Information for Consumers
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FAQ:
Health
- What is polycystic ovary syndrome?
- Where can I find credible information about diabetes?
- What are the statistics on how many people get botulism each year from improperly canned green beans? If they get botulism from green beans, what is the treatment?
- How can I locate the statistics in my state on obesity, smoking and exercise levels?
- What is the C.A.T.C.H. program?
- What Is Pica?
- Is antibacterial hand-lotion as effective as antibacterial hand soap?
- Is odorless garlic effective?
- What is Citrimax?
QUESTION: What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
ANSWER: We are just about to publish an article on PCOS in our newsletter After the Diet. It is a syndrome of hormone imbalance in which carbohydrate cravings can be quite intense. It affects approximately 10 percent of all women of reproductive age. This syndrome is associated with some reproductive cancers and insulin resistance, so if ignored, it can create many very serious problems.
It is also associated with anxiety, depression and binge eating disorder.
We decided to write an article because so few practitioners even know what the syndrome is, and many women who have the syndrome end up diagnosing themselves. When they ask for help, they are often told, "Lose some weight, then come back and see me." This is incredibly flip and disrespectful of someone with a genuine problem and can encourage some serious disordered eating behaviors. If they could have lost weight on their own, they would have! We are trying to get the word out so that practitioners most likely to encounter PCOS can put together the profile and alert the physician to the need for some endocrine testing and possible intervention.
For
more information, you can refer to the PCOS Web site, http://www.pcosupport.org,
and to the case study in the August 2000 issue of the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association. Source: Monika M. Woolsey, M.S., R.D., http://www.afterthediet.com.
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QUESTION: Where might I find credible information about diabetes?
ANSWER:The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) - a joint program of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - aims to improve the treatment and outcomes for people with diabetes. The NDEP, an ADA Alliance partner, offers numerous resources to help dietetic professionals enhance their practices and expand their capabilities to deliver diabetes education and information.
The NDEP has developed materials for people with diabetes, their family members, health care providers, payers and purchasers of care, and the media to promote the importance of controlling diabetes for life. To preview NDEP materials and download a publications order form, visit the program's Web site at http://ndep.nih.gov. Single copies of NDEP print materials are available free of charge through the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, and there are no copyright restrictions.
Source:
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Another source is the American
Dietetic Association.
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QUESTION: What are the statistics on how many people get botulism each year from improperly canned green beans? If they get botulism from green beans, what is the treatment?
ANSWER: According to Mead et al. (2000), the estimated annual number of cases of food borne botulism is 58. Keep in mind that the estimated number of cases of food borne illnesses due to all bacterial agents is more than 5 million. Therefore, in the total scheme of things, food borne botulism is not considered to be a major cause of food borne illness. SOURCES: In recent years, there has not been a reported outbreak associated with home-canned food, probably because we have been quite diligent about sharing proper home canning procedures with consumers. Historically, as you well know, low-acid canned foods have been associated with botulism. However, recent outbreaks have involved foods not usually associated with botulism, such as: 1977 -- 59 cases -- home-canned peppers 1978 -- 34 cases -- potato salad 1984 -- 38 cases -- sautéed onions 1985 -- 36 cases -- garlic in oil MORTALITY RATE: The current mortality rate of food borne botulism is about 13 percent. TREATMENT: Intravenous administration as soon as possible of two vials of trivalent (ABE) botulinum antitoxin, available from CDC, Atlanta, through state health departments, is considered a part of routine treatment. Serum should be collected to identify the specific toxin before antitoxin is administered, but antitoxin should not be withheld pending test results. Most important is immediate access to an intensive care unit so that respiratory failure, the usual cause of death, can be anticipated and managed promptly.
Source:
Angela Fraser, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Food Safety Specialist, North
Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina State University.
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QUESTION: How can I locate the statistics in my state on obesity, smoking and exercise levels?
ANSWER: Try looking at the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/brfss/. You can query the database for the state stats and you can also locate your state's BRFSS coordinator to contact for further questions about the state's data.
Source:
Sarah Kuester, public health nutritionist, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
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QUESTION: What is the CATCH Program?
ANSWER: The CATCH program Web site can be found at http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/catch. CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) is a coordinated elementary school health program that involves teachers, food service staff members and physical educators. The Web site contains ordering information and a list of journal references (click on the evaluation section).
Source:
Jerri L. Ward, M.A., R.D., L.D., Center for Health Promotion, Research
& Development, 7320 North Mopac, Suite 204 Austin, TX 78731; phone
(512) 346-6163; fax (512) 346-6802; e-mail jerri@uts.cc.utexas.edu.
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ANSWER: Pica is an eating disorder characterized by compulsive cravings and repeated ingestion of non-nutritious substances, generally for a period of at least a month. These substances can include such items as dirt, clay, paint chips, plaster, chalk, hair starch, ice and cigarette ashes.
Pica tends to be more common in black women and in children with low socioeconomic background. A family history of pica, poor nutrition, poverty and mental retardation are factors associated with individuals who experience pica.
Pica is usually manifested in children ages 1 through 6. Pica beyond age 6 is unusual and is generally associated with emotionally disturbed, mentally ill or brain-damaged children. The disorder does not apply to infants and children up to about 18 months of age because these youngsters tend to put numerous items in their mouths.
What causes pica?
The cause of pica is unclear, but several theories exist. One theory suggests that the craving for these substances is from an instinctive need to replace minerals lacking in the diet. A relationship between iron-deficiency anemia and pica has been recognized for many years, but it has not been determined whether pica is the cause or the result of the deficiency. The practice of pica by children is also thought to meet individual sensory needs or to be the result of psychological problems related to poor supervision or neglect. Pica can also be associated with a person's culture. In some cultures, the consumption of non-food items is considered an acceptable practice based on customs, superstitions, and religion.
What can pica cause?
Lead poisoning is the highest concern with pica in children because lead-contaminated paint and soil are the most commonly eaten substances. Children living near major roads or in homes built before 1980 are at high risk.
Other complications of pica include intestinal infections or parasites from soil, malnutrition from displacement of nutritious foods in the diet, intestinal blockages, and iron or zinc deficiencies.
How is pica treated?
Children with pica should be referred to a doctor for correct diagnosis and prompt treatment. The treatment will depend on the cause of the behavior. If the craving is related to deficiency of a mineral such as iron, treatment will involve iron replacement.
Other cases of pica may require the involvement of a social worker or psychologist who can assist in examining the home environment and provide behavior-modification therapy and psychological treatment. Methods to reduce or eliminate access to the pica substance should also be suggested.
What can WIC do?
Between April and August of 1999, 5,381 children in Texas WIC were identified with pica. This represents 1.6 percent of the children in WIC. WIC can counsel clients on the importance of a balanced diet and make referrals that might assist in early diagnosis and prevention of lead poisoning, iron-deficiency anemia, and other high-risk conditions with pica.
WIC staff should inform the child's parent or guardian of the potential risks associated with pica. Parents should be encouraged to provide proper supervision and a supportive, loving home environment.
Source: Paula Kanter, R.D., L.D., Texas WIC News, November/December 1999. Reprinted from Texas Newsletter with permission of the Texas Department of Health.
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QUESTION: Is
antibacterial hand lotion as effective as antibacterial hand soap?
ANSWER: Antibacterial lotion is NOT as effective as antibacterial soap. Antibacterial lotion is typically put on unwashed hands and there is no subsequent rinsing of the hands. Antibacterial soap is more effective because there is rinsing of the hands. In fact, antibacterial soap is no more effective than regular soap. Washing hands does not kill microorganisms -- it simply removes them from the hands. Therefore, scrubbing the hands will dislodge microorganisms from the skin and then rinsing thoroughly washes them away. Also, when you look at the label of antibacterial lotion, it typically states "kills 99% or 99.9% of MOST germs." If there were 10,000 bacteria on your hands, killing 99 percent of them would mean that 100 would be left; killing 99.9 percent would mean 10 would be left. Depending on what organism was on your hands, this might be an adequate dose to cause foodborne illness. The other concern with antibacterial lotions is that it takes time to kill the microorganisms. The active ingredient in most of these compounds is alcohol -- alcohol dissipates quickly-therefore, I am not sure that it is present for a long enough period of time on the hands to adequately kill organisms.
Source:
Angela Fraser, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Food Safety Specialist, North
Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina State University.
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QUESTION: Is odorless garlic effective?
ANSWER: According to Rational Phytotherapy (co-authored by Varro Tyler) odor-free garlic products are fermented for a number of months in the presence of low moisture and atmospheric oxygen, resulting in the conversion of all reactive garlic compounds into basically inert ingredients. These products are not going to have much medicinal benefit and have not been proven worthy in clinical trials (Rational Phytotherapy, page 110).
Also,
keep in mind that enteric coated garlic preparations may not give off
that garlic smell. According to Tyler's Honest Herbal when the allicin
(the active component of garlic) is released into the small intestine
it will react very quickly with the amino acid cysteine to form a compound
called S-allylmercaptocysteine. Apparently this compound binds the allicin
and prevents it from entering the bloodstream. Tyler notes that it is
not possible to rely on taste as a measure of the effectiveness of such
garlic preparations. If the garlic is not enteric coated, then the allicin
will be destroyed in the stomach. This is why enteric-coated garlic preparations
are recommended. (Tyler's Honest Herbal, 1999, page 174).
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ANSWER: I'm not positive about the exact composition of Citrimax, but it probably contains hydroxycitric acid, (HCA), the active ingredient in the herbal Garcinia cambogia, which is promoted as a weight loss aid. Heymsfield et al. published a clinical trial on HCA in JAMA (v. 280, p. 1596-1600, 1998;) that found that it was not effective for weight and fat loss. Of course, the supplement folks claim otherwise.
Source: Elaine Turner, Ph.D., R.D., University of Florida.
