Health News Tidbits

Health News Tidbits – November

Teen's Health Linked to Heart Disease Risk -
According to research presented at the Fall Conference of the American Heart Association's Council for High Blood Pressure Research, high blood pressure and increased body mass index in teens are two of the most important early risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis in adults.

Nuts for Heart Health -
According to a September study in the Journal of Nutrition, adding pecans to your diet can not only lower total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol, but also help or maintain HDL cholesterol. Those in the study who ate two ounces pecans daily while on the "Step 1" diet, lowered their bad cholesterol by 16.5%, while those who did not eat pecans lowered their bad cholesterol by 6.7%. The levels of good cholesterol rose by 5.6% in those who ate pecans..

Coffee-Cholesterol Connection -
According to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, coffee drinkers who quit drinking caffeinated coffee decreased their blood levels of cholesterol and homocysteine. After six weeks of coffee abstinence, homocysteine levels dropped 10% and cholesterol dropped .28 millimoles per liter. The active ingredient believed to cause a rise in cholesterol and homocysteine are known as terpenoids.

College Students Continue to Gain Weight -
According to the National College Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20 percent of college students are overweight and 40 percent are attempting to lose weight. Skipping breakfast, sedentary activity, excess alcohol consumption, no parental diet oversight, and late-night cravings are believed to be the main reasons.

Low Dose Fish Oil, Non-Toxic May Inhibit Tumor Growth -
An experimental study at the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that low dose fish oil supplementation was deemed just as effective in slowing estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells in mice as DOX Chemotherapy. This group was eating 2% corn oil and 3% fish oil as part of their daily diet. An important synergistic effect was also found between the fish oil and chemotherapy. Tumor growth was slowed even further when both were administered, and lowered the weight loss side effect associated with chemo. Clinical Cancer Research 2001;7;2041-2049

Switching Dietary Fats Lowers Cholesterol -
New Zealand Researchers report that a few weeks on a diet swapping saturated fat for polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats lowered blood cholesterol levels by 19% and 12% respectively. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001;55:908-915

Moderate Fat May be Key to Long-Term Weight Loss -
Eating a diet containing moderate amounts of fat as opposed to strict low fat diets will result in long-term weight loss, according to an article in the International Journal of Obesity. The diet suggested is similar to people living in the Mediterranean, in which they consume healthy oils like peanut, olive, and canola. Results of the twelve month study of 31 people consuming the moderate fat diet and 30 people consuming the low fat diet were telling. Those on the moderate fat diet lost an average of nine pounds, while those on the low fat diet gained roughly six more pounds than they did at the start of the study.

Nutritional Supplement Improves Outcome of Surgery -
Supplementation with L-Arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, and ribonucleic acid (RNA) from yeast, taken five days prior to open heart surgery, can improve the outcome of surgery by improving immune-system function, according to the September 1, 2001 issue of The Lancet. Patients in the study showed significantly less susceptibility to infection, had significantly better kidney function, and length of hospital stay was significantly less.

Some Fats Protect the Heart -
According to a recent review published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, omega-3 fatty acids from fish may be as effective as cholesterol-lowering drugs at reducing risk of coronary heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to stabilize the electrical activity in the heart, thus preventing arythmias, prevent excess blood clotting, decrease triglyceride levels which increase HDL Levels, enhance circulation, and prevent plaque buildup.

Supplements and Age Related Loss of Eyesight -
A new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology reports that using antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper) may reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by 27%.

Obese Women More Prone to higher Sweet Food Intake Premenstrually -
In a new report from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, obese women have been found to have a higher premenstrual intake of sweet foods, which may be a contributing factor in difficulty controlling weight.

Ear Infection Linked to Childhood Obesity -
Parents of babies and small children with ear infections may be overfeeding them to soothe their ear discomfort, unknowingly contributing to childhood obesity, a public health official said at an October American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting. The explanation for the link is that parents may unknowingly overfeed their children, misinterpreting fussiness due to earaches as hunger.

Many Fourth-Graders Skip Breakfast and Lunch -
About one-third of fourth-graders skip breakfast, lunch, or both, according to a study presented at the 2001 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.

Deadly Drug Side Effects a Major Problem -
According to an October 22nd issue Archives of Internal Medicine, a study done at a Central Hospital in Akershus, Norway, showed that drug-related effects contributed to or caused the deaths of about 18% of the patients, or nearly 10 out of every 1000 hospitalized patients. The more drugs a patient was taking, the greater risk of fatal side effects. In a little less than half the cases, inappropriate drugs were prescribed of the wrong doses or forms were used.

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