Healthnotes Newswire (November 26, 2008)—While some iron is needed to keep the body functioning optimally, too much of a good thing can be a problem. For women taking iron supplements, it might be a good idea to add some zinc to your regimen to keep the effects of iron in check.

The rusty mineral

Low iron stores can cause anemia, depression, learning difficulties, hair loss, difficulty concentrating, and heavy menstrual periods. Many women of childbearing age—especially those in developing countries—are deficient in iron, prompting groups like the World Health Organization to advise them to take iron supplements.

The problem with taking iron is that it is prone to oxidation in the body. Think of a hammer that is left out in the rain—the rust that forms is a product of oxidation. Similarly, tissues in the body can be damaged by oxidation of iron. Zinc is a well known antioxidant—a substance capable of offsetting the negative effects of oxidation.

The new study, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, looked at how zinc might help counter the unwanted effects of iron supplements, while still allowing people to reap the benefits. To test this idea, women between 22 and 31 years old were given 50 mg of iron every day for eight weeks; during the next eight weeks, they were given 25 mg of zinc (as zinc gluconate) per day in addition to the iron. They took the supplements at different times of the day.

During the iron-only period, iron stores increased, but so did oxidative stress in the body. When iron and zinc were combined, iron levels still improved; however, the antioxidant effects of zinc helped to counteract the ill effects of iron.

Where’s the zinc?

For a zinc boost, try adding some raw pumpkin seeds to your breakfast cereal or muffins. Oysters are exceptionally high in zinc, containing 77 mg in just six oysters. King crab, venison, and beef are also rich zinc sources.

Iron, without a pill

If you are looking for ways to keep your iron levels up without taking a supplement, try some of these ideas:

• Cook in a cast iron pan. Iron is released from the pan during cooking, especially when the ingredients are acidic, like tomato sauce.

• Go ahead—eat your meat. While many plant sources contain iron, it’s not as absorbable as the form found in meat. Limit red meat consumption to no more than eight ounces per week, and make sure you choose lean cuts. Wild game meats are great sources of iron; they also contain healthier fats than grain-fed meat.

• Drink some o.j. with an iron-rich meal. The vitamin C in orange juice can help boost iron absorption.

• Don’t mix your milk and iron. Calcium and iron compete for absorption in the body; if you’re loading up on an iron-rich steak for dinner, wait till breakfast to have a glass of milk. Also, limit your black tea, green tea, and coffee consumption. These beverages can interfere with iron absorption when you drink them with a meal.

If you have iron deficiency-anemia or low iron stores, you may need an iron supplement in addition to trying the tips listed above. Talk with your doctor before starting an iron supplement, as a percentage of the population is unable to eliminate iron from the body, which may lead to an unhealthy build-up.

(J Nutr 2008;138:2186–9)

Healthnotes Newswire (November 20, 2008)—It’s already known that eating fast can lead to weight gain. A new study published in the British Medical Journal now shows that the combination of quick eating and eating until full might be a sure-fire recipe for becoming overweight.

Sitting behind a desk all day, lounging during leisure time, and eating more calories than you burn all contribute to weight gain, and being overweight, in turn, increases your risk for a wide range of health problems.

Researchers from Japan surveyed 3,287 adults to investigate the effects of eating fast, eating until full, and the combination of both on weight gain in a study about heart disease risk.

More than half of the men and women reported that they regularly eat until they are full and 46% of men and 36% of women said that they ate quickly. Both men and women were about two times more likely to be overweight if they were quick eaters or if they ate until full; the combination of eating quickly and eating until full more than tripled the risk of being overweight. “The combination of the two eating behaviors had a supra-additive effect on being overweight,” said the researchers.

A little goes a long weigh

It doesn’t take a lot of weight loss to add up to big health gains: when overweight people with diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure lose as little of 10% of their body weight, they gain better blood sugar control, reduce their cholesterol levels, and bring their blood pressure down. As an added bonus, modest weight loss also increases longevity in people who are overweight.

To help keep your weight in a healthy range, consider trying these tips.

• Use a smaller plate: More space on the dinnerware may tempt you to fill it up. Using a smaller bowl or plate can help keep portion sizes in control.

• Share a meal: Eating with others allows time for conversation and helps slow down the pace of eating.

• Set a “no more eating” time: If you’re given to an evening snack, try not to eat past a certain time, say 7:00 p.m. Brush your teeth at that time, setting the mood for the nighttime fast.

• Make sure to break the fast: Eating breakfast is important for overall health as well as for weight control. You have the whole day to burn off the calories eaten at this meal, but you want to make them count by eating nutritious foods. Include a protein like hard boiled eggs or some fish from last night’s dinner to keep you going strong all day long.

(BMJ 2008;337:a2002doi:10.1136/bmj.a2002)

Healthnotes Newswire (November 13, 2008)—If the news that diabetes rates have nearly doubled in the US over the last decade has you worried, a new study on diet and diabetes risk may be just what the doctor ordered. This latest research suggests that following a healthy diet pattern is a positive way to reduce diabetes risk.

Focus on food

These findings come out of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a research effort begun in 2000 and designed to examine connections between diet and chronic disease risk. Researchers collected diet and lifestyle information from 5,011 white, black, Hispanic, and Chinese men and women living in the states of Maryland, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, California, and Minnesota. Researchers tracked new cases of diabetes in the group during seven years of follow-up.

Study participants who ate more whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, and low-fat dairy were 15% less likely to develop diabetes than those who did not follow this dietary pattern. Study participants who ate more refined grains, beans, tomatoes, high-fat dairy, and red meat were 18% more likely to develop diabetes than those who did not.

Study participants who followed a low-risk pattern, defined by the researchers as a diet that emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, nuts and seeds, and coffee were 13% less likely to develop diabetes than those who did not follow this pattern. The authors indicate that none of these findings were influenced by race or ethnicity, suggesting that these results apply to most people.

Study author Jennifer Nettleton, PhD, noted that studying diet patterns rather than any one food or nutrient is valuable and that “people who want to decrease diabetes risk should focus on increasing intake of key food groups, including whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits and vegetables, and nuts [and] seeds.”

Finding foods that count

Along with maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising regularly, diet can be a powerful ally in your fight against diabetes.

• Make those grains whole. When shopping for bread and cereals, avoid products with the word “enriched” in the ingredient list. “Enriched” is a tip-off that grains are refined, not whole.

• Snack on fruit and nuts. The combination of carbohydrates from fruit along with protein and healthy fat in nuts will satisfy your snacking urge.

• Sprinkle some seeds. Try a tablespoon or two of flaxseeds or sunflower seeds in your yogurt and cereal.

• Stick with low-fat dairy. Skim or 1% milk, part-skim mozzarella cheese, and low- or no-fat yogurt are good choices. Limit whole milk, cream, and ice cream to special occasions.

• Go for the greens. Add kale, chard, or other green leafy vegetables to soups and stews.

• Enjoy coffee… in moderation. One or two cups per day may lower diabetes risk. Any more than this and you may run into trouble with side effects such as insomnia and rapid heart rate.

• Choose healthy proteins. Try for more fish, chicken, or soy products and other lean proteins. Limit red meat to one or two times per week and stick to a 3-ounce serving. (Three ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.)

(Diabetes Care 2008;31:1777–82; MMWR 2008;57:1169–73)

Healthnotes Newswire (November 6, 2008)—Despite reports that childhood food allergies are on the rise, hope is on the horizon. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), children’s food allergies are increasingly common, but the majority of children will “outgrow” reactions to common allergens including milk, soy, egg, and wheat. Even among children allergic to peanuts, an often severe allergy, between one-fifth and two-thirds will outgrow them. Even better, there are steps a parent can actively take to reduce the likelihood that their children develop serious food allergies.

Food allergies by the numbers

Approximately 4% of children under age 18, some three million kids, have food allergies. Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat account for over 90% of reported food allergies. Reactions range from a mild tingling sensation around the mouth to a severe reaction (anaphylaxis) that can lead to death if untreated.

Food allergies are more common in children under age 5 and less common in Hispanic than in non-Hispanic white and black children. Rates of food allergies are similar among boys and girls.

The childhood food allergy rate was 18% higher in 2007 than in 1997. Health experts speculate, however, that some of this upswing may be due to increased awareness and reporting and use of new medical diagnostic codes that more accurately identify children with food allergies.

The ABCs of avoiding and managing allergies

The reported increase in food allergies is alarming, but a few simple steps may reduce your child’s likelihood of developing allergies. Even for children with food allergies, there are more ways than ever to manage them.

• Breast-feed. If possible, breast feed your baby for at least 6 to 12 months. Research suggests that breast-feeding may reduce food allergy risk.

• Look at your history. If you have a family history of allergy (food, respiratory, skin, or environmental), talk to your doctor about avoiding specific foods when pregnant or breast-feeding. For high-risk children, this may reduce allergy risk. For the general public, most health experts agree this is not necessary.

• Control asthma. In children with food allergies, 29% have asthma, compared with 12% of children without food allergies. If your child already has food allergies, ask your doctor whether he or she needs to be tested for asthma, because not all children with asthma have typical symptoms of wheezing or difficulty breathing. Good asthma control is important for managing food and other allergies.

• Don’t ignore even mild rashes. Of kids with food allergies, 27% have eczema or skin allergy compared with only 8% of children without food allergies.

• When pregnant, enjoy probiotic foods such as yogurt. Ask your pediatrician about a good probiotic supplement for your baby or child. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that may help keep allergies at bay.

• Enjoy those pets. Children raised with animals appear to be less prone to allergies than children in pet-free households.

• Be clean but not germ-o-phobic. Exposure to mold and other common allergens may increase the chances of allergy development in children. So keep your house and kids clean, but not too clean because research also shows that over-use of antibacterial hand soap, fastidious avoidance of all germs, and lack of exposure to garden variety infections such as colds may make kids more prone to allergies.

(NCHS Data Brief 2008;10:1–8; Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2008;34:217–30; J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;112:183–9)

Healthnotes Newswire (October 30, 2008)—Health-conscious people who prefer chemical-free foods—produced without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives—might be getting unexpected exposure to a potentially harmful chemical if they eat or drink from containers made from or lined with certain plastics. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that bisphenol A (more commonly known as BPA), a chemical that leaches into foods and drinks from can liners and some plastics, may be linked to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

BPA in the modern world

BPA is a chemical compound used to manufacture such widely used materials as polyester, polycarbonate plastics, and epoxy resins. Polyvinylchloride (known as PVC) used in household plumbing, dental sealants, liners for food and beverage cans (especially for acidic foods and drinks like tomatoes and sodas), and most number 7 plastics are made with BPA.

At room temperature, small amounts of BPA slowly leach into food and drinks, but at higher temperatures, leaching can occur as much as 55 times faster. Strong cleaning chemicals can damage plastic surfaces and contribute to increased leaching of BPA.

Concerns about the health effects of long-term BPA exposure have primarily focused on its ability to act like estrogen in the body, but researchers have suggested that it may act in other harmful ways as well.

Measuring the effects of BPA in humans

The new study included data from a subset of 1,455 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2004. The people in the study had urine tests to measure BPA levels and blood tests to measure some disease risks, and answered questions about their health status.

People with the highest BPA levels were almost three times more likely to report being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, including angina, coronary artery disease, and heart attack, than people with the lowest BPA levels. Having the highest BPA levels was also associated with a 2.43-fold increase in risk of type 2 diabetes. Obese people’s urine BPA levels were 1.8 times higher than those of normal-weight people. In addition, higher BPA levels were associated with abnormalities of blood tests that indicate liver cell damage.

“We found that higher BPA concentrations [in urine] were associated with diagnoses of heart disease and diabetes. We also found associations between high concentrations and clinically abnormal concentrations of three liver enzymes,” the researchers said in summary. “Importantly, we observed no associations with the other common conditions examined.” The other conditions examined were cancer, arthritis, respiratory disease, stroke, and thyroid disease.

Reduce your exposure

The authors of this study used models to estimate daily BPA intake based on the urine concentrations measured and found that average intake was far below the safety guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. If future research confirms a link between this level of intake and risk of heart disease and diabetes, it will be important to reconsider recommendations about what level of BPA intake is safe.

In 2003–2004, the US Centers for Disease Control found that 93% of adults and children had detectable levels of BPA in their urine. As a result of mounting public pressure, some manufacturers have stopped using BPA in their production of baby bottles and water bottles, and some canners have stopped using epoxy resins to line cans for non-acidic foods. Last week, Canada became the first country to ban the use of BPA in the manufacturing of baby bottles.

You can take steps to reduce your exposure to BPA:

• Don’t use number 7 plastic baby bottles. Warm infant formula more safely in glass bottles and plastic bottles labeled “BPA-free” or made from number 2 or 5 plastics.

• Only fresh cold water should be drunk from number 7 plastic bottles. Better yet, get a stainless steel water bottle, or one made with number 2 plastic.

• Avoid heating food in microwavable plastic, which is likely to be made with number 7 plastics.

• Emphasize fresh and frozen foods to limit canned food and drink consumption.

(JAMA 2008;300:1303–10)