LiveLongAgeWell

I have a regular disagreement with a doctor friend of mine. I tell him that most research supports that people who drink a little alcohol each day live longer, and he says no, sorry, that can’t be… (or if he’s in a good mood, he might concede: “yes, but only if it’s red wine”). And I always respond: no, actually, even people who drink a little gin or vodka or whatever each day live longer and with less risk of early death. It’s always the same argument.

So I was happy to see this recent publication of a large, impartial research project (part of the U.S. Health and Retirement Study) from a reliable institution; the University of California San Francisco, which followed 12,519 adults age 55 and over during a four year period with one question: who was more likely to die—of any cause—during the four-year period—those who didn’t drink any alcohol, those who drank “moderately” (one drink per day), or those who drank “heavily” (three or more drinks per day).

They found that people who had one drink per day enjoyed a 28 percent lower risk of dying during the four-year period. The researchers controlled for other factors like race, smoking, obesity, socioeconomic status and so forth to make sure that what made the difference was only the alcohol intake, and not some other factor(s), like that people who could afford a little alcohol each day also were thinner, or had better diets, or wore their seatbelts more, etc.

The study further concluded that people who drank three or more drinks per day increased their risk of dying during the four years by 11%. Those who drank just a little bit—averaging one drink per week—did not show a lower death risk like those who had one drink a day. In this study, the people who drank a little bit, or we might say moderately (one drink per day),  survived the best.

Alcohol and health though is a complex and controversial topic, and it brings out lots of passion and guilt, fear, danger…all of that, in doctors as well as in the general public. Floating around is the concern regarding addiction, and for all of us, that needs to be considered.

If you care to read more about this, and how cancer risk compares with heart risk and alcohol, I suggest you might start with this recent WebMD article.

Now I’ll ask my doctor friend—the one with whom I argue this issue—and see what he thinks about this UC San Francisco study. I suspect he won’t believe it. If you remind me, I’ll tell you what he says.

ps….yes, Buzz the poodle is better

Last post we discussed research showing that people who eat more red meat have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. During this ten year study, those who ate the most (red) meat had a significantly higher risk of dying of any disease.

Still, many people enjoy eating red meat, and there are some nutritional benefits. Red meat is a great complete protein and vitamin B12 source, both of which are difficult to obtain from vegetables (but fish for example provides both).  This study and others have shown that those who eat “white” meats such as poultry and particularly fish, have a lower risk of heart disease and cancer, so switching from red to white is the first thing to consider for meat eaters. Here are some other measures red meat eaters can take to diminish the risks:

1. Eat smaller quantities less often. Try to limit to two- to three times per week and keep to about 6 ounces per serving (the size of a deck of cards).

2. If you eat processed meats (like hot dogs and bacon), look for nitrate-free products, as nitrates are a known carcinogen (be aware though that nitrate-free meats need more careful refrigeration, as nitrates are normally used as a preservative to decrease bacterial growth).

3. Don’t char meat! Cooking meats at high temperature—especially on a grill—giving a black crust, forms many carcinogenic substances. Cook (thoroughly to avoid bacterial problems) at more medium temperatures.

4. Look at the sell-by date when you buy. Buy the freshest you can, avoiding oxidized, brown-tinged pieces.

5. Buy the leanest cuts to avoid saturated fat, known to increase the risk of breast and colon cancer. Bison, leaner than beef, is a good alternative. The fat in meat is where any pesticide residue or hormones are concentrated.

6. Consider buying organic, grass-fed beef. It may be safer as you avoid any risk of extraneous chemicals, and it is said grass-fed beef contains a higher concentration of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

7. At the same meal you have red meat, make sure you also eat several different vegetables, which may counteract the cancer-causing properties in the meat. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts have especially been shown to be cancer-fighters.

8. Consider drinking a glass of red wine along with a red meat meal. Red wine is full of cancer-fighting polyphenol compounds, and some data suggests these might minimize absorption of the carcinogenic substances in the saturated fats of meat.

Last Wednesday I presented some information about average weight gain during the holidays, and while the problem may be exaggerated in the media, none of us wants to arrive at New Year’s needing to make a weight loss resolution. More significant, the data indicates that whatever weight you gain during the holidays is especially difficult to lose and keep off, and that year after year, many people’s weight may creep up because of the those cumulative gains.

When we think of high calories, we might think more about what we eat, and less about what we drink, but beverages could be a big part of the problem. There was an interesting WebMD feature last week regarding the best and worst beverages for weight loss. You can watch the slide show here, or if you don’t want to slog through fifteen pages (and see lots of ads), you can read my summary below. I have added my own spin on their recommendations.

Let’s start with the drinks BAD for your diet:

SODA: The single biggest source of calories in the American diet, and switching to diet soda is of questionable help (paradoxically, may just induce you to eat other sweet foods). Best to avoid.

FANCY COFFEES: The ones you buy at coffeeshops with the fancy names that cost $3 to $6. May have close to 600 calories in a large. I detailed these in a recent post.

WINE COOLERS: A 12 oz. bottle may have 190 calories and 22 gm. of carbs. Regular wine or a mix of wine and sparkling water much healthier.

FANCY COCKTAILS: If add sugary syrups, chocolate, or cream watch out. For example, a white Russian has over 700 calories, and a super-size margarita more than 1000. Yikes!

Here are the QUESTIONABLE drinks:

FRUIT JUICE: May have as many calories as soda, but at least has nutritional value. Look for “100% Fruit Juice” on label, and note the calories per 8 oz. serving. Mix with water or sparkling water to cut calories.

SMOOTHIES: If someone else makes for you, probably full of calories. Make your own with low-fat milk and fresh fruit.

Now, the GOOD beverages:

WATER: May fill you up so you eat less. Pass on the bottled water and go for filtered tap water.

VEGETABLE JUICE: Lower in calories than fruit juice and usually more nutritious (look for ones with more fiber, which helps control hunger). Try to find “Low Sodium” versions, as regular often full of salt.

COFFEE: If black, calorie-free. Full of great anti-oxidants, and caffeine is healthy for most people. Again, see my recent post for details.

GREEN TEA: WebMD says it helps with weight loss but that effect is small. Still, it has some caffeine and is full of great phytonutrients, so drink up.

LIGHT BEER: About 50% less calories than regular beer.

LOWER-CALORIE ALCOHOL DRINKS: Not on the WebMD list, but for some people, can be both healthy and low-calorie. This is the topic for next Monday, just in time for New Year’s.

This Wednesday “A Simple, Inexpensive, And Valuable Last-Minute Gift”. In the meantime, enjoy your Holidays!