Paying a Price for Loving Red Meat

From the New York Times

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: April 27, 2009

There was a time when red meat was a luxury for ordinary Americans, or was at least something special: cooking a roast for Sunday dinner, ordering a steak at a restaurant. Not anymore. Meat consumption has more than doubled in the United States in the last 50 years.

Yarek Waszul

Now a new study of more than 500,000 Americans has provided the best evidence yet that our affinity for red meat has exacted a hefty price on our health and limited our longevity.

The study found that, other things being equal, the men and women who consumed the most red and processed meat were likely to die sooner, especially from one of our two leading killers, heart disease and cancer, than people who consumed much smaller amounts of these foods.

Results of the decade-long study were published in the March 23 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine. The study, directed by Rashmi Sinha, a nutritional epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute, involved 322,263 men and 223,390 women ages 50 to 71 who participated in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Each participant completed detailed questionnaires about diet and other habits and characteristics, including smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption, education, use of supplements, weight and family history of cancer.

Determining Risk

During the decade, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died, and the researchers kept track of the timing and reasons for each death. Red meat consumption ranged from a low of less than an ounce a day, on average, to a high of four ounces a day, and processed meat consumption ranged from at most once a week to an average of one and a half ounces a day.

The increase in mortality risk tied to the higher levels of meat consumption was described as “modest,” ranging from about 20 percent to nearly 40 percent. But the number of excess deaths that could be attributed to high meat consumption is quite large given the size of the American population.

Extrapolated to all Americans in the age group studied, the new findings suggest that over the course of a decade, the deaths of one million men and perhaps half a million women could be prevented just by eating less red and processed meats, according to estimates prepared by Dr. Barry Popkin, who wrote an editorial accompanying the report.

To prevent premature deaths related to red and processed meats, Dr. Popkin suggested in an interview that people should eat a hamburger only once or twice a week instead of every day, a small steak once a week instead of every other day, and a hot dog every month and a half instead of once a week.

In place of red meat, nonvegetarians might consider poultry and fish. In the study, the largest consumers of “white” meat from poultry and fish had a slight survival advantage. Likewise, those who ate the most fruits and vegetables also tended to live longer.

Anyone who worries about global well-being has yet another reason to consume less red meat. Dr. Popkin, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, said that a reduced dependence on livestock for food could help to save the planet from the ravaging effects of environmental pollution, global warming and the depletion of potable water.

“In the United States,” Dr. Popkin wrote, “livestock production accounts for 55 percent of the erosion process, 37 percent of pesticides applied, 50 percent of antibiotics consumed, and a third of total discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface water.”

Finding a Culprit

A question that arises from observational studies like this one is whether meat is in fact a hazard or whether other factors associated with meat-eating are the real culprits in raising death rates. The subjects in the study who ate the most red meat had other less-than-healthful habits. They were more likely to smoke, weigh more for their height, and consume more calories and more total fat and saturated fat. They also ate less fruits, vegetables and fiber; took fewer vitamin supplements; and were less physically active.

But in analyzing mortality data in relation to meat consumption, the cancer institute researchers carefully controlled for all these and many other factors that could influence death rates. The study data have not yet been analyzed to determine what, if any, life-saving benefits might come from eating more protein from vegetable sources like beans or a completely vegetarian diet.

The results mirror those of several other studies in recent years that have linked a high-meat diet to life-threatening health problems. The earliest studies highlighted the connection between the saturated fats in red meats to higher blood levels of artery-damaging cholesterol and subsequent heart disease, which prompted many people to eat leaner meats and more skinless poultry and fish. Along with other dietary changes, like consuming less dairy fat, this resulted in a nationwide drop in average serum cholesterol levels and contributed to a reduction in coronary death rates.

Elevated blood pressure, another coronary risk factor, has also been shown to be associated with eating more red and processed meat, Dr. Sinha and colleagues reported.

Poultry and fish contain less saturated fat than red meat, and fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that have been linked in several large studies to heart benefits. For example, men who consume two servings of fatty fish a week were found to have a 50 percent lower risk of cardiac deaths, and in the Nurses’ Health Study of 84,688 women, those who ate fish and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least once a week cut their coronary risk by more than 20 percent.

Ties to Cancer

Choosing protein from sources other than meat has also been linked to lower rates of cancer. When meat is cooked, especially grilled or broiled at high temperatures, carcinogens can form on the surface of the meat. And processed meats like sausages, salami and bologna usually contain nitrosamines, although there are products now available that are free of these carcinogens.

Data from one million participants in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition trial found that those who ate the least fish had a 40 percent greater risk of developing colon cancer than those who ate more than 1.75 ounces of fish a day. Likewise, while a diet high in red meat was linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer in the large Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial, among the 35,534 men in the study, those who consumed at least three servings of fish a week had half the risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with men who rarely ate fish.

Another study, which randomly assigned more than 19,500 women to a low-fat diet, found after eight years a 40 percent reduced risk of ovarian cancer among them, when compared with 29,000 women who ate their regular diets.

 

Brain image study: Fructose may spur overeating

FILE – In this Sept. 15, 2011, file photo, high fructose corn syrup is listed as an ingredient on a can of soda in Philadelphia. Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating. The study, in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, is a small study and does not prove that fructose or its relative, high-fructose corn syrup, can cause obesity, but experts say it adds evidence they may play a role. Photo: Matt Rourke / AP

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/article/Brain-image-study-Fructose-may-spur-overeating-4159775.php#ixzz2H1u9GxLQ

This is your brain on sugar — for real. Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating.

After drinking a fructose beverage, the brain doesn’t register the feeling of being full as it does when simple glucose is consumed, researchers found.

It’s a small study and does not prove that fructose or its relative, high-fructose corn syrup, can cause obesity, but experts say it adds evidence they may play a role. These sugars often are added to processed foods and beverages, and consumption has risen dramatically since the 1970s along with obesity. A third of U.S. children and teens and more than two-thirds of adults are obese or overweight.

All sugars are not equal — even though they contain the same amount of calories — because they are metabolized differently in the body. Table sugar is sucrose, which is half fructose, half glucose. High-fructose corn syrup is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Some nutrition experts say this sweetener may pose special risks, but others and the industry reject that claim. And doctors say we eat too much sugar in all forms.

For the study, scientists used magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans to track blood flow in the brain in 20 young, normal-weight people before and after they had drinks containing glucose or fructose in two sessions several weeks apart.

Scans showed that drinking glucose “turns off or suppresses the activity of areas of the brain that are critical for reward and desire for food,” said one study leader, Yale University endocrinologist Dr. Robert Sherwin. With fructose, “we don’t see those changes,” he said. “As a result, the desire to eat continues — it isn’t turned off.”

What’s convincing, said Dr. Jonathan Purnell, an endocrinologist at Oregon Health & Science University, is that the imaging results mirrored how hungry the people said they felt, as well as what earlier studies found in animals.

“It implies that fructose, at least with regards to promoting food intake and weight gain, is a bad actor compared to glucose,” said Purnell. He wrote a commentary that appears with the federally funded study in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers now are testing obese people to see if they react the same way to fructose and glucose as the normal-weight people in this study did.

What to do? Cook more at home and limit processed foods containing fructose and high-fructose corn syrup, Purnell suggested. “Try to avoid the sugar-sweetened beverages. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever have them,” but control their size and how often they are consumed, he said.

A second study in the journal suggests that only severe obesity carries a high death risk — and that a few extra pounds might even provide a survival advantage. However, independent experts say the methods are too flawed to make those claims.

The study comes from a federal researcher who drew controversy in 2005 with a report that found thin and normal-weight people had a slightly higher risk of death than those who were overweight. Many experts criticized that work, saying the researcher — Katherine Flegal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — painted a misleading picture by including smokers and people with health problems ranging from cancer to heart disease. Those people tend to weigh less and therefore make pudgy people look healthy by comparison.

Flegal’s new analysis bolsters her original one, by assessing nearly 100 other studies covering almost 2.9 million people around the world. She again concludes that very obese people had the highest risk of death but that overweight people had a 6 percent lower mortality rate than thinner people. She also concludes that mildly obese people had a death risk similar to that of normal-weight people.

Critics again have focused on her methods. This time, she included people too thin to fit what some consider to be normal weight, which could have taken in people emaciated by cancer or other diseases, as well as smokers with elevated risks of heart disease and cancer.

“Some portion of those thin people are actually sick, and sick people tend to die sooner,” said Donald Berry, a biostatistician at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

The problems created by the study’s inclusion of smokers and people with pre-existing illness “cannot be ignored,” said Susan Gapstur, vice president of epidemiology for the American Cancer Society.

A third critic, Dr. Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health, was blunter: “This is an even greater pile of rubbish” than the 2005 study, he said. Willett and others have done research since the 2005 study that found higher death risks from being overweight or obese.

Flegal defended her work. She noted that she used standard categories for weight classes. She said statistical adjustments were made for smokers, who were included to give a more real-world sample. She also said study participants were not in hospitals or hospices, making it unlikely that large numbers of sick people skewed the results.

“We still have to learn about obesity, including how best to measure it,” Flegal’s boss, CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden, said in a written statement. “However, it’s clear that being obese is not healthy – it increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many other health problems. Small, sustainable increases in physical activity and improvements in nutrition can lead to significant health improvements.”

___

Online:

Obesity info: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

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Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP

 

Hidden Cost of Soda

Americans drink more soda than anyone else on earth. And it’s no wonder we keep reaching for soda over water, coffee and juice–soda is addictive. From morning to night, many of us rely on a steady stream of sugary, caffeinated soda to power us through long hours sitting in front of steering wheels, computer screens, dinner tables and televisions. Like gas-powered cars and high-speed internet, Coke and Pepsi products are just another fixture in most Americans daily lives.

It may be time to confront our soda addiction. Just as lifestyle diseases like Type II Diabetes and obesity grow to epidemic proportions in the U.S., the average American now consumes 20 oz of soda every day. For non-diet drinkers that means guzzling an extra 17 teaspoons of sugar daily. And if your poison is diet or low calorie soda, you’re still not in the clear. Many studies now link aspartame and other artificial sweeteners to increased risks for certain cancers, kidney damage and even Alzheimer’s.

So what is the total hidden cost of guzzling this sugar-laden syrup like water?  Check out our video evaluating the toll soda takes on our nation’s health, economy and environment.

 

Facebook encouraging organ donations

By Steve Almasy, CNN (click link to see video)

(CNN) — On average, 18 people in the United States die each day waiting for an organ transplant.

Billionaire Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg wants to change that. He announced Tuesday that the social networking site wants to “help solve the crisis” by allowing users to volunteer as potential organ donors in the United States and the United Kingdom.

“We think that a lot of people who might just be on the fence about whether or not they want to do this, could be convinced to do that,” Zuckerberg told ABC News.

He described widespread acceptance of organ donation as “a shift in society that will probably take a while to fully take hold” until more Facebook users start sharing their experiences.

“But I think that if people choose to share these stories with their friends, that can make a big difference over time.”

CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen: Each donor can save seven lives

Facebook and organ donation status

More than 114,000 people in the United States are awaiting organ donations, 79 people on an average day receive a transplant while 18 die, according to Organdonor.gov. The site says more than 100 million people in the U.S. are registered donors.

“We could save thousands more lives a year if we had another 20, 30, 40 million more people registered,” said David Fleming, president and CEO of Donate Life America, which is partnering with Facebook in this effort.

The Facebook tool works like this: Users go to their timelines, where under Life Event they will see a health and wellness section. Zuckerberg said: “You put in, ‘I decided to be an organ donor’ and your state or country you live in and you can add a story about how you decided to be an organ donor.”

More than 10,000 people in the United Kingdom need a transplant, according to the website for NHS Blood and Transplant.

A Facebook user will also see a Share Your Donor Status link when a friend’s donor update hits their news feed.

The Facebook page also includes links to Donate Life America for people to become official donors. Going through an online state registry or indicating you want to be a donor when you get your driver’s license means signing a legal agreement, unlike the Facebook pledge.

“The Facebook partnership is an opportunity for people to share decisions,” Fleming said. “The most important part of this is actually registering to be a donor so that your wishes can be carried out. Sharing that decision through Facebook is an opportunity to encourage your friends and family to also register.”

People have shared their desire to donate their organs on Facebook before, and others have talked about their need for a transplant, but the idea isn’t to match these people, Fleming said.

Promoting social agendas hasn’t been a big tradition at Facebook, although in 2011 it did pair with CNN’s sister company, Cartoon Network, to rally against bullying. There have been several other initiatives.

“Encouraging users to share that they are organ donors is another simple and non-controversial move Facebook can make to add value to the service beyond the traditional status updates and photo sharing,” wrote Brittany Darwell, lead writer at the blog Inside Facebook, in an e-mail to CNN.

She said Facebook has also been involved with finding places to vote in national elections, issuing Amber Alerts through some pages, as well as joining a group of companies to promote world peace.

Anne Paschke, a spokeswoman for the United Network for Organ Sharing, applauded the organ donation plan.

“It’s absolutely fabulous that so many people will learn how easy it is to sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor,” she said.

Organdonor.gov also recommends that people who want to be donors inform family members, tell their doctors and include this wish in their wills.

Facebook has 161 million users in the United States, spokeswoman Sarah Feinberg said in an e-mail. She said the company didn’t have solid numbers on how many people had used the organ donation tool yet.

 

Eat Meat and Die

Source

Created by: OnlineAssociatesDegree.com

 

Science Researchers May Have Found SuperStaph Origins

Doctors always suspected that our heavy reliance on antibiotics is what spurred the rise MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the staphylococcus “super germ.” Turns out it may not have been us, but rather our porcine population.

According to a new study by researchers Paul Keim and Lance Price, both from Northern Arizona University, and published in the journal mBio, MRSA actually began as a nonresistant strain that infected humans.

The duo employed sequenced the genomes of 89 types of animals — including turkeys, chickens, pigs, and humans-samples from four continents.

They discovered that MRSA only developed its resistance after jumping from humans to pig populations within our food production chain. While floating amongst the hogs, it became immune to two antibiotic medications — tetracycline and methicillin — that pigs are commonly administered. These medications are also commonly prescribed to fight human staph infections. From there, the strain appears to have then jumped back to humans, bringing it’s new-found defenses with it.

As the study posits,

The human-associated isolates from the basal clades carried phages encoding human innate immune modulators that were largely missing among the livestock-associated isolates. Our results strongly suggest that livestock-associated MRSA CC398 originated in humans as MSSA.

“Our findings underscore the potential public health risks of widespread antibiotic use in food animal production,” Price said in a statement. “Staph thrives in crowded and unsanitary conditions. Add antibiotics to that environment and you’re going to create a public health problem.”

The CC398 strain, as it’s known first appeared in cattle, pig, and poultry populations around 2003. The study argues that the mixture of growth hormones, antibiotics, and other medications employed to increase production and make the animals more suitable for the crowded conditions industrial food production requires are to blame for creating an ideal setting for the bacteria to gain resistance. “The most powerful force in evolution is selection. And in this case, humans have supplied a strong force through the excessive use of antibiotic drugs in farm animal production,” said Paul Keim, a co-author on the study. [PopScience - Inside NAU - mBio]

 

Top 10 Vegetarian Health Foods This Year

By Yamunacarya Das for ISKCON News

Are you jaded with quick fix weight loss diets that don’t work or are you unable to eat healthy food owing to your busy work schedule? Due to our hectic life styles, we often make the mistake of compromising on our diets. With the onset of new year, we may include health on the top priority of resolutions by judiciously adding some super foods or health foods which are easily available and insures maximum your good health. Here, are a few choices, which make the, perfect combination for health enthusiasts also fit perfectly in your pocket.

Blueberries: They are one of the most powerful antioxidants found in this world due to its high concentration of antioxidant anthocyanin, which have immense, benefits on the brain, heart and different diseases and conditions. This fruit is also a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, copper, zinc, selenium, and iron. Besides this, they are known for neutralizing free radicals, which in turn, reduces the chances of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. It is also considered the best antiaging foods.

Almonds: Most widely known in the category of nuts almonds have a lot of health benefits, especially for the heart. They help to lower blood cholesterol levels and are known to contain good amounts of antioxidants. Almonds are also loaded with protein, calcium, fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and other phytochemicals. These benefits make them one of the most balanced health food.

Broccoli: This vegetable has been singled out as a must-have vegetables amongst health foods. They are linked to lower rates of cancer. Besides this, it includes vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium, and fiber. Studies have also shown that it also contains substances to reduce blood pressure and colon cancer.

Flaxseed: Emerging studies have shown that flaxseeds are the latest addition of health foods, which are filled, with fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for a healthy heart.

Oat Meal: We can start our day with a steaming bowl of this wonderful health food. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium this fiber-packed health food can lower levels of LDL which is the bad cholesterol and prevent arteries from clogging.

Kidney Beans: Kidney beans have been popular all over the world for its savoury appeal and ability to absorb flavours. They have numerous benefits for heart and digestive health. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, proteins, fiber and phytonutrients, they help in preventing certain chronic diseases. Studies done by Mayo Clinic reveal that consuming red kidney beans may help prevent the occurrence of diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Organic Milk: Apart from the benefits of the conventional milk, clouded by the rampant use of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones which have made their consumption unpopular, the choice of organic milk ensures a complete range of health benefits. The conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or linoleic acid, which is a, special type of fat in milk helps to protect against cancer and other health problems. CLA also ensures to reduce excess body fat.

Quinoa: Once called “the gold of the Incas,” and known to increase the stamina of Inca warriors this grain is steadily gaining popularity as health food in the world. This is due to that fact that it is high in protein, and not only high protein, but it supplies the complete protein, which includes all nine essential amino acids. Besides this, it is a very good source of manganese also a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, and folate this grain ensures benefits for persons with diabetes, migraine headaches, and atherosclerosis.

Apples: As the adage goes “An Apple a day keeps the doctor away” apples are indeed considered a popular health food to prevent many diseases. They are a good source of pectin, a soluble fiber that can lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Also a good source of vitamin C which prevents the body cells from damage by controlling the free radicals, they also help with thier anti-aging properties by forming the connective tissue collagen.They also help keep capillaries and other arteries in body healthy, and aid iron absorption.

Sweet Potatoes: These tubers are gaining popularity as one of the healthiest foods in theworld. They help in countering diabetes, and as they contain glutathione an antioxidant, it also helps in enhancing the nutrient metabolism and immune-system health. Besides this they also protect against Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cystic fibrosis, liver disease, cancer, heart attack, stroke and even HIV. What’s more, they’re packed with vitamin C, which works as a good anti-aging agent by stimulating the production of collagen.

So spice up your health this year with these easily available and affordable super foods.All you need to make sure is that they are as far as possible organic.

Read more: http://news.iskcon.com/node/4181/2012-02-09/top_10_vegetarian_health_foods_this_year#ixzz1m5u5U6nv

 

Citrus Flavored Sodas Have Issues

Source

The Dangers of the Additive Brominated Vegetable Oil in Drinks

I can almost thank my lucky stars, that I’ve never been much of a soda drinker, in fact, I haven’t consumed any in years. First, I find them way too sickeningly sweet, for the regular types. I also never cared for the diet type as I just didn’t care for the taste, and in consideration that there are now warnings about the health hazards of the added artificial sweetener, aspartame, I would think anyone would steer clear of diet drinks in general.

Now I’ve come across information, of yet another dangerous additive that is found in the citrus flavored type sodas or drinks, such as Mountain Dew, Fresca, Fanta, and is even found in the power drinks, such as the familiar Gatorade, and that is the additive of Brominated Vegetable Oil or BVO. The real kicker in all this is that BVO has actually been banned in over 100 countries, and even the FDA considers this additive as unsafe, yet, so far, no measures have been taken to ban it’s usage here in this country.

Brominated Vegetable Oil, has as it’s composition the element of bromine in which, believe it or not, the vapors of bromine are considered both corrosive and toxic…in other words can outrightly be considered a poisonous chemical. The chemical bromine is used for a number of products, from one of the chemicals that treat surfaces for light-sensitive photographic printing papers, as an additive for gasoline, to agricultural fumigants. At one time, bromine was even used to make sedatives, but then the FDA banned its usage around 1975, as it was found to trigger a whole host of psychiatric disorders.

Just why is BVO used in certain drinks? Supposedly, the reason Brominated Vegetable Oil used in citrus type drinks, is to stabilize the citrus oils to prevent them from separating, giving them a more unified appearance. One can always tell that Brominated Vegetable Oil has been added even if one doesn’t read the ingredient label, as such drinks will have a rather murky, cloudy look to them, rather than clear. And believe it or not, many drinks containing BVO, do not include it on their labels!

Now of course, the FDA claims that BVO is used in acceptable levels that would do no harm, however, it has been proven that BVO, when consumed is stored in a person’s fat cells, thus over time can accumulate. With time, if the average person consumes enough of these beverages that contain BVO, you can just bet, its toxic side effects will start to show up. And what are the side effects? Do you really want to know? Yes, they are that bad.

I’ve taken the liberty to include the list of the effects of BVO are from the Natural Thyroid Choices Website This websites primarily discusses about the soda Mountain Dew, but it can pertain to any of the drinks that contain BVO in them.

Abdominal cramps
Anxiety
Anorexia
Blurred vision
Coma
Constricted pupils
Convulsions
Cyanosis (skin blueness)
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Heart beat malfunction
Headache
Weakness
Tremors of the tongue and eyelids
Muscular cramps
Nausea
Respiritory difficulty
Salivation
Slow pulse
Sweating
Tearing
Vomiting (1)

Other possible side effects I found listed in other sources also includes birth defects, growth problems, memory loss and fatigue (2) & (3)

It actual makes me shudder to think that people are consuming beverages that contain such an additive with so many dangerous side affects. Think for instance, how many people, including children, will drink Gatorade, especially after strenuous physical or sports activity and are under the impression that this is a “wonder” drink to rehydrate and replenish one’s body of vitally needed fluids, instead what they are getting is a dose of a toxic chemical.

Thankfully, I just never cared for the taste of Mountain Dew, and only once tried Gatorade and completely hated the taste. I’d much rather drink pure juices or even just plain water. I’m hoping that enough people will put pressure on the FDA to completely ban the use of BVO in any beverage, just as it’s been banned in over 100 countries. Isn’t our health worth it?

Information About Brominated Vegetable Oil

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brominated_vegetable_oil

http://fooddemocracy.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/the-dirty-dozen-12-foodsfood-additives-to-avoid-and-why/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromine