Atkins, Farm Fish, Viagra, And More

National Dragster, Feb 6, 2004 by Torstveit, Jeremy

I received a lot of correspondence in the last year about diets, vitamins, and supplements, so I'll address some of these and other issues brought by readers.

Atkins

"Some people I know rave about the Atkins diet. Is it safe to eat all that red meat?"

The Atkins diet encourages people to cat lots of high-fat and high-protein foods while limiting the amount and type of carbohydrates consumed. It is not a fad but rather a fringe diet brought mainstream by recent studies that show good initial weight loss and improvement in cholesterol profiles. There are potential negatives, however. High-protein diets can be associated with elevation in homocysteine, a powerful risk factor for coronary artery disease. These diets can cause bones to weaken, a condition made worse by not getting important vitamins and minerals found in many carbohydrates. Some of these can't be easily replaced simply by taking supplements. People with kidney or liver disease or osteoporosis should be very wary of this diet.

The chronic intake of large amounts of processed meats, cooked red meats, and high amounts of fat are associated with cancers of the digestive tract, breast, prostate, and urinary bladder. Atkins Nutritionals Inc., the company founded by Robert C. Atkins, M.D., now recommends that only 20 percent of calories comes from saturated fat. Suggesting that the original message in Dr. Atkins' book was misinterpreted, Atkins Nutritionals now encourages people to eat fish and chicken.

According to some who have abandoned this diet, the very low carbohydrate allowance is quite extreme, and chronic constipation is not infrequent. I'm all for cutting way back on processed carbohydrates (so-called white carbs). But complex carbohydrates, including those in legumes, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, along with chicken and fish and a low intake of red meat and saturated fat is a diet you can live with. It has proven long-term results in losing weight and in cutting the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Farm fish

"I've heard that farmed salmon is not as good for people as the ones caught in the wild. What about other farm fish?"

Some farmed salmon apparently contain excessive amounts of environmental contaminants such as PCBs and pesticides. Wild salmon cover large territories and are less susceptible to accumulating chemicals. Some health authorities recommend limiting intake of farmed salmon to once every few weeks. 1 haven't heard anything negative about farmed fish such as trout and tilapia. Mackerel, sardines, and herring are alternative sources of omega-3 fatty acids that should be on everyone's diet rotation. Try making every Friday "fish day." What a novel idea! If you don't like fish, walnuts are a good source of omega-3s.

Statin drugs

"My doctor says I have blockages in my heart arteries. Will taking Lipitor clean out my arteries?"

The statin family of drugs are prescribed to lower total cholesterol and other blood fats and raise the level of good cholesterol. I have no doubt that over a long period of time they may actually reduce the amount of blockages. just as important, at least one statin, Lipitor, has been shown to prevent additional buildup of blockages. Statins also stabilize the blockages so they don't break off and cause heart attacks. Regardless of your cholesterol level, lower is safer. I recommend that everyone 40 and older and many with high-risk factors in their 20s and 30s talk to their doctor about taking a statin.

Vitamins

"I've heard about new vitamins that will make a new person out of me. Is there any scientific proof of this?"

If you took all of the supplements currently promoted, you'd probably use up your whole day swallowing them and spend enough money to run your race car. Let me steer you straight down the track. Most major brands of vitamins break down and are well absorbed (good bio-availability). Current evidence strongly leans toward people of all ages taking a multivitamin daily. This should contain 400 meg of folic acid, 400 units of vitamin D, and B vitamins, including B-12 as well as trace minerals. Lycopenes, bioflavinoids, carotenes, and many other supplements are better taken by eating the foods that contain them. Ask your doctor if you have special supplement needs. Multivitamins usually contain very little calcium; Turns are a very good source. It appears that for all the extra money you could spend on Japanese coral calcium you get the same calcium everyone sells plus lots of mercury. Try to choose a' multivitamin without iron. If you need an iron supplement, take it separately and at a different time from your vitamin.

The 'new' Viagra

"Are the new Viagra-like -drugs better or safer?"

Viagra has not only been well-tested in clinical trials but it has also been taken by millions of people now for a number of years. Unless you have problems when taking Viagra, I'd let other people be the guinea pigs.

There's still a lot of winter left for some of the country. Shoveling or blowing snow is dangerous for those out of shape, accounting for hundreds of cases · of sudden death every year. Couch potatoes should pay someone to do the clearing or buy a tractor. Have a good racing season, and be safe in getting yourself to and from the track.