The Importance of Calcium

The Importance of Calcium

You probably need a lot more than you’re getting

Most Americans don’t meet the recommended dietary allowances for calcium intake set by the National Research Council. What’s more, the NRC’s calcium standards are themselves too low and are likely to be revised in the next three years, experts believe. In fact, an advisory panel of the National Institutes of Health recently urged that the RDA for calcium be increased to as much as 1,200 milligrams a day for children from 1 to 10 years old to as much as 1,500 milligrams a day for adolescents, young adults, and post-menopausal women, and to 1,000 milligrams a day for women from 25 to 50 years old. That represents increases of 25 to 50 percent over the standards established by the NRC in the past.

Such boosts are necessary, the panel of experts said, to lower the risk of osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease that is crippling 25 million Americans, especially postmenopausal women. The new recommendations are based on research showing that raising calcium levels to build greater bone mass, particularly in adolescents and older women, plays a critical role in fighting osteoporosis.

For both men and women, peak bone density is achieved during late adolescence. Around 35 years of age, bones begin to thin for both sexes. This process accelerates for women when estrogen levels drop at menopause. During their lifetimes, women lose about one-third of their bone mass while men lose about one-third of their bone mass while men lose about one-fifth. The more bone mass one develops as an adolescent, the ore protected one will be from the inevitable loss that occurs with age. In one recent study of adolescent girls, raising calcium intake with supplements from 80 percent of the current recommended dietary allowance to 110 percent increased bone mass by more than 1 percent per year during adolescent growth. In another study, this time of men and women ages 50 to 79, those in the top third in terms of calcium consumption suffered 60 percent fewer hip fractures over the next 14 years than did the others.

These ladies are full of calcium. Photo: Elena

Estrogen replacement therapy can be of great help to older women at a high risk of developing osteoporosis, so can raising an older woman’s intake of calcium significantly, through either diet or supplements.

Moreover, there is much evidence to suggest that calcium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels as well as cut the chances of colon cancer. Colon cancer risk appears eve lower when high calcium consumption is accompanied by high intake of vitamin D. Previous medical concern that too much calcium leads to kidney stones now appears unfounded except in the cases of a few men whose bodies overabsorb the mineral.

Meeting the higher calcium requirements now being advanced by experts will take effort. For adolescents and older women, who are being urged to eat 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day, it will take a cup of nonfat yogurt, two glasses of skin milk, two onces of cheese, and one-third of a cup of fresh, cooked broccoli to reach the threshold.

Relaying on natural food sources is preferable because the body absorbs calcium from foods more easily than from supplements, and the effectiveness of the mineral appears to be enhanced by being ingested along with other nutrients in the food, such as vitamin D, potassium, and magnesium.

Calcium supplements are a viable option, but so are calcium-fortified foods.

The Nutritional Power of Bananas

Potassium shows its promise in fighting osteoporosis

Calcium isn’t the only mineral that helps fight osteoporosis. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that potassium bicarbonate, found in many fruits and vegetables, may greatly enhance the body’s ability to retain bone mass and stave off osteoporosis. You should “stock up” on potassium bicarbonate because it’s robbed from the bones when you eat meat, says Dr. Anthony Sebastian, leader of the University of California San Francisco study.

The findings, however, are preliminary. Potassium bicarbonate supplements are neither suggested nor readily available. It’s also not yet clear which foods are the best sources of the substance. But Dr. Sebastian’s recommendations are in line with those of many other nutrition experts: eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat.

Researchers are finding other potential potassium benefits as well. Potassium has long been known for the role it plays in muscle, nerve, heart, and kidney functions, but several recent studies suggest that it may also help reduce blood pressure by relaxing blood-vessel linings so that blood can flow more easily. No cause-and-effect relationship has been clearly established, but researchers are impressed enough with their findings to urge that you include plenty of bananas and other potassium-rich foods in your diet.

A good source of calcium. Photo: Elena

When to Pass the Salt Shaker

Sodium in moderation is no problem unless you have high blood pressure

Yes, sodium contributes to high blood pressure – but without sodium, you would die. Your blood is a saline solution that requires sodium to regulate the pressure in your veins and help your body to retain water. Sodium also plays an important role in transporting nerve impulses to the brain.

Nonetheless, several studies have linked high sodium intake to hypertension, and 5 to 10 percent of Americans are classified as “sodium sensitive,” meaning that their blood pressure responds directly to changes in sodium intake.

Moderation is the key. The FDA recommends that you consume at least 500 milligrams of sodium a day, but not more than 2,400 milligrams. Most Americans far exceed this limit however, consuming from 3,000 to 6,000 milligrams daily.

That’s not hard to do: Eat three ounces of ham or a cup of chicken noodle soup alone and you ingest about 1,000 milligrams of sodium. And a single cup of Manhattan clam chowder is brimming with about 2,000 milligrams of sodium.

Ironically, common table salt is only 40 percent sodium. The rest is chloride, which also aids in transmitting neural impulses. Still, it only takes seven grams of table salt to max out on your sodium intake for the day, so go easy on the Morton’s.

Vitamin Shelf

Vitamin Shelf

Your body needs vitamins to form blood cells, build strong bones, and regulate the nervous system, but it can’t generate them on its own. Here are the FDA’s daily values for essential vitamins and the food that contain them.

Vitamin A

Daily value: 5,000 international units.

• 1 oz cheddar cheese: 300 IU
• 1 scrambled egg: 420 IU
• 1 cup nonfat milk: 500 IU
• 1 nectarine: 1,000 IU
• 1 piece watermelon: 1,760 IU.

What it does: Aids in good vision; helps build and maintain skin, teeth, bones, and mucuos membranes. Deficiency can increase susceptibility to infectious disease.

What it may do: May inhibit the development of breast cancer; may increase resistance to infection in children.

Food sources: Milk, eggs, liver, cheese, fish oil. Plus fruits and vegetables that contain beta-carotene. You need not consume preformed vitamin A if you eat foods rich in beta-carotene.

Supplementation: Not recommended, since toxic in high doses.

Vitamin Shelf. Photo: Elena

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Daily value: 1.5 milligrams.

• 1 slice enriched white bread – 0.12 mg
• 3 oz. Fried liver: 0.18 mg
• 1 cup black beans: 0.43 mg
• 1 packet instant oatmeal: 0.53 mg
• 1 oz. Dry-hull sunflower seeds: 0.65 mg

What it does: Helps convert carbohydrates into energy. Necessary for healthy brain, nerve cells, and heart function.

Food sources: Whole grains, enriched grain products, beans, meats, liver, wheat germ, nuts, fish, brewer’s yeast.

Supplementation: Not necessary, not recommended.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Daily Value: 1.7 milligrams.

• 1 oz. Chicken: 0.2 mg
• 1 bagel: 0.2 mg
• 1 cup-milk: 0.4 mg
• 1 cup cooked spinach: 0.42 mg.

What it does: Helps cells convert carbohydrates into energy. Essential for growth, production of red blood cells, and health of skin and eyes.

Food sources: Dairy products, liver, meat, chicken, fish, enriched grain products, leafy greens, beans, nuts, eggs, almonds.

Supplementation: Not necessary and not recommended.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Daily value: 20 milligrams.

• 1 slice enriched bread: 1.0 mg
• 3 oz baked flounder or sole: 1.7 mg
• 1 oz roasted peanuts: 4.2 mg
• 1/2 chicken breast: 14.7 mg.

What it does: Aids in release of energy from foods. Helps maintain healthy skin, nerves, and digestive system.

What it may do: Megadoses lower high blood cholesterol.

Food sources: Nuts, meat, fish, chicken, liver, enriched grain products, diary products, peanut butter, brewer’s yeast.

Supplementation: Large doses may be prescribed by doctor to lower blood cholesterol. May cause flushing, liver damage, and irregular heart beat.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Daily value: 7 milligrams.

• 8 oz. Nonfat milk: 0.81 mg.
• 1 large egg: 0.86 mg
• 8 oz low-fat fruit flavored yogurt: 1.0 mg
• 3 1/2 oz liver: 4.57 mg.

What it does: Vital for metabolism, production of essential body chemicals

Food sources: Whole grains, beans, milk, eggs, liver.

Supplementation: Not necessary, not recommended. May cause diarrhea.

Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine)

Daily value: 2.0 milligrams.

• 1 bran muffin: 0.11 mg
• 1 cup lima beans: 0.3 mg
• 3 oz cooked blue fin tuna: 0.45 mg
• 1 banana: 0.7 mg

What it does: Vital in chemical reactions of proteins, amino acids. Helps maintain brain function and form red blood cells.

What it may do: May help to boost immunity in the elderly.

Food sources: Whole grains, bananas, meat, beans, nuts, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, chicken, fish, liver.

Supplementation: Large doses can cause numbness and other neurological disorders.

Vitamin B12

Daily value: 6.0 mcg.

• 1/2 chicken breast: 0.29 mcg.
• 1 large egg: 0.77 mcg.
• 1 cup nonfat milk: 0.93 mcg.
• 3 1/2 oz lean beef flank: 3.05 mcg.

Vitamin B12

Daily Value: 6.0 micrograms.

• 1/2 chicken breast: 0.29 mcg
• 1 large egg: 0.77 mcg
• 1 cup nonfat milk: 0.93 mcg
• 3 1/2 oz lean beef flank: 2.05 mcg.

What it does: Necessary for development of red blood cells. Maintains normal functioning of nervous system.

Food sources: Liver, beef, pork, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, yogourt, shellfish, fortified cereals, and fortified soy products.

Supplementations: Strict vegetarians may need supplements.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Daily Value: 60 micrograms.

• 1 orange: 70 mcg
• 1 green pepper: 95 mcg
• 1 cup cooked broccoli: 97 mcg
• 1 cup fresh orange juice: 124 mcg.

What it does: Helps promote healthy gums and teeth; aids in iron absorption; maintains normal connective tissue; helps in the healing of wounds. As as antioxidant, it combats the adverse effects of free radicals.

What it may do: May reduce the risk of lung, esophagus, stomach, and bladder cancers, as well as coronary artery disease; may prevent or delay cataracts and slow the aging process.

Food sources: Citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, potatoes, kale, cauliflower, cantaloupe, brussels sprouts.

Supplementation: 250-500 mgs a day for smokers and anyone not consuming several fruits or vegetables rich in C daily. Larger doses may cause diarrhea.

Vitamin D

Daily Value: 400 international units

• 1 oz cheddar cheese 3 IU
• 1 large egg – 27 IU
• 1 cup nonfat milk – 100 IU.

What it does: Strengthens bones and teeth by aiding the absorption of calcium. Helps maintain phosphorus in the blood.

What it may do: May reduce risk of osteoporosis, forestall breast and colon cancers.

Food sources: Milk, fish oil, fortified margarine, also produced by the body in response to sunlight.

Supplementation: 400 IU for vegetarians, the elderly, those who don’t drink milk or get sun exposure. Toxic in high doses.

Vitamin E

Daily value: 30 international units.

• 1/2 cup boiled brussel sprouts: 1.02 IU
• 1/2 cup boiled spinach: 2.7 IU
• 1 oz almonds: 8.5 IU.

What it does: Helps form red blood cells. Combats adverse effects of free radicals.

What it may do: May cut the risk of esophageal or stomach cancers and coronary artery disease; may prevent or delay cataracts; may boost immunity in elderly.

Food sources: Vegetable oil, nuts, margarine, wheat germ, leafy greens, seeds, almonds, olives, asparagus.

Supplementation: 200-800 IU advised for everybody; you can’t get that much from food, especially on a low-fat diet.

Biotin (Vitamin B)

Daily Value: 300 micrograms.

•  cup cooked enriched noodles: 4 mcg
• 1 large egg: 11 mcg
• 1 oz. Almonds: 23 mcg.

What it does: Important in metabolism of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Food sources: Eggs, milk, liver, mushrooms, bananas, tomatoes, whole grains.

Supplementation: Not recommended.

Folate (Vitamin B) (also called Folacin or folic acid)

Daily value: 400 micrograms.

• 1 orange: 47 mcg
• 1 cup raw spinach
• 1 cup baked beans: 122 mcg
• 1 cup asparagus: 176 mcg.

What it does: Important in synthesis of DNA, in normal growth, protein metabolism. Reduces risk of ceertain birth defects, notably spina bifida and encephaly.

What it may do: May reduce the risk of cervical cancer.

Food sources: Leafy greens, wheat germ liver, beans, whole grains, broccoli, asparagus, citrus fruits, juices.

Supplementations: 400 mcg, from food or pills, for all women who may become pregnant, to help prevent birth defects.

Vegetable Vim and Vigor

Vegetable Vim and Vigor

The potency of antioxidants is only just becoming appreciated

Imagine what life would be like without color. Sports cars wouldn’t be red, denim wouldn’t be blue, and spinach wouldn’t be green. And if the chemicals that make most vegetables green weren’t around, you’d be likely to find yourself a lot more susceptible to several serious diseases, including heart disease and a common form of blindness.

The chemicals are called carotenoids, and like vitamins, they belong to a category of compounds known as antioxidants. Antioxidants have been widely credited with having amazing effects when it comes to fighting off chronic disease and aging. They are said to squelch the body’s production of free radicals, which are oxygen molecules missing an electron.

Scientists have long suspected that chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer may be triggered when free radicals try to replace AWOL electrons by stealing from neighboring molecules, resulting in cell breakdown and the onset of disease.

A 1994 study in the New England Journal of Medicine unexpectedly questioned these assumptions, however. When supplied as dietary supplements, neither beta-carotene, which is the best-known of the carotenoids, nor Vitamin E appeared to protect heavy smokers from lung cancer. The results of the study even suggested that beta-carotene might contribute to higher rates of lung cancer in heavy smokers.

Vegetable Vim and Vigor. Photo: Elena

But a more recent study by researchers at the University of North Carolina and University of Tennessee and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has provided new evidence that carotenoids do cut the risk of heart disease.

Unlike the earlier Harvard study, which measure only the effects of beta-carotene and Vitamin E taken as supplements in pill form, the North Carolina-Tennessee study measured the presence of all carotenoids in the bloodstream and found than among nonsmokers, those with the highest carotenoid levels were 70 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack than those with the lowest carotenoid levels. Among those who smoke, the benefits were less dramatic but still significant.

A third recent Harvard study found that consuming vegetables rich in carotenoids seemed to lower substantially the risk of developing a form of blindness common among the elderly.

Scientists remain uncertain which carotenoids or antioxidants in vegetables may supply the protective effects. They do know enough, however, to urge that your diet should include hearty daily servings of vegetables and fruits.

Selected sources for Beta-Carotene: Apricots, broccoli, carrots, mangoes, peas, tomatoes, asparagus, cantaloupe, cherries, peaches, spinach, tangerines.

Selected sources for Vitamin E: Broccoli, corn oil, fish, nuts, soybean oil, sunflower oil, cabbage, egg yolk, meats, olive oil, spinach, wheat germ.

Do-It-Yourself Cholesterol Testing and Myths About Fat

Do-It-Yourself Cholesterol Testing and Myths About Fat

Home test kits provide results but following the directions is essential

Home test kits for diabetes, pregnancy, and ovulation have been joined on the market by do-t-i-yourself kits for testing blood cholesterol levels. The first cholesterol self-test kit was introduced by Johnson & Johnson under the trade name Advanced Care Cholesterol Test and is available off-the-self in most pharmacies, at a suggested retail price of $15 to $20.

About one-fifth of all adult Americans have cholesterol levels that are considered medically worrisome, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Yet only one-third know what their cholesterol count actually is. The new home test provides a relatively convenient way to determine when a person’s cholesterol level is elevated enough to warrant consulting a physician.

The test, which uses a simple push-button device to prick the finger and draw a drop or two of blood, takes 12 to 15 minutes to complete. When the directions are followed, the manufacturer says, its is 97 percent accurate, which is comparable in accuracy to the readings of total cholesterol made by doctors and laboratories.

The Johnson & Johnson self-test has one major drawback, however. Although it provides a quick overall cholesterol count, it lacks the sophistication to break down a person’s cholesterol composition into “good” and “bad” cholesterol.

Struggling against cholesterol. Photo: Elena

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are known as “good” cholesterol because they draw fatty deposits away from the arteries, while low-density lipoproteins (LDL) contribute to the development of plaque along artery walls. A total cholesterol reading of 200 mg/dl is high enough to warrant a follow-up consultation with a doctor, but until a doctor has established what your HDL and LDL levels are, it is difficult to determine your true cardiovascular health.

Five Myths That It’s Time to Bury

Though their benefits are substantial, vitamins aren’t elixirs. The U.S. Public Health Service advises that you beware of these vitamin myths.

Myth: Vitamins give you “pep” and “energy”.

Fact: Vitamins yield no calories. They, of themselves, provide no extra pep of vitality beyond normal expectations, nor do they provide unusual levels of well-being.

Myth: Timing of vitamin intake is crucial.

Facts: There is no medical or scientific basis for this connotation.

Myth: Vitamin C “protects” against the common cold.

Fact: Extensive clinical research fails to support this.

Myth: The more vitamins the better.

Facts: Taking excessive vitamins is a complete waste, both in money and effect. In fact, excess amounts of any of several different vitamins can even be harmful.

Myth: You cannot get enough vitamins from the usual foods you eat.

Facts: Anyone who eats a reasonably varied diet should normally never need supplemental vitamins.

IQ Tests and the Highest IQ in the World

IQ Tests and the Highest IQ in the World

Did you know which countries have the highest IQ in the world? IQ is a measure of intelligence. Four of the the countries ranking the highest on average IQ are all in Asia. Without stereotyping, Asian parents place greater emphasis on educational success than other cultures.

Interestingly, psychologists state that there are multiple intelligences. According to the multiple intelligence theory, there are several types of intelligence. For example, there is musical intelligence, a realm dealing with musical ability. The theory is studied under the umbrella of cognitive psychology.

Another interesting measure of intelligence is the less known EQ, or emotional intelligence. The operationalisation focuses on the way people manage their own and others’ emotions. EQ is believed to be a more accurate predictor of occupational success in such fields and positions such as management.

Along these lines, IQ tests were developed for several uses. For instance, children’s placement in schools and appropriate academic paths. Alfred Binet is considered the founder of IQ testing. Career avenues in the army used to be determined based on IQ scores as well. A problem with these techniques, is that cultural background influences performance on such tests. If English is not your native language, you might score lower than a person of similar intelligence whose first language is English.

Venus. Photo by Elena

The most notorious IQ tests are the Weschler scales for adults and children. However, IQ alone fails to portray the whole picture. To illustrate, one longitudinal study examined the correlation of IQ in teenagers and their subsequent career choices and occupational success. The results showed that some people with higher IQs were actually less successful in life than their “less intelligent” counterparts. So if your IQ score is low, do not despair, many other factors play a role in life accomplishments and achievements.

A question that is nearly always pondered by psychologists is gender differences. Simply put, men and women are similar in intelligence. The only difference between male and female brains is that the male brain has more white matter, white matter is not responsible for cognitive processes, although it might speed up communication between neurons or brain cells.

However, men have greater spatial intelligence, whereas women score higher on verbal intelligence. In today’s world, men still outperform women in subjects such as hard sciences. Nonetheless, psychologists suggest that this may be due to the fact that from a young age boys are geared towards science.