| Issue Number 2 |
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 |
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Don Hall DrPH, CHES
Pres. Wellsource Inc.
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Nutrition Information
Weight Management
Food
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Dietary Fiber, How Much Do We Need?
The
American Dietetic Association (ADA) has published a position paper
on the health implications of dietary fiber. About 20 to 35 grams
a day is generally recommended; 25g for a typical women eating 2,000
calorie a day or 30 grams for an active man eating 2,500 calories
a day. Actual intake in the U.S. is only about half this much or
10 to 15 grams a day. The ADA recommends that dietary fiber should
come from our foods not supplements. The best sources of fiber include
fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas and beans), whole-grain breads
and cereals, and nuts.
Health
benefits of getting adequate fiber include:
Improved
laxation of bowel contents less constipation, less likelihood
of diverticulosis. Improved health of the bowel fiber promotes growth
and healing of the mucosa lining. Slowed absorption of glucose decreasing insulin
demand and improving blood sugar levels. Decreased likelihood
of getting diabetes or improved management if diabetes is present.
Decreased likelihood of weight gain. High fiber
foods tend to fill you up but have fewer calories than refined,
more calorie-dense foods, and decrease insulin levels that promote
fat storage. Lowered blood cholesterol levels, decreasing
the risk of heart attack and stroke.
To
get adequate fiber the ADA recommends eating a wide variety of plant
foods (fiber is only found in unrefined plant foods). Five to nine
servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended daily. Eat legumes
several times per week. Eat at least three servings of whole-grain
bread or cereals daily and occasionally choose foods very high in
fiber such as bran muffins or a bran cereal. Nuts and seeds are
also good sources of fiber.
Source:
Position of the American Dietetic Association: Health implications
of dietary fiber, JADA
Vol. 97(10):1157-1159
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Stress and Coping
Mental Health
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Stress
and Immunity
High
levels of stress can have an adverse affect on immunity, the body's
system for fighting disease. In a study by Ohio State University,
116 women who were scheduled to undergo cancer surgery were tested
and divided into a high stress group and low stress group. Those
in the high stress group, compared to the low stress group, had
decreased activity of natural killer cell activity (cells that fight
cancer and other diseases), a lower response to interferon (which
enhances the immune response), and a lowered T-lymphocyte response.
Providing mental and emotional support for people in high stress
situations can not only help them cope better with the situation
but also help their body's natural defense against disease and illness.
Love, support, and compassion are good medicine for troubled minds
and sick bodies.
Source:
Stress linked to immune response, JAMA
279(8):574
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Proactive Health Care
Preventing Disease
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Artery Disease in Young People
The
Bogalusa Heart Study gives dramatic evidence that the development
of coronary artery disease begins in childhood. Researchers performed
autopsies on 204 young persons who had died from trauma. They found
significant evidence of fatty streaks and early fibrous plaques
in the arteries of young people, showing early development of coronary
artery disease. Some were as young as two years of age. Factors
linked to greater involvement of lesions in the arteries included
high cholesterol, obesity, and smoking (in the older group of young
people). Those young people who smoked had nearly three times as
much of the coronary artery walls covered with fatty streaks and
10 times as much of the aorta walls covered by fibrous plaque as
nonsmokers.
They
also found that the more risk factors the young people had, (high
cholesterol, overweight, high blood pressure, or smoking) the greater
the amount of fatty streaks on the coronary artery walls, increasing
fatty deposits in the vessels by eight to 12 times. When is the
right time to start preventing heart disease and stroke? From this
study it appears that early childhood is the time to initiate good
health habits healthy eating, physical activity, avoiding becoming
overweight, and certainly avoiding cigarette smoke.
Source: New
England Journal of Medicine 1998;338:1650-6
Young
Adults -- Know Your Cholesterol Level
Two-thirds
of all deaths from coronary heart disease will occur in the one-third
of the young adults with cholesterol levels exceeding 200 mg/dL.
All young adults should know what their blood cholesterol level
is and, if it's over 200 (over 170 if less than 18 years old), take
specific steps to lower it. In the United States, about one-third
of all young men, aged 20-34, will have cholesterol levels higher
than 200.
Source:
JAMA 2000;284:311-318
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Physical Activity
Exercise and Health
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Fit
Finns Live Longer
People
living in East Finland have the dubious distinction of having one
of the highest recorded risks of coronary heart disease. To determine
what might be done to reduce their risk, researchers looked at physical
activity levels of Finnish men in the town of Kuopio. They determined
activity and fitness levels of 1453 healthy men aged 42 to 60 living
in this community. The study continued for five years. Men who were
the most active (top one third) had only one-third the number of
heart attacks (relative risk 0.31) as those most sedentary (bottom
one-third). The most active one-third spent 2.2 hours or more a
week in leisure-time physical activity including skiing, jogging,
biking, rowing, walking, and gardening. This protective effect of
physical activity remained even after adjusting the data for 17
other possible risk factors for coronary heart disease (relative
risk of 0.34).
If
you have inherited a high risk for coronary heart disease, perhaps
you should follow the example of the Finnish men by engaging in
at least two to three hours of moderate physical activity each week.
You may be able to reduce your risk by two-thirds as well. Be sure
to get guidance from your physician, however, if you already have
known risk factors or a heart problem.
Source: New England
Journal of Medicine 330(22):1549-54
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Interesting
Facts
Health Stats
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Longevity
Facts -- Did you know . . .
Walking
briskly 3.5 hours a week reduces your risk of a stroke by 52 percent.
As
little as one drink a day increases your risk of getting breast
cancer. Alcohol
causes 100,000 premature deaths each year in the U.S.
Every
cigarette smoked shortens your life by about 14 minutes.
By
eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily you
reduce your risk of most cancers by 30 to 50 percent.
People
who eat nuts daily have one-third to one-half fewer heart attacks
than those who seldom eat nuts. Eating
three or servings of whole-grain breads or cereals daily can reduce
your chance of a heart attack by one-third. For
every hour of regular exercise, you can expect to live two hours
longer.
Source:
Eight Weeks to Wellness Instructor's Manual, published by Wellsource,
1999.
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Wellsource Inc.
15431 SE 82nd Dr.
Portland, OR 97015
(503) 656-7446
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About
Making Healthy Choices
Making
Healthy Choices is written by Don Hall, DrPH, CHES president of
Wellsource Inc. with contribution from associated health professionals.
It is available as a resource to Wellsource
clients and other select organizations involved in promoting health.
Content
is general health information from evidence based research. Its
purpose is not to treat disease but to promote healthy lifestyles.
Persons with health problems should consult their physician for
specific guidance.
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