Community Magazine July 2012

To • • Health IS THERE A HEALTHIEST FISH? Fish consumers want better advice on the nutritional benefits, contamination risks, and ecological effects of eating fish, according to researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. But in a recently published review in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers advise fish-eaters that there is no such thing as a “perfectly safe fish.” For example, farm-raised salmon is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury, which makes it good for pregnant women and children, but it also may be harmful to the ecosystem, and may have high levels of other chemicals. The authors encourage government agencies to work to eliminate fish contamination, and promote responsible fishing practices. Questionable fish, based on mercury levels, generally include trout, snapper and canned white albacore tuna. Fish that should be avoided, or eaten rarely, include tuna steak and pickerel. BROOKLYNNETS CHOOSEMAIMONIDES Maimonides Medical Center is now the official hospital of the Brooklyn Nets, and its doctors are the team’s official physicians. The NBA team just moved to the newly constructed Barclays Center on Atlantic Avenue, marking the first time in over 50 years that Brooklyn has been home to a Major League sports franchise. The team donated thousands of official logo “onesies” to the Maimonides Payson Birthing Center, so that every 2012 baby born in the center since April 30th will go home representing Brooklyn’s new basketball home team. Maimonides delivers over 8,000 babies a year. Maimonides’ sports medicine experts will provide physicals and be alongside the players during all home games for immediate courtside care, sharing injury-prevention strategies, and providing diagnosis and treatment of injuries and other illnesses. CALCIUMEXCESS LINKED TOHEART PROBLEMS Calcium supplements, often prescribed to prevent and treat osteoporosis, could double the risk of having a heart attack, according to a new study published in the journal Heart. The study tracked nearly 24,000 men and women for an average of 11 years. Calcium from foods and diet are generally considered safer than supplements, because the risk of heart problems from excessive doses generally outweighs the benefits – including prevention of bone fractures. Calcium from food also triggers effects on metabolism and levels in the bloodstream, which daily calcium supplements cannot reproduce. SPINACHSUPPORTS SIGHT Foods like dark green leafy vegetables may have a stronger effect on eye health than traditional “eye foods” like carrots. New research suggests that some nutrients can prevent vision loss and eye diseases associated with aging, though experts are cautioning consumers that common claims by supplement manufacturers are overblown. Over 150 million Americans use glasses or contacts to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness, and sight problems increase with age. Previous research has found that vitamin C, E, zinc, beta-carotene and lutein have been linked to lower rates of common age-related eye diseases, and that food-based sources are better than supplements. A new study in the journal Ophthalmology found that vitamins E and C did not protect aging eyes from macular degeneration, showing the lack of benefit from single antioxidants. Generally nutritious diets may do more to protect the eyes, and have been linked to higher densities of compounds that protect the back of the eye. EXCESSIVE EXERCISE CANDAMAGE THE HEART While the benefits of exercise to the heart are known to increase during the first hour, continued exertion after the first hour could be detrimental, possibly causing heart rhythm problems or even scarring. Research published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that marathon runners, triathletes and long-distance cyclists may be damaging their hearts through excessive endurance exercise. The doctors involved approve of exercise in general, but advise that challenges like marathons be short-term goals, rather than long-term exercise patterns. Regular exercise has been linked to lower rates of disability and longer life expectancy, but no additional benefits are gained beyond 30 to 60 minutes a day of vigorous activity. Ideally, running should be done two to three times a week maximum, alternated with other activities like yoga, walking and swimming. Those who are overweight are advised to spend 60 to 90 minutes a day involved in less intense exercise like walking or light bicycling. 94 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE