Staying Healthy Archive

Research clears vegetable oils, but use them wisely.

Fried food is usually near the top of a dietitian's no-no list, both to protect your cardiovascular health and to fight weight gain. But a recent Spanish study published in the journal BMJ suggests that fried foods' bad rap comes not from the fact that they are fried, but from the type of oils used in frying.

In the study, foods that were fried in healthy vegetable oils, such as olive oil, did not raise the risk of heart damage or clogged arteries. "Healthy oils can lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmias," says Dr. Helen Delichatsios, an internist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Three servings a day may lead to rosier complexions.

Here's a simple way to get healthier-looking skin: eat more fruits and vegetables.

If you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or you're prediabetic, there's a good chance you've been placed on at least one medication to control your blood glucose levels. Glucose is a sugar that provides energy to the body's cells.

Physicians have several diabetes medications at their disposal (see chart). Some drugs help stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin, a hormone that moves glucose from the blood and into cells, where it's needed for energy. These include meglitinides and sulfonylureas, some of the oldest diabetes drugs.

Research studies can give you access to breakthrough treatments.

In January 2007, Debbera Drake got the news every woman dreads. She had stage-four breast cancer. One doctor she'd sought for a second opinion told her she had just two years to live.

If we just implemented a few simple healthy strategies into our daily lives, we could dramatically reduce the number of cancer deaths in this country, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report, Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures. An estimated 577,190 people will die from cancer in 2012, according to the report. Nearly 175,000 of those deaths—about a third—will be due to tobacco use alone. An additional one-third of cancer deaths will be caused by obesity and overweight, lack of physical activity, and poor diet, the organization says. To turn these numbers around, the American Cancer Society is focusing on several objectives over the next three years. Their goal is to get more Americans to:

• quit smoking

• do 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week

• eat at least 2 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables daily

• protect their skin from the sun by staying indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., wearing an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen, and avoiding tanning booths

• follow American Cancer Society guidelines for breast cancer, colon cancer, and other cancer screenings.

Q. Should I take fish oil supplements for my heart? I've heard it helps people who have already had heart attacks.

A. More than 50 years ago, scientists observed that people with diets high in omega-3 fatty acids (found primarily in oily fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel) had low rates of cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These substances produce beneficial effects on the blood vessels, triglyceride levels, and blood clotting.

However, research so far has not shown that taking fish oil supplements provides the same benefit as eating fish. For example, three recent trials failed to show that fish oil supplements reduce the risk of death and heart attack in patients with established heart disease. Furthermore, no medical research proves fish oil supplements prevent initial heart attacks in otherwise healthy men.

Bowel prep is much more manageable, and CT-based ‘virtual colonoscopy' may one day allow you to skip that, too.

Public health guidelines urge people 50 or older to undergo colorectal cancer screening. There are a number of options, but the gold standard procedure is colonoscopy: using a flexible, lighted instrument to check for signs of colon cancer or the presence of potentially precancerous growths called polyps. Removing polyps can prevent cancer.

Here are some ways to increase your calorie awareness and lay the foundation for successful weight loss.

Is it possible to "trick" your body into losing weight by consuming either very low or very high amounts of protein, thus interfering with normal calorie metabolism? Some diet gurus would have you think so. But if it sounds too good to be true, as the old saying goes, maybe it is. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (see box below), it is the number of calories consumed that determines the amount of body fat gained or lost—regardless of whether you choose a high- or low-protein diet.

Harvard researchers discover a hormone released by exercise.

When you're taking a brisk walk on a beautiful day, what are you thinking about? The sun, the breeze, how good it feels to loosen up the stiff parts. The last thing you're thinking about as you pick up the pace is what's happening to your body chemistry.

When you exercise, your body chemistry changes in ways that we only now are coming to understand. Over the past 20 years, scientists have identified natural molecules in all of us that influence our appetite and our metabolism—and, hence, our weight. Now, researchers at Harvard Medical School and elsewhere are identifying the molecules that not only affect our weight, but also cause other health benefits of exercise.