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Each month we feature one full
article from the current issue of the WELLNESS LETTER, plus our
Ask the Experts column, in addition to brief summaries of the
other articles, listed below.
Can Calcium Pills Hurt Your Heart?
Of all dietary supplements, calcium has probably been the least controversial. Even doctors who are generally unenthusiastic about supplements are likely to advise many patients to take calcium to help protect their bones. In fact, calcium was the first supplement the Wellness Letter ever recommended, way back in the 1980s—at least for readers who didn’t get enough calcium from food. As a possible bonus, studies in recent years have linked higher intakes of calcium with a lower risk of heart disease and colon cancer. No wonder, then, that there was shock and confusion a few months ago when a new analysis concluded that calcium pills actually increase the risk of heart attacks. Full
Story
When Mold Takes Hold
Many homeowners have had the unfortunate experience of peeling back wallpaper, removing shingles, or cleaning out the basement and discovering clumps of mold. The first reaction is often disgust, followed perhaps by fear that a mold outbreak will cause damage to the structure or serious health problems. Household mold can be a big problem, but it’s usually not as dire as many people fear. Here’s how to detect mold, treat it, and—best of all—prevent it.
Pap Tests: the Latest Advice
The Pap test for cervical cancer came into wide use in the developed world in the 1940s and has since saved millions of women’s lives. The test is cheap, noninvasive, and painless. Rates of cervical cancer, once the major cancer killer for women, have plummeted in countries where the test is used. The guidelines about Pap screening changed recently, allowing for less frequent testing of women with normal results. We discuss this and various questions about the Pap test, as well as the HPV test and the HPV vaccines.
ABCs of CLA
Can a dietary supplement help you lose weight and boost your athletic performance? Marketers of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) make these—and other—promises. CLA refers to a group of fatty acids formed from the polyunsaturated fat linoleic acid. It’s produced mostly by microorganisms in ruminant animals (cows, sheep, and goats) and found in small amounts in meat and dairy fat (as in milk and cheese). CLA supplements, in contrast, are made from safflower or sunflower oils. Promoters of CLA point to animal research linking CLA to reduced body fat, better cholesterol levels, improved immunity, and even anti-cancer effects. But the evidence that CLA supplements have such benefits in people is far less clear.
Connectedness and Health
Unless you’re a misanthrope, you know the value of friends, family, and other social relations. Not only do they add immensely to your quality of life, research has shown that they also tend to add years to your life. This was clearly seen in a recent review, which looked at 148 studies involving more than 300,000 people. It linked stronger social relationships with a 50% increased chance of survival, on average, over the course of the studies. And the effect was consistent across a number of factors, such as age, sex, and health status. There are several theories about how social relations affect health.
Merrily We Roll Along
It’s not often that you find great exercise equipment costing $25 or less. But cylindrical foam rollers, which you can roll your body over in countless ways, are just that. Sold on the Internet and in sporting-goods stores, the rollers can help you stretch and massage yourself, do strengthening exercises, and improve balance and body alignment. They’re often used by physical therapists for the rehab of certain types of injuries, as well as in yoga and Pilates sessions. Here are tips to get you started.
Toe Woes
An ingrown toenail is a common—and painful—foot problem. It occurs when the nail, usually on the big toe, punctures the surrounding skin, causing inflammation and sometimes infection. The main cause is improper trimming of the nail, made worse by walking, especially if you wear tight or improperly fitting shoes or are very overweight. Trauma to the nail (from stubbing your toe, for instance) can also contribute to an ingrown toenail, as may swelling in the feet. As you age, your toenails get thicker, making it more difficult to trim them well. Here’s how to treat and prevent ingrown toenails.
ASK
THE EXPERTS
Our readers ask: Does the potassium in potato chips “cancel out” the sodium in terms of their effects on blood pressure? What does “natural” mean on a food label? I usually breathe through my mouth—is that a problem? What are wheat berries, and are they healthier than other wheat products? Full
Story
WELL & INFORMED
Tips, Short Takes, and Other News You Can Use
More good buzz about coffee . . . Tried and true treatments—maybe not.
WELLNESS TIPS
• If many members of your family are obese, you may have a genetic predisposition to obesity, in which case it’s especially important to exercise and stay physically active. A recent British study found that in those with certain genetic variants known to increase the risk of obesity, staying physically active reduced the likelihood of becoming obese by 40%—even more than in those without these genes.
• If you are taking low-dose aspirin for your heart, you may be reducing your risk of colon cancer, according to a Scottish study. Accumulating research suggests that people taking aspirin or related drugs (such as ibuprofen) for pain relief are less likely to develop colon cancer, though the evidence concerning low-dose aspirin has been inconsistent.
• Following the DASH diet may lower your long-term risk of a heart attack, suggests a new study from Johns Hopkins University. Compared to people eating a typical American diet, those who followed the DASH diet for eight weeks reduced their estimated risk of heart disease by 18%, based on improvements in risk factors.
• You don’t have to lift heavy weights to gain muscle. Lighter weights may be even more effective—provided you lift them to fatigue, according to a small study from McMaster University in Canada.
• Drink plenty of fluids when exercising or working outdoors in cold weather. It’s easy to become dehydrated in cold weather because of the water you lose from breathing, sweating, and increased urine production.
• If you use a woodstove or fireplace, make sure it’s properly installed, vented, and cleaned. Pollutants released by burning wood can trigger or worsen respiratory conditions. In addition, cigarette smokers exposed to wood smoke face a high risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and wood smoke increases the risk of lung cancer as well, concluded two recent studies.
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