Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 " HSI - Jenny Thompson " <hsiresearch HSI e-Alert - Location, Location, Location Mon, 10 Oct 2005 07:00:00 -0400 HSI e-Alert - Location, Location, Location Health Sciences Institute e-Alert **************************************************** October 10, 2005 Dear Reader, The big print giveth, and the fine print taketh away. According to the big print (that is, a headline from a news outlet): " Dairy Food Consumption Linked to Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome. " The fine print comes from a newspaper half a world away: The Iran Daily. And the detail that's revealed there adds a huge qualifier to the blanket statement in the headline. So don't rush out to your local supermarket just yet to load up on gallons of milk, blocks of cheese and tubs of yogurt. ----------- The X factor ----------- It would be wonderful if doing something as simple as increasing dairy consumption actually could curb metabolic syndrome risk. Metabolic syndrome is a set of symptoms that creates a high risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (Metabolic syndrome is sometimes referred to as metabolic syndrome X, so to keep it simple we'll call it " MSX. " ) The definition of MSX varies between one health organization and another, but the core symptoms include: * Excessive abdominal fat * Elevated blood pressure (130/85 or higher) * Low HDL cholesterol level (Less than 50 in women, less than 40 in men) * Elevated Triglyceride level * Elevated C-reactive protein level * Fasting glucose level that indicates insulin resistance/glucose intolerance Three or more of these symptoms is enough to diagnose MSX. And these symptoms obviously add up to a very troubling combination of health risks. Unfortunately, many doctors simply treat the symptoms of MSX individually instead of addressing the syndrome as a whole with regular exercise, supplements of key nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, and reducing the intake of high glycemic foods. ----------- Cow town ----------- A new study from Iran's University of Medical Sciences (UMS) indicates that increased dairy consumption might be added to the list of dietary changes that will lower MSX risk. But there's a catch. The UMS team assessed dairy consumption and MSX symptoms in a cohort of more than 820 male and female subjects, aged 18 to 74. Analysis of the data showed that subjects who consumed the most dairy products were about 30 percent less likely to have high blood pressure, an enlarged waist circumference or a diagnosis of MSX, compared to subjects who consumed the least amount of dairy. Now here's the catch: Most of the subjects were probably not consuming the same types of highly processed dairy products that are typically consumed in the U.S. According to an article that appeared in the Iran Daily earlier this year, Iran produced 5.6 million tons of raw milk in 1999. But only about 1.6 tons of that milk was processed. In other words, about 75 percent of Iran's dairy products are consumed raw - a far cry from our pasteurized, homogenized products from cows that are treated with antibiotics and growth hormones. (For more information about the glaring nutritional differences between raw dairy products and highly processed dairy, see the e-Alert " Skimming & Scamming " 3/19/03.) ----------- The calcium connection ----------- In their study, the UMS researchers speculate that dietary calcium may be the factor that produced decreased MSX risk. This shouldn't be a surprise to HSI members. In several e-Alerts we've looked at studies that demonstrate how calcium intake is associated with weight loss. And MSX is directly linked to obesity issues. In the e-Alert " A Date with Density " (1/21/04), I told you about a National Institutes of Health (NIH) review of studies that examined the correlation of body weight to the intake of supplemental and dietary calcium. NIH researchers found evidence that subjects who showed the highest level of weight loss also had the highest intake of calcium, while subjects with lower calcium intake generally were found to have elevated body weight. But you don't need to wear a milk moustache to get your daily calcium. Salmon, oranges, sardines, spinach, broccoli and kale are all calcium-rich foods. And calcium will be absorbed more efficiently with some added magnesium. Fortunately, dietary sources of magnesium are healthy components of weight-loss diets: leafy green vegetables, whole grains, bananas, apricots, meat, beans, and nuts. You can get a more complete look at the calcium picture in the e-Alert " Absorbing it All " (4/19/04), in which HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., offers a quick overview of the different calcium types and shares some tips on how to increase calcium absorption. This and other e-Alerts can be easily found in the e-Alert archives on our web site at hsibaltimore.com. **************************************************** ....and another thing Change is good. But not always easy. If you read the e-Alert " Throttle Up " (10/6/05) last week and decided to switch from a pharmaceutical to a non-drug treatment to address symptoms of menopause, what's your first step? For an HSI member named Gui-Ok, sending an e-mail was step number one. Gui-Ok actually inquired on behalf of a friend. She writes: " My friend is now taking Livial due to her all her menoposal symptoms, especially hot flash. Can you please tell me more details about this medicine especially its side effects? Is there any way she, or any woman, can safely transit to some natural method? " According to NetDoctor, the active ingredient in Livial is tibolone; a synthetic steroid that mimics the hormonal activity of estrogen and progesterone. Listed potential side effects include headaches, hypertension, depression, itching, numbness, fainting, jaundice and abdominal problems. Hormonal treatments should be handled with the greatest of care, so changing from this drug to a natural treatment requires the advice and guidance of a doctor or a healthcare professional who is well-versed in a patient's medical history. That said, there are several natural treatments for menopausal symptoms that Gui-Ok's friend might try. Red clover is a botanical that we've written about many times in both HSI Members Alerts and e-Alerts. For centuries, healers in Europe and Asia have used red clover to treat chest congestion, gout, psoriasis, eczema, and to generally purge toxins from the body. Red clover has also been shown to relieve hot flashes. Studies have shown that red clover extracts may thin the blood, so it's not recommended for patients taking anticoagulant medications. And because estrogenic activity is stimulated by isoflavones, those with hormone sensitive diseases (such as thyroid dysfunction) should also use red clover extracts with caution. If red clover isn't right for you, however, there are other ways to address hot flashes without pharmaceuticals. In the e-Alert " Turning Down The Heat " (12/17/02), I shared several e-mails from HSI members who wrote to tell about the natural methods that had worked for them, including indium, natural progesterone yam cream, and high doses of vitamins C and E. And in the e-Alert " Jumpin' Pax Flash " 6/9/03) I told you about a special report titled " Look and Feel Your Best, " written by HSI Panelist Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D. In this report Dr. Page shows women how to make their way through menopause naturally, without using hormone replacement therapy. You can use this link to learn more about how Dr. Page's techniques may make the difference between just surviving menopause, and emerging from it happier and healthier: http://www1.youreletters.com/t/179280/2413923/779931/0/ To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Sources: " Dairy Consumption is Inversely Associated with the Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Tehranian Adults " American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 82, No. 3, September 2005, ajcn.org " Dairy Food Consumption Linked to Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome " NutraIngredients, 9/29/05, nutraingredients.com " Poor Consumption of Dairy Products " Iran Daily, 1/5/05, iran-daily.com " Livial " NetDoctor, netdoctor.co.uk *************** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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