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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.
That Old Flax
Magic—Real or Imaginary?
Some people believe that eating flaxseeds protects against breast and prostate
cancer. Others think it increases the risk of those cancers. Then there are those
who claim that flaxseeds reduce menopausal symptoms and lower cholesterol. These
are only a few of the benefits (and drawbacks) claimed for flaxseeds. Should
you use flaxseed oil in place of olive, canola, and other vegetable oils? Should
you make sure to eat some flaxseeds daily? There’s no denying that flaxseeds
contain interesting components, and there has been a lot of promising research.
But the benefits of flaxseeds and their oil remain hard to pin down. Full
Story
Cracking the D-Vitamin Code
Because of growing evidence about the benefits of vitamin D—for bone
health, muscle function, and possibly even prevention of some cancers and other
illnesses—many Americans are trying to consume more D and thus are turning
to supplements. Recently, several readers have asked what they should look
for in D supplements. Here’s what you need to know . . . On supplement
bottles, look for D3 (also called cholecalciferol) on the ingredients list
or in the "Supplement Facts" panel
Pap Tests: as Necessary as
Ever
There’s now a vaccine, Gardasil, that can prevent cervical cancer. Still,
like other major strides in medical science, this one has led to some confusion.
If there’s a vaccine, can women just forget the Pap test? No. This vaccine
is not going to make the Pap test obsolete—not for many decades to come,
and maybe never. Many years will pass before there’s a generation of
adult women who have been vaccinated. And even those who get vaccinated will
still need a Pap, since the vaccine prevents only about 70% of cervical cancers.
Here’s what you need to know about Pap tests.
Positively Galling
An estimated 25 million American adults have gallstones, and more than 500,000
of them will, as a result, need to have their gallbladders removed this year.
People who have parents or siblings with gallstones are up to four times
more likely to form them, and black Americans have a lower risk than whites.
Stones are also more common in women and older people, people who are obese,
and those who lose weight rapidly. Some chronic inflammatory conditions (such
as Crohn’s disease), diabetes, high triglycerides, low HDL ("good")
cholesterol, and a sedentary lifestyle are associated with gallstones. Diets
rich in sweets and other refined carbohydrates are linked to gallstones,
while fiber appears to reduce risk. We provide advice about symptoms, diagnosis,
treatment, and the role of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Appetite Adjustment
Appetite is the drive to seek and eat food. If only it were that simple. People
don’t eat only when they are hungry, and they often don’t stop
eating when they are full. So what drives appetite? More specifically, what
contributes to overeating? A host of physiological factors are involved,
including hormones. But in addition, what you eat and how you eat it can
affect how much you eat. Here’s a brief look, based on recent research.
Is There a Sunscreen Pill?
It would be nice if you could take a pill that would protect your skin from
sun damage, instead of having to slather lotion on your skin. Unfortunately,
such a pill does not exist. But various companies claim their supplements
can provide additional sun protection beyond what you get from even the best
sunscreen. While most of these supplements have no scientific support, one
product, Heliocare, does have some research behind it. But that does not
mean you should take it.
Make Room for Mushrooms
Although mushrooms are fungi—neither plant nor animal—they are
usually regarded as vegetables and count toward your nine-a-day fruit-and-vegetable
goal. The most common ones are button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus),
but specialty mushrooms—chanterelles, enoki, maitake, oyster, and shiitake,
for example—are increasingly available and affordable, thanks to year-round
indoor cultivation. The best reason to eat mushrooms is for their flavor, which
becomes especially savory when they are cooked. Called umami, and considered
the "fifth taste," the flavor comes from glutamic acid, a natural
version of the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG). But mushrooms are
also an overlooked source of nutrients.
Sweat Solutions
Sweating is the healthy and normal response to a rise in the ambient temperature,
to exertion such as exercise or work, to fever, and to emotional stimuli.
Sweating creates moisture on your skin, and as it evaporates, heat is removed
so you cool off. For some people, however, sweating goes way beyond what’s
needed for normal cooling. This condition, known as hyperhidrosis, may produce
sweaty hands, face, feet, body, or armpits (or all of them at once) for no
apparent reason. This happens to about 3% of us, and it can be distressing.
Sweaty hands dampen papers, books, and computer keyboards. A sweaty handshake
is unpleasant for the recipient. Your clothing, including your socks and
shoes, can quickly get drenched. Here’s how to deal with the problem.
ASK
THE EXPERTS
Our readers ask: What
causes rusty water, and is it safe to drink? My hand shakes when
I write or move it certain ways—is this an early sign of
Parkinson’s? What are tocotrienols, and should smokers take
supplements to protect themselves? When you write about blood cholesterol,
why do you give the numbers two different ways? Full
Story
WELL & INFORMED
Tips, Short Takes, and Other News You Can Use
How fatalistic beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies
. . . . Warning signs when buying exercise equipment.
WELLNESS TIPS
• Light to moderate
alcohol consumption (up to one drink a day) may help prevent,
or at least delay, dementia in people with mild age-related memory
problems or cognitive impairment, according to a recent Italian
study. However, consuming more than one drink a day was not beneficial.
• Don’t
count on lycopene to help prevent prostate cancer. Though early
research indicated that men who eat tomatoes, the main source
of lycopene, have a lower risk of prostate cancer, some recent
studies have not found this.
• If you’re
a man under 65 with erectile dysfunction (ED), talk to your doctor
about your risk for diabetes. ED may be a marker for diabetes,
a new study found. Other research has linked ED with increased
risk of heart disease and stroke. ED is always a reason to seek
medical advice.
• There is no
reason to choose the new Diet Coke Plus or any other "fortified" soft
drink over regular diet soda—or water, for that matter.
• Bike helmets
save lives, but they shouldn’t give cyclists a false sense
of security. In fact, an English study found that drivers tend
to pass closer to helmeted cyclists than to those not wearing
helmets.
• If you’re
using sunscreen and an insect repellent containing DEET,
apply extra sunscreen and reapply it often. DEET can decrease
the effectiveness of the sunscreen, probably because DEET is
a solvent.
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