Oat Bran Kills!*

Here are some stories I’ve run into that may challenge the conventional wisdom of some foods and beverages.  Some were a surprise.

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Water

For years we’ve been told to drink eight glasses of water a day.  It was said that this was for our complexion, kidney and bowel health and general wellbeing. 

Well, now a study published in the journal Science estimates that the typical middle-aged man needs to drink between 55 and 60 oz. of water per day and the typical woman needs around 45 oz.

They didn’t say how many beers we require.

And, it is now believed that the martial arts star Bruce Lee, who passed away in 1973 at age 32, may have died from excess water consumption.  Too much of a good thing can kill you!

I don’t know about you, but I hydrate from the ice in my bourbon.

And, speaking of booze……

Healthy Alcohol

I’ve always heard that wine was good for you, and data analyzed by nutrition expert Tim Spector, who is professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College in London confirms that.  But he also had some surprising news.

His work concludes that:

·         Red wine, unlike white wine, has the grape skins left in during most of the fermentation process, so has high levels of anti-inflammatories from the fruit used to make it.

·         Similarly, artisan or craft cider, made with apples or pears, can contain as many anti-inflammatories as red wine.

·         Cheap branded beer appears to be similar to ultra-processed foods (Cheese Whiz anyone?), with its health benefits lost in the production process.

·         The least healthy choice was the gin and tonic (sniff….), along with vodka and whiskey drinks.

Anyone for a nice pinot noir?

Marijuana

Remember when everyone said that smoking cigarettes was bad for you?  Public service advertisements told you that smoking would kill you?  They put warnings on cigarette packs telling you that they’re bad for you.  Over time, smokers have been turned into pariahs. 

Many of these same people who were criticizing cigarettes assured us that marijuana was safe to smoke.

Well, to me, smoke is smoke.  Sure, weed doesn’t have nicotine, but it does have THC, the chemical that gives you the desired high.  I’m not anti-grass, but should we give it a pass by further encouraging its use via legalization?

Well, now, according to Forbes, a new study has found that marijuana smokes suffer a higher rate of emphysema than tobacco smokers.

I’m not surprised.  Time to switch to gummies.

Cholesterol

My doctor watches my cholesterol like a hawk.  “Your LDL is up two points and your HDL is down five points.  You need to make changes!”  Oh, you mean I can’t have big fat steaks with creamed spinach and buttered corn?  Damn!

I exaggerate – I don’t like creamed spinach.

In case you forgot, HDL absorbs cholesterol in the arteries and ferries it back to the liver, which then flushes it from the body.  For this reason, it had been dubbed 'good' cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is responsible for damaging blood vessel walls and contributes to the build-up of inflamed fatty deposits known as plaques, which raises the risk of a heart attack or stroke. 

Well, all my hard work watching my diet is for naught.  A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were not associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease.  Looking at 24,000 Americans, the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that there may be no such thing as “good” cholesterol.

Looks like plain rice cakes and carrots for me!

Eggs

Eggs probably lead the list of foods that you’re told are good for you one week, and bad for you the next.

Now a nutrition expert at the University of North Carolina has found that eating three eggs a day can provide a pregnant woman with enough choline, a key nutrient for their baby's brain development.  But experts warn only 7% of pregnancy-aged females are getting enough.

The first link between the nutrient and brain function was made in 1998, and the Food and Drug Administration did not set recommended daily intake levels of it for pregnant women until 2016.

So, cholesterol or choline?  If you’re pregnant I think the choline wins!

Chocolate

Another good food / bad food controversy is chocolate.  Right now, it’s the good food story. 

Researchers at the University of Surrey in Britain found that the consumption of cocoa improved blood vessel function and reduced blood pressure.

Also, research has shown that eating chocolate in the morning can actually help individuals burn fat faster.  The study finds eating chocolate for breakfast can increase fat burning ability.  It also reduces blood glucose levels, a key measure for people at risk from diabetes.  At night, eating chocolate before bed led to changes in the participants’ resting and exercise metabolism the following morning.

Cocoa Puffs, here I come!

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“The transformation of charity into legal entitlement has produced donors without love and recipients without gratitude.”

-          Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

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They Say That Laughter Is Contagious

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* Oat Bran Kills!

20 or 30 years ago, Clark de Leon wrote a daily column for the Philadelphia Inquirer.  “The Scene” was a lighthearted look at Philadelphia, and society in general.  One of Clark’s periodic stories was titled “Oat Bran Kills”, which spoofed science’s never-ending onslaught on established norms.  He envisioned that eventually science will determine that one of the healthiest foods, oat bran, is actually deadly.  We see this all the time today where one week eggs are deemed good for you and the next week some study says that eggs are poison that must be avoided at all costs.

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