That Health Rules

If cough and colds medicnes are not that effective such that the US FDA recently made an announcement not to use these medications among children less than 6 years old… then what is our altrernative as parents with children arriving from school with cough and colds?

I have long heard about honey and its supposed “healthy” properties so I was not surprised when in a recent article published in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Dec 2007 , honey was assessed to be a safe alternative to cough and colds medicine which for me is just timely!!!! 

In this study the, the children with cough and colds were given either honey, honey-flavored DextroMethorphan ( a cold remedy), or no treatment 30 minutes before bedtime.  ______________________________________________

Results:  Significant differences in symptom improvement were detected between treatment groups, with honey consistently scoring the best and no treatment scoring the worst.

In paired comparisons, honey was significantly superior to no treatment for cough frequency and the combined score, but DM was not better than no treatment for any outcome. Comparison of honey with DM revealed no significant differences.

Conclusions :  Honey may be a preferable treatment for the cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infection.

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The study used buckwheat honey which contains more phenolic compounds than other varieties.  Apparently these substances have been shown to have antioxidant properties whihc may have contributed to the improvement of the symptoms of cough and colds.   The question therefore whether the effect is limited to this kind of honey only remains unanswered.

For me honey is easy to get and safe to drink.  Based on the study… it worked. I would definietly try it on my kids and then let’s all share experiences once we have tried it.

Bring Home The Honey! 

I eat meat…. who doesn’t?  I know of few friends that are purely vegetarians but I can only count them with my one hand.  I try to introduce veggies to my kids as often as I can but food is finished faster if there is meat especially red meat from fried chicken!!!!

Now comes a new study linking red meat consumption to increased cancer risk.  This study was recently published online in PLOS Medicine, December of 2007 with a conclusion from the editorial below:

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…Red and processed meat intake appears to be positively associated with risk of cancer of the colon and rectum, esophagus, liver, lung, and pancreas in a new, large US cohort study of 500,000 men and women.

….However, this study provided little support for an association with other cancer sites. Current dietary guidelines recommend selecting meats that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free, thus promoting limited consumption of red and processed meats.

…..Overall, the strongest risk factors for cancer in the US are smoking and obesity. However, understanding the complex interaction of diet with smoking and obesity, and how specific foods and nutrients are metabolized, may provide further clues into the etiology and, most importantly, the prevention of cancer.

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It is also important to note that while red meat is indeed a risk factor for cancer…majority of patients on red meat are also taking processed foods which are high in fat and therefore associated with obesity which in itself increases ones risk to develop cancer.  And therefore the interaction of the different risk factors is in itself a matter of importance.

For this holiday season…let us therefore examine the way we lead our lives … the way we eat and the way we take care of our health. It is really up to us to interpret and practice the things we know that are healthy and avoid or shy away from the things we know that are harmful. 

….Which way to go and adopt the practice in our lifestyle is up to us!….

Be Informed! and Live Well!

More and more studies have found new reasons for us to enjoy dark chocoalate this holiday season… or we are just looking for excuses to indulge in one. 

But a new study published in the Journal Circulation in November of 2007 showed the potential mechanism why Dark Chocolate especially the 70% cocoa can be healthy:

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Conclusions— Dark chocolate induces coronary vasodilation, improves coronary vascular function, and decreases platelet adhesion 2 hours after consumption. These immediate beneficial effects were paralleled by a significant reduction of serum oxidative stress and were positively correlated with changes in serum epicatechin concentration.

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The above conclusion points out that indeed dark chocolate can increase blood flow to the heart and more so in patients who are already on medications like ACE inhibitors and Beta blockers. Therefore beneficial to prevent blockage of blood vessel that can lead to heart attack!

But caution to those who will start indulging in Dark chocolate.  Remember the color of the chocolate does not necessarily mean its dark.  It’s the content of the cocoa and more so the content of the flavanol.  This study was done using 70% cocoa.

But before grabbing a chocolate…make sure you are careful not to over do it.  Remember …chocolate is rich in calories and fat! But at least we now have reasons to take a bite before and after a meal without feeling too much guilt!

A Bite of Dark Chocolate for the Holidays!