Health in the News
Juice is beneficial for the body, but at what cost?
The USDA and Tufts University have determined which foods are most powerful in counteracting free–radical damage in the body. The measurement for the power of these foods is called ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). While the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. is 2.3 servings (approximately 1,670 ORAC units), by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake to just 5–10 daily servings one can increase ORAC units to 3,500. The USDA researchers suggest that the optimal daily ORAC level for long–term health may be 5,000 and above. In the past few years many exotic drinks have been marketed such as mangosteen, noni, and wolfberry. Because these exotic juices provide some additional anti–oxidant benefits and some immune boosting polysaccharides for a few pennies a day, by consuming three 8–ounce servings a day one can get anti–oxidants, cancer fighters, and immune boosters. The health conscious individual can find excellent juices in a neighborhood store or enjoy the more exotic juices.
Top ten antioxidant foods
(ORAC units per 100 grams)
| Dark Chocolate | 13,120 |
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| Milk chocolate | 6,740 |
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| Prunes | 5,770 |
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| Pomegranate | 4,000 |
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| Raisins | 2,830 |
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| Blueberries | 2,400 |
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| Blackberries | 2,036 |
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| Mangosteen | 1,840 |
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| Kale | 1,770 |
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| Noni | 1,710 |
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Big Mac attack — think twice
Just one meal high in saturated fats like butter, red meat, and lard reduces the ability of the body’s good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) to protect against clogged arteries. This means that an individual with clogged arteries such as in the heart or neck could have an immediate risk of a stroke or heart attack. In contrast to this, individuals who ate a meal high in polyunsaturated fats, such as safflower and sunflower, had improved protective effects of HDL with fewer lab markers for inflammation.
Nicholls S.J., et. al. (2006). Consumption of saturated fats impairs the anti–inflammatory properties of high–density lipoproteins and endothelial function. Journal of American College of Cardiology, 48(4),715–720.
Women may develop or worsen hearing loss with hormone therapy
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the use of progestin (which is not bioidentical progesterone) resulted in a 10–30% hearing loss. In an interview with Web MD, Frisina stated that, “Our findings suggest that it is one more possible side–effect that women should consider when they make their decision about whether or not to take hormone therapy with progestin. That is particularly true for women who already have hearing loss.” The study did not test bioidentical progesterone, which is used in natural hormone therapy. It is not known if it would have this side–effect as well.
Guimaraes, P. (2006). Progestin negatively affects hearing in aged women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103(38), 14246-9
Soy confusion continues
In human studies phytoestrogen–rich diets containing isoflavones and lignans is associated with reduced risks of breast cancer. However, experimental studies with human breast cancer implanted into mice have found that flaxseed reduces breast cancer growth, while soy protein enhances breast cancer growth. Flaxseed is a rich source of lignans, while soy is a rich source of isoflavones. The mice had had their ovaries removed and the tumor used for the experiment was estrogen responsive.
Saarinen N.M., Power K., Chen J., Thompson L.U. (2006). Flaxseed attenuates the tumor growth stimulating effect of soy protein in ovariectomized athymic mice with MCF-7 human breast cancer xenografts. International Journal of Cancer, 119(4):925–31.
Older individuals can improve blood flow with cocoa
For 15 years Mars, Incorporated researchers have been studying the effects of cocoa flavanols on cardiovascular health. The most recent study supported prior results suggesting that the “introduction of cocoa could result in cardiovascular prevention,” yet hypertensive experts stated that, “…the flavano-rich coca products used in experimental studies, and even present in some commercially available flavanol–rich chocolate bars that have been studied in controlled short–lasting studies, should not be confused with a number of commercially available snacks that contains many calories but are low in natural cocoa and flavanols.” Mars has developed a patented process to help ensure consistent levels in their products.
Fisher N.D. & Hollenberg N.K. (2006). Aging and vascular responses to flavanol rich cocoa. Journal of Hypertension, 24(8):1575–1580.
Compiled by Margaret Arthur, M.D.
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