Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Examine the Fine Print

You know that you need to read the fine print in contracts, but it may not have occurred to you that you also need to examine the “fine print” in scientific articles. Now, you may say, “I don’t read such articles anyway, so who cares?” Well, you should care because it is in this “fine print” that conclusions that affect your health can be “massaged” for particular purposes.

The fine print (some journals actually do use a smaller font size) occurs in the Materials and Methods, and Results sections of the article, and in the Acknowledgements. If the reader gets past the Abstract, s/he will probably read only the Introduction and Conclusion/Discussion sections. Few readers, other than those also doing work in the same field, will read the Materials and Methods, and Results sections. And even fewer will note who funded the research described in the article. For many types of research, this may not matter. But for research studies that affect our health, it matters a great deal.

For instance, if you see news releases proclaiming the benefits of dairy products, find the original article. You may have to get it through inter-library loan to avoid paying the high journal fees. Check the article to see who funded the research. The odds are that it was funded by the dairy producers in some form or other. Then you need to examine the fine print in the Materials and Methods, and Results sections. If you do not have a background in that field of research, it may be difficult to understand, so you will probably need to find a friend who can help. This effort matters because how the results are presented in the Abstract and the Conclusion/Discussion may not be fully supported by what is actually in the Results section. The conclusions may be massaged in a way that those funding the research would approve.

Certainly, not all research will have been massaged, but whenever new information on health issues is trumpeted in the news, be cautious in accepting the results. Examine the fine print.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Food Fight

Do you need to eat grains and dairy for good health? Is a bowl of cereal with milk a good way to begin the day? Does every body need milk? The answer to all three questions is a big NO! The overwhelming majority of the world’s populations cannot handle milk after infancy: it causes acute gastric distress. Significant numbers of individuals also are sensitive to the gluten found in wheat, oats, and barley. Their health is sub-optimal when they eat grains.

But the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) either is unaware of these facts (hard to believe) or does not care. Why? Because they are more interested in maintaining the profitability of Agribusiness than in maintaining the optimal health of consumers. Yes, they are concerned about food safety which does, obviously, impact consumer health. However, beyond food safety is the issue of nutrient optimization; and it is here that the USDA’s hand-in-glove relationship with Agribusiness takes precedence over what is best for the consumer.

Over the past decades, the public has been indoctrinated into believing that grains and dairy are the basis of good health. First there was the Four Squares with grains and dairy each having their own square. Then there was the Food Pyramid with grains forming the foundation and dairy taking up a significant chunk of the upper levels. The current iteration is a revised pyramid with conical stripes running from base to tip called My Pyramid. This version is designed to take into account an individual’s gender, age, and activity level in designing a pyramid just for that individual. Or so says the USDA.

I tried using it when it was first posted online a few years ago. The results were not too surprising, or too different from prior recommendations, and included a daily intake of three glasses of milk. I decided to see what the results would be for other gender and age combinations. The biggest change was in daily calorie intake. One constant: no matter what age/gender combination I used, everyone was told he/she needed three glasses of milk each day. Hmm…

I would suggest that you try this for yourselves, but when I tried to log on to the site today, I got a “website cannot be found” message even though the USDA origin page shows that it was recently updated. Maybe the USDA is doing an upgrade? I don’t know. But keep checking so that you can try it yourself and let me know what you find out.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Feeling Groovy

Walking is the best exercise. It is the exercise our bodies are adapted to do, so I am happy to see so many people out walking on beautiful days. However, I think that most of them are missing one of the other keys that makes walking the best exercise: being a part of nature.

I see people with a very determined set to their faces, listening to I-pods, and striding briskly along, looking straight ahead with a somewhat blank gaze. Others are so engrossed in conversation with their fellow walkers that they could be walking on a treadmill for all the notice they take of their environment. Then there are the dog walkers. One might think that they would be paying more attention to the environment since their dog certainly is. But that does not appear to be the case.

Now, if you are mall-walking, conversation and I-pods do make the activity more enjoyable. But if you are outside, going as fast as you can from point A to point B causes you to miss out on the additional rejuvenating aspect of walking. It isn’t just about the physical exercise, but also the emotional well being that being a part of nature can bring to your psyche.

When I was a child and visited my grandmother, we went on lots of walks. Grandma never seemed in a hurry to get anywhere. She would point out the beautiful flowers, the interesting architecture. She would stop to chat with friends, or even strangers. It was she who first told me to take time to smell the flowers. And we actually would stop to smell them.

So, yes, we do need the exercise, but sometimes we also need to slow down because life is moving too fast. Next time you take a walk outdoors, do so without any distractions and take the time to really look around you. Notice the beauty, feel the peace, and feel a little groovy.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Attitude Adjustment

Like many of you, I used to turn on the news to listen to (maybe watch a bit) as I got ready for work each morning. I like having some background noise to remind me to keep moving. I was dissatisfied with the shows, and so kept switching among them. Finally, after one particularly acrimonious exchange between two guests that managed to rile me up, I decided that this was no way to begin the day.

Fortunately, on cable there are options. Since I am a scientist, I eventually settled on the science channel. There is a tad too much techno info for my taste, but there are facts and data aplenty, presented in a nice, neutral tone. As someone who loves learning new things, that works well for me. I don’t ignore the news, but I get my news during the day in online print (not video).

If you begin the day riled and disgruntled, you will likely have an unhappy, unproductive day. On the other hand, if you begin the day in a serene frame of mind, your day is more likely to go well.

I definitely begin my days with a much better attitude now that I’ve adjusted my “dial” from the news to something more appealing.

If your start to the day makes you irritable, figure out what might be contributing to your bad mood and try to eliminate it. Do something that buoys you up at the beginning of the day and your entire day will be better.

What have you altered or eliminated for a better start to your day?