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NUTRITION NEWS IV from Paula Harrison, M.S., R.D. SHOULD YOU CONTINUE TAKING ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTS? A new, comprehensive report suggests "no." Several studies conducted over the last decade have suggested that large intakes of the antioxidant nutrients- vitamins C,E, and beta-carotene - might help prevent conditions such as heart disease and cancer.However, some three dozen of the country's most distinguished scientists, after reviewing hundreds of studies on antioxidants and disease risk, have produced a 500-page report for the Institute of Medicine that sets new Recommended Dietary Allowances for antioxidants. They noted that most Americans get enough antioxidants from their food. They stated, "Insufficient evidence exists," they stated,to support claims that taking very large doses of antioxidants can prevent chronic diseases or otherwise improve health. They only slightly increased the RDA for vitmin C, from 60 mg to 75 mg for women, and 90 mg for men. Smokers are advised to add 35 mg to the recommendation for their gender. An Upper Limit of 2,000 mg was set . Upper Limits are a ceiling; they are the largest amount that healthy individuals can take on a daily basis, without risking adverse health effects. Intakes of vitamin C greater than 2,000 mg could lead to diarrhea and related GI disturbances. Also, there have been concerns that very large intakes of vitamin C may promote atherosclerosis, may interfere with cancer treatments, or may actually promote cancer growth; however, there is no definitive answer for these concerns, and further research is needed. Best food sources of vitamin C include strawberries, oranges, kiwifruit, vegetable juice cocktail, green peppers, pragefruit, broccoli, and baked potatoes. Vitamin E recommendations went up from 8 mg (12 International Units)for women and 10 mg (15 International Units) for men to 15 mg in the form of natural vitamin E, known as d-alpha-tocopherol (22 International Units). The Upper Limit was set at 1,000 mg (equivalent to 1,500 IU's of natural vitamin E or 1,100 IU's of synthetic vitamin E, dl-alpha-tocopherol. Higher amounts increase the risk of bleeding, both internally and otherwise; Vitamin E can interfere with blood coagulation. Best sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils like sunflower and safflower, wheat germ, nuts, and seeds. Small amounts are found in beef and poultry, whole grains foods, dairy foods, eggs, and vegetables and fruits. The old RDA for selenium was 55 micrograms for women and 70 micrograms for men; the new RDA is 55 micrograms for both sexes, with an upper limit of 400 micrograms. Higher amounts could cause brittleness as well as loss of hair and nails. Other reported symptoms of selenium toxicity include GI disturbances, skin rash, fatigue, irritability, and nervous system abnormalities. Best food sources of selenium include meat, seafood, whole grains, and to a lesser degree, dairy products (eggs) and fruits and vegetables. No RDA was set for beta-carotene and other carotenoids, and no upper limit was set. a large body of evidence suggests that the higher the blood concentration of beta-carotene and other carotenoids, including lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene, the lower the risk for a number of chronic diseases, including several types of cancer and age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness in old age, However, all of the promising evidence is ASSOCIATIVE in nature. In other words, clinical trials have not shown that carotenoids are RESPONSIBLE for reduced disease risk. It could be something else in the lifestyles of people who eat of lot of carotenoids, which are found ONLY in VEGETABLES and FRUITS. Carotenoids in pills are not associated with a lower risk for various diseases. Benefits have been shown only for carotenoids in the DIET. Good sources of carotenoids: carrots, peppers, tomatoes, squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomato juice, cantaloupe, papayas, mangoes, aprocots, kale, and collard, mustard, and turnip greens. (Green leafy vegetables have high concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin. Tomato juice and other tomato products contain more lycopene.) EATING LEGUMES IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART. According to a study presented at the American Heart Association's annual conference, people who ate legumes (beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts) including soybeans and tofu, four times a week has a 19% lower risk of coronary artery disease and 9% lower risk of all forms of cardiovascular disease than those who ate them less than once a week. The study included almost 12,000 healthy men and women who participated in an earlier well-known nutritional study who were followed for an average of 19 years. VITAMIN K MAY PROTECT AGAINST HIP FRACTURE. Scientists from Tuft's Vitamin K Lab obtained values for the vitamin K consumption and hip fracture incidence of almost 900 older men and women who had been partipipating in the well-known Framington Heart Study since 1948. Those men and women whose diets contained the highest amounts of vitamin K had the lowest risk for hip fractures. The more K they consumed, the lower their risk. The men and women with the highest intakes were getting about 250 micrograms a day, an amount that can be found in just a half-cup of collard greens, spinach, or Brussels sprouts. FAMILY DINNERS MEAN BETTER NUTRITION FOR CHLDREN. Harvard investigators collected information of the family dining habits of more than 16,000 sons and daughters of nurses participating in the ongoing Nurses' Health Study. The children ranged in age from 9 to 14. The scientists found that children who ate dinner every night with family members were twice as likely to have five servings of fruits and vegetables a day as those who ate dinner with their families only a couple of times a week. Also, they were less apt to have fried foods away from home and a little less likely to be soda drinkers. In addition, their diets were higher in a host of nutrients, including calcium, iron, folate, and vitamins B 6, B12, C, and E. REFERENCES: Nutrition Action Health Letter, Volume 27, Number 8, Center for Science in the Public Interest, October 2000. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 100, Number 9, September 2000. *****Paula Harrison is a registered dietician practicing in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Paula is a graduate of New York University with a M.S. in Nutrition. If you have any questions you might want to ask her, you may E-mail her at: gpgodart-smile@worldnet.att.net |
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