The cost of eating healthy foods has been the subject of growing debate as experts continue to issue warnings to Americans about the dangers of obesity and many Americans continue—by most measurements—to ignore them. A recent study conducted by the USDA strongly suggests that the popular perception of health foods as far more expensive than convenience or processed foods is simply a popular misconception.
According to government statistics, more than a third of U.S. adults are obese, another third are overweight, and without major changes in diet and lifestyle, researchers are only expecting both categories to increase in number. One major hurdle to overcoming this epidemic of excess weight sweeping across the nation is the belief—stated or unstated—that for most people, making the switch would not be economically feasible.
The USDA study criticizes a 2010 report from researchers at the University of Washington which suggested that, calorie-for-calorie, processed junk foods are more cost-effective for low-income people than eating healthy. It is worth mentioning that the 2010 study performed its measurements based on this comparably simple dollars-to-calories ratio. The more recent USDA study took a more comprehensive view, examining standardized portion sizes of various foods, correlated with nutrient density, in relation to purchase price.
Such an approach represents an important shift, which factors in not only satiety, but also addresses the underlying issue of consuming foods that are calorie-dense and nutrient-deficient. A cup of black beans, for example, contains fewer calories than a doughnut; also less fat, sodium and sugar. On the other hand, it contains more protein and fiber, and as such is far more likely to promote a feeling of fullness.
According to the authors of the current research, “cheap food that provides few nutrients may actually be `expensive’ for the consumer from a nutritional economy perspective, whereas food with a higher retail price that provides large amounts of nutrients may actually be quite cheap.”
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(source:crossfit.com)
Vitamin D helps calcium absorption and is needed for bone growth. Vitamin D deficiency can lead toosteomalacia, resulting in softer and weaker bones. Osteomalacia also interferes with new bone formation, which can be very problematic for someone undergoing spinal fusion surgery, where bones have to fuse together in order to span an internal gap.
Jacob M. Buchowski, MD and his team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis recently completed a study of 313 patients who were undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Of this group, 44 percent were male and 56 percent were female; the average age of was 55. Analysis indicated that more than half had inadequate levels of vitamin D, including 25 percent who were severely deficient.
Low vitamin D levels are relatively common in older popultations–this is one of the reasons the RDA for adults over 70 is approximately 30 percent higher than the standard recommendation. In this study, however, it came as a surprise that the patients most likely to have inadequate levels of the bone-building vitamin were younger. “We rarely think about deficiency in younger patients,” Buchowski says. “More of the older patients in this study had a history of taking supplements, and as a result, they had less risk for vitamin D deficiency than younger patients.”
“Our findings suggest it may be worthwhile to screen surgery patients for vitamin D,” says Buchowski. He feels as if patients with insufficient levels of vitamin D could benefit from taking 50,000 international units of the vitamin once a week for eight weeks before a surgery. This extra boost in vitamin D may help facilitate recovery after spinal fusion surgery.
Based on the results of the survey, Buchowski and his colleagues are recommending that patients that are waiting to have a spinal fusion surgery take a vitamin D supplement prior to and following surgery. Along with all the other great benefits this vitamin has to offer, that may also be good advice for those of us who are hoping to avoid spinal fusion surgery–or any other kind.
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Reference:
Wells, S. (n.d.). Vitamin d recommended for speedy recovery. Retrieved from http://isotonixblog.marketamerica.com/vitamin-d-recommended-for-speedy-recovery/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed: isotonix (Isotonix Blog)
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This meta-analysis was conducted by researchers from the John Hopkins Medical Institution. They pooled data from 29 clinical trials, with the median dose of Vitamin C calculated to be 500 milligrams per day, and a median trial duration of eight weeks.
The results showed that Vitamin C supplementation was associated with a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the all cases, with even greater reductions in people who actually suffer from hypertension. When the data was filtered through to include only people with hypertension, there were average systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions of 4.85 and 1.67 mmHg, respectively.
Because this is the first meta-analysis on this issue, additional trials are recommended for validation. These longer, more extensive trials may be difficult and costly, but it’s difficult to put a price on the hope that something as simple and easy as vitamin C supplementation may reduce the risk of hypertension.
ocamargo@unfranchise.com
shop.com/ocamargo
Reference:
Wells, S. (n.d.). Lowering blood pressure with vitamin c. Retrieved from http://isotonixblog.marketamerica.com/lowering-blood-pressure-with-vitamin-c/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed: isotonix (Isotonix Blog)
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Attention ACSP members, friends and family! We are once again participating in the MS150 Citrus Tour. The Citrus Tour is an event for cyclists and all those seeking a personal challenge and a world free of MS… Bike MS is the premier fundraising cycling series in the nation.
If you would like to sponsor or join the Altamonte CrossFit team, please visit our link below or contact Danny and Orlando directly. ACSP members are welcome to join us poolside for a relaxing afternoon after the race!
Bike MS: The Citrus Tour 2012
April 21-22, 2012
Bok Tower Garden
1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853
to
Caribe Royale Resort
8101 World Center Dr., Orlando, FL 32821
Sponsor/Donate