Category: Medicine Hat News

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Sugar… Sugar… You Are Not My Honey Anymore

Ice cream and fried bananas. (Dr. Bharwani)
Ice cream and fried bananas. (Dr. Bharwani)

Many experts believe sugar is a poison. So does the Mayor of New York city, Michael R. Bloomberg. The mayor has been trying to improve the health habits of New Yorkers for some time, with actions like bans on smoking in bars and city parks and the posting of calorie counts on menus in chain restaurants.

Bloomberg’s recent project was to reduce the obesity rates of his citizens by restricting the amount of sugary drinks they can buy. So, last week, the New York City Board of Health approved a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, street carts and movie theaters, the first restriction of its kind in the U.S. Now sugary drinks cannot be sold in containers larger than 16 ounces – some exceptions apply.

Dietary sugar is not good for your health. There are nine reasons why you should quit on sweetie sugar. It may cause hyperactivity, raise blood sugar level, suppress immune system, lead to obesity and diabetes, cause cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dental decay and macular degeneration.

Like many things in science, you can dig out statistics which have contradictory conclusions. This leads to confusion. The World Health Organization and others have said there are contrasting impacts of sugar in refined and unrefined forms. So there are at time no comparable studies to draw conclusions from.

Some experts believe hyperactivity is due to sugar consumption. Others have refuted the idea. Until we get a final word on it, you can stop feeding sugar to kids and adults – especially if they get sugar-high. Your blood sugar level goes up as soon as you eat sugary stuff. Consuming too much sugar suppresses the immune system. The white blood cells that attack bacteria are less effective. Immune system is also suppressed if a person is obese.

Consuming large amount of dietary sugar does not cause diabetes but it does cause obesity which is a risk factor in diabetics. A meta-analysis of several studies found sugar-sweetened beverages may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes not only through obesity but also by increasing dietary glycemic load, leading to insulin resistance, β-cell dysfunction, and inflammation. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that, when occurring together, increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is estimated the syndrome is present in 25 per cent of the the U.S. population.

There is indirect evidence to suggest consuming a diet with a high glycemic load is strongly associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood glucose levels.

It is suggested that Alzheimer’s disease is linked with the western diet. Animal studies suggest controlling the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages may be an effective way to curtail the risk of developing the disease. There are links between free sugar consumption and macular degeneration in older age. There is convincing evidence from human studies to show an association between the amount and frequency of free sugars intake and dental decay.

Bloomberg’s next project should be to do what Japan did in 2008. A law in Japan requires overweight individuals or individuals who show signs of weight – related illnesses to go to dieting classes. If they fail to attend the classes then the company and/or the local government would be fined.

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Eat Fruits and Vegetables to Produce Healthier Sperm

A sperm fertilizing an egg. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
A sperm fertilizing an egg. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock)

A study published in Fertility and Sterility reported men who consume a high amount of certain nutrients may produce healthier sperm than men who do not. The study also found this effect to be more pronounced in older men.

Dr. Andrew Wyrobeck and his colleagues from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California determined dietary micronutrient intake among 80 individuals aged 22 to 80 years. Examples of micronutrients are vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. These nutrients are required by the body in small quantities for a whole range of physiological functions. The human body does not produce these micronutrients. Sperms from these individuals were also analysed.

The study found men with a higher intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, and zinc produced sperm that had significantly less DNA damage than men who consumed lower amounts. Analysis showed that older men with an intake below that of the population’s median levels for vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc (but not β-carotene or folate) had significantly more sperm DNA damage compared with all other groups, including older men with above median intakes.

What does this mean? It means older men who are planning to father a child in the near future should start eating a healthy diet if they are not doing so already. Older fathers, with DNA-damaged sperm, may be contributing to the increasing rates of autism, schizophrenia and other diseases among children and adolescents.

Researchers say consuming micronutrients such as vitamin C, E, folate and zinc helps turn back the clock for older men. The analysis revealed that men older than 44 who consumed the most vitamins and micronutrients had 20 per cent less sperm DNA damage compared to men their own age who consumed the fewest nutrients.

In younger men, a higher intake of micronutrients didn’t improve the quality of the DNA in their sperm. The benefit was observed solely among the older men. But, of course, they are the ones most vulnerable to sperm DNA damage – and therefore have the most to gain from an improved diet.

Future studies are needed to determine whether increased antioxidant intake in older fathers will improve fertility, reduce risks for genetically defective pregnancies, and result in healthier children, concludes the team.

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A Pinch of Salt – The Rest of the Story

An overweight man getting his blood pressure checked. (Digital Vision/Thinkstock)
An overweight man getting his blood pressure checked. (Digital Vision/Thinkstock)

In my column last week, I discussed the adverse effects of dietary salt on your health. The conclusion was that if you want to stay healthy and have your blood pressure under control then you need to eat less than one teaspoon table salt a day.

After that, a reader sent me a link to a Scientific American article, “It’s Time to End the War on Salt,” written by Melinda Wenner Moyer.

Moyer says, “The zealous drive by politicians to limit our salt intake has little basis in science.”

Moyer’s argument is based on a meta-analysis of seven studies involving a total of 6,250 subjects in the American Journal of Hypertension found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death in people with normal or high blood pressure.

Moyer goes on to quote several more studies from all over the world. She goes on to say, “These findings call into question the common wisdom that excess salt is bad for you, but the evidence linking salt to heart disease has always been tenuous.” She concludes the article by saying there is little evidence for long-term benefit from reducing salt intake.

Point well taken. However, there is evidence that shows too much or too little salt in the diet can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, or electrolyte disturbance, which can cause neurological problems or death. Generally, more emphasis is given to the evidence showing an association between salt intake and blood pressure among adults. We also know reduced salt intake results in a small reduction in blood pressure. Evidence suggests that high salt intake causes enlargement of the heart and swelling of the legs. The evidence may be tenuous but it is there.

Like many things in science and particularly in medicine, strong evidence is lacking in many of the things doctors advise their patients about good health. Some advice is based on “tenuous” evidence as there is nothing better to suggest. When we have strong evidence that certain habits can lead to bad health and even cancer (e.g. smoking, sun worshipping) generally people ignore the advice.

The story of salt intake is a just a small pinch in the overall story of healthy eating and exercise in maintaining good cardiovascular system and good health. The message is, eat in moderation, it is not what you do and eat, it is how much you do and eat to stay healthy and happy.

Less salt won’t hurt you. Too much salt is not good for you.

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Salty Advice About Dietary Salt

A spilled salt shaker. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
A spilled salt shaker. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock)

None of us are strangers to table salt. Everytime you eat something, you probably make a remark regarding the amount of salt in the food. Some people may think it is just right, some may find it too salty and some may feel extra salt is required.

Our body contains many salts. Table salt (sodium chloride) is a major one making up around 0.4 per cent of the body’s weight at a concentration pretty much equivalent to that in seawater. Somebody has calculated a 50 kg person would have around 200 gm of sodium chloride in his body. That makes around 40 teaspoons.

We continually lose salt when we lose water from our body as salt is in a solution. So when we are sweating, vomiting, having diarrhea or voiding water by act of urination, we are losing salt. Salt cannot be made in our body so we have to replenish it otherwise there can be serious consequences.

Salt is needed to maintain our blood volume and blood pressure. Sodium is also needed for nerves and muscles to work properly. Low levels of body sodium can make our brain swell and cause confusion.

Too much sodium is bad for us as well. Excessive consumption of sodium can increase blood pressure, and that salt is a major determinant of population blood pressure levels. Some research estimates suggest the numbers of deaths averted by moderate reductions in population salt consumption would be at least as many as those achieved by plausible reductions in population smoking rates (CMAJ June 12, 2012).

The fast food industry is making its own contribution towards increasing the general population’s salt intake. Fairly large population is relying on fast food industry to provide their daily food needs. Fast food tends to be more energy dense, contain more saturated fat and salt, contain fewer micronutrients and be eaten in larger portions than other foods, says the CMAJ article.

Fast food items such as fried potatoes, pizzas and sugar-sweetened soft drinks typically provide between one-third and one-half of daily energy intake but less than one-quarter of most micronutrients.

Now what? Too much or too little salt in the diet can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, or electrolyte disturbance, which can cause neurological problems, or death. Generally, more emphasis is given to the evidence showing an association between salt intakes and blood pressure among adults. We also know reduced salt intake results in a small reduction in blood pressure. Evidence suggests that high salt intake causes enlargement of the heart and swelling of the legs.

There is a clear scientific evidence that a modest and long term reduction in population salt intake can result in a lower population blood pressure, and a reduction in strokes, heart attacks and heart failure.

Then what are we waiting for? Most of us consume more salt than we need. General recommendation is no more than six grams (about one teaspoon) of table salt a day. This includes salt used in cooking and at the table. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease then less than two grams of table salt per day will be helpful. Are you willing to try that?

So, how is your food tasting today?

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