Share Hot bath or cold shower? Heat pack or cold compress? Warm towel or bag of ice? Both types of therapies can be highly effective in addressing pain, stiffness and over-exertion. They are also inexpensive, convenient and easy to do, especially with the wide range of hot/cold wraps and pads currently available. In this two-part series, we’ll share tips on how and when to use hot and cold therapies for pain relief. PART 1: HEAT THERAPY The effects of heat therapy are numerous, including healing the damaged tissue, partially relieving discomfort, decreasing stiffness and increasing flexibility. Compared to most treatments, heat therapy is inexpensive and easy to do. With the range of products available, it is a convenient form of treatment at home, at work, or in the car. It also holds particular appeal because it is a non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical form of back pain relief. For the most effective heat therapy, use products that are warm and can maintain their heat at the proper temperature. A common mistake is using a heat source that is too hot, which may burn the skin. The purpose of the therapy is for heat to penetrate down into the muscles, not simply increase skin temperature. The duration needed is based on the type and seriousness of the injury or discomfort. For very minor back tension, 15-20 minutes of heat therapy may be sufficient. For more intense injuries, sessions of 30 minutes to an hour (sometimes as much as two hours or more) may be most beneficial. It is worth noting that not all heat is the same, and there are a variety of products and types of therapy depending on your needs and preferences. The three primary types are: Dry heat, often in the form of heating pads and saunas, draws out moisture from the body. Some people prefer dry heat, as it is easy to apply and feels relaxing on contact. Moist heat, including moist heating pads, therapeutic heat vests, steamed towels and hot baths, can aid in the heat’s penetration into the muscles. This delivers comforting therapy for muscle aches, arthritis pain, sinus headaches and tension. Far-infrared heat is a therapeutic technology that penetrates deep into the tissue and provides prolonged relief. Unlike some other forms of heat treatment, it is safe to use for hours and does not cause burning or dehydration of the skin. It can usually be found in the form of pads and wraps, and is also available in a range of other products. One of our favorites is the Human Touch® Serenity Zero Gravity Recliner Please note that heat application should not be used in certain cases, including if the back is bruised, swollen or has open wounds, or if a person suffers from diabetes, dermatitis, or types of vascular disease or thrombosis. Both hot and cold therapies work best when combined with other treatment modalities, so it is best to consult a doctor or physical therapist if you have ongoing pain.
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Bad Beat Blog » Blog Archive » All About Lower back Pain
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CDC unveils graphic anti-smoking ads
STORY HIGHLIGHTS Campaign intended to educate Americans about the smoking habit’s dangers CDC says Big Tobacco spends more than $27 million per day in marketing Ex-smokers profiled include amputee, heart patient Washington (CNN) — Federal health officials on Thursday are unveiling a $54 million national media campaign to get smokers to quit and prevent anyone else, especially children, from starting. The campaign, called “Tips From Former Smokers,” is intended to educate Americans about the dangers of smoking through the stories and graphic pictures of ex-smokers who have suffered severe health consequences of tobacco use. The former smokers profiled have suffered ailments such as stroke-related paralysis, limb amputation, lung removal and heart attack. One breathes through a stoma, a surgically created hole in the neck through which a person who has undergone larynx or voice box surgery can breathe. “Hundreds of thousands of lives are lost each year due to smoking, and for every person who dies, 20 more Americans live with an illness caused by smoking,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. “We cannot afford to continue watching the human and economic toll from tobacco rob our communities of parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and co-workers. We are committed to doing everything we can to help smokers quit and prevent young people from starting in the first place.” The ads are the brainchild of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health. The agency says smoking remains the country’s leading cause of disease and preventable death, resulting in more than 443,000 fatalities annually. More than 8 million Americans live with a smoking-related illness or conditions, according to the disease agency. The combination of public service announcements and paid advertising for television, radio, newspapers and magazines also spotlights the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke. The ads will also be featured on billboards, in theaters and online — including on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. “Although they may be tough to watch, the ads show real people living with real, painful consequences from smoking,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden. “There is sound evidence that supports the use of these types of hard-hitting images and messages to encourage smokers to quit, to keep children from ever beginning to smoke, and to drastically reduce the harm caused by tobacco.” See the CDC anti-smoking campaign print ad (PDF) The campaign includes eight television ads (one of them in Spanish), seven radio spots in 30- and 60-second versions, seven print ads and five billboard and bus stop ads. The campaign marks the first time the CDC has run a paid, comprehensive national anti-tobacco advertising effort. The primary target is smokers ages 18 to 54, but public health experts also said they hope it will dissuade children from adopting the habit. While we are not prepared to comment … discouraging smoking initiation and promoting quitting remain important.Philip Morris USA Last week the surgeon general released a report on youth smoking, leading Sebelius to declare: “Targeted marketing encourages more young people to take up this deadly addiction every day. This administration is committed to doing everything we can to prevent our children from using tobacco.” The agency said, “Targeted messages and images that portray smoking as an acceptable, appealing activity for young people are widespread, and advertising for tobacco products is prominent in retail stores and online.” The need for such a campaign is urgent, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “This media campaign is a smart investment that will reduce tobacco use, save lives and reduce tobacco-related health care costs,” Matthew L. Myers, president of the advocacy group. “The tobacco industry spends more than $1 million every hour on marketing that entices kids, discourages smokers from quitting and portrays its deadly and addictive products as normal and appealing. The CDC’s campaign will counter the industry’s marketing with the harsh truth about tobacco use, told by former smokers themselves.” The CDC said the tobacco industry spends more than $27 million a day on marketing to kids and others — about $10 billion a year. In two days, the industry spends about what the government has budgeted for the entire 12-week campaign. The industry denies that it markets to children. Tobacco giant Phillip Morris would not comment of the campaign, telling CNN: “Philip Morris USA agrees smoking is addictive and causes serious disease. While we are not prepared to comment on CDC’s anti-smoking campaign, preventing underage tobacco use, discouraging smoking initiation and promoting quitting remain important to reducing the harm from cigarette smoking. A complementary strategy, focused on the development of and appropriate communications about potentially lower risk tobacco products, may be one
CDC unveils graphic smoking ads
STORY HIGHLIGHTS Campaign intended to educate Americans about the smoking habit’s dangers CDC says Big Tobacco spends more than $27 million per day in marketing Ex-smokers profiled include amputee, heart patient Washington (CNN) — Federal health officials on Thursday are unveiling a $54 million national media campaign to get smokers to quit and prevent anyone else, especially children, from starting. The campaign, called “Tips From Former Smokers,” is intended to educate Americans about the dangers of smoking through the stories and graphic pictures of ex-smokers who have suffered severe health consequences of tobacco use. The former smokers profiled have suffered ailments such as stroke-related paralysis, limb amputation, lung removal and heart attack. One breathes through a stoma, a surgically created hole in the neck through which a person who has undergone larynx or voice box surgery can breathe. “Hundreds of thousands of lives are lost each year due to smoking, and for every person who dies, 20 more Americans live with an illness caused by smoking,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. “We cannot afford to continue watching the human and economic toll from tobacco rob our communities of parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and co-workers. We are committed to doing everything we can to help smokers quit and prevent young people from starting in the first place.” The ads are the brainchild of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health. The agency says smoking remains the country’s leading cause of disease and preventable death, resulting in more than 443,000 fatalities annually. More than 8 million Americans live with a smoking-related illness or conditions, according to the disease agency. The combination of public service announcements and paid advertising for television, radio, newspapers and magazines also spotlights the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke. The ads will also be featured on billboards, in theaters and online — including on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. “Although they may be tough to watch, the ads show real people living with real, painful consequences from smoking,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden. “There is sound evidence that supports the use of these types of hard-hitting images and messages to encourage smokers to quit, to keep children from ever beginning to smoke, and to drastically reduce the harm caused by tobacco.” See the CDC anti-smoking campaign print ad (PDF) The campaign includes eight television ads (one of them in Spanish), seven radio spots in 30- and 60-second versions, seven print ads and five billboard and bus stop ads. The campaign marks the first time the CDC has run a paid, comprehensive national anti-tobacco advertising effort. The primary target is smokers ages 18 to 54, but public health experts also said they hope it will dissuade children from adopting the habit. While we are not prepared to comment … discouraging smoking initiation and promoting quitting remain important.Philip Morris USA Last week the surgeon general released a report on youth smoking, leading Sebelius to declare: “Targeted marketing encourages more young people to take up this deadly addiction every day. This administration is committed to doing everything we can to prevent our children from using tobacco.” The agency said, “Targeted messages and images that portray smoking as an acceptable, appealing activity for young people are widespread, and advertising for tobacco products is prominent in retail stores and online.” The need for such a campaign is urgent, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “This media campaign is a smart investment that will reduce tobacco use, save lives and reduce tobacco-related health care costs,” Matthew L. Myers, president of the advocacy group. “The tobacco industry spends more than $1 million every hour on marketing that entices kids, discourages smokers from quitting and portrays its deadly and addictive products as normal and appealing. The CDC’s campaign will counter the industry’s marketing with the harsh truth about tobacco use, told by former smokers themselves.” The CDC said the tobacco industry spends more than $27 million a day on marketing to kids and others — about $10 billion a year. In two days, the industry spends about what the government has budgeted for the entire 12-week campaign. The industry denies that it markets to children. Tobacco giant Phillip Morris would not comment of the campaign, telling CNN: “Philip Morris USA agrees smoking is addictive and causes serious disease. While we are not prepared to comment on CDC’s anti-smoking campaign, preventing underage tobacco use, discouraging smoking initiation and promoting quitting remain important to reducing the harm from cigarette smoking. A complementary strategy, focused on the development of and appropriate communications about potentially lower risk tobacco products, may be one of the most meaningful actions that the Food and Drug Administration can take to reduce the health effects of smoking.” Not in dispute is the deadly impact smoking can have on health. About a third of the smoking-related deaths in the United States are linked to heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. The ads highlight a shocking but very realistic fate.Nancy Brown, American Heart Association “The ads highlight a shocking but very realistic fate that could await some current smokers if they continue their tobacco addiction,” said Nancy Brown, the association’s CEO. The ads note that smoking contributes to one in five strokes and increase the odds of having a heart attack. “The American Heart Association believes these graphic ads, coupled with vigorous tobacco control at the state level, will reach not only the adults who smoke, but also will break through to teens and discourage them from ever taking up this deadly habit,” she said. The American Cancer Society says nine of 10 smokers started before they turned 18. “Combating tobacco use requires a multipronged approach, including federal regulation of tobacco products, increased tobacco taxes, smoke-free workplaces and sustained investment in prevention and cessation now and beyond the end of the CDC campaign,” said Christopher W. Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, in a statement. “This historic advertising campaign will help to combat Big Tobacco’s unscrupulous efforts to addict new users and prevent existing users from trying to quit.” Featured reader comments: Should smokers be targeted? The campaign begins less than a month after a federal mandate requiring tobacco companies to place graphic images on their products warning of the dangers of smoking was tossed out by a judge in Washington, who said the requirements were a violation of free speech. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act passed in 2009 would have required nine written warnings such as “Cigarettes are addictive” and “Tobacco smoke causes harm to children.” Also included would have been alternating images of a corpse and smoke-infected lungs. CNN’s Caleb Hellerman contributed to this report.
CDC unveils graphic anti-smoking ads
CDC unveils graphic anti-smoking ads STORY HIGHLIGHTS “Tips from former smokers” intended to educate Americans about the habit’s dangers CDC says Big Tobacco spends more than $27 million per day in marketing Ex-smokers profiled include amputatee, heart patient Washington (CNN) — Federal health officials are unveiling Thursday a $54 million national media campaign to get smokers to quit and prevent anyone else, especially children, from starting. The campaign, called “Tips From Former Smokers,” is intended to educate Americans about the dangers of smoking through the stories and graphic pictures of ex-smokers who have suffered severe health consequences of tobacco use. The former smokers profiled have suffered ailments like stroke-related paralysis, limb amputation, lung removal and heart attack. One breathes through a stoma, a surgically created hole in the neck through which a person who has undergone larynx or voice box surgery can breathe. The ads are the brainchild of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health. The agency says smoking remains the country’s leading cause of disease and preventable death, resulting in more than 443,000 fatalities annually. More than 8 million Americans live with a smoking-related illness or conditions, according to the disease agency. The combination of public service announcements and paid advertising for television, radio, newspapers and magazines, also spotlights the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke. The ads will also be featured on billboards, in theaters and online–including on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. See the CDC anti-smoking campaign print ad (PDF) The campaign includes eight television ads (one of them in Spanish); seven radio spots in 30- and 60-second versions; seven print ads and five billboard and bus stop ads. The campaign marks the first time the CDC has run a paid, comprehensive national anti-tobacco advertising effort. The primary target is smokers ages 18 to 54, but public health experts also hope it will dissuade children from adopting the habit. Last week the Surgeon General released a new report on youth smoking leading Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to declare: “Targeted marketing encourages more young people to take up this deadly addiction every day. This administration is committed to doing everything we can to prevent our children from using tobacco.” The agency said, “Targeted messages and images that portray smoking as an acceptable, appealing activity for young people are widespread, and advertising for tobacco products is prominent in retail stores and online.” The need for such a campaign is urgent, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “This media campaign is a smart investment that will reduce tobacco use, save lives and reduce tobacco-related health care costs,” Matthew L. Myers, president of the advocacy group. “The tobacco industry spends more than a million dollars every hour on marketing that entices kids, discourages smokers from quitting and portrays its deadly and addictive products as normal and appealing. The CDC’s campaign will counter the industry’s marketing with the harsh truth about tobacco use, told by former smokers themselves.” The CDC says the tobacco industry spends more than $27 million a day on marketing to kids and others. That’s about $10 billion a year. In two days, the industry spends about what the government has budgeted for the entire 12-week campaign. The industry denies that it markets to children. Tobacco giant Phillip Morris would not comment of the campaign, telling CNN: “Philip Morris USA agrees smoking is addictive and causes serious disease. While we are not prepared to comment on CDC’s anti-smoking campaign, preventing underage tobacco use, discouraging smoking initiation and promoting quitting remain important to reducing the harm from cigarette smoking. A complementary strategy, focused on the development of and appropriate communications about potentially lower risk tobacco products, may be one of the most meaningful actions that the Food & Drug Administration can take to reduce the health effects of smoking.” Not in dispute is the deadly impact smoking can have on health. According to The American Heart Association, about a third of the smoking-related deaths in the United States are linked to heart disease. “The ads highlight a shocking but very realistic fate that could await some
Too much red meat may shorten lifespan
In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D. STORY HIGHLIGHTS A new study is the first to estimate the effect of red meat on a person’s lifespan Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying Charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface Editor’s note: Read this story in Arabic. (Health.com) — Want to live longer? Trade some of the red meat in your diet for fish, nuts, whole grains, and other healthier protein sources, Harvard researchers say. That’s the conclusion of a new study, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found that the risk of dying at an early age — from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause—rises in step with red-meat consumption. Eating too much red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has long been seen as unhealthy, especially for the heart. The new study, however, is the first to estimate the effect of swapping out red meat on a person’s lifespan. Health.com: The 10 best foods for your heart Using data from two long-running studies of health professionals, researchers tracked the diets of more than 121,000 middle-aged men and women for up to 28 years. Roughly 20% of the participants died during that period. On average, each additional serving of red meat the participants ate per day was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the study. Processed red meat products — such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami — appeared to be even more dangerous: Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying. Based on these findings, the researchers estimate that substituting one daily serving of red meat with fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, whole grains, or low-fat dairy products would reduce the risk of dying in this stage of life by 7% to 19%. If everyone in the study had slashed their average red-meat intake to less than half a serving per day, the researchers say, 9% of deaths among men and 8% of deaths among women could have been prevented. Health.com: Easy food swaps that cut cholesterol, not taste “Our message is to try to reduce the red meat consumption to less than two to three servings per week,” says lead author An Pan, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. “We don’t want everyone to be a vegetarian,” Pan says, though he adds that avoiding processed red meat altogether may be a good idea. “It’s better to go with unprocessed products and plant-based foods.” Dean Ornish, M.D., the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California, says a plant-based diet provides a “double benefit” in that it reduces a person’s exposure to the harmful substances in meat while also providing valuable nutrients. “There are literally hundreds of thousands of protective substances that you find in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and legumes and soy products that prevent disease,” says Ornish, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. Health.com: America’s healthiest superfoods for women Why is red meat, and especially processed red meat, potentially harmful? In addition to the high saturated fat content, which can contribute to heart disease, charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface, Pan says. And processed meats contain certain additives that in high quantities are believed to promote cancer as well. In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D., a cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, N.Y. “If you eat more red meat, on average, you may be eating fewer fruits and vegetables, so you’re getting the bad things from the red meat and you’re not getting the good things from the fruits and vegetables,” says Ostfeld, who did not participate in the study. “My preference is for people to have as little red meat as they can, and I think it’s ideal to avoid red meat.” Staffan Lindeberg, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Lund, in Sweden, says singling out red meat may be counterproductive. A bigger threat to health is the sugar- and starch-heavy Western diet as a whole, says Lund, who studies heart disease and diabetes and advocates a version of the so-called Paleolithic diet, which emphasizes lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. “We need to focus more on common foods, like grains, dairy foods, refined fats, and refined sugar,” Lindeberg says. Studies like Pan’s are inherently iffy due to red meat’s unhealthy reputation, which makes red-meat consumption difficult to tease apart from a person’s overall lifestyle, Lindeberg says. “Red meat has been perceived as a villain for many years, and people who avoid red meat take all sorts of precautionary measures for their future health,” he says. “It is not possible to statistically adjust for all of these measures.” Sure enough, Pan and his colleagues found that the men and women in the study who ate the most red meat also tended to be heavier, less physically active, and more likely to smoke and drink alcohol than their peers. However, the researchers did take those and other factors into account in their analysis. Copyright Health Magazine 2011
Too much red meat may shorten life
In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D. STORY HIGHLIGHTS A new study is the first to estimate the effect of red meat on a person’s lifespan Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying Charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface Editor’s note: Read this story in Arabic. (Health.com) — Want to live longer? Trade some of the red meat in your diet for fish, nuts, whole grains, and other healthier protein sources, Harvard researchers say. That’s the conclusion of a new study, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found that the risk of dying at an early age — from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause—rises in step with red-meat consumption. Eating too much red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has long been seen as unhealthy, especially for the heart. The new study, however, is the first to estimate the effect of swapping out red meat on a person’s lifespan. Health.com: The 10 best foods for your heart Using data from two long-running studies of health professionals, researchers tracked the diets of more than 121,000 middle-aged men and women for up to 28 years. Roughly 20% of the participants died during that period. On average, each additional serving of red meat the participants ate per day was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the study. Processed red meat products — such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami — appeared to be even more dangerous: Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying. Based on these findings, the researchers estimate that substituting one daily serving of red meat with fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, whole grains, or low-fat dairy products would reduce the risk of dying in this stage of life by 7% to 19%. If everyone in the study had slashed their average red-meat intake to less than half a serving per day, the researchers say, 9% of deaths among men and 8% of deaths among women could have been prevented. Health.com: Easy food swaps that cut cholesterol, not taste “Our message is to try to reduce the red meat consumption to less than two to three servings per week,” says lead author An Pan, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. “We don’t want everyone to be a vegetarian,” Pan says, though he adds that avoiding processed red meat altogether may be a good idea. “It’s better to go with unprocessed products and plant-based foods.” Dean Ornish, M.D., the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California, says a plant-based diet provides a “double benefit” in that it reduces a person’s exposure to the harmful substances in meat while also providing valuable nutrients. “There are literally hundreds of thousands of protective substances that you find in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and legumes and soy products that prevent disease,” says Ornish, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. Health.com: America’s healthiest superfoods for women Why is red meat, and especially processed red meat, potentially harmful? In addition to the high saturated fat content, which can contribute to heart disease, charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface, Pan says. And processed meats contain certain additives that in high quantities are believed to promote cancer as well. In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D., a cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, N.Y. “If you eat more red meat, on average, you may be eating fewer fruits and vegetables, so you’re getting the bad things from the red meat and you’re not getting the good things from the fruits and vegetables,” says Ostfeld, who did not participate in the study. “My preference is for people to have as little red meat as they can, and I think it’s ideal to avoid red meat.” Staffan Lindeberg, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Lund, in Sweden, says singling out red meat may be counterproductive. A bigger threat to health is the sugar- and starch-heavy Western diet as a whole, says Lund, who studies heart disease and diabetes
Too much red meat may shorten lifespan
In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D. STORY HIGHLIGHTS A new study is the first to estimate the effect of red meat on a person’s lifespan Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying Charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface Editor’s note: Read this story in Arabic. (Health.com) — Want to live longer? Trade some of the red meat in your diet for fish, nuts, whole grains, and other healthier protein sources, Harvard researchers say. That’s the conclusion of a new study, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found that the risk of dying at an early age — from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause—rises in step with red-meat consumption. Eating too much red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has long been seen as unhealthy, especially for the heart. The new study, however, is the first to estimate the effect of swapping out red meat on a person’s lifespan. Health.com: The 10 best foods for your heart Using data from two long-running studies of health professionals, researchers tracked the diets of more than 121,000 middle-aged men and women for up to 28 years. Roughly 20% of the participants died during that period. On average, each additional serving of red meat the participants ate per day was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the study. Processed red meat products — such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami — appeared to be even more dangerous: Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying. Based on these findings, the researchers estimate that substituting one daily serving of red meat with fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, whole grains, or low-fat dairy products would reduce the risk of dying in this stage of life by 7% to 19%. If everyone in the study had slashed their average red-meat intake to less than half a serving per day, the researchers say, 9% of deaths among men and 8% of deaths among women could have been prevented. Health.com: Easy food swaps that cut cholesterol, not taste “Our message is to try to reduce the red meat consumption to less than two to three servings per week,” says lead author An Pan, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. “We don’t want everyone to be a vegetarian,” Pan says, though he adds that avoiding processed red meat altogether may be a good idea. “It’s better to go with unprocessed products and plant-based foods.” Dean Ornish, M.D., the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California, says a plant-based diet provides a “double benefit” in that it reduces a person’s exposure to the harmful substances in meat while also providing valuable nutrients. “There are literally hundreds of thousands of protective substances that you find in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and legumes and soy products that prevent disease,” says Ornish, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. Health.com: America’s healthiest superfoods for women Why is red meat, and especially processed red meat, potentially harmful? In addition to the high saturated fat content, which can contribute to heart disease, charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface, Pan says. And processed meats contain certain additives that in high quantities are believed to promote cancer as well. In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D., a cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, N.Y. “If you eat more red meat, on average, you may be eating fewer fruits and vegetables, so you’re getting the bad things from the red meat and you’re not getting the good things from the fruits and vegetables,” says Ostfeld, who did not participate in the study. “My preference is for people to have as little red meat as they can, and I think it’s ideal to avoid red meat.” Staffan Lindeberg, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Lund, in Sweden, says singling out red meat may be counterproductive. A bigger threat to health is the sugar- and starch-heavy Western diet as a whole, says Lund, who studies heart disease and diabetes and advocates a version of the so-called Paleolithic diet, which emphasizes lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. “We need to focus more on common foods, like grains, dairy foods, refined fats, and refined sugar,” Lindeberg says. Studies like Pan’s are inherently iffy due to red meat’s unhealthy reputation, which makes red-meat consumption difficult to tease apart from a person’s overall lifestyle, Lindeberg says. “Red meat has been perceived as a villain for many years, and people who avoid red meat take all sorts of precautionary measures for their future health,” he says. “It is not possible to statistically adjust for all of these measures.” Sure enough, Pan and his colleagues found that the men and women in the study who ate the most red meat also tended to be heavier, less physically active, and more likely to smoke and drink alcohol than their peers. However, the researchers did take those and other factors into account in their analysis. Copyright Health Magazine 2011
Too much red meat may shorten life
In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D. STORY HIGHLIGHTS A new study is the first to estimate the effect of red meat on a person’s lifespan Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying Charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface Editor’s note: Read this story in Arabic. (Health.com) — Want to live longer? Trade some of the red meat in your diet for fish, nuts, whole grains, and other healthier protein sources, Harvard researchers say. That’s the conclusion of a new study, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found that the risk of dying at an early age — from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause—rises in step with red-meat consumption. Eating too much red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has long been seen as unhealthy, especially for the heart. The new study, however, is the first to estimate the effect of swapping out red meat on a person’s lifespan. Health.com: The 10 best foods for your heart Using data from two long-running studies of health professionals, researchers tracked the diets of more than 121,000 middle-aged men and women for up to 28 years. Roughly 20% of the participants died during that period. On average, each additional serving of red meat the participants ate per day was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the study. Processed red meat products — such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami — appeared to be even more dangerous: Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying. Based on these findings, the researchers estimate that substituting one daily serving of red meat with fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, whole grains, or low-fat dairy products would reduce the risk of dying in this stage of life by 7% to 19%. If everyone in the study had slashed their average red-meat intake to less than half a serving per day, the researchers say, 9% of deaths among men and 8% of deaths among women could have been prevented. Health.com: Easy food swaps that cut cholesterol, not taste “Our message is to try to reduce the red meat consumption to less than two to three servings per week,” says lead author An Pan, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. “We don’t want everyone to be a vegetarian,” Pan says, though he adds that avoiding processed red meat altogether may be a good idea. “It’s better to go with unprocessed products and plant-based foods.” Dean Ornish, M.D., the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California, says a plant-based diet provides a “double benefit” in that it reduces a person’s exposure to the harmful substances in meat while also providing valuable nutrients. “There are literally hundreds of thousands of protective substances that you find in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and legumes and soy products that prevent disease,” says Ornish, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. Health.com: America’s healthiest superfoods for women Why is red meat, and especially processed red meat, potentially harmful? In addition to the high saturated fat content, which can contribute to heart disease, charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface, Pan says. And processed meats contain certain additives that in high quantities are believed to promote cancer as well. In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D., a cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, N.Y. “If you eat more red meat, on average, you may be eating fewer fruits and vegetables, so you’re getting the bad things from the red meat and you’re not getting the good things from the fruits and vegetables,” says Ostfeld, who did not participate in the study. “My preference is for people to have as little red meat as they can, and I think it’s ideal to avoid red meat.” Staffan Lindeberg, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Lund, in Sweden, says singling out red meat may be counterproductive. A bigger threat to health is the sugar- and starch-heavy Western diet as a whole, says Lund, who studies heart disease and diabetes and advocates a version of the so-called Paleolithic diet, which emphasizes lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. “We need to focus more on common foods, like grains, dairy foods, refined fats, and refined sugar,” Lindeberg says. Studies like Pan’s are inherently iffy due to red meat’s unhealthy reputation, which makes red-meat consumption difficult to tease apart from a person’s overall lifestyle, Lindeberg says. “Red meat has been perceived as a villain for many years, and people who avoid red meat take all sorts of precautionary measures for their future health,” he says. “It is not possible to statistically adjust for all of these measures.” Sure enough, Pan and his colleagues found that the men and women in the study who ate the most red meat also tended
Too much red meat may shorten life
In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D. STORY HIGHLIGHTS A new study is the first to estimate the effect of red meat on a person’s lifespan Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying Charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface Editor’s note: Read this story in Arabic. (Health.com) — Want to live longer? Trade some of the red meat in your diet for fish, nuts, whole grains, and other healthier protein sources, Harvard researchers say. That’s the conclusion of a new study, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found that the risk of dying at an early age — from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause—rises in step with red-meat consumption. Eating too much red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has long been seen as unhealthy, especially for the heart. The new study, however, is the first to estimate the effect of swapping out red meat on a person’s lifespan. Health.com: The 10 best foods for your heart Using data from two long-running studies of health professionals, researchers tracked the diets of more than 121,000 middle-aged men and women for up to 28 years. Roughly 20% of the participants died during that period. On average, each additional serving of red meat the participants ate per day was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the study. Processed red meat products — such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami — appeared to be even more dangerous: Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying. Based on these findings, the researchers estimate that substituting one daily serving of red meat with fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, whole grains, or low-fat dairy products would reduce the risk of dying in this stage of life by 7% to 19%. If everyone in the study had slashed their average red-meat intake to less than half a serving per day, the researchers say, 9% of deaths among men and 8% of deaths among women could have been prevented. Health.com: Easy food swaps that cut cholesterol, not taste “Our message is to try to reduce the red meat consumption to less than two to three servings per week,” says lead author An Pan, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. “We don’t want everyone to be a vegetarian,” Pan says, though he adds that avoiding processed red meat altogether may be a good idea. “It’s better to go with unprocessed products and plant-based foods.” Dean Ornish, M.D., the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California, says a plant-based diet provides a “double benefit” in that it reduces a person’s exposure to the harmful substances in meat while also providing valuable nutrients. “There are literally hundreds of thousands of protective substances that you find in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and legumes and soy products that prevent disease,” says Ornish, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. Health.com: America’s healthiest superfoods for women Why is red meat, and especially processed red meat, potentially harmful? In addition to the high saturated fat content, which can contribute to heart disease, charring red meat at high temperatures can produce carcinogens on the surface, Pan says. And processed meats contain certain additives that in high quantities are believed to promote cancer as well. In addition, a diet rich in red meat is likely to come up short in other areas, says Robert Ostfeld, M.D., a cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, N.Y. “If you eat more red meat, on average, you may be eating fewer fruits and vegetables, so you’re getting the bad things from the red meat and you’re not getting the good things from the fruits and vegetables,” says Ostfeld, who did not participate in the study. “My preference is for people to have as little red meat as they can, and I think it’s ideal to avoid red meat.” Staffan Lindeberg, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Lund, in Sweden, says singling out red meat may be counterproductive. A bigger threat to health is the sugar- and starch-heavy Western diet as a whole, says Lund, who studies heart disease and diabetes and advocates a version of the so-called Paleolithic diet, which emphasizes lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. “We need to focus more on common foods, like grains, dairy foods, refined fats, and refined sugar,” Lindeberg says. Studies like Pan’s are inherently iffy due to red meat’s unhealthy reputation,
