September 2016 Volume 19, Number 9 June 2019 Volume 22, Number 6 Beets and Other In the News .............................................. 2-3 • Diet drinks found to increase stroke risk “Super” Vegetables • Tomatoes’ health benefits differ by their skin color Tap into the healthy nutrients • Red raspberries may help blood in vegetable superfoods. sugar levels Healthy Eating ........................................... 2 uperfoods are aptly named because Demystifying today’s milk choices S their rich nutrients—including Getty | sagarmanis Images © Medical Nutrition .................................... 4 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and Choosing low-GI foods without disease-fighting phytochemicals—provide having to do the math numerous health benefits. They have been Beets contain betacyanin, which fights cancer, and the anti-inflammatory betaine. Supermarket Sleuth ............................. 5 linked with reducing inflammation and String cheese makes a healthy snack LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and lowering Some of the most well-known and easy- your risk of a heart attack, stroke, to-find superfoods include beets, aspara- BodyWorks/ Moves of the Month .............................. 7 diabetes, and some cancers. gus, avocado, broccoli, carrots, and kale. Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles Superfoods are found in whole grains, Beets have high levels of potassium Ask Dr. Etingin ........................................... 8 protein, and fruit, but some of the most (an electrolyte which counters the effects • Is Lipozene a fad or does it really nutrient-packed are from the vegetable of sodium and balances chemicals in the help with weight loss? category—which most adults don’t get body), magnesium (for healthy muscles, • Are there any foods that can help enough of. According to a Centers for nerves, blood sugar, and blood pressure), relieve heartburn or GERD naturally? Disease Control and Prevention study, just iron (for making red blood cells), and 9.3 percent of participants consumed the folate (also known as vitamin B9, which recommended 2.5 servings per day. Continued on page 6 Higher Whole-Grain Intake May Reduce The Pros and Cons of Fad Diets Risk of Liver Cancer They bring quick weight loss, but are hard to sustain and can pose Increasing intake of whole grains and dietary fiber can reduce risk of some health risks. insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, veryone wants a weight-loss shortcut: Keto Diet and inflammation—factors which E Just eat this food and follow these rules The Ketogenic diet forces the body to lead to liver cancer, also known as to make the pounds melt away. But fad burn fat for fuel, a state known as ketosis. hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), diets aren’t so simple. They are restrictive The diet requires that you eat lots of satu- according to research published in and difficult to sustain. Before you try one, rated fat (like cheese, heavy cream, butter, JAMA Oncology, Feb. 21, 2019. Data understand its pros and cons. bacon, red meat, and poultry with skin), on more than 125,000 people (61.5 some unsaturated fat (like nuts, seeds, percent women) were reviewed Long-term health should always be the goal, not short-term gains. and avocados), and miniscule amounts of for more than 24 years. The carbohydrates (as few as 20 grams researchers analyzed participants’ per day) from fruits and vegetables, intake of whole grains, two of their whole grains, and legumes. Some subcomponents bran and germ, variations of the Keto diet allow and dietary fiber from cereal, fruits, more carbs than others. and vegetables. At the end of the Pros: The diet is associated study period, 141 participants had with quick weight loss and HCC. Those who increased their short-term blood sugar whole grains and total dietary control. And, there is solid fiber intake over the study period evidence it helps reduce significantly reduced their risk of the seizures in people with epilepsy. predisposition factors for HCC. Continued on page 6 © juststock | Getty Images HEALTHY EATING Diet Drinks Found to Increase Stroke Risk Of 81,714 women ages 50 to 79 who Demystifying Today’s Milk Choices participated in the Women’s Health How to decide which one is right for you. Initiative Observational Study (1993 to © gilaxia | Getty Images 1998), those who self-reported drink- n the U.S., milk is a primary part of ing two or more artificially sweetened most children’s diets from the time beverages per day—just 5.1 percent I they’re born. However, adults often of the group—had the highest risk outgrow the taste, or develop an intoler- of small artery occlusion ischemic stroke, as well as the highest risk of ance to the milk-sugar lactose. As a death from all causes. Among women result, more than 80 percent of people in with no history of cardiovascular the U.S. don’t meet their daily recom- disease or diabetes, high consump- mended requirement of 3 cups of low- tion of diet beverages resulted in a fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, and two-fold increase in ischemic stroke cheese) per day, according to the U.S. risk, according to a study published in Department of Agriculture (USDA). Stroke, Feb. 14, 2019. Also, women with Calcium, a key nutrient in dairy, is critical for preventing bone loss as we Low-fat or fat-free milk can help you meet your recommended a body mass index (BMI) above 30 requirement of 3 cups of dairy per day. (obese) had double the risk than age. A 2018 study in Osteoporosis Inter- those with a BMI under 30. national showed an 8 percent decrease eliminated antibiotics and artificial in hip fractures among men and women growth hormones. Also, removing the Tomatoes’ Health Benefits who drank milk. milk fat takes out much of the vitamin A, Differ by Their Skin Color Meanwhile, a rise in research touting so reduced-fat and fat-free milks are for- the benefits of plant-based diets, along tified with vitamin A palmitate (which Tomatoes contain antioxidants, which with increased awareness of lactose comes from animal products). fight free radicals (unstable molecules) intolerance, has fueled a new alternative Lactose-free. Lactose is a sugar found in the body. However, a recent study, milk category. With so many choices, naturally in dairy milk that some people published in Journal of the American how can a person select the right milk can’t fully digest, and it causes bloating, Society for Horticultural Science, January to put into their coffee or cereal bowl? gas, a sour feeling, and diarrhea. The 2019, found that different types and Here, we help decipher your options. term “lactose-free” is a misnomer. The colors of tomatoes have different lactose is not gone. Instead, the enzyme antioxidants. Researchers studied Dairy Milk lactase has been added to break down four organic and four hybrid tomato Whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and the lactose and make it easier to digest. types. The classic red tomato had the most lycopene and beta carotene, fat-free. These four milk types, as well Lactose-free milk comes in whole, both carotenoids, which are good as lactose-free, A2, and organic milk, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free. for heart health and protect against have the same amounts of protein (8 A1 and A2. A1 and A2 are proteins. some cancers and sun damage. grams [g] per cup) and calcium (300 Most regular dairy milk has both, Orange tomatoes were highest in milligrams), along with potassium, although some cows have one or the tocopherol (vitamin E), which is phosphorus, iodine, thiamin, riboflavin, other in their DNA. Since A1 can cause good for skin, including skin cancer and vitamins A, B12, and D3. Vitamin digestive stress, some cows are being and rashes. Yellow tomatoes had D is added in processing. These milks bred to carry just A2, while some com- the most polyphenols, which help also contain trace amounts of selenium, panies are removing A1 in processing. with cholesterol, blood pressure, and zinc, and magnesium. Organic. Organic milk is more overall heart health. With society’s growing interest in expensive than regular, but it contains eating healthier, many dairy farms have no antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic Women’s Nutrition Connection is Editor-in-Chief Executive Editor Cardiology Gynecology Physiatry published monthly for $39 per year by Belvoir Media Group, LLC, 535 Lynn Russo Whylly Jessica M. Pena, M.D. Margaret Polaneczky, M.D. Jaclyn H. Bonder, M.D. Orli R. Etingin, M.D. Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, CT Internal Medicine Physical Therapy Director, Iris Cantor Associate Editors Dermatology 06854-1713. Robert Englander, Shari Midoneck, M.D. Polly de Mille, R.N. Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, Women’s Health Center; Kate Brophy Joseph L. Jorizzo, M.D. Executive Vice President, Editorial Director; Vice Chairman, Jay Roland Neurology Psychiatry Endocrinology Nancy Nealon, M.D. Minna Fryer, M.D. Philip L. Penny, Chief Operating Officer; Greg Department of Medicine; King, Executive Vice President, Marketing Contributors Andrew Martorella, M.D. Professor of Clinical Nutrition Radiology Director; Ron Goldberg, Chief Financial Medicine, Weill Cornell Tanya Freirich, R.D. Gastroenterology Louis Aronne, M.D. Ruth Rosenblatt, M.D. Officer; Tom Canfield, Vice President, Heidi Godman R. Brown, Jr., M.D., M.P.H. Jenna Rosenfeld, R.D. Circulation. © 2019 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Medical College Rheumatology David Fryxell Rachel Lustgarten, R.D. 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