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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.
The Ponzi Berry?
In the nutraceutical or nutritional supplements market, there is never any shortage of bandwagons. One of the loudest and largest these days is the açaí bandwagon. Harvested from a Brazilian palm, açaí berries are a dietary staple in Brazil and have also been used medicinally by Amazonian tribes. Açaí juice was introduced in the U.S. in 2001, and there are now more than 50 new food and drink products containing açaí. As a juice, pulp, powder, or capsule, it is marketed as a magic path to weight loss, a wrinkle remover, a way to cleanse the body of “toxins,” and indeed just a plain old miracle cure. It is often combined with other ingredients, such as glucosamine, so that the claims for benefits multiply exponentially. Full
Story
Do Sweat the Small Stuff
A best-selling book series has for years advised “don’t sweat the small stuff.” And maybe that’s good advice in some situations. But the small stuff—that is, the daily habits that add up to what’s called a lifestyle—is more important to your health than, for example, sweeping New Year’s resolutions such as “I will get my life in order” or “I will be a better person.”
Greek Lessons
Every month, it seems, a new study comes out supporting the benefits of the Mediterranean diet—that it will make you healthier and smarter, prevent heart attacks, help you lose weight, and add years to your life. The diet includes lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains, moderate amounts of fish, some dairy (mostly yogurt and cheese), and little red meat or sweets. Olive oil, as the main source of fat, and wine, especially red wine, are also key features. How many people in the Mediterranean area ever ate such an exemplary diet (most don’t today) is debatable. But what’s increasingly clear is that a plant-based diet, whether called the Mediterranean diet or something else, is a healthy way to eat. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What to Do About Osteopenia—an Update
Bone density reaches a peak in early adulthood and then gradually begins to decline. When the thinning becomes severe, the condition is called osteoporosis, which greatly increases the risk of fractures. When bone loss is less severe, it is called osteopenia. About one-third of women age 50 to 65 and two-thirds of those over 65 who have a bone density test will be told they have osteopenia. The question is, if you have it, what next? Of course, it makes sense for anybody with osteopenia to take steps to keep their bones strong, such as consuming enough calcium and vitamin D and doing weight-bearing exercise. But what about drugs? Many have been approved by the FDA for the prevention of osteoporosis—that is, to treat osteopenia. Should millions of women, and perhaps men as well, take these drugs if they have osteopenia?
Stretching for Two
Stretching improves flexibility, which allows you to move your joints through their full range of motion. And flexibility is a key element of fitness; it can enhance physical performance and relieve muscle tension and stiffness. You need no equipment to stretch, and you can do it anywhere. Stretching with a partner is a good way to enhance your routine.
ASK
THE EXPERTS
Our readers ask: Is grass-fed beef a good source of omega-3 fats? Why do antiperspirant labels advise people with kidney disease to talk to their doctor before using? When you cook poultry, why does the meat around the bones sometimes has a pink tinge, even when cooked through? Are sebaceous cysts dangerous? Can biotin help my brittle nails. Full
Story
WELL & INFORMED
Tips, Short Takes, and Other News You Can Use
It’s never too late to start exercising—really. . . wheat grass.
WELLNESS TIPS
• Don’t think that the new Pepsi Natural, sweetened with “natural sugar,” is any healthier than sodas sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It still has 38 grams of sugar (almost 10 teaspoons) and 150 calories per 12-ounce bottle—the same as other sodas.
• To reduce your risk of prostate cancer, eat fatty fish. In a recent study, men who consumed the most omega-3 fats from fish had a 60% lower risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
• If you’re trying to follow the standard guidelines that recommend doing “moderate-intensity” activities for 30 minutes five times a week, you may wonder what’s “moderate-intensity”? If your exercise is walking, it’s doing at least 100 steps per minute, according to a new study.
• If you’re over 50, you probably can’t hold your alcohol as well as you used to. Older people get a higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) than younger people after consuming a given amount of alcohol, and are more affected by a given BAC. They are also less likely to realize they are impaired than younger drinkers.
• Avoid “herbal” or “natural” weight-loss supplements. The FDA recently warned that dozens of products contain hidden and potentially hazardous drugs such as diuretics or laxatives, often combined with a witch’s brew of other ingredients. .
• Before cutting a cantaloupe or any melon, wash it with cool running water and a scrub brush. Food poisoning from Salmonella and other bacteria has been linked to melons. If the unwashed rind is contaminated, the knife can drag the bacteria into the fruit, or your hands can spread them. .
• Know how to do the self-administered Heimlich maneuver, in case you start choking on food when no one is around to help. Make a fist and place the thumb side against your abdomen, slightly above the navel. With the other hand, grasp the fist and press it in and upward with quick, sharp thrusts.
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