The Health Blog by Ryan Healy

Sarah's Health Questions

I have a personal philosophy that asking questions is far better than providing answers. That's why I really enjoyed Sarah's health questions on her raw food blog. She asks a number of questions that automatically cause me to start pondering. These are questions that should be thought about, researched, and answered.

No way would I have time to research and answer them all, but maybe I could for some of them. And maybe Sarah will continue to write and provide some of the answers herself.

Let me note that I have a five-month-old son. Since my wife and I are currently debating about when to start him solids, some of the same questions Sarah poses have also been rolling around in my head. :-)

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Antioxidants in Coffee

Coffee is the largest single source of antioxidants in Americans' diets. So reports a PhysOrg.com article published yesterday.

To be honest, I really wasn't aware that coffee is a good source of antioxidants. And, since it seems that to a degree it is, it's no surprise that coffee is the number one consumed source of them. (Coffee is the second most-traded commodity in the world, bested only by oil.)

Overall, it's pretty useless information. Despite the "revelation," the highest recommended coffee intake remains at around 1-2 cups per day.

Buried in the article is some information that can help you: "Of all the foods and beverages studied, dates actually have the most antioxidants of all based solely on serving size."

Nevertheless, the headline of the article reads "Coffee is number one source of antioxidants" because it reinforces what Americans want to believe: that coffee is healthy. Furthermore, a headline that read "Dates are number one source of antioxidants" wouldn't get nearly as much press coverage, even though it's a more accurate headline.

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Oldest Person Dies

The world's oldest living person, Hendrijke van Andel-Schipper, passed away today at age 115. She insisted that her daily helping of herring gave her a long, healthy life. Maybe there's magic in herring—or maybe there is magic in believing that what you are eating makes you healthy. Hmmm... You can read the full article about the Dutchwoman here.

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Hot Weather Discourages Exercise

If you want to improve your chances of sticking with a regular exercise routine, then choose a state with dry, moderate weather. At least that's what a new study indicates.

The Week Magazine reports:

"A new study found that people in cool, dry climates are far more likely to exercise regularly than those who live where it's usually hot and humid. [...] People in Montana, Vermont, Utah, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire—where there's a high percentage of dry, moderate days—exercised the most, while those in often hot and humid Hawaii, North Carolina, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, and Mississippi exercised the least."

I live in Colorado, in a southern suburb of Denver. Our weather is similar to Montana and Utah, and I know the residents here are some of the most active in the nation. Some "food for thought" anyway...

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Trudeau Headed for Court

This morning I learned that Kevin Trudeau is headed for court... again. The date is set for August 30 over claims that Trudeau's infomercial for Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About is misleading.

First, you should know that I haven't read the book. But I have read a lot of opinions on both sides of the argument. From what I can tell, Natural Cures isn't a bad book; it just fails to deliver on some of the promises Trudeau makes in the infomercial that's helped to sell more than 3 million copies.

I've posted about Trudeau's work in the past. If you're interested in reading what I've written and the 30+ comments readers have left, try Kevin Trudeau's Natural Cures or Kevin Trudeau, Part 2. Or, if you'd rather, read MSNBC's latest coverage here.

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Nine-Year-Old Boy Suffers Stroke

The local Highlands Ranch Herald ran a front-page story on August 11 that read, "Stroke strikes 9-year-old boy." Of course, I was shocked to learn that strokes can strike children, and I read the entire article.

The boy, Brady Jones, was in his physical education class when he suddenly dropped to the floor unconscious and unresponsive. What they first suspected was a seizure or massive migraine turned out to be stroke.

UPDATE: I recently corresponded with Brady's dad, Tommy. He provided some helpful information.

"12% of kids that suffer a stroke will die and more than 66% will be left disabled for the rest of their life. This only leave about 22% that will recover without harm. Guess what, Brady does not fall in that 12% or 22%. Life has been forever changed for him, us as parents and his 6-year-old brother. Post that fact."

Tommy told me the doctors have never been able to identify what caused the stroke. Brady was a healthy kid and he may not have lived had he not been as healthy as he was.

If you'd like to learn more about strokes in children, visit KidsHaveStrokes.org. Or if you'd like to help the Jones family directly, please visit Cause2Ride.com.

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Tom's of Maine Toothpaste

I'm in the process of reading The Fluoride Deception by Chris Bryson (one of the 12 books I'm reading). And it has prompted me to switch to a new fluoride-free toothpaste.

So I picked up some Tom's of Maine from Whole Foods Market. So far, I've really enjoyed it. I like the flavor. I like that it doesn't have fluoride. And I like how they list all of their ingredients on the side of the box, going so far as to provide a Q&A about what xylitol, propolis, and myrrh are and why they're used in the toothpaste.

I'm currently using Tom's "natural antiplaque toothpaste with propolis and myrrh" (they offer a number of different toothpaste varieties, both with and without fluoride).

My friend Chad, who just completed a year of teaching English in Japan, is convinced that fluoride keeps teeth from getting cavities. For proof, he indicated that Japan does not use fluoride in toothpaste or drinking water... and he observed that their teeth are riddled with cavities.

I tend to believe the Japanese have cavities for some other reason besides lack of fluoride. When I finish the book, I'll let you know more conclusively what I believe about fluoride and why.

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Prune Power

Sunsweet has come up with a new chart that they're now featuring on their dried plum containers. It claims that dried plums are three times better than fresh fruit.

Here's some of what the chart shows. Dried plums have 16 times the antioxidants of a banana, eight times the potassium in apples, six times the B vitamins of an orange, 83 times the vitamin K of a banana, and five times the dietary fiber of apples.

To see the full chart, check out Sunsweet's Nutrition Density Index (right now, it's just a reproduction of the label on the container).

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Tootsie Roll Surprise

A couple weeks ago I was out with my Dad looking at some home sites in a new neighborhood. We swung by the construction trailer so my Dad could ask some questions.

As I sat there,  I noticed a dish of fruit-flavored Tootsie Rolls. I read the ingredient list. And would you believe it? All three flavors—cherry, lemon, and orange—have partially hydrogenated soybean oil as the third ingredient.

Tootsie Rolls are one of the last places I expected to see trans fats. But the more I learn about what's in different foods, the less I'm surprised...

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Heinz's Lycopene Ketchup

Heinz is now encouraging consumers to buy their ketchup products because they are good sources of lycopene. But while that's true, why don't they also say, "Good source of sugar!" (High fructose corn syrup is the third ingredient; corn syrup is the fourth.)

Now, to my chagrin, they've made an "improvement" to their ketchup: they've substituted sucralose for sugar to create Heinz One Carb Ketchup. My advice: stick to the original "corn syrup recipe" if you're going to use Heinz ketchup.

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