Showing posts with label osteoporosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label osteoporosis. Show all posts
April 9, 2018
466 Live Longer with K2 [9 Apr 2018]
In the heart health protocol discussed in #464 last month, an important nutrient was left out – vitamin K2.
I previously described the importance of K2 for moving calcium into the bone instead of our arteries and joints, thus preventing both osteoporosis and arterial calcification. Everyone taking a calcium supplement should be taking vitamin K2 and vitamin D (better calcium supplements have both included in the formula). But recent research is finding that vitamin K does more – it also reduces our risk of diabetes and certain cancers, helping us to live longer.
A 2014 study published in J Nutr of over 7,000 adults over 4-5 years concluded “An increase in dietary intake of vitamin K is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular [57%], cancer [28%], or all-cause [26%] mortality in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular disease risk.”
Both vitamins K1 and K2 have been found to reduce the risk of diabetes. The K2 dependent protein osteocalcin, which moves calcium into the bones, also increases insulin sensitivity. One study found that K2 reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by7% for each 10 mcg increased intake.
Recent research has found vitamin K2 strongly protects against liver, prostate and colon cancer. Vitamin K2 induces cancer cell death in several ways and suppresses tumor growth. In a 2006 study of liver cancer patients, 45 mcg daily of vitamin K2 after 3 years reduced the recurrence rate from 91% to 64% and increased the survival rate from 64% to 87%, compared to the control group.
Back in June 2015 [#323] I showed that taking statin drugs for lowering cholesterol also inhibits the synthesis of vitamin K2. I just learned that some anticoagulant drugs such as Coumadin (Warfarin) also inhibit the action of K2, resulting in increased calcification of arteries. Adding a low dose of K2 to the program – under your doctor’s supervision – may reduce this side effect while maintaining the anticoagulant effect. Your doctor will need to adjust the dosage of the drug to compensate.
Vitamin K2 will not only keep your bones strong and your arteries clean but will protect you from diabetes and cancer, helping you live a longer healthier life.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
February 6, 2017
406 Collagen Supplements [6 Feb 2017]
In August 2014 [#280] I wrote about collagen and the silica supplement sh-OSA (BioSil) that stimulates our body’s production of this important protein. A few months later in October 2014 [#289] I discussed the benefits of bone broth, one of which is to promote collagen production. This week I want to revisit the topic and discuss collagen supplements.
Collagen is important for our health for many reasons:
• It is the most abundant protein in the body making up 25% of our body weight (yes, that’s one quarter!)
• It is an essential component of bone, skin, muscle, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and the lining of the digestive tract
• It provides the “glue” for bone minerals, keeping bones strong & resilient
• It is essential for repairing broken bones or soft tissue injuries
• It keeps skin elastic, smooth and wrinkle free
Taking collagen supplements provides the amino acids you need to produce collagen in your body. It also provides these amino acids for other vital functions that, if in short supply, our bodies will steal from the collagen in our joints and bones. Thus collagen supplements can prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
In summary, you should take a collagen supplement to:
• prevent or reverse osteoporosis
• prevent or reduce joint pain or stiffness
• promote healing of broken bones or injuries
• increase performance and reduce joint pain in athletes
• heal the digestive tract and prevent leaky gut syndrome
• have supple and younger looking skin
Collagen supplements come in powder, liquid and capsule form. The best type is called hydrolyzed collagen, meaning that the large collagen molecules are broken down into smaller more easily digested pieces called peptides.
Hyaluronic acid [#15 June 2009] and vitamin C are also required for collagen production. Both are available as supplements. Anthocyanins, flavonoids found in dark fruit and berries, assist collagen in forming strong connective tissue.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner. Find this article on my website for links to sources and further reading.
February 25, 2013
205 Calcium, Vitamin D & Fractures [25 February 2013]
Last week we looked at certain built-in bias that favors drugs being tested. I have previously discussed how studies and/or their news reports can be slanted to discredit natural health products (#112 A Sabotaged Cancer Study, #176 Nutrition in the News). In August 2012 (#177 Preventing Fractures) I reported on a critique of the 2012 USPSTF meta-analysis study which concluded that calcium and vitamin D supplementation at RDA levels provided no benefit and were best avoided due to slightly increased risk of kidney stones. Among the noted flaws were the low dosage of vitamin D; the poorly-absorbed form of calcium used; and missing cofactors for bone formation including magnesium, vitamin K2, and various trace minerals. A similar study with similar conclusions was recently re-analyzed leading to a completely different conclusion.
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a large controlled study of more than 36,000 post-menopausal women over 7 years, examined the effects of supplementation with 1000mg calcium and 400iu vitamin D on bone density and fractures. The original analysis, published in the New England J. of Medicine in 2006, concluded that the supplementation provided no significant reduction in hip fractures and only a small improvement in bone density.
A recent re-analysis of the WHI data by Dr. Ross Prentice and colleagues from the Fred Hutchinson Research Center in Seattle, published in Osteoporosis International 24(2) in February 2013, came up with a different conclusion. The authors found that the original analysis didn’t account for women who were taking supplements prior to the study and for women who quit partway through. After adjusting for these data, the researchers found significant reductions of fracture risk: 29% and 38%. They concluded “…long-term use of calcium and vitamin D appears to confer a reduction that may be substantial in the risk of hip fracture among postmenopausal women”. Just imagine the benefits they might have found had they used optimum supplementation levels and included all the co-factors!
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a large controlled study of more than 36,000 post-menopausal women over 7 years, examined the effects of supplementation with 1000mg calcium and 400iu vitamin D on bone density and fractures. The original analysis, published in the New England J. of Medicine in 2006, concluded that the supplementation provided no significant reduction in hip fractures and only a small improvement in bone density.
A recent re-analysis of the WHI data by Dr. Ross Prentice and colleagues from the Fred Hutchinson Research Center in Seattle, published in Osteoporosis International 24(2) in February 2013, came up with a different conclusion. The authors found that the original analysis didn’t account for women who were taking supplements prior to the study and for women who quit partway through. After adjusting for these data, the researchers found significant reductions of fracture risk: 29% and 38%. They concluded “…long-term use of calcium and vitamin D appears to confer a reduction that may be substantial in the risk of hip fracture among postmenopausal women”. Just imagine the benefits they might have found had they used optimum supplementation levels and included all the co-factors!
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
November 5, 2012
190 Risks of High Protein Diets [5 Nov 2012]
I’m just finishing a few months on the Ideal Protein diet program. A few friends have expressed concern about health risks of “high protein” diets, so I decided to see if there was any validity to their concerns.
First, the Ideal Protein program is not really a high protein diet. Yes, carbs are reduced and protein as a % of total calories is increased. But the total protein is within normal limits. Using the formula of 0.5g of protein daily per pound of lean body weight (usually the “goal” weight), I should consume 0.5 x 200 = 100g of protein daily. The program provides 54g from 3 of their high-quality protein foods and 56g from one 8oz lean meat meal for a total 110g.
A 2004 article in the J. Int Soc Sports Nutr evaluated the scientific validity of the American Heart Association statement:
• there is no scientific evidence that high-protein intake has adverse effects on liver function or damages healthy kidneys
• rather than promote osteoporosis as hypothesized, some studies show an increase in bone density with increased protein intake
• systolic and diastolic blood pressure are reduced with increased protein intake
• rather than increase cholesterol as hypothesized, blood lipid levels significantly improved
• recent findings suggest replacing carbs with protein may reduce ischemic heart disease (likely due to the improvement in blood lipid levels)
• fat mass is significantly reduced and lean mass increased with carbohydrate-restricted diets (this is the ultimate goal of a weight loss diet!)
The author concludes that the AHA statement “contains misleading and incorrect information [and is based on] unsubstantiated fears… the risks are minimal and must be balanced against the real and established risk of continued obesity.”
Some other concerns about high protein diets do not apply to Ideal Protein because of its temporary nature, low fat intake, and the careful use of supplements.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
First, the Ideal Protein program is not really a high protein diet. Yes, carbs are reduced and protein as a % of total calories is increased. But the total protein is within normal limits. Using the formula of 0.5g of protein daily per pound of lean body weight (usually the “goal” weight), I should consume 0.5 x 200 = 100g of protein daily. The program provides 54g from 3 of their high-quality protein foods and 56g from one 8oz lean meat meal for a total 110g.
A 2004 article in the J. Int Soc Sports Nutr evaluated the scientific validity of the American Heart Association statement:
“Individuals who follow [high-protein] diets are [at higher] risk for …potential cardiac, renal, bone and liver abnormalities…”The author of the article, A H Manninen, found that:
• there is no scientific evidence that high-protein intake has adverse effects on liver function or damages healthy kidneys
• rather than promote osteoporosis as hypothesized, some studies show an increase in bone density with increased protein intake
• systolic and diastolic blood pressure are reduced with increased protein intake
• rather than increase cholesterol as hypothesized, blood lipid levels significantly improved
• recent findings suggest replacing carbs with protein may reduce ischemic heart disease (likely due to the improvement in blood lipid levels)
• fat mass is significantly reduced and lean mass increased with carbohydrate-restricted diets (this is the ultimate goal of a weight loss diet!)
The author concludes that the AHA statement “contains misleading and incorrect information [and is based on] unsubstantiated fears… the risks are minimal and must be balanced against the real and established risk of continued obesity.”
Some other concerns about high protein diets do not apply to Ideal Protein because of its temporary nature, low fat intake, and the careful use of supplements.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
August 6, 2012
177 Preventing Fractures [7 August 2012]
In last week’s column, I warned that when it comes to nutritional advice, not to believe everything you read in the news, and mentioned two items. I discussed a flaw in an otherwise excellent study that found that a synthetic form of vitamin E increases prostate cancer, but then concluded that high doses of all vitamin E should be avoided. Now let’s look at the other study in more detail.
In June 2012 the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a statement, reported in the New York Times that, based on their analysis of 137 studies, low doses (RDAs) of calcium (1,000mg) and vitamin D (400iu) do not prevent fractures in healthy post-menopausal women and are better avoided due to a slight increased risk of kidney stones.
Not so fast! There are several problems with this analysis, pointed out in a critique by Dr. Allan Spreen of Health Sciences Institute:
• the carbonate form of calcium used in the studies is poorly absorbed so the amount may be insufficient, especially if stomach acid is weak
• the amount of vitamin D is much less than the 5,000 – 10,000 iu that we now know is optimum, especially for the elderly
• magnesium is necessary for healthy bones in about 2:1 ratio of cal:mag
• vitamin K2 is essential to direct the calcium into the bones (and along with magnesium will reduce the risk of kidney stones)
• vitamin C and trace minerals manganese, silica, zinc, copper, strontium, molybdenum and boron are also necessary for healthy bones
• a natural progesterone supplement is recommended for post-menopausal women
• finally, weight bearing exercise is essential to build and maintain healthy bones
To this list I’ll add my own observation that preventing fractures is only one of many functions of calcium and vitamin D, and not the most important one either. So even if they don’t prevent fractures there are good reasons for taking optimum amounts of both nutrients. Another factor not mentioned is that of systemic acidity which leaches minerals from the bones to maintain a healthy pH. Eating more alkalizing foods and or taking alkalizing supplements in addition to calcium will help maintain strong bones.
The last word in the New York Times article is given to a member of USPSTF, Dr. Bibbins-Domingo, whose quote reveals her lack of nutritional knowledge: “For most people there is no need for these supplements and good reason for many not to take them. Vitamin D and calcium are part of a healthy diet. Most people can achieve sufficient doses with a healthy diet”. That might be true for calcium, but unless you regularly eat fish liver, you will never achieve a “sufficient dose” of vitamin D in your diet!
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
In June 2012 the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a statement, reported in the New York Times that, based on their analysis of 137 studies, low doses (RDAs) of calcium (1,000mg) and vitamin D (400iu) do not prevent fractures in healthy post-menopausal women and are better avoided due to a slight increased risk of kidney stones.
Not so fast! There are several problems with this analysis, pointed out in a critique by Dr. Allan Spreen of Health Sciences Institute:
• the carbonate form of calcium used in the studies is poorly absorbed so the amount may be insufficient, especially if stomach acid is weak
• the amount of vitamin D is much less than the 5,000 – 10,000 iu that we now know is optimum, especially for the elderly
• magnesium is necessary for healthy bones in about 2:1 ratio of cal:mag
• vitamin K2 is essential to direct the calcium into the bones (and along with magnesium will reduce the risk of kidney stones)
• vitamin C and trace minerals manganese, silica, zinc, copper, strontium, molybdenum and boron are also necessary for healthy bones
• a natural progesterone supplement is recommended for post-menopausal women
• finally, weight bearing exercise is essential to build and maintain healthy bones
To this list I’ll add my own observation that preventing fractures is only one of many functions of calcium and vitamin D, and not the most important one either. So even if they don’t prevent fractures there are good reasons for taking optimum amounts of both nutrients. Another factor not mentioned is that of systemic acidity which leaches minerals from the bones to maintain a healthy pH. Eating more alkalizing foods and or taking alkalizing supplements in addition to calcium will help maintain strong bones.
The last word in the New York Times article is given to a member of USPSTF, Dr. Bibbins-Domingo, whose quote reveals her lack of nutritional knowledge: “For most people there is no need for these supplements and good reason for many not to take them. Vitamin D and calcium are part of a healthy diet. Most people can achieve sufficient doses with a healthy diet”. That might be true for calcium, but unless you regularly eat fish liver, you will never achieve a “sufficient dose” of vitamin D in your diet!
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
January 30, 2012
150 Vitamin K2 Deficiency [30 January 2012]
In last week’s column I wrote that it was only recently that Vitamin K2 deficiency was recognized as widespread. Why are most North Americans deficient in this critical vitamin and why was it only recently recognized?
Only recently have we realized that K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone) are two entirely different nutrients with different physiological functions. K1 is relatively easy to obtain in leafy green vegetables and is recycled in the body, so deficiencies are rare. A deficiency of K1 results in bruising and bleeding from abnormal blood clotting, so is quickly identified. K2 is not as easily obtained, is not recycled, and deficiencies are not as obvious. A K2 deficiency results in osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and dental cavities, which are slower to develop (and usually blamed on something else).
Our gut bacteria produce some K2 for us and we convert a small amount of K1 to K2 in our liver, but we must depend on dietary sources for most of our K2 requirement. K2 is found in natto (a Japanese fermented soybean dish), goose liver, and the fat (egg yolk, butter and lard) of grass-fed animals. The highest food source of K2, natto, is a smelly disgusting food and hardly a staple in our diets. Goose liver is a rare delicacy at best. And what used to be our best source – animal fats – is now almost entirely lacking in K2 because of the diet of commercially raised animals. The animals need the chlorophyll in grass or other green food to convert K1 to K2 for us (hint: yellow animal fat/butter/yolk has more beta-carotene and likely more K2). Need I mention the advocates of the cholesterol theory who have been warning us for years to reduce animal fat for our heart health?
Another reason for K2 deficiency is increased hydrogenated fats in our diet. When oils containing K1 are hydrogenated, the K1 is transformed into DHP, an unnatural form of vitamin K which lacks the ability to regulate calcium. Another of many reasons to avoid hydrogenated fats (read labels of processed foods).
Source: Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox by Kate Rheaume-Bleue, Bsc. ND, John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Watch a 15minute interview with Dr. Rheaume-Bleue here.
Next week we’ll look at different K supplements and who can safely take them.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
Only recently have we realized that K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone) are two entirely different nutrients with different physiological functions. K1 is relatively easy to obtain in leafy green vegetables and is recycled in the body, so deficiencies are rare. A deficiency of K1 results in bruising and bleeding from abnormal blood clotting, so is quickly identified. K2 is not as easily obtained, is not recycled, and deficiencies are not as obvious. A K2 deficiency results in osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and dental cavities, which are slower to develop (and usually blamed on something else).
Our gut bacteria produce some K2 for us and we convert a small amount of K1 to K2 in our liver, but we must depend on dietary sources for most of our K2 requirement. K2 is found in natto (a Japanese fermented soybean dish), goose liver, and the fat (egg yolk, butter and lard) of grass-fed animals. The highest food source of K2, natto, is a smelly disgusting food and hardly a staple in our diets. Goose liver is a rare delicacy at best. And what used to be our best source – animal fats – is now almost entirely lacking in K2 because of the diet of commercially raised animals. The animals need the chlorophyll in grass or other green food to convert K1 to K2 for us (hint: yellow animal fat/butter/yolk has more beta-carotene and likely more K2). Need I mention the advocates of the cholesterol theory who have been warning us for years to reduce animal fat for our heart health?
Another reason for K2 deficiency is increased hydrogenated fats in our diet. When oils containing K1 are hydrogenated, the K1 is transformed into DHP, an unnatural form of vitamin K which lacks the ability to regulate calcium. Another of many reasons to avoid hydrogenated fats (read labels of processed foods).
Source: Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox by Kate Rheaume-Bleue, Bsc. ND, John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Watch a 15minute interview with Dr. Rheaume-Bleue here.
Next week we’ll look at different K supplements and who can safely take them.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
January 16, 2012
148 The Calcium Paradox [16 January 2012]
I’m reading a new book called “Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox” by Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, 2012. The paradox is that while calcium is often deficient in our bones, leading to osteoporosis, at the same time it can be in excess in the arteries, leading to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Why won’t the calcium go where we want it and not where we don’t? The answer is a little known vitamin, K2 (see my columns #76 August 17, 2010 and #109 April 4, 2011).
Vitamin D3 helps the body to absorb calcium from our food but does not direct where it ends up – that is the role of K2. The failure of calcium alone to reverse or even slow osteoporosis is well known. Heart studies are showing conflicting results – with some indicating that calcium and D are beneficial, others that they actually increase atherosclerosis and heart attacks. The missing key here is vitamin K2.
K2 is an essential cofactor for an enzyme which activates (by a process called carboxylation) the bone protein osteocalcin. Without being activated, osteocalcin is useless – unable to pick up and carry calcium (sort of like a combine without a header). As a result the calcium is deposited on the sides of the arteries where it restricts blood flow and could ultimately lead to a heart attack, instead of being carried into the bones where it can be used to build new healthy bone tissue.
Anticoagulant (“blood thinning”) medications like Coumadin (Warfarin) work by blocking the recycling of K1, the form of K involved with blood clotting. Unfortunately they also affect K2, the form that regulates calcium. This explains why osteoporosis and atherosclerosis are common side effects of anticoagulants. People on anticoagulants are advised to avoid food sources of K1 (leafy green veggies) and all supplements of vitamin K. Fortunately low doses (up to 50mcg) of MK-4, a particular form of K2, can reduce these side effects (by increasing carboxylation of osteocalcin) without interfering with the intended effects of the anticoagulant.
Watch an interview with Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue here.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
Vitamin D3 helps the body to absorb calcium from our food but does not direct where it ends up – that is the role of K2. The failure of calcium alone to reverse or even slow osteoporosis is well known. Heart studies are showing conflicting results – with some indicating that calcium and D are beneficial, others that they actually increase atherosclerosis and heart attacks. The missing key here is vitamin K2.
K2 is an essential cofactor for an enzyme which activates (by a process called carboxylation) the bone protein osteocalcin. Without being activated, osteocalcin is useless – unable to pick up and carry calcium (sort of like a combine without a header). As a result the calcium is deposited on the sides of the arteries where it restricts blood flow and could ultimately lead to a heart attack, instead of being carried into the bones where it can be used to build new healthy bone tissue.
Anticoagulant (“blood thinning”) medications like Coumadin (Warfarin) work by blocking the recycling of K1, the form of K involved with blood clotting. Unfortunately they also affect K2, the form that regulates calcium. This explains why osteoporosis and atherosclerosis are common side effects of anticoagulants. People on anticoagulants are advised to avoid food sources of K1 (leafy green veggies) and all supplements of vitamin K. Fortunately low doses (up to 50mcg) of MK-4, a particular form of K2, can reduce these side effects (by increasing carboxylation of osteocalcin) without interfering with the intended effects of the anticoagulant.
Watch an interview with Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue here.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
January 2, 2012
146 Many Benefits of Exercise [2 January 2012]
It’s the beginning of a new year and time to make our New Year’s resolutions. What single change will give you the biggest benefit for improving your health?
I found a video lecture that makes a good pitch for exercise. It’s called “23-1/2 Hours” by Dr Mike Evans, a physician and professor at U of Toronto. Watch it here (it’s fun and only 9 minutes).
Evans shows how exercise can help in so many different aspects of our health. Studies have shown exercise reduces:
• 47% pain & disability with arthritis of the knee
• 58% development of diabetes of those at high risk
• 30-47% symptoms of depression, depending on amount of exercise
• 41% risk of hip fractures in post menopausal women
• 23% risk of death in the large Harvard alumni study.
In a study of 50,000 people, Stephen Blair of U of South Carolina, found that low cardio-respiratory fitness was the single best predictor of death (hypertension was a close second). He also found that exercise “ameliorated much of the negative consequences of obesity” (which means being fat is not so bad if you keep fit).
An Australian study found that people who watch 6 hours of TV a day live, on average, 5 years less than those who watch none (Canadian adults average just over 4 hours). A Japanese study comparing commuting time (walking) and hypertension found that up to 10 minutes made no difference, 11-21 minutes reduced the incidence by 12%, and over 20 minutes reduced it by 29%.
So if exercise is the best medicine, what’s the dose? More is better, but the rate of return delines after 30 minutes per day (60 minutes for children). Evans ends with the challenge to limit our sitting and sleeping to 23+1/2 hours a day.
My paper route gives me an hour of walking 6 days a week, but when the alarm goes off at 6 am I can’t help but wonder if the benefits make up for losing 2 hours of sleep!
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
I found a video lecture that makes a good pitch for exercise. It’s called “23-1/2 Hours” by Dr Mike Evans, a physician and professor at U of Toronto. Watch it here (it’s fun and only 9 minutes).
Evans shows how exercise can help in so many different aspects of our health. Studies have shown exercise reduces:
• 47% pain & disability with arthritis of the knee
• 58% development of diabetes of those at high risk
• 30-47% symptoms of depression, depending on amount of exercise
• 41% risk of hip fractures in post menopausal women
• 23% risk of death in the large Harvard alumni study.
In a study of 50,000 people, Stephen Blair of U of South Carolina, found that low cardio-respiratory fitness was the single best predictor of death (hypertension was a close second). He also found that exercise “ameliorated much of the negative consequences of obesity” (which means being fat is not so bad if you keep fit).
An Australian study found that people who watch 6 hours of TV a day live, on average, 5 years less than those who watch none (Canadian adults average just over 4 hours). A Japanese study comparing commuting time (walking) and hypertension found that up to 10 minutes made no difference, 11-21 minutes reduced the incidence by 12%, and over 20 minutes reduced it by 29%.
So if exercise is the best medicine, what’s the dose? More is better, but the rate of return delines after 30 minutes per day (60 minutes for children). Evans ends with the challenge to limit our sitting and sleeping to 23+1/2 hours a day.
My paper route gives me an hour of walking 6 days a week, but when the alarm goes off at 6 am I can’t help but wonder if the benefits make up for losing 2 hours of sleep!
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
November 28, 2011
142 Soda Pop [November 28, 2011]
Do you drink soda pop? If yes, then quitting may be the best single thing you can do to improve your health – maybe even better than quitting smoking. Here’s why.
The sugar content of most sodas is about 30 teaspoons in a 1L bottle. Most of the sugar in soda is in the form of high fructose corn syrup – the cheapest but also the most deadly (see my column #55 March 22, 2010). High sugar consumption is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver & kidney disease, high triglycerides, vascular heart disease, and aggressive anti-social behavior. One quarter of Americans now consume 180 lbs or more of added sugar a year (that’s a pound every two days).
Diet sodas aren’t the answer either. There are other health problems with the synthetic sweeteners used in soda (see my column #14 June 1, 2009). The flavors are all synthetic chemicals with absolutely no nutritive value and questionable safety. Carbonated beverages removes oxygen from your blood and the phosphoric or citric acids leach calcium from your bones and teeth.
When you think about it, there is really no good reason for drinking pop and plenty for avoiding it. Your body needs plenty of pure water, it does not need sugar and artificial flavors. If you were offered poison and told that it tastes good and that drinking it would make you “cool” or popular, would you? Probably not. How many million dollars of advertising would it take to change your mind?
The principle of moderation may apply here. My wife Donna remembers as a child getting a small bottle of Orange Crush at the spring sports day once a year. I might drink a can or two of ginger ale a month. More than one a week however could be jeopardizing our health. Make the switch from drinking pop to water and discover how your health will improve. It may not be easy to quit though – I’m told that certain pops can be quite addicting. It will be worth it though because when it comes to beverages, water is still the real thing!
For more information see mercola.com and many other websites on the topic.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
The sugar content of most sodas is about 30 teaspoons in a 1L bottle. Most of the sugar in soda is in the form of high fructose corn syrup – the cheapest but also the most deadly (see my column #55 March 22, 2010). High sugar consumption is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver & kidney disease, high triglycerides, vascular heart disease, and aggressive anti-social behavior. One quarter of Americans now consume 180 lbs or more of added sugar a year (that’s a pound every two days).
Diet sodas aren’t the answer either. There are other health problems with the synthetic sweeteners used in soda (see my column #14 June 1, 2009). The flavors are all synthetic chemicals with absolutely no nutritive value and questionable safety. Carbonated beverages removes oxygen from your blood and the phosphoric or citric acids leach calcium from your bones and teeth.
When you think about it, there is really no good reason for drinking pop and plenty for avoiding it. Your body needs plenty of pure water, it does not need sugar and artificial flavors. If you were offered poison and told that it tastes good and that drinking it would make you “cool” or popular, would you? Probably not. How many million dollars of advertising would it take to change your mind?
The principle of moderation may apply here. My wife Donna remembers as a child getting a small bottle of Orange Crush at the spring sports day once a year. I might drink a can or two of ginger ale a month. More than one a week however could be jeopardizing our health. Make the switch from drinking pop to water and discover how your health will improve. It may not be easy to quit though – I’m told that certain pops can be quite addicting. It will be worth it though because when it comes to beverages, water is still the real thing!
For more information see mercola.com and many other websites on the topic.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
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