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Each month we feature one full
article from the current issue of the WELLNESS LETTER, plus our
Ask the Experts column, in addition to brief summaries of the
other articles, listed below.
Making Sense of
the Low-Fat Diet News
In February a long-awaited study on low-fat diets made front-page headlines across
America: "Low-fat diet does not prevent cancer or heart disease as promised" was
the verdict. The study had sterling credentials, coming from the federal Women’s
Health Initiative, the group whose findings a few years ago led many women to
stop hormone therapy. The numbers were impressive—more than 48,000 women,
followed for eight years, at a cost of $415 million. But almost immediately critics
started pointing out the study’s shortcomings and limitations. Now that
the dust has settled, here’s what we think you need to know. Full
Story
The Arthritis Noncure?
Millions of Americans with osteoarthritis take glucosamine, often with chondroitin
sulfate, making these two of the top-selling dietary supplements. These substances
are involved in the production and maintenance of the cartilage that cushions
joints, and many experts hope that supplemental doses may slow or prevent
deterioration of cartilage and thus reduce pain and stiffness. But do they
really work? Research has yielded conflicting findings over the years, so
scientists have been waiting eagerly for the conclusion of a large, well-designed
government-sponsored study that has been in the works for several years.
The results finally appeared recently, and they undoubtedly disappointed
most arthritis sufferers. They must have also disappointed the manufacturers
of the supplements, and probably the maker of Celebrex as well.
Who Needs Thyroid Testing?
For a small organ, the thyroid gland can cause big problems. Located in your
neck just below the Adam’s apple, the butterfly-shaped gland produces
a hormone that affects many bodily functions, including cell growth, heart
rate, respiration, the central nervous system, and the reproductive system.
This hormone also helps control your metabolic rate—the rate at which
your body burns energy. So if the thyroid isn’t functioning normally,
a lot can go wrong. It’s estimated that up to 12% of Americans have
thyroid disorders, and that more than half of all cases have not been diagnosed.
If flatulence
What’s Behind Passing
Gas
Not only is passing gas normal, Hippocrates was right when he said it is "necessary
to well-being." Everyone does it—and probably more often than realized.
The average person experiences flatulence 15 to 20 times a day, expelling one
to three pints a day, on average. While some people may hardly notice it, for
others, flatulence can be a major embarrassment. How "gassy" you
are depends on what you eat, the balance of bacteria in your intestines, and
whether you have any underlying gastrointestinal conditions. If flatulence
bothers you, here are steps that may help.
The pH Theory of Health
Should you worry about the acid/alkaline balance of your foods? Many articles,
websites, and ads claim that an acid-boosting diet is unhealthy—perhaps
even the cause of most diseases, from cancer and arthritis to depression
and diabetes—and they promote special diets or supplements to keep
your body from becoming too acidic. Most of these claims are farfetched or
even nonsensical. However, as with many fad diets and supplements, there’s
a kernel of truth within them. Research has shown that diet can influence
the acidity/alkalinity of the body and that this may affect bone health.
Run for Your Life
For most older people, walking is the perfect exercise. But if you can handle
a higher-impact sport, don’t overlook running, which can be even more
beneficial. Here’s how to maximize your running enjoyment while minimizing
your risk of injury.
Zeroing in on Trans Fat
Many packaged foods—margarines, chips, baked goods, and microwave popcorn,
to name a few—are now boasting that they contain "zero trans fat." It’s
reasonable to assume, then, that such foods are free of this unhealthy fat,
which is as bad as, if not worse than, saturated fat. But under the FDA labeling
law that went into effect in January, foods may list 0 grams on their labels
if they contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. This may sound
like a trivial amount of trans fat. But it adds up if you eat more than one
serving, which is easy to do since the official serving sizes are usually small.
ASK
THE EXPERTS
Our readers ask: Should
I have the genetic test for breast cancer if I have no family history
of the disease? Is it safe to eat the outer edges of lettuce leaves
that have turned brown? I grind my teeth at night. Is it okay to
use an off-the-shelf mouth guard? I get headaches when I fly—could
it have something to do with the cabin pressure? Full
Story
WELL & INFORMED
Tips, Short Takes, and Other News You Can Use
Studies raise questions about saw palmetto, echinacea, and
melatonin . . . . Music and health.
WELLNESS TIPS
• Move grapefruit,
especially the red varieties, toward the top of your list of
heart-healthy foods. A recent Israeli study found that people
with high blood cholesterol (but not taking statin drugs) who
ate a red grapefruit every day for a month lowered their total
cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides
by an average of 15 to 20%. White grapefruit had only half the
effect.
• But if you
are taking a prescription medication, check with your doctor
or pharmacist before eating grapefruit or drinking the juice.
Grapefruit can greatly boost blood levels of many common drugs, including
most statins, increasing the risk of possibly serious reactions.
• To stave off
a stroke, eat more fruits and vegetables. This advice is based
on an analysis of eight studies, reported in the Lancet,
that included nearly 260,000 people followed for an average of
13 years. Those who ate more than five servings a day had a 26%
lower risk of stroke, compared to those who ate three or fewer.
• To help prevent
gallstones, watch your waistline. In a recent study of more than
42,000 female nurses, those with a waist of 36 inches or larger
were twice as likely to need gallstone surgery as women with
a waist of 26 inches or smaller.
• Don’t
believe claims that omega-3 supplements will help prevent cancer.
These fats, found in fish and some plant foods, do not appear
to reduce the risk, according to a systematic review in the Journal
of the American Medical Association.
• Another reason
to eat whole grains: they may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome,
according to a new study. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of
conditions (notably abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high
blood sugar, and low HDL "good" cholesterol) that
greatly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
• Drinking tea
may help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, suggests a Swedish
study of more than 61,000 women. Those who drank two or more
cups a day (mostly black tea) were about half as likely to develop
this cancer over 15 years as those who seldom or never drank
tea.
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