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February 3, 2003
3 Min Read
Newsweek: Food's Effects on Health
NEW YORK--The Jan. 20 cover line for Newsweek magazine,"The Perfect Diet: What Science Tells Us About Food and Health,"encompassed a variety of health topics as they related to food and itsnutritional value. Articles included a comparison of Harvard's Healthy EatingPyramid and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid;another extolling the heart-health benefits of alcohol; a third discussing thesound science behind certain supplements; one reviewing diet and Alzheimer's;and others promoting the physical activity needed to stymie disease.
In "A Better Way To Eat," Geoffrey Cowley reported that althoughthe U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Pyramid is the currentmeasuring stick for a healthful diet, Harvard's Healthy Eating Pyramid may be abetter guide. The USDA pyramid, as is, limits its focus to four basic foodgroups, giving equal emphasis to red meat consumption and fish consumption, eventhough the health benefits of both are not on par with one another. The HealthyEating Pyramid, on the other hand, emphasizes good carbs (such as whole-grainfoods) and good fats (including plant oils), and was shown by the Harvard Schoolof Public Health in a recent study to reduce the risk of heart disease two timesmore than those following the USDA model (Am J Clin Nutr, 76, 6:1261-71, 2002).
Naysayers of the USDA pyramid report that it has not halted the growingepidemic of obesity in the United States. The Harvard pyramid was devised byusing dietary findings of epidemiological trials such as the Nurses' HealthStudy, the Physicians' Health Study and the Health Professionals' Follow-UpStudy. Differences between the two pyramids include:
While USDA suggests consuming six to 11 serving of bread, cereal, rice or pasta every day, Harvard suggests eating whole-grain foods at most meals and to use refined carbohydrates as sparingly as red meat and butter;
While USDA suggests consuming fats and oils as sparingly as sweets, Harvard points out that unsaturated fats, such as plant oils, should be used as regularly as whole-grain foods; and
While USDA does not recommend supplement intake on its pyramid, Harvard suggests taking a calcium supplement and a multivitamin.
"The Healthy Eating Pyramid may still need refinement, but as a guide togood health, it clearly trumps the USDA pyramid," Cowley concluded.
In "Rx: Two Martinis a Day," Anne Underwood looked at the expandingevidence supporting the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on heart health.She cited a 1997 study that demonstrated moderate drinkers had a 20-percentlower risk of death in the course of a year than those who did not drink at all.And in a 12-year study of 40,000 men, which appeared in The New EnglandJournal of Medicine (348:109-118, 2003), those who drank a glass or two ofliquor or alcohol three to seven times a week cut their heart attack risk byone-third. However, in that same study, findings elucidated the concern thatwomen and alcohol may not mix: Consumption raised the risk of dying from breastcancer by 30 percent.
Newsweek also included "Supplements: All About VitaminPills." Using information provided by the unpublished Harvard report, TheBenefits and Risks of Vitamins and Minerals: What You Need To Know (availableMarch 15), the piece discussed vitamin A and carotenoids reducing the risk ofmacular degeneration; folic acid preventing birth defects, lowering homocysteinelevels and reducing colon cancer risk; vitamin C protecting against cataracts;vitamin D aiding in bone health; and vitamin E proving useful in eye health,cancer prevention and brain health.
"Diet and Alzheimer's" gave a brief rundown of the factorsaffecting this cognitive disease, including mentions of fish oils showingpotential in preventing dementia and antioxidants reducing Alzheimer's risk.
For the full stories, visit www.newsweek.com.
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