Soy Myth and Fact

Hi, everyone. My Today Show topic on Wednesday is all about soy. Myth and fact, actually, since there is so much information – good and bad – about the health benefits of this interesting food. I remember the days when soy was one of those “weird” foods in the supermarkets, found mostly in giant white chunks in the dairy aisle. Now, it’s everywhere in so many great tasting products. People are always asking me “Should I eat soy?” The answer is a qualified yes – if you enjoy the taste of soy (there’s plenty of other nutritious stuff in the food supply). I think soy products can be a very healthful addition to the diet of many people (except those of you who are breast cancer survivors – more on that later), as long as you keep in mind some fundamentals about soy and soy products.

Soy is part of the plant kingdom (the only other one option is the animal kingdom), but it’s not a vegetable. It is called a legume and is a rich source of complete protein (just like beef, chicken, or fish). It’s naturally cholesterol free, and is sort of the chameleon of foods. In its natural state, it is relatively bland in taste, and can take on the flavors of whatever you mix it with.

Most scientific studies show health benefits of soy, when consumed in amounts of 25 grams or more. Is that a lot? For Americans, yes. In Asia, where the diet is soy based, it’s not much at all. With the availability of products like Boca burgers, and all kinds of products ranging from buffalo wings to lasagna, one serving can contain 15+ grams of soy protein. With one glass of soy milk, a handful of soy nuts, or edamame all weighing in at around 10 grams each, it’s fairly easy to get there. Soy snacks abound – and while I’m a big fan of the soy crisps as a great substitute for chips – it’s important to limit your selections to a serving, since the calories can add up quickly. So, be mindful of your servings of soy ice cream, chips, and other treats. And watch your intake of fried tofu – even in heart-healthy oil – it can pack on quite a caloric load. Soy sauce is a favorite, not only for use in Asian food, but as a low-calorie seasoning to replace fattier choices. Be sure to select low-sodium soy sauce, since just a couple of tablespoons of the regular provides your entire sodium intake for the day!

The health benefits of soy can be documented for some diseases. There are some good studies documenting the role of regular soy consumption in helping to lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, and thus helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease. BUT – there is a major BUT here – do not self-medicate, and think that eating soy is a replacement for regular medical care, and that you won’t get high cholesterol if you eat a lot of soy. Make sure you check with your doctor to get your levels measured first. Eating soy can be a help, but your overall diet is also key, as well as your medical history. Food is not medicine, and can promote health, but don’t feel that you’ve failed if you need medications as well.

What about cancer and soy? There is a lot of mixed information, so it’s too early to say for sure. Since soy is a weak estrogen, it is NOT recommended for breast cancer survivors.. Theoretically, a weak estrogen might be helpful to offset menopausal symptoms, like night-sweats, but the data are inconclusive; some people think it works, but the studies do not conclusively support it. On the other hand, there are some studies suggesting that soy can contribute to the prevention of colon and prostate cancer. Again, too early to tell.

On a final thought, some friends brought to my attention the variety of soy candles, soy lip gloss, and other non-edible soy products, and wondered about the health benefits. While soy candles can be healthy for the environment (they are not petroleum based), your own health will not be affected by soy products that are not edible. Nice thought, though…

What are your soy experiences? I’d love to know some products you’ve found that are tasty and healthful, and your thoughts on the health benefits of soy.

Foods that Interfere with Your Medication

While most of us read food labels closely, there's often little attention paid to the labels on prescription medications. Almost 70% of all adults regularly take medications. A recent study showed that nearly half of the patients studied misunderstood the labels - which can be a toxic mistake. Those package inserts, and little labels on the side - "do not crush", "take with plenty of water", "do not drink alcohol", "take with food", "avoid dairy products" - are not optional suggestions. These are all important in making sure that the medications - like foods - are properly broken down and absorbed by our bodies.

So, taking a drug correctly requires three easy steps: (1) understanding your prescription; (2) knowing what foods or dietary supplements to avoid; and (3) asking for help from your doctor or pharmacist.
Information starts at your doctor's office. Make sure you know the name of the medicine, the dosage, and what it's for (write it down, if you take more than one drug). At the pharmacy, check the bottle for medication name and dosage, to make sure it matches up. There are many "sound alike" medicines, with very different actions, so beware.

Read the information pamphlet about the "how tos" of the medicine, and ask the pharmacist if you're confused. Terms like "take two tablets twice daily" can be interpreted differently - does it mean at 12 hour intervals? Breakfast and dinner? Take both tablets at once? Better to check then assume it doesn't matter.

Pay attention to the terms "take with water" or "take with food". A 6-8 ounce glass of water is fine - no need to feel like you're floating away. And, "take with food" means a lot of different things to people. If you're taking it with a regularly scheduled meal, that's great, and a no-brainer. But what about other times? A good rule of thumb is about 100 calories - your choice, whether it's a piece of fruit, small bowl of cereal, or a few slices of lean turkey.

If there's one thing you take away from today's blog it's the idea that MANY FOODS AND MEDICINE DO NOT MIX. Here's a list of some major medicines and foods that should not be combined. Check with your doctor or pharmacist for more specific information.

Avoid:
Grapefruit Juice — If you take some types of cholesterol lowering drugs, heart medications, immune system drugs, and allergy medicines, grapefruit juice interferes with the metabolism of these drugs (not all citrus does this, and orange juice can be substituted).

Dark Green Vegetables — Vitamin K rich foods like broccoli, spinach, asparagus and red leaf lettuce interfere with the blood thinning medicines like coumadin (Warfarin). Coumadin prevent blood clotting, while Vitamin K promotes blood clotting - counteracting the effect.

Dairy Products — If you take iron supplements or certain antibiotics, the calcium in dairy products can block some of the absorption of these compounds, giving less active ingredient of the medicine.

Alcohol — If you take medicines affecting the brain, including antidepressants, sleeping pills, sedatives, antihistamines, and some antibiotics, you should cut out alcohol.

Caffeine — If you take asthma medicines or anti-anxiety drugs, avoid caffeine.

Red Wine and Hard Cheese — If you take certain antidepressants, red wine and hard cheese contain a compound called "tyramine" that increase the effect of the medicine.

High Fiber Foods — If you take penicillin or some other antibiotics, fiber slows the rate of stomach emptying, and slows the release of the medicine into your system.

And don't forget to check for interactions with dietary supplements. While not FDA-approved, many have biological activity, and can interfere with the action of many medications.

One last thing, check for the expiration date - and toss the bottle if it's out of date. Some medicines can lose potency over time. And avoid storing your bottles in a steamy bathroom - like we all do! A kitchen counter or drawer is a better place to avoid big changes in temperature and humidity that occur regularly in your bathroom cabinets.

When it comes to taking medicine, take control, and be an informed consumer. Your health is worth it.

Get The Skinny on Salt

Do you know how much salt you eat every day? If you're like most people, the answer is probably no. While it's automatic for us to read food labels for calorie and fat content (maybe even fiber!), we pay little attention to that word "sodium" (that's the dietary term for salt) on the label.

We did a segment recently to raise awareness of why it's time for a wake-up call -- because adjusting your salt intake to 2500 mg or less can have a major impact on your health. Many of us are eating diets with 4000-8000 mg of sodium every day. A high salt diet can raise raise blood pressure, often leading to an increase in the rate of heart attack and strokes. If you're "salt sensitive", you can be at particular risk. If you are over age 50, African American, have diabetes, are borderline hypertensive or already have high blood pressure or have kidney disease, you should pay close attention.

The good news: there are four simple and painless ways to lower your daily sodium intake to 2500 mg or less...

(1) read food labels for sodium content - food doesn't have to taste salty to have a lot of salt;
(2) cut down on consumption of processed foods and condiments;
(3) look for low and reduced sodium products;
(4) lose the salt shaker and season with herbs and other salt-free seasonings.

If these four steps sound like a challenge to you right now, keep reading to learn more about the "how-to" of lowering your salt intake.

Actually, our bodies do need some salt for normal function: (1) to maintain normal body fluid balance, (2) to help transmit nerve signals throughout the brain and nervous system, and (3) to help muscle contraction and relaxation. The requirement is small - only 500 mg (less than a bowl of soup, or a tablespoon of soy sauce!), which is about a teaspoon. Guidelines for daily sodium intake are set at at a maximum of 2500 mg per day. The four points of label reading, reducing processed foods and condiments, seeking reduced sodium foods, and replacing the salt shaker will go a long way towards helping you meet your goals.

Label reading is the number of way to lower your salt intake. In fact, our segment featured a nurse (and wife and mother), who read labels for other things, but had no idea of her salt intake. Her daily sodium intake was over 7000 mg in a day - almost three times more than the daily limit.

So, where is all of this salt coming from? About three quarters of our salt intake comes from (1) processed and prepared foods,; (2) sodium rich condiments; and (3) foods naturally containing sodium (beef, chicken, milk - about 100 mg/serving). Only about 10% comes from the salt shaker. All the hidden salt in foods are the biggest culprits - particularly canned soups, and boxed, processed foods (think rice and noodle mixes, macaroni and cheese). A microwaveable soup has about 800 mg per serving - with two servings per container (but we all eat the whole bowl), that's 1600 mg - more than half of the daily intake. Condiments like soy sauce have nearly 800 mg per tablespoon. So while we're all familiar with pickles and sauerkraut - no brainers to cut back because they taste so salty - the label reading is a must for products from cereals to breads to condiments, to deli meats to be an informed consumer. And know what these labels mean:

Sodium/salt free: less than 5 mg per serving --very low sodium --35 mg or less per serving
Low-sodium: 140 mg or less per serving --light in sodium -- 50% less sodium compared with the standard food

Remember that our taste for salt is learned. It's hard to un-learn, but if you give yourself about 3 weeks to gradually cut back on your salt intake from all sources, you'll find that you can readily cut your salt intake back, often by more than half. It's not important to be perfect, but making the effort to cut back on the sodium, substituting other herbs and seasonings (think garlic powder, not garlic salt) and seeking out low-sodium products will go a long way. One more thing - the newer "gourmet" sea salts are more flavorful and exotic, but have the same salt content as the big box at the supermarket. You might use less of the sea salts, because of the more intense flavor, but it's not a more healthful salt.

Be careful when choosing "lite" salts as they often contain potassium, another salt that the body needs, and also balances carefully. For certain medical conditions and medications, extra potassium may not be advisable - check with your doctor for more details on this, and to find out if you are in a "salt sensitive" category.

Let's Get Started

Welcome to my blog! This is the first entry, and I look forward to beginning a long and wonderful relationship with you, me, and good health. Information about diet and nutrition is everywhere, and it seems like we are bombarded 24/7 with conflicting information. From the TV news, to the Web, to newspapers and health magazines, to celebrity plans - it is really hard to figure it all out. I even find it challenging at times. Research changes so quickly it seems that what's "healthy" one day is shown to be "bad" the next. No wonder we are all confused. I want to help you navigate the roles that not only food and nutrition play in health promotion, but how your attitudes and actions count for a lot in making this all work. The same goes for physical activity and good medical care. From apples to zinc - and everything in-between, I'll separate myth from fact in any diet, nutrition, and health-related topic of interest to you. From food safety to weight loss - no topic is off limits.

While many of my entries will be tied to my weekly segments on the Today Show, I'll also be commenting on hot topics in the news, to help you sort through the hype, and get accurate, bottom line information. Even more importantly, I want to hear from you - to see what's on your mind, what questions you'd like to have answered, or just your views on a particular topic. I'm looking forward to some lively debates!

I'd like to throw out a question to you: With the busy lives we all lead, do you think it's possible to meet all of your nutritional needs only with foods, without taking a daily multi vitamin/mineral supplement? Let me know what you think.