Food, Recipe and Restaurant News: Health and Fitness for Tuesday ...

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Don't blame whitening agents in toothpaste for those breakouts Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Chicago Tribune A dab of toothpaste has long been a favorite home remedy for clearing up pimples. But could it also cause them? Despite suspicions from some zit-stricken folks seeking answers on online advice forums, dermatologists say there's no reason to blame toothpaste for acne breakouts. What toothpaste can cause, however, is irritation or allergic reactions in people with certain sensitivities, resulting in rashy bumps around the mouth or, perhaps, rosacea, a chronic condition of redness and skin sores that might be confused with traditional acne, said Dr. Richard Gallo, chair of the dermatology department at the University of California at San Diego. "One of the instructions we give to patients with rosacea is to think about the toothpaste you're using," Gallo said. People can be allergic to just about anything, but toothpaste's mint and cinnamon flavorings, which can include the allergens balsam of Peru, cinnamic aldehyde and peppermint and spearmint flavors, are major culprits in skin reactions, Gallo said. Trouble is, 95 percent of 153 toothpastes evaluated in a study did not list the specific flavoring ingredients, so people wouldn't know to avoid them, researchers wrote in a study published in September in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. And it's not easy to find toothpaste without any flavoring. Other potential allergens that were listed in many of the toothpastes reviewed included sorbitan sesquioleate derivatives, propylene glycol, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium benzoate and benzoic acid, the study found. People who are worried they are allergic to toothpaste ingredients should see a specialist who can test reactions to the specific ingredients, Gallo said. But sometimes a skin flare-up has nothing to do with an allergy and is instead irritation. Sodium lauryl sulfate, a detergent responsible for the foaming properties of toothpaste, is a common irritant that can aggravate the skin around the mouth just as might happen when you eat citrus or spicy foods, said Dr. Andrew Scheman, a dermatologist at the North Shore Center for Medical Aesthetics in Northbrook, Ill., who specializes in contact allergies and was the lead author on the toothpaste study. Some dermatologists have implicated fluoride as an irritant causing perioral dermatitis, a rash of tiny red bumps around the mouth usually brought on by topical steroids. But few studies have proved the link, and the claims remain "unsubstantiated," Gallo said. As for whitening toothpastes, Scheman said that if they cause irritant or allergic reactions, it's likely because of something else in the toothpaste, not the whitening agents. Super sensitive? If you worry your toothpaste may be responsible for your skin reactions, try switching to Tom's of Maine natural toothpastes, which have all ingredients listed and explained at tomsofmaine.com. Some are made without sodium lauryl sulfate or fluoride. ======== (c)2012 the Chicago Tribune. Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com Print | Comment | Tweet It | Facebook It

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Integrative medicine: Trying these may help avoid doctor Dr. Kay Judge and Dr. Maxine Barish-Wreden, McClatchy Newspapers Many people in the United States now have no health insurance, and many more are under-insured or have very high deductibles, which require them to pay significant amounts of cash for medical services before any insurance coverage kicks in. As our current health care crisis continues to unfold, more people will be using the Internet to make their own diagnoses and to figure out their own treatment plans before even considering entering the medical system. In this light, let's look at some common medical concerns, along with some over-the-counter remedies that you can try to help you feel better without having to make a trip to the doctor: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY --SAMe can work wonders for depression, and can also help to reduce arthritis pain. Start with 200 mg twice daily and slowly build up to 400-800 mg twice daily. Nature Made makes a nice SAMe product. Caution: do not take SAMe if there is a risk of manic depression or significant anxiety. --Kava Nakamal, made by the Eclectic Institute, is a safe preparation of kava that can be used for anxiety, insomnia, and muscle pain. Try one capsule 3 times daily as needed. --Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb that helps to soothe frazzled nerves and enhance sleep. As an added benefit, it may even improve libido in women. Try 500 mg 2-3 times per day --Holy basil is another Ayurvedic herb that can help to reduce stress and inflammation and improve mental clarity. Try 400 mg twice daily as needed. --Rhodiola, aka Arctic root, can reduce both depression and anxiety and also improve fatigue. Start with 100-150 mg/day and gradually work up to 400-500 mg per day. --Lemon balm and passionflower are calming herbs, and both can be taken as teas. Try a soothing cup of tea in the evening before bedtime. --Lavender oil is very soothing for many people; you can use it in a diffuser, or put a drop or 2 of the oil on your temples. MENOPAUSE AND PMS --Chaste tree (aka Vitex) has been shown to reduce PMS symptoms, including breast tenderness, swelling, irritability, and headache. Nature's Way makes a nice product. --Siberian rhubarb, sold as the product Estrovera, can reduce hot flashes and sweats in women with menopausal symptoms. Women with breast cancer or risk of breast cancer should probably avoid this however. --Vitamin E oil, coconut oil, and calendula oil can all help to reduce vaginal dryness; apply directly to affected tissues with your fingertips. DIABETES --Multiple herbs and supplements can help reduce blood sugar, including cinnamon, bitter melon, and chromium piccolinate. Studies also have shown that magnesium supplements can delay or prevent the onset of adult-onset diabetes. Of course, the best way to avoid diabetes is to exercise every day, eat a plant-based diet, and maintain a healthy weight. --Vinegar slows digestion and can reduce the blood sugar spikes that tend to occur after consuming foods with flour and other processed carbs. If you are a bread lover, try dipping your bread in extra-virgin olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar instead of slathering it with butter you'll help both your blood sugar and your cholesterol. INFLAMMATION AND PAIN --Being overweight or obese, eating the "Standard American Diet" (aka SAD), and living with a lot of stress all help to drive inflammation and chronic disease, including pain. Foods and supplements like fish and fish oil, ginger, and turmeric help to reduce inflammation. Try to eat wild fish two to three times a week or take about 1,000 mg of EPA/DHA every day, add one teaspoon of turmeric to your daily soup, and take ginger capsules or brew some fresh ginger tea from sliced up fresh gingerroot. --Tart cherry juice is very high in anti-inflammatory compounds and can reduce pain from arthritis; studies have shown benefit with 12 oz per day. And, it may even help you to sleep better! --For acute musculoskeletal pain from injuries, many people find relief from the homeopathic remedy arnica. Look for the product Topricin and follow directions on the label. HEADACHES --Many adults in the US are deficient in magnesium. Taking 400-800 mg of magnesium glycinate at bedtime can help to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches. If you develop loose stools, back off on the dose. Caution: do not take magnesium supplements if you have impaired kidney function. --Applying lavender or peppermint oil to the temples can also help to relieve a headache. IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME --Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules and probiotics can help to relieve dyspepsia, GI spasm, and bloating in people with IBS. Look for a probiotic that has a blend of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. COLDS AND COUGHS --Pelargonium, also known as South African geranium, can help to reduce cough and cold symptoms. Look for the product Umcka, made by Nature's Way. --Dark honey may also help to reduce cough; try one teaspoon before bedtime. Caution: do not use honey in children under the age of one. --Irrigating your nasal passages and gargling with warm salt water every day can wash out any attached viruses and bacteria, and reduce your risk of getting sick, especially during cold and flu season. There you have it -- a few things to help you stay healthy and happy. If you are taking prescription medications, please talk with your doctor before starting any over-the-counter products, as supplements can sometimes interfere with or affect the metabolism of prescription medicines. And of course, if you try some of these remedies and you fail to improve, it's time to see your doctor. ======== Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden are medical directors of Sutter Downtown Integrative Medicine program. Have a question related to alternative medicine? E-mail adrenaline@sacbee.com. (c)2012 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) Visit The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) at www.sacbee.com Print | Comment | Tweet It | Facebook It

Healthy eating, exercise will save lives if only we'd pay attention Cassandra Spratling, Detroit Free Press DETROIT -- Something wasn't quite right. Linda DeSmet was gaining weight. She couldn't figure out why. Then she started getting short of breath with the slightest bit of exertion. "If I walked a short distance, I had a hard time breathing," recalls DeSmet of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. She knew she should see a doctor, but she put it off. Then one evening, her sister insisted she get checked out. It's a good thing she did. "I was having congestive heart failure," says DeSmet, an administrative assistant for the tech company HP in Detroit. She ended up in the hospital for back-to-back heart surgeries in 2009 -- the first to replace a defective aortic valve; the second to install a pacemaker. Two years later, DeSmet is a healthy, active 60-year-old with a message for other women: "Take care of yourself. If you suspect something is wrong, check it out. We always blow it off, like I did. But we have to start putting ourselves first. We can't take care of anyone if we're in poor health." DeSmet doesn't just talk the talk. She exercises daily at Women's Only Workout in St. Clair Shores, Mich., and she sticks to a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in salt and sugar. There are big reasons women should be concerned, according to the heart association, which this year marks the eighth anniversary of the annual Go Red for Women campaign -- held in February. Among them: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women ages 20 and above. Heart disease kills more women than the next five most common causes of death of among women combined -- including all forms of cancer. One in 3 women dies of heart disease, compared with 1 in 30 from breast cancer. Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. But here's the good news: Women can take steps to prevent heart disease, and more research is focusing on women. A study published in the Feb. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that therapy using statin drugs -- cholesterol-lowering medication -- can be just as effective in treating women at increased risk for heart disease as it is in treating men. This is significant because until now, the effectiveness of statin therapy for women has been questioned, says Dr. Claire Duvernoy, founder of the Women's Heart Program at the University of Michigan Health System and chief of cardiology at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. "This analysis confirms that statins are another important weapon in the battle against heart disease in women," says Duvernoy. "It combines the results of 18 prior studies ... to definitively make the case that statins should be prescribed without regard to gender." But doctors point out that the most significant steps toward reducing heart disease risk are those that women can and should take on their own. "It's mostly common sense," Duvernoy says. "Know your numbers.Know your blood pressure. Know your body mass index. Know your blood sugar. Know your cholesterol. Know your family history. Work with your doctor to get those numbers into an acceptable range. "And it's especially important for women to stop smoking. Smoking seems to have a more detrimental impact on women's arteries than men's arteries." Women also should be aware that signs of heart problems differ for men and women. "Men are more likely to experience the classic chest pains and sweating like you see in the movies. On the contrary, women are more likely to feel pressure or heaviness in the chest or even in the back or shortness of breath," says Dr. Lalitha Rudraiah, a cardiologist at Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals. One of her main messages is that women need to know the seriousness of heart disease, and they have to begin to take care of themselves. "Women downplay the symptoms. They put off getting checked. They think, 'Oh, I'm just feeling tired.' Or 'I'll check it out later.'" "I had a patient recently who started feeling chest pressure at 3 a.m. and she decided she had to wait until morning so she could drop her son off at school first, and then she came to the hospital." Fortunately, doctors were able to treat her blocked artery, but it could have been much more serious, she says. Rudraiah points out that a 2003 study of 520 women shows that almost 80 percent of those who had a heart attack reported having at least one symptom -- fatigue, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, indigestion and anxiety -- for more than one month before their heart attack. Women must learn to distinguish between what's normal and what's not, doctors advise. For example, Rudraiah says, if today you can do the laundry and the next day it leaves you exhausted, get checked out. Both an improved diet -- one high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, sugar and salt -- and regular exercise can improve heart health considerably, doctors say. That's enough to motivate Michelle Haight, 42, of Troy, Mich., to eat well and exercise. She was born with a congenital heart defect and has had two open heart surgeries -- the second four years ago. Later this month, she and a couple friends will host an evening of Zumba, yoga, massage and meditation for women. The Heart2Heart Party is designed to help spread the word about the importance of eating right and exercising. "It's not a choice for me," says Haight, an adult education teacher. "I have two scars down my chest. I have to eat right. I have to exercise. Women have to start taking care of ourselves, for our benefit and for the benefit of those who love us." Most every day finds DeSmet walking a treadmill, riding a stationary bike and rounding the weight-training circuit. "Since the surgery, it makes you realize how precious life is," she says. "You shouldn't take it for granted." RISK FACTORS Smoking High blood pressure High cholesterol Physical inactivity Obesity Diabetes Source: Go Red for Women; American Heart Association ======== (c)2012 the Detroit Free Press. Visit the Detroit Free Press at www.freep.com Print | Comment | Tweet It | Facebook It

Coconut oil: Heart-stopper or healthy favorite? Kim Pierce, The Dallas Morning News Not long ago, coconut oil was vilified as an artery-clogging killer. But as anyone who follows nutrition trends knows, it's now the darling of the health-food set. Vegans like it because it's solid at room temperature and makes a good substitute for butter in baking. "We do use it in our coconut cake," says Amy McNutt, owner of Spiral Diner & Bakery, the vegan restaurant with locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. "It does cook up more like a shortening, with a more crumbly crumb." The fervor over coconut oil goes beyond its cooking properties. A quick check on the Internet shows it's touted as a remedy for everything from stress to kidney problems. Only 15 years ago, the Center for Science in the Public Interest demonized coconut oil for the mega-dose of saturated fat it delivered with movie-theater popcorn. In 2009, the nutrition watchdog group reiterated its position, calling coconut oil a "heart-stopping fat." So what gives? How can a single oil be both good and bad? As it turns out, we're really talking about two forms of coconut oil: conventional coconut oil and virgin coconut oil. "Unhealthy (conventional) coconut oil is produced from dried coconut," explains Tom Brenna in an e-mail. The professor of human nutrition at Cornell University is an expert on the subject. "It is extracted and then chemically treated in various ways to remove undesirable components and sometimes hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. It is hydrogenated oils, often called 'trans fats,' that are associated with cardiovascular disease." OK, got that? Artificially hydrogenated fat is, in CSPI's colorful lingo, "heart-stopping fat," the kind that raises LDL, the so-called "bad" cholesterol. Too much cholesterol clogs arteries, leading to blockages that can impede blood flow. Hello, heart attack. Virgin coconut oil is different. "Virgin coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconut by homogenizing it into a fine pulp and then gently heating," Brenna continues. "The coconut oil is skimmed from the top. No harsh treatment." So, it contains none of the harmful fats that occur with hydrogenation. The key term is "virgin." That's what you look for on a product label. But that's not quite the whole story. "Let's be clear on one point," writes Brenna. "There is no fat that raises cholesterol as much as conventionally produced coconut oil ... at least in experiment animals in which it has been studied. It's as bad as ever, and those data are solid." Conventional coconut oil is still used on a lot of movie-theater popcorn, which is why CSPI still disses it. "The question is whether gently produced VCO is better," says Brenna. Virgin coconut oil still contains naturally saturated fats. Conventionally processed coconut oil contains the same fats plus the artificially hydrogenated fats plus whatever changes occur during what Brenna calls the "harsh treatment." "This is biochemistry at its best," says Meredith Ratliff, a registered and licensed dietitian with Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas who thinks most people struggle even to understand hydrogenation. "I don't necessarily agree with the push to try to add more (virgin) coconut oil in the diet," she says. "I would say other fats have a healthier profile." We don't know how good virgin coconut oil is for you because our understanding of saturated fats and VCO is incomplete. There are saturated fats in chocolate, for example, that don't appear to be harmful. So, too, many positive benefits stem from lauric acid, a major saturated fat in coconut oil. This is where a lot of the online health claims come from, but they are not substantiated for virgin coconut oil. "Any lauric acid in the diet is good," says Ratliff. "Unprocessed palm kernel oil and cinnamon oil also contain lauric acid. The downside to coconut oil is that it contains a large amount of myristic acid, which has been shown to increase LDL and cholesterol." Her bottom line: Virgin coconut oil "can be a good option for replacing processed oils in your diet." Brenna's bottom line: "I eat coconut occasionally, so that means I eat the equivalent of VCO. I rather like coconut-based frozen dessert -- again the fat is essentially VCO. However, I would not knowingly eat any more than a tiny amount of conventional coconut oil, such as in a rarely eaten confection or candy." ======== (c)2012 The Dallas Morning News. Visit The Dallas Morning News at www.dallasnews.com Print | Comment | Tweet It | Facebook It

Source: http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/2012/03/health-and-fitness-for-tuesday-march-27.html

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