healthbriefs
Red Meat Raises a Red Flag S
teak is still one of America’s favorite meals, but regular consumption of red meat products comes at a high cost for health. In a recent large study, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found red meat to be causally associated with mortality, including from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Senior author Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH, and his team observed 37,698 men from the HSPH Health Professionals Follow-Up Study for up to 22 years and 83,644 women from the National Institutes of Health Nurses’ Health Study for up to 28 years, all of whom were free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer at the beginning of the study. The researchers assessed diets via questionnaires every
four years and documented a combined 23,926 deaths in the two studies, of which 5,910 were from CVD and 9,464 from cancer. Their evaluation revealed that one daily serving of unprocessed red meat (about the size of a deck of cards) was associated with a 13 percent increased risk of earlier mortal- ity, and one daily serving of processed red meat (one hot dog or two slices of bacon) with a 20 percent increased risk. Red meat and related products contain heme (meat- based) iron, saturated fat, sodium and nitrites, as well as carcinogens formed during cooking. The researchers recom- mend turning to healthier protein sources instead, like fish, poultry, nuts, legumes and whole grains.
Wisdom from Water S
Black Pepper Fights Fat A
simple, widely available spice and kitchen staple may help us trim our waistlines.
New research published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry gives the nod to black pepper. The study provides evidence of a long-sought explanation for the beneficial, fat-fighting effects of the common seasoning. Piperine, the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, helps block the formation of new fat cells.
The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by
30 to 50 years. ~ Deepak Chopra
Keep Tabs on Radiation Exposure T
imply drinking a glass of water can prompt better choices at the dinner table, concludes new research by
T. Bettina Cornwell, Ph.D., of the University of Oregon, and Anna R. McAlister, Ph.D., of Michi- gan State University. In separate studies, young adults and children were tested according to their food and beverage choices. When the participants were served a soda, they selected foods that tended to be more salty and calorie- dense. However, when the provided beverage was water, participants ate more raw vegetables.
he cumulative exposure to ion- izing radiation used in medical diagnostic tests from dental and chest X-rays, mammograms, heart health exams and other procedures adds up, often reaching or surpassing the recommended lifetime limit of 100
milliSieverts (mSv) set by the American College of Radiology, according to a recent Harvard Medical School advisory. Among the tests that emit ionizing radiation are computer-
ized tomography (CT scans), cardiac catheterizations, coro- nary CT angiograms, cardiac calcium scoring and some types of stress tests. Heart tests that pose no radiation risk include electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dr. Warren Manning, chief of noninvasive cardiac imag- ing and testing at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, and a Harvard Medical School professor, advises, “One or two CT scans over a lifetime is appropriate. But if you have a condition that requires repeated monitoring, a test that does not expose you to ionizing radiation may be preferred.” Many radiologists take precautions to minimize clients’ radiation exposure, such as performing cardiac CT scans with one-sixth the conventional radiation dose.
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