Berkeley June WELLNESS LETTER-Forbidden Fruit?

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.

Table of Contents June 2011

Forbidden Fruit?
Eat more fruits and vegetables—who could argue with that simple advice? Well, amazingly enough, the fruit part is being questioned, mostly by advocates of low-carb diets. Some warn that fruit is almost as “evil” as sugar and white bread when it comes to weight control and overall health. What scares some people about fruit is that not only do nearly all of its calories come from carbs, but most of those carbs are sugar, and much of that sugar is fructose. Say fructose and most people think high-fructose corn syrup—our No. 1 sweetener, added to so many soft drinks and processed foods. Here’s what you should know before you toss your fruit bowl.   Full Story

Interview with nutrition expert Ed Blonz about fruit and related topics.

Krill Oil Makes a Splash
Since fish oil capsules are so commonplace now, manufacturers keep trying to come up with products that stand out from the crowd in order to justify a premium price. Thus you see widely promoted Norwegian or Icelandic brands, for instance, though there’s no clear evidence that these are superior. When it comes to one-upmanship, marketers of krill oil supplements have been making the loudest claims.

Buffalo: Home on Your Range?
Just a decade ago buffalo (technically bison) meat sounded pretty exotic. Today, it’s fairly easy to find at natural foods stores, farmers’ markets and some supermarkets. There are even buffalo-themed restaurants and cookbooks. But is bison meat—America’s “original red meat”—really so much better than beef, as claimed?

A Mighty Mineral
Magnesium has never been a nutritional superstar, but in recent years research has confirmed its many crucial roles in the body and uncovered new potential benefits. Notably, it’s involved in energy production, cell growth, blood pressure, bone health and the functioning of the heart, nerves and muscles. While there’s no doubt that magnesium-rich foods are some of the best choices around, supplements are another matter.

Exercise for Brain Gains
Research has shown that aerobic exercise, the kind that enhances cardiovascular fitness, can help older people stay sharp and improve problem-solving skills and other mental abilities. A few years ago scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign showed, for the first time, that people over 60 who started an aerobic exercise program actually increased their brain volume, as seen on MRI scans. Lower brain volume is linked to increased cognitive impairment and dementia. Recent research suggests that strength training can benefit the brain, too.

Watch out for Falling Arches
One significant way we differ from our ape ancestors is in our arched feet. As humans began to evolve, the foot developed from something that could grasp branches easily to one more suited for upright movement. To propel yourself forward, you need an arch that keeps the foot stiff when you push off with the toes, but is also flexible enough to act as a shock absorber when your heel hits the ground. Nevertheless, plenty of highly evolved people—as many as one in four—have flat feet, once referred to as “fallen arches.”

ASK THE EXPERTS
Our readers ask: Is it okay for me to take iodine pills to protect myself from the radiation released from Japan’s nuclear plant? What is “tapping,” and can it really help me overcome my fear of flying?
 Is toothpaste a waste of money?  
Full Story

WELL & INFORMED
Tips, Short Takes, and Other News You Can UsePotential health benefits of living at a high altitude.

WELLNESS TIPS

• To reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, avoid sugary soda—better yet, replace it with coffee, suggests a recent Harvard study. For each can of soda consumed daily there was a 16 percent increase in diabetes risk. In contrast, each cup of coffee a day was linked to a 6 percent reduced risk.

• If you work long hours, you may be at increased risk of heart disease and should thus be extra vigilant in controlling risk factors such as high blood pressure or undesirable cholesterol levels. In a recent study of more than 7,000 civil service workers in London, those who worked 11 or more hours a day were two-thirds more likely to have a heart attack over a 12-year period than those working 7 or 8 hours.

• You still need to use sunscreen if you sit under a beach umbrella. Umbrellas block direct ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun—but not all diffuse radiation, which also contributes to sunburn, skin damage, skin cancer and cataracts.

• If you have a high-deductible health insurance plan, don’t let the deductible keep you from getting important preventive care such as cancer screenings and immunizations. Such plans sometimes lead people to cut down on preventive care, even though the plans waive the deductible for preventive care.

• You should get the shingles vaccine if you are in your fifties, according to the FDA, which until now approved it only for people 60 and older. The expanded approval was based on a large study of people age 50 to 59, in whom the vaccine, called Zostavax, reduced the risk of shingles by nearly 70 percent during the first year.

• If you’re swimming in the ocean and find yourself in a rip current, don’t fight it by trying to swim directly back to shore. Instead, swim parallel or at an angle to the shore. If that’s not possible, float on your back until you are beyond the pull of the current and then swim diagonally to shore.

• If you apply hormones to your skin, be careful not to transfer them to children and pets. The FDA has received several reports of children showing signs of early puberty after inadvertently being exposed to Evamist, a spray form of estrogen used to treat hot flashes. Wash your hands thoroughly after applying the hormone, let it dry completely before you make contact with anyone, and, if possible, cover the treated area. And don’t let your pets lick the medicated areas.