Newsletters Archive
See All Newsletters
Health and Fitness Newsletter Archive from Dr. Ann - Wellness Newsletter May 2007
By: Dr. Ann |
|
|
|
Need-to-Know Nutrition
News...
|
|
|
May 2007
|
|
Hello!
I continue to be in awe of
the never-ending stream of science telling us loud and clear that we all
have enormous personal power and control over achieving and maintaining
radiant health. As always, it is my pleasure sharing the wonderful
world of wellness with you!
|
|
|
 Toast to a Longer Life!
For
those of you out there like me who enjoy alcohol in moderation - defined as
2 drinks or less a day for men and 1 drink or less a day for women - new
science finds it may actually lengthen our lives. After pooling the data
from 34 large studies involving over 1 million people, scientists concluded
that moderate drinkers reduce their risk of death from any cause by about 18% (Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec.
2006).
In
a related study, that included 1,373 men followed for 40 years, Dutch
researchers reported that those who enjoyed 1-2 drinks daily had a 36%
lower risk of death from all causes including a 34% lower risk of death
from cardiovascular disease. Those who drank a half glass of wine had a
40% lower all-causes death rate and a 45% lower cardiovascular disease
death rate. Wine drinkers lived on average 4 years longer than
tee-totalers and 2 years longer than those who drank beer or hard liquor
(American Heart Association Annual Conference on CVD Epidemology and
Prevention, March 2007).
Based
on these studies and at least 100 prior studies, I continue to recommend
that those who currently enjoy alcohol in moderation and who do not have a
medical condition in which alcohol use has been prohibited continue to do
so. A small glass of red wine at dinner is the healthiest dose.
|
|
"Diets"
Don't Work!
Researchers from
the University of California, Los
Angeles recently evaluated the long term success
of "diets" and found that most people would have been better off
not going on a diet at all. Specifically, they analyzed 31 long-term diet
studies and found that while most people were successful in losing weight
in the short term (6 months or less), the majority of study subjects (up to
2/3's) regained all of the weight they lost - plus some! (American Psychologist, April 2007).
This new science underscores what should be blatantly intuitive to all of
us - permanent weight loss takes place only in the context of permanent
dietary and lifestyle changes. When I use the word "diet" in the
title of my book - Dr. Ann's 10-Step
Diet - I'm referring to its use in the traditional sense -
meaning a long term pattern of eating or even more appropriately as defined
by its ancient Greek root - "way of life." For the
free "cliff notes" version of my book which encompasses the
changes that lead to sustainable weight loss, please visit my website.
|
|
|
 On the Nutrition Watch:
Consumer
Labs, a consumer watch dog group that performs independent
analysis of over-the-counter nutritional supplements, recently revealed
results from 2 separate evaluations that I want you to be aware of.
In the first, they evaluated 21 multivitamins - checking them for
bioavailability, ingredient integrity and lead contamination.
Shockingly, only 10 of the 21 products met their standards for all
criteria. One Woman's multivitamin contained more than 10 times the
quantity of lead allowed without a label warning in the state of California. A
popular children's multi contained more than 216% of the RDA for
vitamin A, a fat soluble vitamin that can be toxic in excessive amounts.
Fortunately, there were several national brands that did meet quality standards
including Centrum
Silver ®, Flintstones Complete
®, Vitamin
World ®, One a Day Woman's ®,
and Kirkland
Signature Daily Multi ® amongst others. I am a
firm believer in taking a daily multivitamin as a safety net for dietary
inadequacies and very much appreciated this information.
A
second analysis found that many probiotic supplements do not contain
adequate numbers of live bacteria for effectiveness. Probiotics
are the beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus that reside in the colon and
have been shown to play a key role in gastrointestinal health in addition
to boosting immune function. The 2 brands that proved to be of the highest
quality were Iflora
(Sedona labs) and Probiotic Advantage.
These
results underscore the potential risks and unknowns inherent in nutritional
supplements and the importance of relying first and foremost on whole,
fresh foods as the ideal way to get our nutrients.
|
The Wonder of Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals,
those plant derived miraculous agents of good health, that continue to blow
my science-oriented mind with their extraordinary power, yet humble
presence made their way into 2 prestigious scientific articles during the
month of April. Researchers from the Iowa
Woman's Health Study found up to a 22% reduction in heart
disease and cardiovascular death in those whose diets were rich in
flavonoids. Flavonoids are a large class of antioxidant phytochemicals
that are felt to protect the heart and arteries by enhancing the function
of the cells lining the arteries and combating  inflammation. The flavonoid rich foods found to be most
effective in this study included: apples, pears, red wine, grapefruit,
strawberries, bran and dark chocolate
(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
March 2007).
In
a second study, reported at the American Association for Cancer Research
(April 2007), researchers found that amongst over 183,000 Hawaii and
California residents, those who consumed diets highest in flavanols (a sub
class of flavonoids) had a 23% lower risk of pancreatic cancer vs. those
with the lowest intakes. Smokers who ate the most reduced their risk a
whopping 59%! The superstar foods for these cancer-fighting wonders
include: spinach,
cabbage, red onions, berries, apples, kale and broccoli.
To fully exploit the phytochemical goodness of fruit and veggies, strive to
eat 4 or more cups total daily. I always
include 1 cup of fruit at breakfast and 1 ½ cups of veggies at both lunch
and dinner.
|
|
|
|
Fats That Can Boost Brain Power (and peace of mind)
Because
nothing is more fundamental to a happy, productive and fulfilling life than
a brain that operates at optimal capacity, I am always especially excited
by new science that relates to enhancing the health of our body's most
precious physical possession. The past decade has provided a flood of
provocative science confirming that omega 3 fats (fish oil) are clearly the
brain's highest quality building material and play a key role in both
healthy brain structure and function. This month was no exception. The Journal of Neuroscience reported
that DHA, the type of omega 3 fat that should make up most of
our brain, slows the growth of the brain lesions found in Alzheimer's
disease. (DHA
is found in oily
fish, omega 3 eggs, fish oil supplements and some fortified foods).
In 2 other similar reports in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
researchers found that (1) elderly men who ate fish had a slower decline in
cognitive function than non-fish eaters and (2) elderly people with the
highest blood levels of long-chained omega 3 fats experienced reduced
decline in verbal acumen. Lastly, the journal Psychosomatic Medicine (March 2007)
reported that the lack of omega 3 fats in the typical American diet along
with the relative abundance of omega 6 fats (i.e. an imbalance of these 2
essential fats) may be responsible for the precipitous rise in depression
seen in America over the past century. The more omega 6 fats study
subjects had in their blood relative to omega 3 fats, the greater the risk
of depressive symptoms. Omega 6 fats are ubiquitous in the vegetable oils
used so often in processed foods. Experts estimate that the ideal ratio of
omega 6 to omega 3 fats is 2-4 to 1. Current ratios are in the range of
10-20 to 1. Take home message - curtail your intake of omega 6 fats (corn oil,
soybean oil, sunflower oil, processed foods containing these oils)
and boost your intake of omega 3 fats (fish, fish oil, walnuts, omega 3
eggs, canola oil, flax seeds).
|
Until next
time -- Enjoy health!
Dr. Ann
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr.
Ann & Just Wellness, LLC | 246
Mathis Ferry Road | Suite 100 | Mt. Pleasant | SC | 29464
|
See All Newsletters
|
|
