B-related stories
Cut breast cancer risk with folic acid
Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Research shows that women who drink even small amounts of alcohol can spike their breast cancer risk. But getting enough folic acid can help.A long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that the proper intake of the B vitamin may reduce breast cancer risk for those who consume more than the equivalent of one glass of wine per day.
Want to get enough folic acid in your diet? Ask your doctor about a multivitamin containing the recommended amount or make a commitment to consuming lots of fortified cereals, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and juice.
Folate: Does it cause or prevent cancer?
According to a recent Swedish study, higher intakes of the vitamin B folate can decrease the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer. Folate may also lower the risk of cancers of the colon, pancreas, esophagus, stomach, and cervix. But there's a catch.
Folate can promote cancer development too. Excess amounts of folate can encourage the aggressive growth of cancer cells once a small tumor or polyp has already been formed.
And so it seems too much of a good thing really can be detrimental. The bottom line, though, is that eating a healthy plant-based diet will not put you at risk for excess folate. Just be mindful of supplements, certain nutrition bars, and cereals that provide 50 percent or more of the daily value for folate. Stick with natural food sources offering other beneficial vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The combination of all these goodies will help protect you from cancer.
To reference a dietary fact sheet about folate, click here.
Folate can promote cancer development too. Excess amounts of folate can encourage the aggressive growth of cancer cells once a small tumor or polyp has already been formed.
And so it seems too much of a good thing really can be detrimental. The bottom line, though, is that eating a healthy plant-based diet will not put you at risk for excess folate. Just be mindful of supplements, certain nutrition bars, and cereals that provide 50 percent or more of the daily value for folate. Stick with natural food sources offering other beneficial vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The combination of all these goodies will help protect you from cancer.
To reference a dietary fact sheet about folate, click here.
Immunizations not just for kids anymore
I have no idea when I last got a tetanus shot. But I just learned that I need a vaccine called Tdap, a three-in-one vaccination for tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis, every 10 years. Even if I was immunized as a kid against these diseases, I still need the shot. So do all other adults.
I never knew adults needed shots. Until now.
Apparently, about 50,000 to 70,000 adults in the United States die each year of diseases that are preventable by vaccine. It seems it's time we keep track of what we need, and when we need it. So here are some grown-up guidelines for those vaccinations we should not let pass us by.
Hepatitis B
If you've had a sexually-transmitted disease and/or are not in a monogamous relationship, you need this shot. If you have more than one sexual partner in a six-month period, you need this shot. It's given in three doses over several months and protects against liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. The virus is spread by sex with an infected partner or exposure to an infected person's blood.
I never knew adults needed shots. Until now.
Apparently, about 50,000 to 70,000 adults in the United States die each year of diseases that are preventable by vaccine. It seems it's time we keep track of what we need, and when we need it. So here are some grown-up guidelines for those vaccinations we should not let pass us by.
Hepatitis B
If you've had a sexually-transmitted disease and/or are not in a monogamous relationship, you need this shot. If you have more than one sexual partner in a six-month period, you need this shot. It's given in three doses over several months and protects against liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. The virus is spread by sex with an infected partner or exposure to an infected person's blood.
When kids choose a vegetarian diet
Healthy Kids, Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
Young vegetarians don't make up a huge segment of the population -- a 2005 independent poll totaled them at about three percent -- but they certainly are a growing group. And their choice to ditch meat, and sometimes eggs and dairy too, is becoming quite a popular topic of discussion as some wonder if these kids are getting the nutrition they need from plant sources alone.
It's definitely possible for youngsters to nourish their bodies via vegetarian methods, according to the experts quoted in this article. It's easier than ever, really, because nowadays, grocery stores and even fast-food chains are providing good selections of vegetarian foods. And as a society, we are becoming more and more aware of what it takes to achieve a balanced and healthy diet.
Still, human teeth and digestive systems prove we were designed to eat both animal and vegetable foods, says Kaayla Daniel, a clinical nutritionist in Albuquerque and author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food. She isn't against kids' rights to choose. She does suggest they eat fresh dairy and eggs, though. Excluding these items, she says, can lead to serious deficiencies of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids.
It's definitely possible for youngsters to nourish their bodies via vegetarian methods, according to the experts quoted in this article. It's easier than ever, really, because nowadays, grocery stores and even fast-food chains are providing good selections of vegetarian foods. And as a society, we are becoming more and more aware of what it takes to achieve a balanced and healthy diet.
Still, human teeth and digestive systems prove we were designed to eat both animal and vegetable foods, says Kaayla Daniel, a clinical nutritionist in Albuquerque and author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food. She isn't against kids' rights to choose. She does suggest they eat fresh dairy and eggs, though. Excluding these items, she says, can lead to serious deficiencies of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids.
How to get your vitamin B
Our bodies need a lot of stuff for proper functioning, like fiber, calcium, iron, water, a whole lot of exercise, and so much more. Like vitamin B.
The water-soluble vitamin B, in this case known as Thiamine, helps our cells operate like they should. It helps convert calories to carbohydrates and fats and proteins to energy. And thankfully, it's in many of the items we consume, even white flour. Vitamin B deficiencies are therefore rare. Still, we should be mindful of how much we need and how to get it.
Women need 1.1 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B per day. Men need 1.2 mg. Green peas, cooked dried beans and peas, wheat germ, and pork are all excellent sources. Also good are whole and enriched grains, fish, peanuts, and other nuts. Get creative and add black beans to salad, nuts to cereal, and wheat germ to muffin batter and you should satisfy your B requirements. It's that easy.
The water-soluble vitamin B, in this case known as Thiamine, helps our cells operate like they should. It helps convert calories to carbohydrates and fats and proteins to energy. And thankfully, it's in many of the items we consume, even white flour. Vitamin B deficiencies are therefore rare. Still, we should be mindful of how much we need and how to get it.
Women need 1.1 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B per day. Men need 1.2 mg. Green peas, cooked dried beans and peas, wheat germ, and pork are all excellent sources. Also good are whole and enriched grains, fish, peanuts, and other nuts. Get creative and add black beans to salad, nuts to cereal, and wheat germ to muffin batter and you should satisfy your B requirements. It's that easy.
Test your B-vitamins IQ
How much do you know about B vitamins? Most people know that they're important, and maybe that they can help boost your mood, but they do so much more than that. B vitamins have been linked with lower blood pressure, weight loss, reduced migraines, and prevention of birth defects (to name just a few). Basically, B vitamins are necessary for life. Take this quiz to see what you know about B vitamins, and what you don't. I learned a lot actually. Experts recommend getting the majority of your B's through a healthy diet, but supplements can also be effective as long as you take a B complex and not just individual B vitamin supplements (unless of course your doctor says differently).
Folic acid might slow hearing loss
In a study recently published out of the Netherlands, folic acid appeared to slow age-related hearing loss. Although previous research linked low folic acid levels to bad hearing, this is the first data to suggest that folic acid supplements can actually slow the onset of hearing loss as people get older.
The only real downside to this study is that because it was done in the Netherlands, when laws prevented folate fortified foods, the patients followed started out with folic acid levels at only half of the average U.S. citizen. So more research will need to be done to see if the results hold true under different circumstances, and that (I'm sure) will take awhile.
