New analysis confirms vitamin D bone benefits

New analysis confirms vitamin D bone benefits
Monday, March 23, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older people can prevent fractures by taking vitamin D supplements, a new study confirms, as long as they use a high enough dose-and keep taking it.
"Everyone age 65 and older should take vitamin D in a dose close to 800 IU per day, best as vitamin D3, and with good adherence," Dr. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari of the University of Zurich, one of the researchers on the study, told Reuters Health. And it wouldn't be a bad idea for younger adults to follow this recommendation too, she added. "I think if you are young and want to do something early for your bone health that's something to think about."
Recent studies had called into question the benefit of vitamin D for bone health, Bischoff-Ferrari and her team note in the Archives of Internal Medicine, but some of these investigations had not accounted for adherence to supplement use. In one of the studies, the researcher pointed out in an interview, less than half of the people randomized to take vitamin D were actually doing so 2 years later.
To get a better sense of the association between fracture risk and actual vitamin D intake, the researchers pooled the results of 12 randomized controlled trials of oral vitamin D supplementation, taking into account adherence and dose. The studies included a total of 42,279 people and looked at non-vertebral fractures; eight of the studies specifically addressed hip fractures.
Overall, the researchers found, the supplements cut the risk of any non-vertebral fracture by 14 percent, and of hip fractures by 9 percent. While quantities below 400 IU a day had no effect on fracture risk, people who consumed more than 400 IU daily had a 20 percent lower risk of any type of fracture and an 18 percent lower risk of hip fracture.
Recent studies had suggested that vitamin D might only be helpful for people living in nursing homes, or only when taken with extra calcium, Bischoff-Ferrari noted. But the new analysis showed the vitamin actually cut fracture risk by 29 percent for community-dwelling seniors, compared to 15 percent for people living in institutions. The effect of vitamin D was independent of calcium, she added, probably because adequate vitamin D intake helps the body use calcium more efficiently.
Getting people to follow recommendations for preventive treatment can be difficult, Bischoff-Ferrari said. But researchers are now investigating ways to give people vitamin D in weekly or even monthly doses, she added. "We do need more data with that, but this is clearly the future."
Given growing evidence that vitamin D may also lower cancer risk, and the fact that the nutrient is safe at fairly high doses, younger people may want to consider vitamin D supplements too, the researcher said.
"A lot of people think a healthy nutrition is good enough, but unfortunately vitamin D is very hard to cover by food sources," Bischoff-Ferrari added. To get adequate vitamin D through food alone, she explained, a person would need to eat two servings of fatty fish like salmon or mackerel every day.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, March 23, 2009.

Red and processed meat increases risk of death

Red and processed meat increases risk of death
Monday, March 23, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Consumption of red and processed meat modestly increases the death rate from cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"These results complement the recommendations by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund to reduce red and processed meat intake to decrease cancer incidence," Dr. Rashmi Sinha and colleagues, from the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, state.
The findings stem from an analysis of data for half a million people who were enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. The subjects were between 50 to 71 years of age when the study began.
During 10 years of follow-up, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died, the report indicates.
Men who ate the most red and processed meat were 31 percent and 16 percent more likely to die, respectively, during follow-up than their peers who ate the least amount of these meats. The corresponding risks in women were 36 percent and 25 percent.
Regarding death from cancer, increased risks of 22 percent and 12 percent were seen in men with the highest vs. lowest red and processed meat consumption, respectively. The corresponding risks in women were 20 percent and 11 percent.
Men who ate the most red and processed meat were also 27 percent and 9 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, respectively, during follow-up than men who ate the least amount. The corresponding risks in women were 50 percent and 38 percent.
By contrast, "men and women who consumed a low-risk meat diet" - i.e., those who ate below average amounts of red meat and above average amounts of white meat -- "had statistically significant lower hazard ratios compared with people who consumed a high-risk meat diet for all-cause-cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality, as well as all other deaths," according to Sinha and associates.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Barry M. Popkin, from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, comments that practicing clinicians should advise "their clients to consume small to moderate amounts of red meat and processed meats as a way to reduce the risk of a large number of chronic diseases."
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, March 23, 2009.

5 Minutes to a Successful Day

5 Minutes to a Successful Day
Sunday, March 29, 2009
There are 1,440 minutes in a 24-hour period, but it only takes five to ensure your success for the entire day. In this short amount of time you can write a daily to-do list that schedules your weight-loss goals into your calendar. Each night, pencil in your morning exercise session, write down what you plan to eat and make note of any other goal-oriented plans you have for the day. If you wear special exercise clothing, lay out the next day’s clothes near the bed, so you don’t have to scramble to find them in the morning. Make your lunch, and check to make sure you have the food you need for a healthy dinner. The whole process can take as little as five minutes, especially once you get into a routine of doing this each evening. Writing down your goals serves as an incentive and a well-laid plan to make them a reality.
Your coach,Jorge Cruise

Socializing and moderate drinking good for you

Socializing and moderate drinking good for you
Thursday, March 19, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having a supportive social network enhances the health benefits of having a few drinks, new research from Japan suggests.
The study of Japanese men years found that moderate to light alcohol consumption, coupled with high levels of social support, were linked to lower rates of heart disease and stroke.
"But remember," Dr. Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University noted in a statement, "this beneficial effect of social support is confined to light-to-moderate drinking. Heavy drinking is risky irrespective of social support level."
In a report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the researchers note that light to moderate drinking has been shown to help protect against stroke and heart disease. Being surrounded by lots of family and friends is also known to be good for the heart and may even help people live longer.
The new study, Iso and colleagues say, shows that high levels of social support may enhance the heart-healthy effects of light to moderate alcohol consumption.
Iso's team examined drinking patterns, social support and cardiovascular health of 19,356 men in their 40s, 50s and 60s who were enrolled in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. Their alcohol consumption was classified into seven categories: never, past, occasional, 1 to 149, 150 to 299, 300 to 449, or 450 or more grams of alcohol per week.
During an average follow up of more than 9 years, 629 strokes and 207 coronary heart diseases were documented in the men.
Confirming past studies, heavier drinking (i.e., 300 grams per week or more) was associated with an increased risk of stroke. This may be explained at least partly by alcohol-induced high blood pressure, the researchers say.
In contrast to heavy drinking, light to moderate drinking -- up to 299 grams of alcohol per week -- was associated with reduced risks of stroke and heart disease, and the effect was more pronounced in men with high levels of social support, "probably due to avoidance of unhealthy behaviors and enhancement of stress buffering," Iso surmised.
Compared with light to moderate drinkers with high social support, those with low social support had unhealthier lifestyle behaviors; they were more apt to be sedentary and had fewer opportunities for medical checkups. They were also more likely to have high stress levels, no job, and no spouse.
The researchers speculate that low levels of social support may cause mental stress, which is hard on the heart. Mental stress activates components of the body's neuro-endocrine system, "which lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease," Iso explained.

Rise and Shine: Top 5 Morning Exercise Benefits

Rise and Shine: Top 5 Morning Exercise Benefits
Friday, March 27, 2009

No time for exercise? We’ll show you how to fit in a workout every day, give you 5 reasons to work up a sweat in the morning and share some moves from LifeScript’s Diet and Fitness Coach Jorge Cruise. Plus, find out what your fitness style is with our quiz…
Simple math is all it takes to schedule exercise time: Cut out one hour of evening TV, and set your alarm to wake you up 30 minutes earlier. Presto! You’ve just accomplished two great things for your body: 30 minutes more sleep and 30 minutes available for morning exercise. If you don’t need more sleep, adjust the formula. Voila! You now have a full hour to exercise.
But why exercise in the morning? After all, 500 calories burned at 6 a.m. is no different than at 6 p.m.
The answer is the fringe benefits. For the person who wants to add exercise to an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, here are 5 excellent reasons to work out in the morning:

Wake-Up Call #1: Time flies when your workout’s not done.You plan to work out, but your busy day throws a curveball, leaving you scrambling to finish your to-do list by bedtime.

So instead of hitting the gym, you hit the sack – annoyed that you missed yet another workout.
That’s why you should exercise first thing in your day. In fact, about 90% of people who exercise consistently do it in the morning. It’s the only way to guarantee you won’t skip it.
Need an extra boost to get out of bed? Push-ups will strengthen your arms, shoulders and pectoral muscles, which helps to create the illusion of cleavage as well as lift sagging breasts. Try this exercise:
Step 1: Kneel on a mat on all fours with your knees hip-width apart. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your fingers and wrists pointing forward.
Step 2: Feather your breathing as you lower your chest toward the floor through a count of 10 seconds. Descend to your maximum tension point, and hold for 2 seconds.
Step 3: Push your body back to starting position through a count of 10 seconds, keeping your elbows slightly bent at the top of the move.
Step 4: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #2: Your metabolism won’t boost itself.You roll out of bed, throw on some clothes and stumble out the door on your way to another busy day. Are you even awake yet? Your metabolism certainly isn’t.

Not only does morning exercise help you burn calories during the actual workout, but its effects linger after you’re finished. It’s called EPOC – excess post-exercise oxygen consumption – and it’s a fancy way of saying you burn extra calories even after your workout’s over.
The average person can expect the metabolic boost to last for 30 to 60 minutes post-exercise. EPOC typically accounts for a few paltry calories – 10 to 60, depending on the intensity of the workout.
But don’t let that discourage you! It adds up over time, and because it only takes a daily deficit of 500 calories to lose one pound in a week, every calorie counts.
Pump up your metabolism and your biceps with the standing side curl:
Step 1: Hold a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms down by your sides, with palms facing forward and knees slightly bent.
Step 2: Feather your breathing as you curl the dumbbells up through a count of 10 seconds to just past a 90-degree angle. Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds.
Step 3: Keep your elbows tight against your body as you lower the weights to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #3: It’s your choice to be a night owl or an early bird.Tick-tock. You have an internal clock that thrives on routine. It’s your circadian rhythm, and it regulates your body on a 24-hour cycle.

Give yourself a strict bedtime, force yourself to wake up when your alarm goes off (no snoozing!), and exercise each day – even if it’s only for 10 minutes. Over time – a few days for some, a few weeks for others – your body will learn the new routine. It will gently wake you up, no earsplitting alarm required. You’ll feel rested and energized, and will actually start looking forward to your workout.
Get yourself in gear tomorrow morning with lateral squats. This move requires a lot of balance and hip stabilization – a job perfect for your gluteus medius.
Remember, this muscle is positioned not where you consider your butt to be, but rather on the side of your hip. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders in line, and don’t allow your knee to drop forward over your toes:
Step 1: With your hands on your hips, stand with your feet about a foot wider than shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Squat down to the side toward one leg, while keeping the opposite leg straight, through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: At the maximum tension point, hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Alternate sides without resting. Perform 2 reps on each side.

Wake-Up Call #4: Morning exercise helps you sleep better in the p.m.Hitting the gym in the morning helps you hit the sack at night. A study published in the scientific journal Sleep showed that overweight or obese women who began a regular morning exercise routine slept better than those who exercised regularly in the evening.

Why? Evening exercise stimulates your body. You become restless and alert, making it very difficult for your brain to turn off and your body to drift into restful sleep.
Exercise is like the ignition in your car – it turns your body on, not off. Get yourself going in the morning with some reverse crunches:
Step 1: Lie flat on a mat, with your hands by your sides, palms down. Pull your heels as close to your bottom as possible. Raise your heels about 2 inches off the ground.
Step 2: While keeping your chin up and abs tight, breathe slowly and rhythmically as you pull your knees up using the lower abdominals through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds at the maximum tension point (when your bottom is just off the ground).
Step 4: Lower your body to the starting point through a 10-second count.
Step 5: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #5: A morning workout is better than coffee.Oxygen, not caffeine, is what your brain wants in the morning. So instead of reaching for the coffeepot, reach for your sneakers and you’ll get all the brain-boosting benefits you need.

Studies show that exercise can increase your mental sharpness for 4 to 10 hours after your workout, a benefit you can really use at the start of your day. So, get up and get moving with this quadriceps flex.
This exercise requires a bit of balance – a talent not everyone has. So be sure to use a chair or stable countertop for support:Step 1: Grasp a chair or other hip-level support, and stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, bend your knees as you allow your body to fall slightly backward, letting your heels come up off the floor.
Step 3: At the maximum tension point, hold and squeeze your quads for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Through another count of 10 seconds, slowly return to the starting point.
Step 5: Without resting, repeat three times.
Have you conquered a personal challenge? LifeScript wants to hear your success stories, whether it’s diet, fitness, addiction, relationships, debt, career or personal health. We may feature your story to inspire readers just like you.
Email us your story at success-stories@lifescript.com.
What’s Your Fitness Style?Some people jump out of bed at 4:30 a.m. for a five-mile run; others hit the snooze button. Find out which workout is right for you with our fitness quiz.
Join the behind-the-scenes conversation on Health Bistro, LifeScript’s blog.

Sugar: The Not-So-Sweet Story

Sugar: The Not-So-Sweet Story
Thursday, March 26, 2009

Got a sweet tooth? You’re not alone. The average American eats more than 200 pounds of sugar per year! While tasty treats may make life sweet, sugar doesn’t do a body good. Excess sugar gets stored as fat, which results in weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Research has found evidence that sugar consumption interferes with immune function: When subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Findings in other studies indicate a possible correlation between high blood sugar and endometrial cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, urinary tract cancer and melanoma. So, ditch the dessert, and find sweetness in other areas of your life.
Live long, strong and happy,Dr. Mao

Almond Milk instead of Dairy Milk

Food Swap: Which Milk Does a Body Good?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Think any kind of milk is healthy? Think again. Sure, milk is a good source of calcium and has important vitamins, but it has a hidden, diet-busting ingredient: sugar. Just one cup of 1% fat milk has 13 grams of sugar! I recommend you eat no more than 15 grams of sugar in an entire day, which means that 13 grams in one cup is an excessive amount! Especially when there are great low-sugar options out there. Almond milk is my favorite - I drink it every day and use it in my cereal. You can find unsweetened almond milk in both vanilla and plain, and both of these flavors have ZERO grams of sugar. If you crave dairy and it's your preferred source of calcium, then eat cheese and yogurt instead. They have less lactose, which is the type of sugar found in milk (it's also called milk sugar). Try a plain yogurt (fruit yogurts have too much sugar!) and cheeses like Romano, ricotta, and Swiss, which are high in calcium. Also, look to vegetable sources such as arugula, watercress, broccoli, and spinach.

Red and white wine both raise breast cancer risk

Red and white wine both raise breast cancer risk
Monday, March 09, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It seems that both red and white wine are "equal offenders" when it comes to increasing the risk of breast cancer, according to a study published today.
"We were interested in teasing out red wine's effects on breast cancer risk. There is reason to suspect that red wine might have beneficial effects based on previous studies of heart disease and prostate cancer," Dr. Polly Newcomb, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, noted in a hospital statement.
"The general evidence is that alcohol consumption overall increases breast cancer risk, but the other studies made us wonder whether red wine might in fact have some positive value," she explained.
However, in their analysis, Newcomb's team found no difference between red or white wine in relation to breast cancer risk. "Neither appears to have any benefits," she said.
Among a large group of women with and without breast cancer, Newcomb and colleagues found that women who drank 14 or more alcoholic drinks per week -- regardless of whether they drank red or white wine, liquor or beer -- faced a 24 percent increase in breast cancer compared with non-drinkers.
"If a woman drinks," Newcomb told Reuters Health, "she should do so in moderation -- no more than one drink per day. And if a woman chooses red wine, she should do so because she favors the taste, not because it may reduce her risk of breast cancer."
The findings are based on 6,327 women with breast cancer and 7,558 women matched for age who provided information about their drinking habits and other risk factors for breast cancer. The women, who were between 20 and 69 years old, were from Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The frequency of alcohol consumption was similar in both groups, and equal proportions of women in both groups reported consuming red wine and white wine.
SOURCE: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention