Archive for October, 2009:
The Evidence Against Cholesterol
The Evidence Against Cholesterol
The following kinds of studies have linked dietary fats and cholesterol to coronary deaths:
Biochemical. Cholesterol and substances made from cholesterol are the primary constituents of deposits that clog arteries, producing atherosclerosis, the main cause of deaths from heart disease. Cholesterol consumed as part of the diet has been shown to wind up in these deposits, rendering it guilty by association but not proving its harmful role beyond a reasonable doubt.
Epidemiological. Of seventeen major studies among peoples in various parts of the world, fourteen showed a very strong relationship between the average blood cholesterol level and the incidence of heart disease and coronary deaths. In the famous Framingham Heart Study, elevated blood cholesterol was singled out as one of three major risk factors for coronary heart disease.
The Cholesterol Controversy
The Cholesterol Controversy
Probably no other aspect of nutrition confuses people more than cholesterol, a waxy alcohol found only in animal foods that has long been labeled a primary culprit – along with its usual companion, saturated fats – in the national epidemic of heart disease.
Every other week, it seems, conflicting evidence is reported that alternately blames and absolves cholesterol and the foods, such as eggs, in which it is most prominent. In 1980 the prestigious Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, which sets the nutritional standards for normal Americans, contradicted the advice of twenty other organizations concerned with public health by stating that healthy people need not restrict dietary cholesterol and saturated fats since such a cutback has not been proved to have lifesaving benefits.
Cutting Down on Hidden Fat
Cutting Down on Hidden Fat
Most of the fat in our diets is hidden fat. It is the hard-to-notice marbling in meat. It is an integral part of hard cheeses and cream cheese, fish, deep-fried foods, nuts, seeds, cream soups, ice cream, and chocolate. It is a major ingredient in a wide variety of factory-prepared products, including baked goods (especially cakes, pies and cookies), processed meats (frankfurters, bologna, and the like), instant meals, coffee whiteners, whipped toppings, snack foods, and granolas. Even one popular diet product, Pillsbury’s Figurines, has fat as its main ingredient.
Yet those who advocate more healthful diets that are not overly dependent on red meat often substitute fattier foods than the ones they reject. Examples include the quiches, avocado salads, nuts and seeds, nut butters, sesame paste, and granolas featured in health food restaurants and stores. A quiche is made from cheese in which three-fourths of the calories come from fat that is more saturated than meat fat, cream in which nearly all the calories are fat, and piecrust in which more than half the calories are fat calories.
Fats and Cholesterol: Arterial Nemesis
Fats and Cholesterol
If there is one nutrient that has the decks stacked against it, it’s fat. The typical American diet not only is rich in protein, but it also has a higher fat content than nearly any other diet in the world. While agreement on this issue is not universal, many scientists blame this high-fat diet for a number of our chronic health problems and killing diseases, among them heart disease, obesity, and possibly cancers of the colon, breast, and uterus.
Fat is a more concentrated source of calories than any other nutrient and thus is the most “fattening” foodstuff we regularly consume. A gram of dietary fat supplies your body with 9 calories, compared with only 4 calories per gram of either carbohydrates or protein. Even alcohol has fewer calories (7 per gram) than fat. Cutting down on fats is one of the best ways to reduce calorie intake and achieve and maintain a normal body weight.
Blood Incompatibilities
Blood Incompatibilities
Erythroblastosis Fetalis (EBF)
EBF is the result of blood incompatibility between the mother and her fetus. Understanding how the negative and positive blood incompatibility occurs can be confusing, but here goes.
When the mom’s blood type is negative and the baby’s father’s type is positive, the baby has a 50/ 50 chance of being positive too. Being positive is what causes the problem between mom and baby. The mother’s body normally views the baby as a friendly, harmless parasite. In the Rh negative mom whose baby is Rh positive, the mother’s body views the fetal blood cells as dangerous intruders and takes action. Mom becomes sensitized and develops antibodies (weapons) to destroy the red blood cells in the baby. As the red blood cells are being destroyed, the baby becomes anemic. More problems develop as the baby tries compensating for the anemia. In severe cases, the fetal heart and liver can fail from trying to keep up, although with current treatment 70 percent of even severely affected babies survive.
Twins
Twins
Pass The Smelling Salts!
The possibility of more than one baby lurks somewhere in the dark recesses of every pregnant woman’s mind. Twins occur once in every 100 pregnancies. The thought may delight some and provoke horror in others.
Head Start
Before ultrasound, as many as 30 percent of twin pregnancies were surprises. The smelling salts weren’t needed until delivery. Early diagnosis of the twin pregnancy is critically important; plans must be made. In the first or early second trimester, an ultrasound exam can eliminate surprises. You can see two babies in there-no guessing. For the duration of your pregnancy and definitely after, you’ll need to make adjustments in your life-style.
Preterm Labor
Preterm Labor
Six to eight percent of all babies born arrive before 37 weeks’ gestation. These small numbers, however, account for 75 percent of all the neonatal deaths – a significant statistic. It costs as much to care for 5 preterm babies as it does 150 pregnant women. Everyone agrees that prevention is the best approach since Mother Nature provides the best incubator. But this is easier said than done.
An Obstetrical Stew
It’s extremely difficult to prevent something when you aren’t sure of the exact cause, as in 50 to 60 percent of preterm labors. The current strategy is to identify – in advance those women most at risk for preterm labor. A look at a risk-assessment guide reveals an obstetrical stew of social, physical, and pregnancy factors that contribute to preterm labor. The following is a sample list.
Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia
Facts and Fallacies
Preeclampsia has probably been around for as long as women have been getting pregnant. It’s also known as toxemia, pregnancy -induced hypertension, or EPH gestosis. Preeclampsia is the most misunderstood and myth-ridden disease in pregnancy. Let’s clear up some of the more common myths with some facts.
- Preeclampsia isn’t related to obesity or excessive weight gain during pregnancy.
- It isn’t caused by salt (sodium chloride). Women with preeclampsia actually have normal sodium levels. Salt restriction isn’t recommended.
- The condition isn’t cured or alleviated by taking water pills (diuretics) for the swelling.
- Preeclampsia isn’t caused by a diseased placenta, poisons, or toxins in the body. The term “toxemia” is still used, but it isn’t an accurate one to describe the disease.
- It isn’t prevented by vitamin therapy or high-protein or other special diets. There’s no known prevention.
Herpes
Herpes
Not So Simplex
Herpes simplex used to be just a plain old “cold sore.” In the 1980s it became the dread virus that threw a wet blanket on the fires of the sexual revolution. The herpes hysteria grew because medicine had neither prevention nor cure. Even the admonition “Hey, let’s be careful out there!” didn’t help. The herpes hysteria has diminished because of the more serious threat of AIDS.
The herpes virus is the Greta Garbo of sexually transmitted diseases elusive and mysterious. The true incidence of herpes isn’t known since it’s not reported to public health agencies. Even trying to confirm whether or not you have herpes can be maddening. Let me count the ways.
Complications in Pregnancy
Complications in Pregnancy
Rain on Your Parade
For the majority of women, pregnancy is a normal and physiologically uneventful process. You count on breezing through pregnancy with no problems, looking and feeling great. When complications arise, you’re forced to make adjustments in your idyllic pregnancy plan. It is not an easy adjustment for most women. Your self-esteem suffers. Disappointment and anger are common emotions as you struggle to deal with the unexpected events. You add anxiety and fear for you and your baby to the witch’s brew of unknowns facing you. You need expert care, added emotional support, and accurate information to cope effectively with the changes.