Bear Probiotic
-Natures Way Black Elderberry (Sambucus) Syrup for Kids
-Amazing Grass
Infant/Baby Shopping List:
Jarrow Baby's Jarro-dophilus probiotics: Safe for infants and babies under 1 year old
Carlson Baby D Drops: Drop on pacifier, put in bottle or on mother's nipple. Safe for infants and babies under 1 year old.
Child Life Multivitamin liquid - Safe for babies 6 mos to 1 year old
Pregnant Moms:
-365 prenatal 1 daily 180ct
-Minami Nutrition MorDHA prenatal 60ct.
-Jarrow Jarro- Dophilus EPS Probiotics
-Wishgarden Immune Boost (A wonderful blend of nourishing herbs for pregnancy that also are a great booster for the immune system. Drops into water or juice to take. Follow directions for specific dosage.)
-Wishgarden Cold Remedy for pregnancy (A wonderful blend of nourishing herbs for pregnancy that are great when signs or symptoms arise in the upper respiratory tract)
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
1) Nutrient Dense Foods:
It is important to eat nutrient dense foods, be sure your diets are filled with a rainbow of colors available from fresh fruits and vegetables. These nutrients help provide the body with the building blocks it needs to stay healthy and fight off infections. If you struggle with getting your family three daily servings of fruits and veggies - you can try a product called Amazing Grass. It's a chocolate-flavored vegetable and fruit supplement.
2) Multivitamins:
It's important to take a daily multi-vitamin to ensure you are getting essential vitamins and minerals.
3) Vitamin C and Vitamin D:
Recommended by Dr. Oz. There are products for babies and kids as young as 6 months old and are great to boost immune function.
4) Probiotics (Acidophilus):
Did you know almost 70% of your immune system function is in your digestive tract? These healthy bacteria helps fight off any potential invaders there, and if you or your children have been on antibiotics, those healthy bacteria also get killed off…so be sure to supplement with Probiotics. There are products for babies and kids as young as 6 months old in both chewable and powder forms.
5) Black Elderberry Syrup:
The berries from the Elderberry tree are packed with powerful antioxidants that have been used for centuries to decrease severity of cold and flu symptoms as well as shorten the duration of cold and flu.
All of these supplements and products are available at Whole Foods and other natural food stores. Please remember, we've provided this information for educational purposes. We're not doctors and you should follow the advice of your health care provider.
Below you'll find a number of shopping lists to help you decide what to purchase for your family. This list is only a guide to assist you in your shopping for products available.
Adult Shopping List:
-365 Adult Multivitamins
-365 Chewable Vitamin C (500mg)
-Whole Foods Vitamin D (1000 IU)
-Jarrow Jarro- Dophilus EPS Probiotics
-Nature's Way Sambucus Original Black Elderberry Syrup
-Amazing Grass
Kid's Ages 4 and up:
-365 Kids Gummy Multivitamins
-Whole Foods Kids Essentials Vitamin C Chewables
-Rainbow Light Vitamin D (400 IU) Sunny Gummies
- Renew Life Buddy Bear Probiotic
-Natures Way Black Elderberry (Sambucus) Syrup for Kids
-Amazing Grass
Infant/Baby Shopping List:
Jarrow Baby's Jarro-dophilus probiotics: Safe for infants and babies under 1 year old
Carlson Baby D Drops: Drop on pacifier, put in bottle or on mother's nipple. Safe for infants and babies under 1 year old.
Child Life Multivitamin liquid - Safe for babies 6 mos to 1 year old
Pregnant Moms:
-365 prenatal 1 daily 180ct
-Minami Nutrition MorDHA prenatal 60ct.
-Jarrow Jarro- Dophilus EPS Probiotics
-Wishgarden Immune Boost (A wonderful blend of nourishing herbs for pregnancy that also are a great booster for the immune system. Drops into water or juice to take. Follow directions for specific dosage.)
-Wishgarden Cold Remedy for pregnancy (A wonderful blend of nourishing herbs for pregnancy that are great when signs or symptoms arise in the upper respiratory tract)
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com.
Magnesium Impacts Calcium's Anti-Cancer Effect
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In the Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, calcium supplementation reduced the risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas -- growths or polyps that can become cancerous - only in men with a low dietary ratio of calcium to magnesium.
"These results mean that designing a personalized diet/supplementation regimen that takes the ratio of both nutrients into account may be better than supplementing with only one or the other alone," Dr. Qi Dai from Vanderbilt University in Nashville told the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research in Washington, D.C.
Calcium supplementation has been shown to inhibit the development of colorectal cancer although high calcium may simultaneously prevent the body from absorbing magnesium.
The Calcium Polyp Prevention Study tested whether calcium supplementation (1,000 milligrams daily for 4 years) could prevent colorectal adenoma recurrence. The study involved 930 men.
Dai and colleagues found that the dietary ratios of calcium to magnesium intake modified the effect of calcium treatment on adenoma recurrence.
According to the investigators, calcium supplementation reduced the risk of adenoma recurrence only if the dietary ratio of calcium to magnesium intake was low before treatment and remained low during treatment.
The risk of colorectal adenoma recurrence was reduced by 32 percent among men with baseline calcium to magnesium ratio below the median in comparison to no reduction at all for those above the median.
"These findings, if confirmed, may provide a new avenue for the personalized prevention of colorectal cancer," Dai and colleagues conclude.
For more articles on Health, Wellness, Nutrition & Sports Medicine, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com
"These results mean that designing a personalized diet/supplementation regimen that takes the ratio of both nutrients into account may be better than supplementing with only one or the other alone," Dr. Qi Dai from Vanderbilt University in Nashville told the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research in Washington, D.C.
Calcium supplementation has been shown to inhibit the development of colorectal cancer although high calcium may simultaneously prevent the body from absorbing magnesium.
The Calcium Polyp Prevention Study tested whether calcium supplementation (1,000 milligrams daily for 4 years) could prevent colorectal adenoma recurrence. The study involved 930 men.
Dai and colleagues found that the dietary ratios of calcium to magnesium intake modified the effect of calcium treatment on adenoma recurrence.
According to the investigators, calcium supplementation reduced the risk of adenoma recurrence only if the dietary ratio of calcium to magnesium intake was low before treatment and remained low during treatment.
The risk of colorectal adenoma recurrence was reduced by 32 percent among men with baseline calcium to magnesium ratio below the median in comparison to no reduction at all for those above the median.
"These findings, if confirmed, may provide a new avenue for the personalized prevention of colorectal cancer," Dai and colleagues conclude.
For more articles on Health, Wellness, Nutrition & Sports Medicine, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and current treatment recommendations for correcting the deficiency are "inadequate," conclude clinicians from The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland.
They reviewed the charts of 262 children with CF patients treated at Johns Hopkins between 2003 and 2006 and found that vitamin D deficiency has declined but is still high; the prevalence was 86 percent in 2003 and 46 percent in 2006.
Many vitamin D deficient children remained deficient, despite getting "restorative" doses of vitamin D equal to or higher than the recommendations set by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Dr. Deanna Green and colleagues report in the Journal of Pediatrics.
CF is a genetic disorder marked by the body's inability to transport chloride in and out of cells, causing mild to life-threatening complications, including recurrent and severe lung infections and delayed growth. Growing children with CF are especially vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency because a hallmark of the disorder is poor absorption of nutrients and malnutrition.
The recommended treatment dose of vitamin D deficiency is 50,000 international units (IU) of ergocalciferol (a form of vitamin D) once per week for 8 weeks for children 5 years of age or older and 12,000 IU once per week for 8 weeks for children younger than age 5 years.
But the Hopkins team that 50,000 IU per week of ergocalciferol for 8 weeks was effective in only 33 percent of the children with vitamin D deficiency, while increasing the dose to twice a week was effective in only 26 percent of children. Delivering the same dose 3 times per week corrected the deficiency in just 43 percent of children.
As a result of the findings, Johns Hopkins has amended its treatment protocol and now treats both adult and pediatric CF patients who have vitamin D deficiency with 50,000 IU ergocalciferol everyday for 4 weeks, according to a university-issued statement.
"These findings are a big wake-up call not only because they show that many children with CF are lacking vitamin D, but also because the deficiency persists even in those children who are treated with weekly doses twice or 3 times as high as the current recommendations," Green said.
"Clearly there is an urgent need to find more effective ways to restore healthy vitamin D levels," she concluded.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: The Journal of Pediatrics, October 2008.
They reviewed the charts of 262 children with CF patients treated at Johns Hopkins between 2003 and 2006 and found that vitamin D deficiency has declined but is still high; the prevalence was 86 percent in 2003 and 46 percent in 2006.
Many vitamin D deficient children remained deficient, despite getting "restorative" doses of vitamin D equal to or higher than the recommendations set by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Dr. Deanna Green and colleagues report in the Journal of Pediatrics.
CF is a genetic disorder marked by the body's inability to transport chloride in and out of cells, causing mild to life-threatening complications, including recurrent and severe lung infections and delayed growth. Growing children with CF are especially vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency because a hallmark of the disorder is poor absorption of nutrients and malnutrition.
The recommended treatment dose of vitamin D deficiency is 50,000 international units (IU) of ergocalciferol (a form of vitamin D) once per week for 8 weeks for children 5 years of age or older and 12,000 IU once per week for 8 weeks for children younger than age 5 years.
But the Hopkins team that 50,000 IU per week of ergocalciferol for 8 weeks was effective in only 33 percent of the children with vitamin D deficiency, while increasing the dose to twice a week was effective in only 26 percent of children. Delivering the same dose 3 times per week corrected the deficiency in just 43 percent of children.
As a result of the findings, Johns Hopkins has amended its treatment protocol and now treats both adult and pediatric CF patients who have vitamin D deficiency with 50,000 IU ergocalciferol everyday for 4 weeks, according to a university-issued statement.
"These findings are a big wake-up call not only because they show that many children with CF are lacking vitamin D, but also because the deficiency persists even in those children who are treated with weekly doses twice or 3 times as high as the current recommendations," Green said.
"Clearly there is an urgent need to find more effective ways to restore healthy vitamin D levels," she concluded.
For more articles on Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit us at www.abdproducts.com.
SOURCE: The Journal of Pediatrics, October 2008.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thyroid hormones positively affected by selenium and vitamin E intake
High levels of stress can negatively affect the synthesis and metabolism of thyroid hormones (T4, T3). This may result in reduced thyroid hormone activity (hypothyroidism) and various health challenges including weight gain, lethargy, reproductive failure, depression, irritability, memory loss, muscle weakness, and more serious long term effects such as congestive heart failure.
In an effort to counteract the negative effects of stress on thyroid hormones, researchers such as Dr. L. Yue and colleagues investigated the ability of vitamin E and selenium to support healthy thyroid function.
By observing the metabolic changes of T4 and T3 in experimental rats, Dr. L. Yue and colleagues sought to determine the relationship between selenium and vitamin E deficiency and thyroid hormone disturbances.
Rats were either fed a selenium and vitamin E supplemented diet or a selenium and vitamin E deficient diet for 8 weeks.
Upon conclusion of the study, the rats that were deficient in selenium and vitamin E demonstrated a 36% decrease in T3 levels and a 32% increase in T4 levels. This in comparison to the selenium and vitamin E-supplemented rats that had "significantly higher" levels of T3, according to Dr. Yue and colleagues in the Chinese Medical Journal.
This study, among others, demonstrates the role of vitamin E and selenium in protecting and ensuring thyroid health, helping to defend against the inevitable stresses of life.
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Chin Med J 1998;111(9):854-57.
In an effort to counteract the negative effects of stress on thyroid hormones, researchers such as Dr. L. Yue and colleagues investigated the ability of vitamin E and selenium to support healthy thyroid function.
By observing the metabolic changes of T4 and T3 in experimental rats, Dr. L. Yue and colleagues sought to determine the relationship between selenium and vitamin E deficiency and thyroid hormone disturbances.
Rats were either fed a selenium and vitamin E supplemented diet or a selenium and vitamin E deficient diet for 8 weeks.
Upon conclusion of the study, the rats that were deficient in selenium and vitamin E demonstrated a 36% decrease in T3 levels and a 32% increase in T4 levels. This in comparison to the selenium and vitamin E-supplemented rats that had "significantly higher" levels of T3, according to Dr. Yue and colleagues in the Chinese Medical Journal.
This study, among others, demonstrates the role of vitamin E and selenium in protecting and ensuring thyroid health, helping to defend against the inevitable stresses of life.
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Chin Med J 1998;111(9):854-57.
Holy Basil Exhibits Anti-Stress Activity
While holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) has been traditionally used to treat a wide variety of conditions, recent investigations have indicated that holy basil has adaptogenic, or anti-stress, properties.
Holy basil is a well known plant that grows throughout India. It has been used for centuries in the ancient practice of Indian medicine known as Ayurveda and is considered to have several therapeutic properties.
According to Dr. K.P. Bhargava and Dr. N. Singh in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, "...the innocuous nature of holy basil extract coupled with [its] normalizing effect during a variety of stressful situations indicates a state of non-specific increased resistance in the organism induced by the extract, which is characteristic of adaptogens."
Dr. Bhargava and Dr. Singh recently examined the ability of holy basil to increase resistance against a variety of stress-induced biological changes in animals. They divided albino rats and mice into 2 groups. One group served as the control group, while the other group was treated with varying doses of holy basil extract, the most common dose being 100 mg/kg per day.
After treatment, animals underwent a variety of stress tests including a swimming endurance test, cold and restraint tests, and a liver toxin test.
At the end of the study, Dr. Bhargava and Dr. Singh concluded that the rats and mice who were treated with holy basil extract showed, in comparison to the untreated groups, increases in physical endurance and adrenal function, decreases in ulcers induced by cold or restraint stress, and reduced liver dysfunction.
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Indian J Med Res 1981;73:443-51.
Holy basil is a well known plant that grows throughout India. It has been used for centuries in the ancient practice of Indian medicine known as Ayurveda and is considered to have several therapeutic properties.
According to Dr. K.P. Bhargava and Dr. N. Singh in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, "...the innocuous nature of holy basil extract coupled with [its] normalizing effect during a variety of stressful situations indicates a state of non-specific increased resistance in the organism induced by the extract, which is characteristic of adaptogens."
Dr. Bhargava and Dr. Singh recently examined the ability of holy basil to increase resistance against a variety of stress-induced biological changes in animals. They divided albino rats and mice into 2 groups. One group served as the control group, while the other group was treated with varying doses of holy basil extract, the most common dose being 100 mg/kg per day.
After treatment, animals underwent a variety of stress tests including a swimming endurance test, cold and restraint tests, and a liver toxin test.
At the end of the study, Dr. Bhargava and Dr. Singh concluded that the rats and mice who were treated with holy basil extract showed, in comparison to the untreated groups, increases in physical endurance and adrenal function, decreases in ulcers induced by cold or restraint stress, and reduced liver dysfunction.
For more articles on health, wellness & nutrition, please go to www.abdproducts.com
Indian J Med Res 1981;73:443-51.
Weight Can't Be Kept Off No Matter How It's Lost
Last Updated: 2008-12-15 13:55:17 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese people who have lost substantial amounts of weight without surgery can do just as well at maintaining the healthier weight as their peers who lost weight via gastric surgery. That's the finding of the first study to compare the two strategies.
However, people who go the non-surgical route may have to work harder to keep the weight off, Dr. Dale S. Bond of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and colleagues found.
Bariatric surgery is agreed to be the most reliable way for very obese people, meaning those more than 100 pounds overweight or with a body mass index of 40 or greater, to lose weight long-term, Bond and colleagues write in the International Journal of Obesity. While recent research has shown intensive behavioral interventions can also help, their long-term effectiveness is unknown.
To investigate, the researchers compared 105 people who had undergone bariatric surgery to 210 individuals who had lost weight non-surgically. All had dropped roughly 56 kilograms (123 pounds), and had kept at least 13.5 kg (about 30 pounds) off for an average of 5.5 years. About two-thirds of the non-surgical weight loss patients had formal help with their efforts, while the rest said they had no professional assistance.
In the one to two years after starting the study, both groups gained an average of roughly 4 pounds a year. Most people in both groups maintained their original weight loss within about 11 pounds.
Those who had undergone surgery ate more fat and more fast food and were less active than those who had lost weight without surgery, the investigators found.
The only factor that predicted whether or not a person would keep the weight off was their level of disinhibition, or loss of ability to control their impulses, at the study's outset, as well as any increases in disinhibition over the following year.
The researchers conclude: "Designing methods to increase resistance to cues that trigger overeating among individuals who have achieved large weight losses through bariatric or non-surgical methods may assist in preventing weight gain."
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SOURCE: International Journal of Obesity, online December 2, 2008.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese people who have lost substantial amounts of weight without surgery can do just as well at maintaining the healthier weight as their peers who lost weight via gastric surgery. That's the finding of the first study to compare the two strategies.
However, people who go the non-surgical route may have to work harder to keep the weight off, Dr. Dale S. Bond of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and colleagues found.
Bariatric surgery is agreed to be the most reliable way for very obese people, meaning those more than 100 pounds overweight or with a body mass index of 40 or greater, to lose weight long-term, Bond and colleagues write in the International Journal of Obesity. While recent research has shown intensive behavioral interventions can also help, their long-term effectiveness is unknown.
To investigate, the researchers compared 105 people who had undergone bariatric surgery to 210 individuals who had lost weight non-surgically. All had dropped roughly 56 kilograms (123 pounds), and had kept at least 13.5 kg (about 30 pounds) off for an average of 5.5 years. About two-thirds of the non-surgical weight loss patients had formal help with their efforts, while the rest said they had no professional assistance.
In the one to two years after starting the study, both groups gained an average of roughly 4 pounds a year. Most people in both groups maintained their original weight loss within about 11 pounds.
Those who had undergone surgery ate more fat and more fast food and were less active than those who had lost weight without surgery, the investigators found.
The only factor that predicted whether or not a person would keep the weight off was their level of disinhibition, or loss of ability to control their impulses, at the study's outset, as well as any increases in disinhibition over the following year.
The researchers conclude: "Designing methods to increase resistance to cues that trigger overeating among individuals who have achieved large weight losses through bariatric or non-surgical methods may assist in preventing weight gain."
For more articles about Health, Wellness & Nutrition, please visit www.abdproducts.com
SOURCE: International Journal of Obesity, online December 2, 2008.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
NEW NUTRITION PROGRAM BEGINS AT SCHOOL
Students at Jenks Junior High take part in program
Updated: Thursday, 12 Nov 2009, 3:58 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 12 Nov 2009, 3:57 PM EST
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) - Students at Jenks Junior High School in Pawtucket are taking part in "Fuel Up to Play 60." The program is sponsored by the New England Dairy & Food Council and the National Football League. It's a nation-wide initiative that allows kids to work together to identify creative ways to offer more nutritional foods in schools and at home. Those items would include low-fat and fat-free dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, not to mention spending 60 minutes per day doing their favorite physical activities. Students are allowed to register for the program on-line at school. There they may track their individual progress in daily healthy eating and physical activity habits, and compete against other schools' students to potentially win prizes.
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/local_wpri_pawtucket_students_at_jenks_junior_high_school_take_part_in_nutrition_program_in_pawtucket_20091112_las
Updated: Thursday, 12 Nov 2009, 3:58 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 12 Nov 2009, 3:57 PM EST
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) - Students at Jenks Junior High School in Pawtucket are taking part in "Fuel Up to Play 60." The program is sponsored by the New England Dairy & Food Council and the National Football League. It's a nation-wide initiative that allows kids to work together to identify creative ways to offer more nutritional foods in schools and at home. Those items would include low-fat and fat-free dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, not to mention spending 60 minutes per day doing their favorite physical activities. Students are allowed to register for the program on-line at school. There they may track their individual progress in daily healthy eating and physical activity habits, and compete against other schools' students to potentially win prizes.
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/local_wpri_pawtucket_students_at_jenks_junior_high_school_take_part_in_nutrition_program_in_pawtucket_20091112_las
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