Once Upon a Thigh: January 2007

Table of Contents

Letter from the Editor

Happy New Year! I hope that this new year brings you all the hopes and desires of your heart. January is obviously a good time for new beginnings. I have set goals for myself, some health related, and hope to have set them in a realistic manner so that I will be successful. Please let me know if I can be of any help to you in accomplishing your goals. Remember to keep important things important and dumb stuff dumb.

Remember the Insulin Resistance meeting will be held at the office at 7pm on Wednesday, January 3rd. We will have a mix of things you have always wanted to know about as well as some timely information on Insulin Resistance. See you there.

Enjoy the newsletter. You should find a little bit of information for all of you.

-- Carol

Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements

Have you noticed how many foods have vitamins and minerals added to them? That is a great marketing program to help traditional food products sell better. This year, Americans spent $23 billion a year on supplements, nearly triple the 8.8 billion we spent in 1994. We are also shelling out $36 billion annually on fortified foods, such as vitamin fortified cereals and juices with calcium added. About 30 years ago, a philosophy emerged that vitamins and minerals could be used not only to meet nutrient requirements and prevent deficiencies but also to improve health and treat chronic conditions. This trend has continued from the 1970s to the mid 1990s. With the passing of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, regulations of supplements as foods became a law. This meant that manufacturers are not required to prove a product safe or effective before selling it. It also allowed manufacturers of supplements and fortified foods to sell their products with health associated claims similar to those used to sell pharmaceutical drugs. SO, BUYER, BEWARE.

I myself take vitamins daily. When you purchase products, look for a very small label: USP. This label insures that a regulatory body has determined that each pill is equal to the next pill in the bottle and that the pills have what the label says they have.

There is no scientific proof in the form of randomized clinical trials that vitamin and mineral supplements actually help prevent chronic disease. All multivitamins are not the same. In 2006 there was a study of 26,735 people in Hawaii that took 1,246 different formulas of multivitamins. Nearly 70% were one a day types, 16% B complex blends and 14% antioxidant mixes. Read labels to find multi vitamins that do not exceed 100% of the daily value for any nutrients.

DHEA supplements are not likely to slow the aging process. It can cause breast enlargement in men, and have male effects in women, like increased body hair. It can also lower HDL (that is the good cholesterol) in both men and women. There are some concerns that it might increase the risk of prostate or breast cancer. Please do not take this unless we are monitoring your blood chemistry.

Tropical fruit juices like MonaVie, XanGo, Noni, Goji and Pom Wonderful are making a big splash. They're being promoted for everything from longevity to infections and cancer. Most of the claims come back to the fact that these juices contain antioxidants, but they often sell for over $40 a bottle. You will be hearing a lot about "Super Foods" in 2007. Pomegranate juice (Pom Wonderful) may have some cardiovascular benefits, but there are concerns about drug interactions similar to grapefruit juice. Morinda, also known as Noni juice, might be associated with a few cases of liver toxicity. Goji contains sterols that prevent cholesterol absorption but if you are taking warfarin or coumadin it will interact with this drug, so don't take it.

One of my patients recently told me that they were taking a colon cleansing product that most of us have heard of on the radio. It promises more energy, etc. She read the label only to find that it had a large amount of caffeine, thus the result in increased energy. Just to help you with caffeine amounts, I have included the following information. Many soft drinks contain high levels of caffeine. If you are trying to cut down on your caffeine intake, some sodas with little or no caffeine include 7-up, Sprite, and Diet Rite. Some orange sodas do not have caffeine. It depends on where they are bottled.

The table below outlines the caffeine content of selected soft drinks in milligrams per 12 oz. serving.

Regular Drinks Diet Drinks
Jolt 71 Diet RC Cola 48
Mountain Dew 54 Diet Coke 46
Mello Yello 52 Tab 46
Coca-Cola 46 Shasta Diet Cola 44
Shasta Cola 44 Diet Dr. Pepper 37
Dr. Pepper 38 Diet Pepsi 36
RC Cola 36 Pepsi Light 36
7-UP, RC 100, Sprite 0 Diet 7-UP, Diet Rite 0


Hidden Calories? Results Aren't So Hidden...

Soft drinks, sports drinks, and sweetened teas are a key contributor to excessive weight gain and obesity. Harvard researchers evaluated 30 different beverages. Consider the calories you get from beverages. A Starbucks 16 ounce eggnog latte has almost twice the calories of a regular size 2 ounce Snickers bar. A cup of rich hot chocolate can add up to 13 Hershey's Kisses. I am not saying, don't drink these items, just be aware of the calorie content. I have found a good cocoa that is labeled, NO Added Sugar. The number of teaspoons of sugar in this product = 1 3/4 as opposed to 6-12 tsp. in a regular cocoa mix. Remember to read the label for sugar. Divide by 4 and that equals the number of teaspoons in one serving.

If you snack on a large handful of peanuts (500 calories) you are likely to eat less at your next meal. Peanuts have 8 grams of protein and almost 3 grams of fiber per ounce which helps you feel satisfied.

Chromium

There is some conflicting data on supplementing with this mineral, so for now, let's just agree to not take any if you have been doing so.

I loved the cartoon of Santa as he was consulting an attorney. The attorney replied: So your idea is to sue milk and cookie companies for making you obese?

Best Food Choice For January

What would you guess? It has 4 letters and starts with a K. If you guessed KIWI, you are right. It has a full day's supply of Vitamin C, plus some good Vitamin E and potassium and contains only 50 calories. I myself have had a hard time skinning it. The article said to just cut it in half and scoop it out with a spoon. Sounds good to me. Visit eatingwell.com for great recipes.

40% of employees say they eat more unhealthy snacks at work than they do at home. How about you?

Shingles Vaccine

I mentioned in a previous newsletter that if you are age 60 or greater and have not had the shingles, I highly recommend this vaccine. We offer it at the office, but must order it first. It has to remain frozen until just before being given.

Common Cold: What to Take?

There are many cough and cold products now being reformulated to contain phenylephrine now that pseudoephedrine is behind the pharmacy counter (remember pseudoephedrine is an ingredient used in making meth). Phenylephrine doesn't seem to work as well as pseudoephedrine. It is shorter acting. Claritin D and Motrin Cold still have pseudoephedrine. If you have high blood pressure, your best cold medicine would be Coricidin.

Thin film strips are also popping up in Chloraseptic, Triaminic, Theraflu and Sudafed PE. They are handy, but the strips can contain a different formulation or fewer ingredients than the original product. Cough and cold products in children probably are not as effective. Hydration, saline nasal drops, and a humidifier are helpful.

Exercise

A six year study of 1,740 people younger than 65 years of age found that those who exercised at least 3 times a week were 32% less likely to develop dementia than their sedentary counterparts. So let's get moving. Walking is actually the best.

Excess weight is a cause of kidney failure-soooooooo....

Insulin Resistance
  • High insulin stimulates the body to hold onto fat around the middle; stimulates appetite
  • 85% of people with IR have sleep apnea
  • Metformin, glucophage lasts 8 hours
  • Metformin or glucophage XR lasts 15-20 hours and can be taken once a day
  • K-Mart and Valley Professional offer metformin and glucophage: $15 for a 3 month supply
  • Metformin or glucophage:
    • decrease sugar (glucose) production in the liver
    • stimulate glucose transport in skeletal muscle and fat (adipose) tissue
    • decrease glucose absorption in the intestines
    • decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) by 8%
    • decrease triglycerides (dietary fat and sugar) by 16%
    • decrease total cholesterol by 2%
  • High blood pressure contributes to IR
  • Fat tissue is the only organ with unlimited ability to expand
  • There are 3,500 calories in 1 lb of fat
  • Extremes of sleep, too little or too much, increases the risk of diabetes
Foods

Go Foods:
  • eat almost anytime (based on calorie needs)
  • foods lowest in fat and added sugar; relatively low in calories
Slow Foods:
  • eat sometimes; at most, several times a week
  • foods higher in fat, sugar, and calories than "Go Foods"
Whoa Foods:
  • eat only once in a while or on special occasions
  • foods highest in fat and added sugars; high in calories

Don't forget to tell a friend about Once Upon a Thigh!