Whole Life Times: Body Talk

August 2005 | Whole Health

Body Talk

by Elana Verbin Bizer

The Skinny on Skim Milk and Diet Soda

Weight-conscious people often opt for diet soda and skim milk in an attempt to cut calories—but now it seems that their sacrifice may be in vain. A recent study of over 12,000 children suggests that the more milk kids drink, the heavier they become, with those consuming more than three servings a day about 35% more likely to become overweight than those curbing their daily cow-juice consumption to two servings or less. And surprisingly, skim milk was a bigger culprit than whole milk. “Contrary to our hypotheses, dietary calcium and skim and 1% milk were associated with weight gain, but dairy fat was not,” scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University in Boston concluded.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated eight-year study at the University of Texas Health Science Center, people who drank diet soft drinks were determined as more likely to gain—not lose—weight. In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas, with a 41% increased likelihood of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soda consumed daily. Researchers were quick to note that the study does not claim that diet soda causes obesity. Instead they speculated that the sweet taste and zero calories of diet drinks stimulate appetite, ultimately prompting more trips to the fridge.

Iron + Cholesterol = Higher Cancer Risk

Little known, not-so-fun fact: both high levels of iron and high levels of very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) in the bloodstream each individually increase the likelihood of developing cancer—by 66% and 54%, respectively. And according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, it seems the folks who have high levels of both are gambling with increased cancer odds of 168%, almost twice as severe as those whose iron and lipid levels are normal.

The study found that the sinister mix of high iron and lipids creates oxidative stress, a condition believed to contribute to cancer development. Iron is one of the few minerals that the body cannot naturally expunge, so individuals who inadvertently overdo it on the iron (via supplements or by other means) may be taking a serious health risk. To assure that you’re not gambling with your health, talk to a trusted naturopath before self-supplementing with iron.

Wham, Bam, Thank You Cran!

Most of us know to reach for the cranberry juice at the first sign of a urinary tract infection. Now it appears that the tart fruit may shield our intestinal walls from viruses. In a recent laboratory study conducted by St. Francis College in New York, researchers found that adding cranberry juice to intestinal viruses blocked the invaders ability to infect intestinal cells. The scientists theorized that cranberries’ naturally occurring flavonoids and tannins, both of which have been shown to have an anti-bacterial effect, may destroy or modify receptor sites on the host cells to which viruses usually bind. Further research is needed to road test whether or not simply drinking cranberry juice would be enough to reduce the risk of intestinal infections—but in the meantime, indulge your cran-cravings to your heart’s (and your intestine’s) content.

Elana Verbin Bizer is a holistic health counselor and journalist. Visit her blog at foodtherapy.blogspot.com

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