Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 4-5-17

32 I HEALTH I
April 5, 2017
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
@MIDRIVERSNEWS
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
3-3459
314.205.6200
stlukes-stl.com/urgent-care
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily
Special Hours on Holidays
On-site X-ray & Lab
O’Fallon
5551 WingHaven Boulevard
O’Fallon, MO 63368
½ mile north of Highway 40/I-64
Weldon Spring
1051 Wolfrum Crossing
Weldon Spring, MO 63304
Hwy 94 at Wolfrum Road
A large new study has found that when it comes to eating fruits and
vegetables, eight a day is best.
health
capsules
More than “five a day” is better
We’ve all heard that when it comes to
fruits and vegetables, eating “five a day”
is best for our health. However, it turns
out that the optimal number may be eight,
according to a new study published in
the International Journal of Epidemiology.
A team of researchers from Norwegian
University of Science and Technology and
Imperial College London conducted the
largest analysis on this topic to date. They
looked at a total of 142 publications from
95 different population studies encompassing
millions of people. They concluded
that, overall, 7.8 million deaths worldwide
from heart disease, cancer, stroke and other
causes could be prevented each year if
people ate more fruits and vegetables.
Their study showed that the risk of dying
prematurely from all causes was reduced
by almost a third, and the risk of cardiovascular
disease went down by about a quarter,
in people who ate 800 grams [28.2 ounces]
of fruit and vegetables every day compared
with those who ate very little or no fruits
and vegetables.
“We see a gradual reduction in risk with
increasing consumption, so a low or moderate
intake is better than not eating fruits
and vegetables at all,” said lead researcher
Dagfinn Aune. “The risk of heart disease,
strokes and premature death decreased by
10.8 percent for each 200-gram increase in
consumption of fruit or vegetables – up to
an intake of 800 grams.”
Although it’s true that people who eat
lots of fruits and vegetables are more likely
to have other healthy habits as well – for
example, being more physically active and
not smoking – the researchers attempted to
adjust their analysis for those factors. “We
saw pretty much no significant difference
in the results of studies with and without
this kind of adjustment. Nevertheless, we
cannot completely exclude that the results
are due to factors we have not been able to
take into account,” Aune stated.
The meta-analysis also was the first to
examine which specific fruits and vegetables
can be connected to a reduced risk
of disease. It found that apples and pears,
citrus fruit, fruit juice, green leafy vegetables,
and other fruits and vegetables rich
in vitamin C were among those linked to a
reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and
premature death.
“Part of what is most fascinating about
this study is that the association between
fruit and vegetables and mortality is greater
than one would expect only on the basis of
the relationships we find with cardiovascular
disease and cancer, so it is conceivable
that fruit and vegetables are beneficial in
preventing other diseases and causes of
death as well,” Aune said. “But since we
had very limited data, we could not do
analyses for other causes of death. This is
something we want to pursue.”
Kids cause sleep-deprived
moms; dads – not so much
New research confirms the claims of
many women that they don’t get enough
sleep due to having kids – but men’s slumber
is unaffected by having children in the
house, according to a new study.
Researchers from Georgia Southern
University surveyed about 5,800 people,
including 2,900 women aged 45 years and
younger, and found that less than half of
those respondents with children [48 percent]
got fewer than seven hours of sleep
per night [seven or more hours of sleep is
considered optimum]. Having more kids
equated to sleeping less, with each child
in the home increasing the odds of insufficient
sleep by nearly 50 percent. By
contrast, 62 percent of women without
children said they slept seven hours or
longer per night. Among male respondents,
no link was found between having children
in the house and how many hours of sleep
per night they typically got.
In addition to the number of children in
the home, the researchers looked at factors
including age, race, education, marital
status, income, body mass index, exercise,
employment and snoring as possible factors
linked to sleep deprivation. They found that,
among the younger women surveyed, the
sole factor associated with getting enough
sleep – or not – was having kids.
The study will be presented at the American
Academy of Neurology’s 69th Annual
Meeting in April.
On the calendar
BJC of St. Charles County sponsors a
Lunch-and-Learn program on Friday,
April 7 from noon-1 p.m. in Conference
Room A of Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital,
10 Hospital Drive in St. Peters. Dr. Scott
Zuick answers questions about lung and
pulmonary health. Lunch is included; the
event is free. Registration is required and is
available online at www.bjcstcharlescounty.
org or by calling (636) 928-9355.
• • •
Pediatric First Aid Basics, a free program
designed by St. Louis Children’s
Hospital, is offered on Wednesday, April 12
from 6:30-8 p.m. at Progress West Hospital,
2 Progress Point Parkway in O’Fallon, in
Conference Room B. A registered nurse
presents about practical age-specific safety
issues and how to prevent and handle
common childhood injuries. Registration
is required by calling (636) 344-5437.
• • •
A free Community Health Sceening is
offered on Friday, April 14 from 7:30-9:30
a.m. at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital,
10 Hospital Drive in St. Peters. Screenings
will be conducted in suite 117 of Medical
Office Building 1. Tests include lung function
and blood pressure, cholesterol lipid
panel and glucose levels, body composition
analysis and body mass index [BMI].
Participants should fast for at least 10
hours prior to the screening. Registration is
required and available online at www.bjcstcharlescounty.org;
for more information,
call (636) 928-9355.
• • •
An American Red Cross Community
Blood Drive will be held on Friday,
April 28 from 1-5 p.m. at Barnes-Jewish
St. Peters Hospital, 10 Hospital Drive in
St. Peters and also at Progress West Hospital,
2 Progress Point Parkway in O’Fallon
during the same hours. Appointments are
not required, but may speed the donation
process. Use sponsor codes BJSTPETERS
or PROGRESS WEST when signing up
online at www.redcrossblood.org or register
by phone at (800) 733-2767.