That Health Rules

I am often asked by my patients… is this pill gonna help me boost my memory?  I seem to be getting forgetful these days. Just like questions of aging… we all want the magic pill to help us preserve our youth not only in looks but in thinking as well.

Here’s a tip: Vegetables , vegetables…vegetables…. that is… if you eat three servings a day, based on a new study published in October issue of Neurology.   Interestingly, the same effect is not found in those who eat lots of fruit.

“People who consumed two or more vegetables a day had a 35 to 40 percent decrease in the decline in thinking ability over six years. That’s the equivalent of being five years younger in age.” This means…people that eat vegetables will have less problems about forgetting things necessary for daily tasks like remembering phone numbers or names of friends.

Examples of the green vegetables frequently taken in by subjects in the study included: lettuce and tossed salad, spinach, kale and collards.

It is said that the antioxidant content of vegetables may be responsible for this protective effect against damage to neurons in the brain that contribute to dementia.   Likewise previous studies have shown that consumption of healthy fats, such as the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats found in foods such as olive oil, were similarly protective.

So the next time you eat bread…dip it in olive oil.  If you’re going to have a salad… Dr Morris the lead author recommends: putting the good fats on them, such as an oil-based salad dressing on salads, healthy-fat mayonnaise on cole slaw, and healthy-fat margarine on vegetables.   It is said that these healthy fats help absorb the vitamin E, an antioxidant that may be beneficial to the brain.

Simple tip for the whole family to follow…

Eat Your Veggies Now Before You Forget!

The so call French Paradox of wine and health started when an Irish doctor noted that chest pain was far less common in France than in Ireland.  Eventually epidemiological studies have shown that there is a comparatively low rate of heart disease in France despite a diet that includes plenty of butter and cheese.  Opinions by some experts have suggested that the benefit should come from the French passion of drinking red wine.

It is said that red wine may contain various substances in addition to alcohol that can prevent heart disease. Likewise the diet and lifestyle in France, especially the south, have much in common with other Mediterranean regions, which may account for some of the protection against heart disease.

But how about Beer? Beer is a common beverage easily available compared to wine.  Does it have any effect at all in protecting the heart?

A report from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, has shown that beverage choice makes no difference.  

In this study the drinking habits of more than 38,000 men over a 12-year period were examined. What the researchers found out is that moderate drinkers were 30-35% less likely to have had a heart attack than non-drinkers.  Likewise the reduction was observed among men who drank wine, beer, or spirits, and was similar for those who drank with meals and those who drank outside of meal time.

But remember…even for health reasons… for now…

If you dont drink…dont start. 

Read My Other Related Post:

• The Benefits of Red Wine
• How Much Alcohol Is Acceptable?
• Alcohol: Any Good For The Health?

Women who are trying to lose weight use diet sodas to fill them up without eating the right food.  As part of their regimen to lose weight, I know of some friends who can consume up to 8 cans a day.  I usually allow my patients to drink  diet soda but at a minimum of 1 can a day.  It may be less in calories but again everybody should realize that a soda contains other substances that may actually be harmful to ones body… 

Women after menopause at increased risk of bone loss and develop a disease called osteoporosis.  It is now considered a silent killer since this condition remains asymptomatic for life until such time that ones bones are so brittle and thin that a fracture happens with minimal trauma.  It is estimated that once a fracture occurs…one out of 6 will die within 6 months…most likely due to complications arising from being bedridden due to the fracture.

In a recent report published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition... regular consumption of carbonated cola drinks (>1 can a day) was shown to affect the integrity and the strength of bone such that women who drink soda daily had lower bone mass as measured by the Bone Mineral Densitometry compared to women who drink soda infrequently like < 1 can per month.  

The most likely culprits in sodas that can affect the bone are caffeine and phosphoric acid such that cola intake was associated with lower BMD at each hip site in women… and fortunately not in men.

So for those who use Diet Cokes to lose weight…take note… you may end up getting a worst disease than keeping yourself trim in a wrong way.

Take Care Of Your Bones… Limit Your Soda!

Read my Other Related Articles:

• Is Diet Coke Safe?
• Osteoporosis: The Silent Killer

Stress from work is the most common cause of infertility worldwide…thus the inability to conceive or get pregnant is becoming one problem that we never thought of as one.  We know of many married couples who have difficulty in conceiving such that after 1 year of unsuccessful pregnancies, they leave their jobs or resort to artificial means.  And yes…clinical practice involving artificial conception methods is becoming a booming business worldwide.  As an endocrinologist, two common conditions that are often blamed for infertility include uncontrolled blood sugar and thyroid diseases while the less common one includes- a prolactin producing tumor of the pituitary gland called prolactinoma.  They’re easy to treat as long as diagnosis is made.

Unknowingly for many… the infertility from not ovulating properly may actually just be simple lack of iron.  A new study by Harvard researchers offers great hope for these women.   This study intrigued me because this is the first study that looked at iron as the culprit.

Published in the November issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harvard researchers looked at data on more than 18,500 married, premenopausal women who were participating in the Nurses’ Health Study II and followed them for 8 years.

• Women who consumed nonheme iron( from vegetable sources) had a significantly lower risk of infertility due to ovulation when compared to women who were consuming low iron or heme iron( from animal sources).
• Women consuming iron supplements with 41 mg of iron or more had a 62 percent lower risk of infertility.

The clinical implication of the study is:  women who are trying to get pregnant should consider having greater amounts of iron in their diet from non-animal sources or from a  multivitamin supplement! 

It may be simple solution but it is a measure that is often not followed!  An iron pill a day to boost nutrition may be worth the wait.

Iron…A Simple Measure For A Lasting Bliss!

We know the story of french fries…but I myself am guilty of indulging in it once in a  blue moon.  Kids just love the sight of it!  So how can we make our french fries healthier especially if we cook them ourselves.  One study has showed us the way….

“Precooking your French fries in the microwave before you fry them reduces levels of a suspected cancer-causing substance called acrylamide“.

Apparently…deep frying the french fries can lead to the formation of a substance called acrylamide. The US FDA Fact Sheet states that ” Acrylamide has been shown to cause cancer in animals in studies where they were exposed to the chemical at very high doses.  Acrylamide has also been shown to cause nerve damage in people who have been exposed to very high levels at work. ” Apparently the FDA still has to make a determination as to how levels of this substance can have an impact on public health and is formulating an action plan on this matter.

But one study published in the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture, found that by the simple technique of microwaving French fries before frying can not only reduce frying time but in turn, can cut down the formation of acrylamide. By microwaving at 190 degrees cut down acrylamide formation by as much as 60%.

This information is also new to me.  As this health issue is evolving.. I will be updating my post.  This indeed has a major public health impact as this now relates to our way of cooking things especially frying.

So The Next Time You Ask For French Fries…

Think Again!

Read My Other Related Articles:

• The French Fries Freebie
• Where’s The Beef…It’s In Your Fries
• The Low Carb Diet
• Facts You Need To Know About Cholesterol

Have you misplaced our keys… or may have forgotten the name of somebody you just met… signs of aging? or just becoming forgetful? Aging is one process we cant avoid but now we have reason to be hopeful that there may actually be a way to prevent the signs of forgetfulness…and the solution is just within our reach!

Have you heard of the “Mediterranean” diet? It is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes, cereals and fish. All of which except for olive oil are in abundance in our region. This diet as published in the October issue of Archives of Neurology showed that people on this diet had lower risk of being forgetful. The apparent benefit is “by protection from oxidative stress or by reducing inflammation in the brain.”

The study showed thta if you really closely follow the diet regimen, your risk of developing memory problem later on in life can be reduced by 68 percent.

The plus benefit of following the Mediterranean diet is the other benefits we can get from it as proven in other studies: protective for heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, obesity and a series of cancers.

The question of whether the benefit is due to Omega three fatty acids?  Most likely… but NOT from taking supplements sold in the market!   In one study from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, the researchers found no advantage in taking the omega-3 fatty acids supplements at different doses compared to placebo.

What does this study tell us?…Fish Vegetables and Fruits are great for meals… and great for health.  The earlier we intervene in any disease through prevention, the better.

Memory Loss is Better Prevented than Treated!

Read My Other Related Post on Forgetfulness:

• On Why I’ll Reconsider Drinking Aplle Juice
• Being Forgetful Maybe Due To Your Blood Sugar
• Brain Healthy Tips
• The Benefits of Eating Fish