Nutrition Spotlight
on What's in the News - Archive
(Information with Impact)
|
December 22, 2002
What's the excitement about Linum usitatissimum?
No, it's not an upcoming TV star, nor is it a new dance --it's common
Flax or linseed:
- Linum = flax , linen; a thread,
line; a rope, cable and
- usitatissimus = usual,
customary, ordinary, common, familiar, everyday; commonly used/practice.
Numerous articles are beginning to pick up on the value of this age-old
cultivated plant, so we're doing our part to raise our surfer's awareness
level.
The following are some key excerpts from an
articles posted by the Flax Council of Canada*:
"The list of health
benefits that can be contributed to flax seed is quite impressive...It gives
you all around immune support, promotes healthy cholesterol levels, aids
healthy digestion, and promotes healthy glowing skin. Your daily dose of
flax seeds gives you everything that's good for you, including essential
fatty acids, protein, vitamins, precious phytonutrients, and health
promoting lignans, as well as soluble and insoluble fiber.
Flax is one of the oldest
cultivated crops in history. Our ancestors revered its health benefits and
curative powers. Somewhere along the way its healing powers were forgotten
or overlooked in favor of "modern" therapies. Today these healing powers are
being rediscovered in Canada, Europe, and the Far East. It's interesting how
easily we forget the things we've known for hundreds of generations.
Flaxseeds are a wonderful
source of so many of the nutrients our bodies need. Flax seeds are 35% oil
and 55% of that oil includes the crucial omega-3 fatty acids.. both
omega-3 and omega-6 are essential oils that should be included in your diet
to promote good heart health.. if you are eating lots of fresh fruits and
vegetables you are probably getting an adequate amount of omega-6, but if
you are not eating lots of fruit and vegetables then you need to consider
eating more for the sake of your good health. ..
Omega-3s are harder to
find; they are found mainly in cold-water fish like salmon.. This makes flax
even more powerful, because it contains approximately twice the amount of
omega-3s found in fish oils. Just a quarter of a cup of flax contains 9,000
mg of omega-3s.
Flax is an excellent way to get the fiber you need for
good health. Flax seed also contains soluble and insoluble fiber, both of
which are important in promoting normal cholesterol levels. Just one quarter
of a cup of flaxseed is packed with 10 grams of fiber. Fiber acts as a
broom, cleaning out your intestines; it can help to promote regularity, plus
the fiber will help you feel full longer so you might eat less, and could
even lose weight. To get more fiber in their diets, many people take one of
the powdered formulas you can find in the drug store. Unfortunately, most of
these powders simply do not have the same high concentration of high quality
fiber that is found in flax, or the heart healthy essential fatty acids or
lignans."
"Studies suggest that the
quantity and the quality of dietary fat intake determine cardiovascular
disease (CVD) risk. And don't forget the reasons we need at least some
dietary fat - the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. And
let's not forget - fat carries flavor and makes us feel full!
The type of fat that has
demonstrated heart-protective benefits is the omega 3 fatty acid. Several
mechanisms explaining the cardioprotective effect have been suggested,
including antiarrhythmic (keeps the heart beating normally), hypolipidemic
(keeps fat in blood low), and antithrombotic (keeps blood flowing) roles.
Fish is an important source of omega 3 in the American diet; however,
vegetable sources, including grains and oils, offer an alternative source
for those who are unable to regularly consume fish.
Americans currently get
the bulk of their omega 3 from three key food groups: (1) meat, poultry and
fish; (2) vegetable oils and salad dressings; and (3) grain products.
Certain species of fatty cold-water fish, such as mackerel, herring and
salmon, are good sources. Plant sources of omega 3 include some legumes,
such as soy and pinto beans, along with nuts and seeds, especially walnuts
and flaxseed."
Another great article on the subject can be found at the
National Institute of Health website "Seeds May Have a Powerful Impact on
Health", by Mariko Thompson. In a section titled "Breaking It Down",
one sees why Linum usitatissimum has so much to offer:
"..
FIBER: Fiber keeps the digestive tract regular and lowers cholesterol,
which is important in preventing heart disease. Studies also have found that
fiber affects blood glucose levels, helping to prevent or control type 2
diabetes.
The American Dietetic Association recommends between 20 and 35 grams of
fiber a day. Flaxseed provides 2 to 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon,
according to Jane Reinhardt-Martin, an Illinois-based registered dietitian
and author of ``Flax Your Way to Better Health.''
LIGNANS: These plant compounds found in the hull act as as weak form of
estrogen and appear to protect the body from hormonal cancers -- including
breast cancer. Lilian Thompson, professor of nutritional sciences at the
University of Toronto, has been testing whether flaxseed plays more than a
preventive role. Research on animals has been promising, showing a reduction
in existing tumors, she said.
Whether flaxseed proves to have the same beneficial effect on humans is
another question, she said. For people in good health, Thompson recommends
about one tablespoon a day. However, she advises breast cancer patients
taking drugs such as tamoxifen to proceed with caution.
``We don't have enough data to conclude that the interaction with drugs
is safe,'' she said.
ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID: ALA is part of the omega-3 fatty acid pantheon
known as the ``good'' kind of fat. Two other forms of omega-3,
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are found
primarily in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. Consuming foods
with ALA reduces the risk of heart disease, eases inflammatory conditions
such as rheumatoid arthritis and may help prevent cancer. One tablespoon of
ground flax contains about 1,800 milligrams of omega-3, according to
Reinhardt-Martin.
Though flax and fish oil contain different types of omega-3, Dr. Jay
Udani recommends flax to patients who either can't or won't take fish oil.
..
The omega-3 properties of flax have been promoted as a panacea for a
range of other ailments, including menopause and psoriasis. Though
Reinhardt-Martin has heard anecdotes from acquaintances and readers of her
book, science hasn't yet supported those claims. Still, since most Americans
don't eat enough omega-3, eating flax can't hurt -- pending a doctor's
approval for those taking medications, she said.
``Flax is one component of so many things people should be doing,''
Reinhardt-Martin said. ``It's not the magic bullet. It's not a cure-all.''
Not only should Americans consume more omega-3, they also should reduce
their intake of omega-6 fatty acids found in meat, canola oil, safflower oil
and soybean oil, said Bruce Watkins, director of the Enhancing Foods to
Protect Health program at Purdue University. For the typical American, the
omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is too high, ranging from 10-to-1 to 25-to-1. In
Asian countries, where the incidence of cancer is much lower, the ratio is
2-to-1 or better, he said. .."
*http://www.flaxcouncil.ca (ref the article by Chief Grey
Eagle and another by
Marcia Kyle, RD,
CDE
** http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_10956.html
(ref the article by Mariko Thompson)
BACK TO TOP |
|
November 7, 2002
Exercise Reduces Heart Attack Risk!*
And, even if you don't lose weight, there's still a health benefit!
... "The exercise doesn't have to be strenuous to reduce your risk of
heart trouble", said Dr. William Kraus, associate professor of medicine at
Duke University Medical Center. His group's findings are printed in the
November 7, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
.. the study was closely controlled, with varied groups of people picked
because they were overweight, inactive and had high cholesterol levels. They
were then assigned to carefully measured amounts of exercise or to
inactivity.
.. the study used sophisticated, high-tech measurements to detect subtle
and specific changes not only of blood-cholesterol levels but also of the
nature of the cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins in the blood.
The participants were divided into four groups:
- one exercised vigorously, the caloric equivalent of 20 miles of
jogging a week;
- a second did the equivalent of 12 miles of jogging a week;
- a third did the equivalent of 12 miles of brisk walking, and
- the fourth did nothing in particular.
Being inactive is NOT GOOD! "... the inactive folks
deteriorated at a rate faster than would have been predicted and they gained
an average of 3 pounds in six months, and their cholesterol levels also
deteriorated."
Other findings:
- Some exercise is better than none. Even a small dose of exercise
prevented cholesterol levels from rising.
- Even without significant weight loss, exercise was beneficial to the
cholesterol levels for the subjects.
Standard blood tests showed a reduction in LDL cholesterol (the
kind that clogs arteries), only for the people doing more vigorous
exercise. Other blood tests looked not only at overall LDL cholesterol
levels but also at the nature of the lipoprotein particles that carry
cholesterol in the blood.
According to the article, by exercising, "what you are doing is
moving your LDLs from the very dense forms that are likely
to cause heart disease to less dense forms," Furthermore, that
is why regular, "moderate exercise is a dramatic way to reduce the risk of
having a first or second heart attack,"
*Excerpt from a Detroit Free Press health article titled
"Exercise is proven to reduce heart risk"
BACK TO TOP |
|
October 16, 2002
Some encouraging news
on EPA and depression:
[Abstract]
(see Arch Gen Psychiatry.
2002;59:913-919 for full details)
"A
Dose-Ranging Study of the Effects of Ethyl-Eicosapentaenoate in Patients
With Ongoing Depression Despite Apparently Adequate Treatment With Standard
Drugs by Malcolm Peet, MB, ChB, FRCPsych; David F. Horrobin, DPhil,
BM, BCh
Background In depressed patients, low blood levels of
eicosapentaenoic acid are seen. We tested the antidepressive effect of
ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in these patients.
Methods We included 70 patients with persistent
depression despite ongoing treatment with an adequate dose of a standard
antidepressant. Patients were randomized on a double-blind basis to placebo
or ethyl-eicosapentaenoate at dosages of 1, 2, or 4 g/d for 12 weeks in
addition to unchanged background medication. Patients underwent assessment
using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Montgomery-Asberg
Depression Rating Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory.
Results Forty-six (88%) of 52 patients receiving
ethyl-eicosapentaenoate and 14 (78%) of 18 patients receiving placebo
completed the 12-week study with no serious adverse events. The 1-g/d group
showed a significantly better outcome than the placebo group on all 3 rating
scales. In the intention-to-treat group, 5 (29%) of 17 patients receiving
placebo and 9 (53%) of 17 patients receiving 1 g/d of
ethyl-eicosapentaenoate achieved a 50% reduction on the Hamilton Depression
Rating Scale score. In the per-protocol group, the corresponding figures
were 3 (25%) of 12 patients for placebo and 9 (69%) of 13 patients for the
1-g/d group. The 2-g/d group showed little evidence of efficacy, whereas the
4-g/d group showed nonsignificant trends toward improvement. All of the
individual items on all 3 rating scales improved with the 1-g/d dosage of
ethyl-eicosapentaenoate vs. placebo, with strong beneficial effects on items
rating depression, anxiety, sleep, lassitude, libido, and suicidality.
Conclusion Treatment with ethyl-eicosapentaenoate at
a dosage of 1 g/d was effective in treating depression in patients who
remained depressed despite adequate standard therapy."
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002;59:913-919
BACK TO TOP |
|
October 9, 2002
Courtesy of the government's main site on nutrition, here's an
informative article we thought you would be interested in:
Managing Your Diabetes
Diabetes is a major public
health concern in our country today. Almost everyone knows someone who has
this disease. An estimated 16 million Americans have
diabetes - about 7.3 percent of the population - and one-third of them
don't know that they have the disease. Approximately 800,000 people each
year are diagnosed with diabetes.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism - the way our bodies use digested food
for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is converted into glucose,
the body's main source of energy. Cells only can absorb glucose when
insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, is present. When someone has
diabetes, they do not produce or respond to insulin. In diabetes, glucose
builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the
body. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel. Left unchecked, diabetes
can cause both short-term and long-term complications including kidney
failure, blindness, heart disease and stroke. Many cases of diabetes could
have been prevented.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
The
most common symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst (polydipsia),
excessive hunger (polyphagia), and excessive urination (polyuria). Other
symptoms can include blurred vision, unintended weight loss, tingling or
numbness in feet or hands, sores that are slow to heal, and dry itchy skin.
People with diabetes can have some or none of these symptoms. If you think
you may have diabetes, it is very important to consult your doctor. Learn
more about the
symptoms and risk factors for diabetes.
What are the risk factors
for diabetes?
Risk factors for diabetes include being overweight or obese, having a family
history of diabetes, or having an inactive lifestyle. Hispanic Americans,
Asian Americans, African-Americans, and Native Americans have a higher risk
of Type 2 diabetes than Non-Hispanic Whites.
What are the different types
of diabetes?
Type I diabetes develops most often in children and young adults and is
considered to be an autoimmune disease. Type II diabetes, on the other hand,
usually develops in adults age 40 and older, and is often associated with
overweight or obesity. Gestational diabetes develops only during pregnancy
in some women. Click on these links to learn more about
diabetes and the
different types of this disease.
How is diabetes managed?
Today, healthy eating, physical activity, and insulin via injection or an
insulin pump are the basic therapies for type I diabetes. The amount of
insulin used must be balanced with food intake and daily activities. Blood
glucose levels must be closely monitored throughout the day.
Healthy eating, physical
activity, and blood glucose testing are the basic management tools for type
2 diabetes. In addition, some people with type II diabetes require oral
medication and/or insulin to control their blood glucose levels. For
more information.
What can you do to help
prevent and control diabetes?
The cause of diabetes is still not known, although both genetics and
lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to be
important in Type II diabetes.
Diet and exercise are two major ways to keep diabetes under control. The
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
currently recommends that 50-60% of a person's diet should come from
carbohydrates (starches and sugars), 10-20% from protein, and less than 30%
from fats.
Specific meal plans should be
based on an individual's usual food intake. People with Type I diabetes
should eat at about the same time each day and try to be consistent with the
types of food they choose. This helps to prevent blood sugar levels from
becoming too high or low. Type II diabetics should consume a diet that is
well balanced and low in fat.
Moderate physical activity for
at least 30 minutes every day for adults and children will help you reach
and stay at a weight that is healthy for your body and keep your blood sugar
in a normal range. A healthy diet and physical activity will also help
prevent heart disease, stroke, some forms of cancer, and is a recipe for
overall good health. Check with your doctor about ways to prevent diabetes,
how it's detected, and if you have it, how it can be managed effectively.
In recent years, advances in
diabetes research have led to better ways to manage diabetes and treat its
complications. Scientists are intensifying efforts to find new ways to
prevent, detect, and treat this disease.
Click here to learn how to
control diabetes for life
BACK TO TOP |
|
September 25, 2002
PATIENTS OFTEN MISS OUT ON NUTRITION COUNSELING, AT COST TO HEALTH
Nutrition counseling can make a difference in the health of high-risk
patients, yet it takes place in a minority of primary care visits, according
to a study.
"The need for nutrition counseling is pressing in light of the epidemic
of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity and
hyperlipidemia [excessive fat content in the blood]," says study author
Charles B. Eaton, M.D., of the family medicine department at Brown Medical
School and the Center for Primary Care and Prevention at the Memorial
Hospital of Rhode Island in Pawtucket.
Diet changes have enormous potential to reduce the risks of death and
illness but few studies have examined nutrition counseling in primary care,
according to the study. An estimated 300,000 to 800,000 deaths every year
result from nutrition-related diseases like heart disease, stroke, high
blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
Eaton and colleagues analyzed data from a study of 138 physicians based
in Ohio. In this study, research nurses were given permission to observe
3,475 patient examinations, and administer a questionnaire to patients after
their visit. The nurses recorded any discussion of food intake or nutrition
during the examination.
About a quarter of patients received nutrition counseling during their
doctor visit, according to the study data. Patients who were seeing their
doctor for an acute illness were less likely to receive it (17 percent) than
patients with chronic diseases (30 percent). The percentage of chronically
ill patients receiving counseling falls short of the Healthy People 2010
national nutritional objectives, which suggest that 75 percent of office
visits for hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes should
include nutrition counseling.
The study results are published in the October issue of the American
Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Physicians spent an average of less than a minute on nutrition
counseling. This finding suggests "that more in-depth nutrition counseling
visits will need to occur outside a typical primary care office visit,"
Eaton says. Some experts say registered dieticians are best suited for
giving nutrition counseling, while others suggest physicians can be trained
to offer patients tailored nutrition messages that are supplemented with
written educational materials, according to the study.
Eaton and colleagues concluded with the hope that their findings help
medical educators create concise nutrition counseling tools "to help
physicians optimize nutrition counseling within the context of the time
constraints found in real-world, primary care practice."
This research was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute, a Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar Award from the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a Research Center Grant from the American
Academy of Family Physicians.
# # #
Source: Center For The Advancement of Health,
Release Date: September 24, 2002
BACK TO TOP
|
|
