Questions From Our Readers…
Q: Is the fat content of wild animals different from that of domesticated meat?
A: Yes. Domesticated beef ranges from 25 - 45% fat, with pork 35 - 60%. Wild venison is about 4 - 5% fat, as are moose, and wild pigs are only 2 - 3%. Perhaps more important is that the ratio of different fats (i.e. saturated to unsaturated) is much more balanced in wild animals, because there's more of the essential fat linoleic acid. It seems that once animals are domesticated, their fat content rises: wild rabbits, for example' double their fat content (from 4% to 8%) when domesticated.
Q: You have recommended we always keep oils in the refrigerator. But the olive oil gets hard after a short time. Is this the exception?
A: All polyunsaturated oil undergoes a process of rancidity once exposed to oxygen in the air. (Monounsaturated and saturated fats will not get rancid.) In the colder environment of your refrigerator, this process continues, but at a slower rate. In a properly controlled refrigerator, olive oil should only get thicker, not solid. If it gets too hard, your refrigerator may be too cold. If you don't want to adjust the temperature, holding the bottle under hot tap water should thin the oil if you're in a hurry, otherwise, take it out a within an hour of use and it should turn to liquid again.
If you purchase extra virgin olive oil in smaller container that you will use up within a couple of weeks, there's no need to refrigerate that oil.
Q: I'm unable to consume milk and milk products because they give me indigestion. Yogurt seems O.K. Why is this?
A: As much as 30% of the population may have a lactose intolerance, with the highest incidence in non-Caucasians. This is due to their inability to produce the enzyme lactase in their small intestine, which digests the milk sugar lactose. Yogurt is normally cultured with bacteria which produce lactase. This lactase digests some of the lactose during the yogurt making process. Once refrigerated, the bacteria stop their activity, but after you eat the yogurt, they continue produce lactase and break down much of the remaining lactose. That's why, if you're lactose intolerant, you shouldn't have a problem eating yogurt.
Q: I've been taking iron supplements for a long time, and if I stop I get very fatigued. But why does the supplement work better when I take it at dinner time instead of breakfast? R.W.
A: It may be that you're drinking coffee or tea with breakfast and not with dinner. This will prevent you from absorbing iron. There may be other reasons, such as the type of foods eaten at the two meals.
Q: Your article on wine and health was very good. However, I'm concerned about the potential conflict regarding drinking alcohol during pregnancy. You didn't cite one study which showed drinking small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy is not harmful. B.C.
A: We are not recommending that pregnant women drink alcohol, but reporting that there is no evidence that small amounts of alcohol is harmful to mother or baby. Here are two references on the subject:
1. Alcohol and Health, 6th Special Report to the Congress on Alcohol and Health, From the Secretary of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, January 1987:28-43.
2. H.L. Rosett and L. Weiner, Alcohol and the Fetus, A Clinical Perspective, Oxford University Press, 1984.
Q: Why do people smoke more when they drink alcohol? J.N
A: There's no evidence I've seen to show that alcohol makes one smoke more. However, the combination of smoke and alcohol in the mouth may provide the user with an enjoyable sensation. The environment and influence of others may also contribute. It should be noted that the tar from tobacco significantly contributes to the production of cirrhosis of the liver along with excess alcohol. Also, alcohol is much more carcinogenic when combined with the tar of cigarette smoke
Q: Will mother's milk be any advantage if the mother is unhealthy, i.e. eating a good diet etc.?
A: The quality of human milk is high even in mothers who are not healthy with few exceptions. In a sense, the mother' body is "sacrificed" for the good of the baby. This is important for any mother, but especially for lower income families whose nutrition is poor due to lack of funds. Unfortunately, only about 30% of new mothers nurse during the early postpartum period and only 9% nurse the baby through 5 to 6 months (1988 statistics). It is not only the healthiest approach to raising the baby, but it's free.
Q: Regarding your article on Artificial Sweeteners, I have virtually eliminated sugar from my diet in the years I've used NutraSweet. But something is still wrong as my weight is still increasing. J.M.
A: Although you say your sugar consumption is lessened, most artificial sweeteners contain sugar. Also, over the past 20 years, as the use of artificial sweeteners has increased (per person), sugar consumption has also increased. So much for the word "substitute."
Q: I've heard that artificial sweeteners not only contain sugar, but have been proven to cause cancer. Is this true? L.L.
A: One good thing about artificial sweeteners is that they list the ingredients on the label. However, the print is so small most people can't read it. Sweet'N Low, for example, lists its ingredients as nutritive dextrose (a fancy way of saying sugar) and calcium saccharin. Because dextrose is the first ingredient, it is the most abundant ingredient. Sugar Twin™ also lists dextrose as the first ingredient, and also contains an artificial flavor (of unknown origin) along with saccharin.
All products which contain saccharin have a warning on the label: "the use of this product may be hazardous to your health." It also says that "saccharin has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals." Presently, no one really knows for sure whether saccharin causes cancer in humans.
(Editor's note: No one is sure saccharin doesn't cause cancer, or other problems. For now, I'll opt for regular sugar or fructose if a sweetener is needed. Sugar is relatively natural and for the same sweetness you get an insignificant 12-13 calories more.)
Q: I have heard that drinking coffee is not good for you. Do you have an opinion about this beverage? M.R.
A: Coffee consumption has been a staple throughout history, beginning in Africa where the coffee berries were first used to make wine. The natural coffee bean has some nutritional value, and a moderate level of oil. If care is not taken in storing the beans properly, the oil can become rancid, and this becomes one potentially harmful aspect of coffee drinking. The caffeine levels in coffee vary only slightly until roasting, where some of the caffeine is destroyed. The darker the bean, hence a longer roasting time (i.e. French roast), the less caffeine present. The lighter roasts have the most caffeine.
Many people do not tolerate caffeine well. They become nervous, cannot sleep or have intestinal discomfort. Obviously this type of person should not drink coffee. Nor should anyone drink large amounts of coffee at one time or in the course of a day. This amount is somewhat individual, but a maximum of three cups a day may be the maximum for even the most tolerant people.
Quite often it's the rancid oil which makes people feel bad. The best way to buy and use coffee is as follows: Purchase only recently roasted beans, or roast them yourself. Keep them in the freezer until you're ready to make coffee, then grind enough for the amount of coffee you need. Never buy pre-ground coffee, and never let coffee sit in a heated pot for too long The drip method is best.
Q. I've been finding so many food products contain hydrogenated fats. Is the use of these fats in restaurants just as common? J.V.
A. Not necessarily. But restaurants often use unrefrigerated, cheaper oils which become rancid easily, and often fry or overheat foods with oils. Also, by law (in almost all states), any establishment where margarine is used in place of butter must state this on the menu, or post a notice "in a manner in which the customer is likely to read it."
Q: I have heard that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has five food groups, not four. Can you explain this? J.W.
A: Most people are familiar with the four basic food groups (fruits & vegetables, grains, dairy and meat). They were developed by the U.S.D.A. to help consumers maintain a balanced diet. But the promotion of these food groups is usually done without the fifth one. This is the sugar, fats, oil and alcohol group. It's not promoted in part due to the fear of encouraging alcohol and fat consumption. Nearly a hundred years ago, Pavlov (the Russian physiologist) based his four food groups on digestibility. They included concentrated proteins concentrated carbohydrates, fats and milk.
Q: My doctor told me I'm allergic to shrimp. But sometimes 1 can eat them without problems. Does this make sense? P.J.
A: People with allergies or hypersensitivities to different foods may not always react to those foods. Some people react only when under stress or if they eat too much offensive food. In the case of shrimp, not only can their environment be a factor, but there are five different kinds of shrimp (spotted, small, white, brown and pink). It's possible that you're allergic to only one or two types. Unless you're buying raw unpeeled shrimp from a market, you probably couldn't tell them apart. Also shrimp contain histamine, which could trigger an allergic response.
Q: Are there different kinds of dietary fiber? G.M.
A: There are two main types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber, like pectin, is found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and oats. In the intestines, it absorbs water and forms a gel. Soluble fiber helps regulate the passage of food through the intestine by slowing it down. Soluble fiber is sometimes helps diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome. Insoluble fiber, mostly cellulose, is found in wheat bran. This fiber stimulates and speeds up the intestine. As a result it is used as a laxative. Insoluble fiber sometimes helps constipation. Both fibers are important for good health. But too much of either can be irritating to the intestine. Also, more water is needed when you consume more fiber.
Q: Can dietary fiber protect you against food additives? N.R.
A: Both types of dietary fiber seems to counteract the toxic effects of certain drugs, chemicals and food additives in the diet. The mechanism for this protection is not known, but it may simply be a matter of keeping the harmful substances from being absorbed into the body.
Q: My doctor says the dietary obsession I have is more harmful to me than the ice cream I've been denying myself. I see it as discipline. Comments? B.L.
A: Remember that everyone is an individual. And as such, each person has his own requirements and potential excesses. If you're like most people, a little bit of ice cream won't hurt. However, a half gallon every evening is probably excessive for anyone. Where you drawn the line is the individual part. It's becoming too common to see excessive discipline bordering on fanaticism creating more harm than a couple of scoops of ice cream. If it's saturated fat you're concerned about, as many people are, think about this: ice cream may have about 3.5 grams of saturated fat. But beef has more than six grams, and some granola cereals have more than 11 grams. Reward yourself in moderation.
Q: How does dietary fiber affect cholesterol? T.S.
A: Overall, dietary fiber from a mixed diet seems to help reduce cholesterol. The mechanism is still not completely known, but the improved metabolism of fats through better liver and gall bladder function is one way. Unfortunately, this decrease in cholesterol lowers all types of cholesterol, including the so called "good" cholesterol, HDL. This does not change the ratio of cholesterol-the most important factor. Dietary fiber is a normal part of a healthy diet. Eating large amounts to lower cholesterol can not only overtax your intestine, but give the false sense of health care. A glass of wine with dinner and a little easy exercise will do more to improve the whole cholesterol picture than anything else.
Q: I'm confused about the reports regarding salmonella in eggs. Is this a real concern? R.S.
A: Salmonella infection is the most frequent type of food poisoning. This bacteria is most often transmitted in restaurants as a result of poor hygiene and insufficient refrigeration. This is also true in the case of eggs. Salmonella can occur on the outside of the egg (on the shell) but not inside unless transmitted there by a contaminated utensil or finger while cracking open the egg. Salmonella poisoning at home is less common, but in the case of eggs, soft (or hard) boiling an uncracked egg will destroy any bacteria which may exist on the shell. Heed the obvious: avoid buying eggs that are cracked, and don't eat raw eggs (Caesars salads contain raw egg yolks).
Q: What is the definition of "light" olive oil? R.C.
A: Olive oils marked "light" or "Extra Light" are an example of marketing tactics used by the company. Although many people think "light' refers to less calories or fat, in the case of olive oil, it only refers to less taste. Technically, "light" or "extra light" olive oil is a "pure" oil with very little, if any, extra virgin oil added back. It results in a tasteless, lower quality oil. Many people have asked about our salad dressing recipe:
Aerobic Salad Dressing:
Mix in a glass jar with tight-fitting lid or in a blender:
8 ounces (4 oz. each Extra Virgin and Sesame) oil
2 ounces apple cider vinegar 1- 2 teaspoons sea salt
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon mustard
Option: 1-2 this plain yogurt or sour cream, or 1 fresh tomato. Shake well before serving. Keep refrigerated.