StrongWomen Newsletter
Issue 108, September 2007
I hope you find this newsletter helpful, and that you share it with your friends. Feel free to forward, post or reprint it – but please credit strongwomen.com for the information and don’t change the content.
By Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
The Strong Women’s Journal
Strong Women, Strong Hearts
Strong Women, Strong Backs
Founder of www.StrongWomen.com
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
- Folic Acid Fortification-Good or not so good for you
- Upcoming StrongWomen Workshops
- Reader Questions and Answers
- Can I do a leg extension with limited flexibility?
- Are sugar and molasses nutritionally equivalent?
- Success Stories
- Recipe – Caprese salad
FOLIC ACID FORTIFICATION
GOOD OR NOT SO GOOD FOR YOU?
One of the most frequent questions I get is whether or not women should take vitamin and mineral supplements! Many people believe that if a little bit of something is good, a lot of it must be a whole lot better; however, when it comes to supplements this usually isn't the case. A recent article by my colleagues at Tufts gives a good example of why. .
We've known for several decades that folic acid, one of the B vitamins, is important for overall health. It reduces birth defects such as neural tube defects like spina bifida and helps to reduce homocysteine-a blood marker associated with some forms of heart disease. It was the association between folate and birth defects that stimulated the United States and Canada to decide to enrich all flour and uncooked cereal grains with folic acid. In this way, all Americans would get more folate.
The fortification began in 1996. Food companies were required to fortify flour with 140 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams, but in many instances the actual amount added to flour was found to be 150% to 300% greater than the requirement.
The added folic acid appeared to be successful: the incidence of births complicated by neural tube defects was reported to decline between 20 and 50 percent after the fortification. This was very good news for pregnant women! But there is a catch. Dr. Joel Mason and his colleagues at Tufts University discovered another trend that began in 1996 and continues to rise. The U.S. and Canada experienced declines in colorectal cancer (CRC) up until 1996. At the time fortification started, both countries experienced abrupt reversals of the downward trend and saw rates of CRC rise. This rise continues today. Earlier clinical research showed colorectal tumors grew when people were given higher levels of folate than necessary. Perhaps this is the reason for the increase in CRC in the U.S. and Canada, but at this point, it's too early to know.
Don't panic: we don't know yet if fortification is responsible for an increase in CRC. This is just a hypothesis. More research needs to be done to really understand this relationship. However, I think it's a good example of why we need to be cautious with supplements. We're learning new things about nutrition every day! Taking more vitamins doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be healthier. The tips below will help you be as healthy as possible:
Don't over-supplement. In general, you can get the nutrients you need from foods. If you feel you are lacking in one area and you decide to take a supplement, make sure you are only getting 100% of the recommended daily amount-do not assume that more is better. (The only supplement I suggest taking is calcium and vitamin D-there's a lot of research showing that we may need more of these nutrients than we can get from our food.)
Eat a variety of foods. Your body requires lots of different vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. If you include a variety of foods in your diet, you'll be more likely to meet your body's needs. If you always eat the same thing, you may be overemphasizing certain nutrients and excluding others.
For those of you who have major caregiving commitments, I wish you great strength.
Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
(Reference: JB Mason and colleagues. A temporal association between folic acid fortification and an increase in colorectal cancer rates may be illuminating important biological principles: A hypothesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(7).)
UPCOMING STRONGWOMEN WORKSHOPS
Several upcoming StrongWomen Program workshops are scheduled for the next few months. In order to be eligible for StrongWomen training, you must be actively strength training right now, and you must have a firm commitment to starting a program in your community. This training is to teach you how to “lead” a StrongWomen Program, and should not be attended simply for informational/personal purposes.
Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Location: Jacksonville, AR
Contact: Treena Musselman
Phone: 501-340-6650
Email: tmusselman@uaex.edu
Registration Deadline: September 14, 2007
Date: October 4, 2007
Location: St. Peters, MO
Contact: Carole Braun
Email: brauncar@missouri.edu
Phone: 573-882-0698
Registration deadline: September 13
Date: October 26, 2007
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Contact: Nancy Wiker
Phone: 717-394-6851
Email: nwiker@psu.edu
Registration deadline: October 11
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: My hamstrings are very tight; so when I try to do the knee extension, my leg does not come up all the way up during the lift. Does this affect the benefit from this exercise?
A:
It's always best to be able to complete an exercise with a full range of motion; however, if your flexibility is limiting you from doing so you should continue performing the knee extension as you have been, but be sure to add a flexibility component to your exercise regimen. Over time, your hamstrings will become more flexible and you should be able to complete the knee extension with a full range of motion. Remember: it's safe to stretch every day.
Q:
Which is healthier-white sugar, brown sugar, or molasses?
A: White and brown sugar are nutritionally equivalent- neither one provides any essential vitamins or minerals. Molasses, however, does contain a significant amount of calcium and other minerals, which makes it a healthier choice. But in order to get enough calcium from molasses you have to eat a lot of it! So be careful with the calories.
FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN
have been following your Strong Women Strong Bones program for just over a year. I am amazed at how much stronger I have become!
- Ann
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Quick Caprese Salad
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Click Here for a Printable Version of the Recipe
The Caprese salad is my family’s favorite! This delicious dish is often served as the antipasto for an Italian dinner. It is simple to make, and now is the perfect time — gardens are teeming with fresh tomatoes by late August and early September. Plus, the fresh mozzarella makes this dish an excellent source of calcium! (Serves 4)
For other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to http://strongwomen.com/recipes/
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