April 2009
View or print a copy of the entire April 2009 issue of Environmental
Subscribers Only
Research Roundup
Subscribers Only Higher blood levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of insulin resistance. Tufts University researchers studied 808 men and women enrolled in the Framingham Offspring Study, testing blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and markers of insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. They found that those with the lowest levels of D were much more likely to have markers for insulin resistance than those with the highest D levels, even after adjusting for other variables.
Leeks: Onion’s Sweet Cousin, Same Benefits
Subscribers Only The Folklore. Leeks have been cultivated for thousands of years—they’re even mentioned in the Bible. The Emperor Nero ate them in great quantity, believing they improved his singing voice, earning him the nickname Porophagus ("leek eater"). The Facts. The lowly leek looks like a scallion on steroids. Indeed, it’s in the same family, along with garlic, onions and shallots. However, its flavor is more subtle than any of its cousins. Wild leeks, called ramps, are related, though they are more strongly flavored than the cultivated leeks you find in the supermarket. As a member of the Allium family, leeks contain the same healthful sulfur compounds found in garlic and onions, but in smaller amounts; you’ll need to eat more of leeks to reap the same benefits. Leeks also bring benefits like manganese, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6 and iron.
B Vitamin-Laced Drinks Not Likely to Be Beneficial for an Energy Boost
Subscribers Only Suddenly, B vitamins are appearing in all sorts of products, especially energy bars and energy drinks, seemingly in place of caffeine, fueling the hype surrounding their supposed energy-boosting powers. B vitamins are needed for the metabolic processes that convert carbohydrates, proteins and fat in the food you eat into energy the body can use. But the vitamins don’t provide the quick pick-me-up these products promise, nor any energy by themselves. Most of the energy drinks that boast the power of Bs actually contain other stimulants, such as guarana (which is high in caffeine) and ginseng.
Red Wine Headaches
Subscribers Only In general, the darker the color of an alcohol, the greater its congener content (ranked most to least: brandy, red wine, rum, whisky, white wine, gin, vodka, beer). Wine alone can contain hundreds of different congeners and the congeners in various alcohols vary up to 100-fold.
Is Mercury Lurking in High-Fructose Corn Syrup?
Subscribers Only The Not-So-Sweet Findings. The mercury headlines resulted from two recent studies. One, from the nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (ATP), found that about one-third of 55 brand-name foods and beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) also contained tiny amounts of mercury. The other, in the January issue of Environmental Health, tested commercial HFCS samples and found that almost half contained mercury. Mercury accumulates in body tissues over time causing nerve and brain damage. But the two studies tested only for total mercury, not specific forms of the heavy metal. Though all forms are toxic, methylmercury—the kind found in seafood—is the most toxic, and the only one for which the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have set limits. The total mercury levels found in the Environmental Health study were only 1/1,000 of the federal limits set for methylmercury.
Bread Spread or Functional Food? Choose Margarine Wisely
Subscribers Only Margarine was developed as a simple, inexpensive butter substitute in the late 1800s. Today, dozens of spreads fill the ever-expanding cold case of the supermarket, with many brands touting health-promoting nutrients like extra calcium and vitamin D, added fish oil or flaxseed oil, or special cholesterol-lowering plant stanols and sterols. Many must be called "spreads," because they contain too little oil to qualify as a "margarine." Confused? It’s no wonder. Before deciding which spread to buy, perhaps the question is "should you even use a spread?" No Health Benefit. It’s important to eliminate saturated fats when you can, by choosing spreads and oils that are the richest in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Use margarines and spreads only if you prefer them, which many people do, for their butter-like flavor and their spreadability. But realize there are no unique health benefits to doing so. Oils like canola and olive—the two that EN recommends for everyday use—are richer in monounsaturated fats and free of trans. A tablespoon of canola or olive oil contains three to four times the mono fats as a tablespoon of even the healthiest spread. So consider oil for everyday use; save spreads for those few times when a liquid oil just won’t do.
H20 With a Twist…or Two (or Three): A Look at “Enhanced Waters”
Subscribers Only Thirsty? If only reaching for a bottle of water were easy. While it used to be a simple choice between Perrier and Poland Springs, today you can choose from a growing category collectively called "enhanced waters," offering everything from vitamins, minerals, protein, herbs, caffeine and—most curiously—calories. Clearly, water today is much more than just H20. Water’s New Add-Ins. The current trend of flavored "designer" waters includes a confusing array of selections, for about $1.79 to $2.49 per bottle. Most of these waters are not just flavored, but sweetened as well, with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, herbs and caffeine thrown into the mix. You can choose among those flavored with no added sweetener (sadly, there are too few), flavored and sweetened with a sugar substitute (plenty to choose from), or flavored and sweetened with sugar (or a combo of sugar and a substitute).
Newly Approved Stevia Sweetener Beckons, But Is Natural Safe Enough?
Subscribers Only This past December, a new calorie-free sweetener was granted GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status by the Food and Drug Administration. Made from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant (specifically, the compound rebaudioside A, or Reb A), the sweetener, known simply as stevia (pronounced STEH-via), is 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Under GRAS, any natural ingredient with no reported adverse effects is deemed safe and needs no additional safety testing. Previously, stevia could be sold only as a supplement. Now, soft drink manufacturers are racing to introduce drinks sweetened with PureVia (the brand name for Reb A as an ingredient)—SoBe Lifewater appears to be the first (see story, below). Meanwhile, the Cargill company is heavily promoting Truvía, its brand of stevia in individual packets.
New Mantra: Slow Down, We Move (and Eat) Too Fast…
Subscribers Only Slow food. It’s the hot phrase on the lips of both "foodies" (a term for chefs, gourmets and anyone who enjoys food with a passion) and nutrition experts alike. So just what is "slow food?" The short answer—it’s everything fast food is not. When you feast on a fast-food burger, it’s likely the meat came from feed-lot, grain-fed cattle shipped to large processing plants through gigantic distribution systems, and then was slapped on a refined, puffed-up hamburger bun, packaged by an overworked, underpaid employee and eaten on the run. Now, compare that scenario to dining on a healthful meal featuring foods that honor regional traditions passed down through the generations, while surrounded by good friends and family. Moreover, the foods feature local, sustainable, minimally processed ingredients in which both the livestock and the food preparation staff have been treated humanely and fairly. That’s the slow food difference. How It Came to Be. Slow food is more than an abstract idea; it’s a 17,000-member international organization founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986. He maintained that the industrialization of food was responsible for standardizing (read limiting) the world’s taste, and he argued that this phenomenon was leading to the extinction of thousands of food varieties.
Exercise Holds Key to Better Quality of Life
Subscribers Only Researchers have found that regular exercise can significantly improve the quality of life of inactive, overweight older women. The research, dubbed DREW (Dose-Response to Exercise in postmenopausal Women), studied 464 sedentary women, aged 45 to 75, all of whom were overweight or obese and had high blood pressure. The study evaluated whether the women could benefit from National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommendations that specify 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week.
Food Recalls Got You Worried? Spring-Clean Your Kitchen To Make It Safer
Subscribers Only Many of us take the safety of our food for granted—until a nationwide outbreak of foodborne illness occurs, or there’s a major food recall. Sometimes you can fault food growers (as with previous outbreaks involving lettuce and jalapeño peppers) and sometimes it’s the fault of manufacturers (as with the recent Salmonella contamination of peanuts originating at the Peanut Corporation of America plant in Georgia). While you don’t have control over food safty recalls, you can control how you handle and store the food in your own kitchen. The good news is that you can change potentially dangerous habits and eat more safely—as well as avoid panicking over things that don’t involve safety. And it all starts with how you store your food. So while you’re ridding your cupboards of peanut products on the recall list (check the list at www.fda.gov/salmonella; note that major brands of peanut butter are not affected), why not overhaul the storage procedures of your entire kitchen—cupboards, pantry, refrigerator and freezer? EN is here to help, with hints and tips to keep you organized and your food safe.
7 Steps You Can Take To Help Curb The Myriad Complications Of Diabetes
Subscribers Only Three of every five Americans with type 2 diabetes have at least one complication of the disease, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. The health toll of complications range from merely unpleasant to early death. Officially the 7th deadliest disease in the U.S., it’s known to be greatly underreported as a contributing factor in deaths. It exacts a financial toll too—an estimated $4,100 more each year to treat complications. Why Complications Happen. Diabetes affects nearly 24 million Americans, most with type 2, which develops and progresses based largely on age, weight and diet. Unfortunately, not everyone with the disease is able to control blood sugar levels. It’s this lack of control that experts believe contributes to the development of most complications. While all complications are of concern, here EN focuses on three key ones and what can be done to control them.