Guest guest Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 > " HSI - Jenny Thompson " > <HSIResearch > Sugar Coating It > Thu, 02 Sep 2004 08:23:36 -0400 > > Sugar Coating It > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > September 02, 2004 > > ************************************************************ > > Dear Reader, > > Here's a no-brainer headline if I ever saw one: > " Study: Sugary Soda > Boosts Diabetes Risk. " > > Who could have possibly seen THAT one coming? > > What's a little surprising is WHERE it came from. > > --------------------------- > > You are what you drink > --------------------------- > > > Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health > examined nine years > of dietary and medical data on more than 51,000 > women who participated > in the Nurses' Health Study II. From this group, > well over 700 cases > of type 2 diabetes were diagnosed during the study > period. > > After crunching the data, the Harvard team concluded > that the excess > calories and high levels of rapidly absorbable > sugars found in > non-diet soft drinks promote weight gain and a > greater risk of > developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, women who drink > one or more soft > drinks per day may have an 80 percent increased risk > of type 2 > diabetes compared to women who pass on this type of > beverage. > > Another problem: The calories in a soft drink don't > cause a feeling of > fullness in the way that calories from food do, > promoting a higher > calorie and sugar intake. > > But a soft drink trade group disagreed with the > Harvard results. Their > spokesperson stated that " unhealthy lifestyles " are > to blame for > obesity and diabetes, not soft drink consumption. > > Which is sort of like saying that cars don't cause > traffic accidents, > it's the driving around in cars that causes > accidents. > > --------------------------- > > Good timing > --------------------------- > > > When I came across the sugar study I couldn't help > but wonder why > researchers – from Harvard no less – would devote > their time and > research dollars to a study with an almost certain > foregone > conclusion. Even more curious: The study was > published in the Journal > of the American Medical Association (JAMA), arguably > the biggest of > the Big Kahunas of medical journals. > > Seems like much ado about the glaringly obvious. But > then a New York > Times article reminded me that what may be obvious > out here in the > real world is sometimes much less apparent in the > world of food > marketing. > > Last week the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee > submitted its > report containing the recommendations for the 2005 > revision of USDA > Dietary Guidelines. As I told you in the e-Alert > " Sweetening the > Pyramid " (8/27/03), lobbying efforts from the sugar > industry have made > a huge impact on the previous revisions of the > guidelines. And those > efforts were strongly felt this time as well. > > The Times article reports that, last May, the > 12-person committee was > deadlocked – 6 to 6 – on whether or not the > guidelines should include > a statement about sugar intake being related to > obesity and nutrient > deficiency. But over the past three months, some > recent studies won > over three of the committee members. The final vote > was 9 to 3 in > favor of including a sugar statement. > > And according to the Times, the Harvard JAMA study > was instrumental in > tipping the balance. > > --------------------------- > > The fine print > --------------------------- > > > The final recommendations of the advisory committee > are just that: > recommendations. So what the final 2005 guidelines > will eventually say > about sugar is anybody's guess. And even if the > guidelines do suggest > that added sugars should be avoided, that doesn't > mean the general > public will necessarily hear much about it. > > In any case, it's going to take a lot more than the > advice of a > government panel to get people to wise up and lay > off the huge > consumption of soft drinks and other foods that are > loaded with added > sugars. > > So what in the world are people supposed to drink if > they're advised > to stop guzzling soda pop? The lead researcher of > the Harvard study, > Dr. Meir Stampfer, has a suggestion. He told the > Associated Press > that, generally, your best beverage option is water. > > > Water! Imagine! > > The sugar lobby won't be happy to hear about that. > > ************************************************************ > > ...and another thing > > It's time to fight the good fight. > > Against the common cold that is. > > I have some good information to follow up on > yesterday's e-Alert > ( " Calendar Girl " 9/1/04) about using a standardized > extract of the > herb andrographis to relieve and shorten the > duration of upper > respiratory infections. > > Vitamin E may significantly reduce the risk of > catching a common cold > in the first place. > > In a recent issue of the Journal of the American > Medical Association, > researchers report on a study in which more than 600 > subjects, aged 65 > or older, received either a daily supplement of 200 > IU of vitamin E or > a placebo for a trial period of one year. > > The results: Vitamin E supplements had no effect on > lower respiratory > tract infections, but did have a preventive effect > on upper > respiratory infections. In fact, the subjects who > took E supplements > had a 20 percent reduced risk of coming down with a > common cold. > > Right off, I can think of two things that might > improve that > percentage of reduced risk. > > In the e-alert " Over the Teeth, Past the Gums... " > (2/5/03), HSI > Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., recommended a vitamin E > daily dose of 400 > IU. Of course, more is not necessarily better, but > doubling up on the > 200 IU used in the study might, at the very least, > help overcome > problems of vitamin absorbency. Dr. Spreen also > recommends > supplementing with " mixed tocopherols " when taking > vitamin E. Most > vitamin E studies use only one form of tocopherol, > which is not as > effective as getting a mix. > > Of course, there are plenty of good dietary sources > of vitamin E, such > as eggs, liver, nuts and seeds, spinach, broccoli, > peaches, wheat germ > and vegetable oils. > > And when supplementing with vitamin E, Dr. Spreen > strongly recommends > an additional supplement of 200 mcg of selenium per > day. As Dr. Spreen > has pointed out, " Both selenium and vitamin E are > intimately > associated with stimulation of the part of the > immune system dealing > with production of immunoglobulins. " (The immune > system uses > immunoglobulins (or antibodies) to identify and > neutralize viruses and > bacteria.) > > So before the cold and flu season sets in, make sure > you're getting > plenty of vitamin E and selenium to help those > immunoglobulins do > their stuff. > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > > ************************************************************ > > Sources: > > " Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain, and > Incidence of Type 2 > Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women " Journal of > the American > Medical Association, Vol. 292, No. 8, 8/25/04, > jama.ama-assn.org > " Study: Sugary Soda Boosts Diabetes Risk " The > Associated Press, > 8/24/04, thewbalchannel.com > " Added Sugars, Less Urgency? Fine Print and the > Guidelines " Marian > Burros, The New York Times, 8/25/04, nytimes.com > " Vitamin E and Respiratory Tract Infections in > Elderly Nursing Home > Residents " Journal of the American Medical > Association, Vol. 292, No. > 7, 8/18/04, jama.ama-assn.org > " Vitamin E may Help Elderly Ward off Colds " Alison > McCook, Reuters > Health, 8/17/04, reutershealth.com > > Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, > L.L.C. The e-Alert may > not be posted on commercial sites without written > permission. > > ************************************************************ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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