Obesity is far less common in France than in the United States, and some researchers contend that the relatively small French portions is a key reason. Some Americans might assume they will feel deprived with smaller portions, but cross-cultural studies suggest that we might find portion control surprisingly easy if we adopted some of the French eating customs and philosophies.
The contrast in obesity between France and the United States is dramatic: 32 percent of American adults are obese compared to 11 percent of French adults. The French are more physically active than Americans, which may account for part of this weight difference, but smaller portions in France also lead to lower calorie consumption...more
Thursday, May 31
The Myth Of Salads: Why Fast Food Salads Aren't Necessarily Going To Help You Lose Weight
What if we told you that a Wendy's Garden Sensations Mandarin Chicken Salad had more calories, more fat, more carbs and more sugar than a Double Stack? Would that surprise you? It shouldn't. The nutritional information is right there on the Internet.
Curious as to how fast food salads compared with fast food sandwiches, we took a look at one sandwich and one salad at 4 different fast food restaurants: Wendy's, McDonald's, Taco Bell and Burger King...more
Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health
A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.
The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse - can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will also intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.
...more
The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse - can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will also intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.
...more
Coca-Cola settles lawsuits over benzene
ATLANTA - The Coca-Cola Co. has agreed to offer replacements to people who purchased two soft drinks to settle lawsuits over ingredients that can form cancer-causing benzene, the plaintiffs said Monday.
As part of the settlement in the cases in New Jersey, Kansas and Florida, the world’s largest beverage maker agreed to offer replacement drinks to anyone who purchased Fanta Pineapple or Vault Zero before September 2006, according to a copy of the agreement.
Coca-Cola previously decided to voluntarily reformulate the two beverages in question, said Ray Crockett, a spokesman for
...more
As part of the settlement in the cases in New Jersey, Kansas and Florida, the world’s largest beverage maker agreed to offer replacement drinks to anyone who purchased Fanta Pineapple or Vault Zero before September 2006, according to a copy of the agreement.
Coca-Cola previously decided to voluntarily reformulate the two beverages in question, said Ray Crockett, a spokesman for
...more
Tuesday, May 29
Contact lens solution linked to eye infection
ATLANTA - Government officials are warning people to throw away a contact lens solution after an investigation linked it to a rare eye infection.
The warning concerns AMO Complete Moisture Plus Multi-Purpose Solution, used for cleaning and storing soft contact lenses, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The solution seems to be a factor cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness. ...more
Bovine Growth Hormone
The synthetic growth hormone is used to help cows produce milk more efficiently.
Growth hormones exist naturally in a dairy cow and in the milk she produces. The hormone, called bovine somatotropin (bST) or bovine growth hormone (bGH), is a determining factor in how much milk the cattle can produce. In 1993, a synthetic growth hormone was approved for use. When injected in a cow, the synthetic hormone extends the cow’s lactation period, increasing her milk production by at least 10 percent. Treated cows produce more milk with less feed and less animal waste, making an entire herd as efficient as the farmer’s best cow.
...more
Growth hormones exist naturally in a dairy cow and in the milk she produces. The hormone, called bovine somatotropin (bST) or bovine growth hormone (bGH), is a determining factor in how much milk the cattle can produce. In 1993, a synthetic growth hormone was approved for use. When injected in a cow, the synthetic hormone extends the cow’s lactation period, increasing her milk production by at least 10 percent. Treated cows produce more milk with less feed and less animal waste, making an entire herd as efficient as the farmer’s best cow.
...more
Detox Diets
Now is the time many people are looking to shed pounds in a hurry for the upcoming "swimsuit season." For some, a so-called "detoxification diet" seems like a perfect solution. The term "detox diet" is applied to a range of eating plans, from two-day juice fasts and short spans of consuming only vegetables and water to radical regimes that include colonic irrigations (a procedure similar to an enema).
Advocates say periodic dietary cleansing helps clear toxins (originating, they claim, from pollution and junk food) that accumulate in the body's fat stores and can result in headaches, fatigue and increased risk for chronic diseases, such as cancer.
...more
Advocates say periodic dietary cleansing helps clear toxins (originating, they claim, from pollution and junk food) that accumulate in the body's fat stores and can result in headaches, fatigue and increased risk for chronic diseases, such as cancer.
...more
Wednesday, May 23
Tuesday, May 22
New Cholesterol Check Gauges Kids' Heart Risk
SUNDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Whether America's fast-food-and-video-game culture, or some other confluence of factors is to blame, there's no denying that adolescents' health is at risk.
Little wonder, then, that one group of researchers has begun to take a serious look at the long-term health consequences of kids' inactivity. And they are using cholesterol levels as a window into these youngsters' futures.
Obesity, inactivity and cholesterol are closely linked, and data from the latest U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) finds that 17 percent of U.S. teens are overweight. Just one in four high school students packs enough physical activity into their day, and 12 percent get little or no daily exercise, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, measuring kids' cholesterol in a really detailed way may make sense.
...more
Little wonder, then, that one group of researchers has begun to take a serious look at the long-term health consequences of kids' inactivity. And they are using cholesterol levels as a window into these youngsters' futures.
Obesity, inactivity and cholesterol are closely linked, and data from the latest U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) finds that 17 percent of U.S. teens are overweight. Just one in four high school students packs enough physical activity into their day, and 12 percent get little or no daily exercise, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, measuring kids' cholesterol in a really detailed way may make sense.
...more
Simple Workout Urged for Pregnant Women on Bed Rest
SATURDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women restricted to bed rest can and should do safe, specially-designed physical activity, say experts at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Each year in the United States, an estimated 700,000 women with high-risk pregnancies (including nearly all those carrying triplets or more) are put on bed rest, the APTA said. But, in many cases, the incapacitating effects of total bed rest are not being addressed, leaving some expectant mothers ill-prepared for pre- and post-partum physical and psychological challenges.
"As a result of prolonged bed rest, pregnant women experience an array of symptoms ranging from cardiovascular deconditioning, musculoskeletal discomforts, stressful postures and positions, skin breakdown, muscle weakness, as well as psychological issues such as guilt, stress, and depression," Jean Irion, a professor of physical therapy at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, said in a prepared statement.
...more
Each year in the United States, an estimated 700,000 women with high-risk pregnancies (including nearly all those carrying triplets or more) are put on bed rest, the APTA said. But, in many cases, the incapacitating effects of total bed rest are not being addressed, leaving some expectant mothers ill-prepared for pre- and post-partum physical and psychological challenges.
"As a result of prolonged bed rest, pregnant women experience an array of symptoms ranging from cardiovascular deconditioning, musculoskeletal discomforts, stressful postures and positions, skin breakdown, muscle weakness, as well as psychological issues such as guilt, stress, and depression," Jean Irion, a professor of physical therapy at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, said in a prepared statement.
...more
Going green could beat the blues: British experts
LONDON (AFP) - A walk in the country is an effective alternative to chemical anti-depression treatment, a leading mental health charity said Monday, calling on British doctors to prescribe outdoor activities.
The Mind charity said so-called "ecotherapy" could help millions of people with mental health problems after two studies it commissioned suggested it could have significant benefits for sufferers in most cases.
Prescription of care farms as a treatment has been highly successful on mainland Europe, but Britain has failed to follow the example, it added as it launched a report "Ecotherapy: the green agenda for mental health."
Mind chief executive Paul Farmer said: "Mind sees ecotherapy as an important part of the future for mental health.
...more
African bacteria ate holes in girl's eyes
A British Columbia teenager's dream trip to Africa turned into a nightmare when bacteria began eating her eyes.
Trasey Plouffe, 18, lost her sight three weeks ago and nearly had to have her right eye removed after bacteria destroyed both her corneas.
"I felt like someone had glass and was scraping away my eyes," she said.
It started when Plouffe flew to Nairobi, Kenya, in January, where she volunteered in an orphanage. During her 11-week stint, she met a Mexican woman named Maria and the pair decided to backpack to a remote beach on the island of Zanzibar.
"Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to go to Africa," Plouffe said this week after returning to her home in Kelowna, B.C. (Via Edmonton Journal)
Woman Drinks 12 Diet Cokes a Day
"There is some evidence that the acid load of soda, regular or diet, has an adverse affect on bone health," said Dr. David Katz, nutrition expert at the Yale School of Medicine. "I would be very worried that if you are drinking 12 cans a day, diet or regular, it's potentially going to do damage to your skeleton, and eventually that can be a very serious problem. (Via ABC NEWS)
Applebee's nixes trans fat frying oil
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Restaurant-chain operator Applebee's International Inc. said Thursday that it is no longer using trans fat frying oil at its more than 1,800 domestic restaurants.
Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them for baking or a longer shelf-life. The process turns them into "partially hydrogenated oils", which may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other ailments.
The company, which started looking for replacement oils three year ago, is now using a blend of two soybean oils it claims do not compromise the taste, texture or quality of its food.
...more
Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them for baking or a longer shelf-life. The process turns them into "partially hydrogenated oils", which may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other ailments.
The company, which started looking for replacement oils three year ago, is now using a blend of two soybean oils it claims do not compromise the taste, texture or quality of its food.
...more
Too many vitamins could trigger prostrate cancer: study
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Taking too many multi-vitamin supplements could increase the risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study published Wednesday.
Moderate use of multi-vitamins shows no increased risk, but "taking too many multivitamins may be associated with an increased risk for advanced or fatal prostate cancers," said the Journal of the National Cancer Institute study.
Millions of Americans pop multi-vitamin pills in a bid to stay in shape, although scientific evidence on whether they help protect against chronic illnesses remains inconclusive.
...more
Drug allergy and other drug reactions: Are you at risk?
You've just taken a new medication. Within minutes, you're having trouble breathing and your vision is blurry. You might be experiencing a drug allergy — a sometimes-serious event caused not by a medication's therapeutic action or side effects, but by your immune system's misdirected attack on the medication.
True drug allergies — as opposed to nonallergic adverse reactions — account for fewer than 10 percent of all the drug reactions that land people in the hospital or develop during hospital stays. But because drug allergies may be severe enough to require specific anti-allergy treatment, it's important to distinguish them from other drug reactions. Before you take a new medication or a drug you haven't used in some time, ask your doctor if you could be allergic to it. That goes double if you've had a previous reaction to any drug.
...more
True drug allergies — as opposed to nonallergic adverse reactions — account for fewer than 10 percent of all the drug reactions that land people in the hospital or develop during hospital stays. But because drug allergies may be severe enough to require specific anti-allergy treatment, it's important to distinguish them from other drug reactions. Before you take a new medication or a drug you haven't used in some time, ask your doctor if you could be allergic to it. That goes double if you've had a previous reaction to any drug.
...more
Friday, May 11
Aspirin Dose for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
Charles L. Campbell, MD; Susan Smyth, MD, PhD; Gilles Montalescot, MD, PhD; Steven R. Steinhubl, MD
JAMA. 2007;297:2018-2024.
Context More than 50 million US adults take aspirin regularly for long-term prevention of cardiovascular disease, typically either 81 mg/d or 325 mg/d. Controversy remains regarding the most appropriate long-term daily dose.
Objective To review the mechanism of action of aspirin and the clinical literature for relationships among aspirin dosage, efficacy, and safety.
Evidence Acquisition A systematic review of the English-language literature was undertaken using MEDLINE and EMBASE (searched through February 2007) and the search term aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid and dose. The search was limited to clinical trials and was extended by a review of bibliographies of pertinent reports of original data and review articles. Published prospective studies using different aspirin dosages in the setting of cardiovascular disease were included.
Evidence Synthesis Although pharmacodynamic data demonstrate that long-term aspirin dosages as low as 30 mg/d are adequate to fully inhibit platelet thromboxane production, dosages as high as 1300 mg/d are approved for use. In the United States, 81 mg/d of aspirin is prescribed most commonly (60%), followed by 325 mg/d (35%). The available evidence, predominantly from secondary-prevention observational studies, supports that dosages greater than 75 to 81 mg/d do not enhance efficacy, whereas larger dosages are associated with an increased incidence of bleeding events, primarily related to gastrointestinal tract toxicity.
Conclusions Currently available clinical data do not support the routine, long-term use of aspirin dosages greater than 75 to 81 mg/d in the setting of cardiovascular disease prevention. Higher dosages, which may be commonly prescribed, do not better prevent events but are associated with increased risks of gastrointestinal bleeding.
Author Affiliations: Gill Heart Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington (Drs Campbell, Smyth, and Steinhubl); and Institut de Cardiologie—Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France (Dr Montalescot).
JAMA. 2007;297:2018-2024.
Context More than 50 million US adults take aspirin regularly for long-term prevention of cardiovascular disease, typically either 81 mg/d or 325 mg/d. Controversy remains regarding the most appropriate long-term daily dose.
Objective To review the mechanism of action of aspirin and the clinical literature for relationships among aspirin dosage, efficacy, and safety.
Evidence Acquisition A systematic review of the English-language literature was undertaken using MEDLINE and EMBASE (searched through February 2007) and the search term aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid and dose. The search was limited to clinical trials and was extended by a review of bibliographies of pertinent reports of original data and review articles. Published prospective studies using different aspirin dosages in the setting of cardiovascular disease were included.
Evidence Synthesis Although pharmacodynamic data demonstrate that long-term aspirin dosages as low as 30 mg/d are adequate to fully inhibit platelet thromboxane production, dosages as high as 1300 mg/d are approved for use. In the United States, 81 mg/d of aspirin is prescribed most commonly (60%), followed by 325 mg/d (35%). The available evidence, predominantly from secondary-prevention observational studies, supports that dosages greater than 75 to 81 mg/d do not enhance efficacy, whereas larger dosages are associated with an increased incidence of bleeding events, primarily related to gastrointestinal tract toxicity.
Conclusions Currently available clinical data do not support the routine, long-term use of aspirin dosages greater than 75 to 81 mg/d in the setting of cardiovascular disease prevention. Higher dosages, which may be commonly prescribed, do not better prevent events but are associated with increased risks of gastrointestinal bleeding.
Author Affiliations: Gill Heart Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington (Drs Campbell, Smyth, and Steinhubl); and Institut de Cardiologie—Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France (Dr Montalescot).
'Take 2 pills, pray, call me in the a.m.'
CHICAGO, April 9 (UPI) -- More than half of U.S. physicians think religion and spirituality influence their patients' health and most believe the influence is positive.
The information comes from a 2003 survey of more than 1,100 doctors from all medical specialties conducted by Farr Curlin and his colleagues at the University of Chicago.
One of the key findings of the poll was that physicians' reactions were strongly influenced by their own religious beliefs. For example, religious doctors were much more likely to report that their patients brought up religious issues, believe that religion strongly influences health, and interpret the influence of religion in positive ways.
The study found that 76 percent of physicians believe religion helps patients cope by putting them in a positive state of mind and providing a support network.
...more
The information comes from a 2003 survey of more than 1,100 doctors from all medical specialties conducted by Farr Curlin and his colleagues at the University of Chicago.
One of the key findings of the poll was that physicians' reactions were strongly influenced by their own religious beliefs. For example, religious doctors were much more likely to report that their patients brought up religious issues, believe that religion strongly influences health, and interpret the influence of religion in positive ways.
The study found that 76 percent of physicians believe religion helps patients cope by putting them in a positive state of mind and providing a support network.
...more
Chondroitin of little help with arthritis, study says
Chondroitin, a dietary supplement widely used for treating arthritic joints, is no better than a placebo for reducing pain, researchers reported Monday.
The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at data from 20 clinical trials encompassing 3,846 patients.
"People had the idea that this could be the magic bullet for osteoarthritis, but it cannot be," said Dr. Peter Juni, a medical epidemiologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland and one of the authors of the study.
The study suggests that there is no point in starting patients on chondroitin, said Dr. David Felson, an osteoarthritis researcher at Boston University who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. ...more
The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at data from 20 clinical trials encompassing 3,846 patients.
"People had the idea that this could be the magic bullet for osteoarthritis, but it cannot be," said Dr. Peter Juni, a medical epidemiologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland and one of the authors of the study.
The study suggests that there is no point in starting patients on chondroitin, said Dr. David Felson, an osteoarthritis researcher at Boston University who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. ...more
Most Americans don't eat smart and exercise: CDC
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Only one in seven Americans exercises enough and eats enough fruits and vegetables, and men are worse than women, federal health officials said on Thursday.
"These results underscore the need to promote diets high in fruits and vegetables and regular physical activity among all populations in the United States and among racial and ethnic minority communities in particular," U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers said in a report.
The CDC tracked the percentage of Americans who eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and engage in moderately intense exercise for at least 30 minutes five days per week or vigorous exercise for at least 20 minutes three days per week as recommended by the government.
...more
Thursday, May 10
More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements
New research suggests that oranges provide better antioxidant protection than vitamin C tablets. Fruits rich in vitamin C are powerful antioxidants that can protect cellular DNA from damage.
A research team gave test subjects either a glass of blood-orange juice, an equivalent amount of vitamin-C-fortified water, or sugar water (containing no vitamin C).
Blood plasma vitamin C levels went up after subjects drank both the juice and the fortified water.
But when their blood samples were then exposed to hydrogen peroxide, a substance known to cause DNA damage, the damage was significantly less in the samples taken from those who drank the orange juice.
In fruit, vitamin C exists in a matrix of other beneficial substances, which may all interact with each other.
...more
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