Health @ Heart
From Snoring, to Avocado, to Yogurt
Part Two
What is the RDA for vitamins and minerals?
The Recommended Dietary Requirement (RDA) for the following vitamins and minerals are: Calcium, 800 milligrams; Iron, 10-15 mg; Folic Acid, 180-200 mg; Vitamin A, 4,000-5,000 IU; Vitamin, 400 IU for adults; and Vitamin C, 60 mg. The 10 vegetables with highest nutritional value are: Broccoli, spinach, brussells sprouts, lima beans, peas, asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, sweet potatoes and carrots. Celery provides high fiber content.
Are eggs and red meat essential for our health?
No, not at all. On the contrary, they pose some health hazards. People can survive, and even lead a healthier life, if they eat only fish, vegetables and fruits, and abstained from eating eggs and red meats (pork, beef, etc) for the rest of their life. Fish is an excellent source of protein, and also contains the essential fatty acid, omega-3 oil, among others, which protects our cardiovascular system and lowers our risk for blood clots, heart attack and stroke. This healthier diet will also significantly lower our grocery bills.
Does drinking during pregnancy affect the baby?
Definitely. Drinking alcoholic beverage during pregnancy not only can, but will surely, adversely affect the brain, the personality, and other organ development of the unborn. The earlier in the stage of pregnancy the drinking starts, the greater the damage it causes. Many of this leads to feto-alcohol syndrome, a most cruel and grotesque complication of alcohol on the baby in the uterus (womb). This is the reason why pregnant women should totally abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages. One drink is one too many, if the unborn is to be protected from harm.
Does blood in the stool mean cancer?
Blood in the stool should always concern the person. If it is fresh, red blood, it could be from bleeding hemorrhoids. Tarry stools (black feces) could mean digested blood coming from stomach bleeding, or that the person has taken iron pills or ingested food with blood component (like Dinuguan, etc). But blood in the stools should always alert the person to seek medical advice, to make certain the bleeding is not from colorectal cancer. Undergoing a simple test for occult blood in the stools and colorectal examination, or neglecting to have them done, could spell the difference between life and death from cancer. As a matter of fact, with or without symptoms, a yearly rectal digital (finger) examination is recommended for adults 40 and older.
Does yogurt fight infection?
Preventive medicine specialist David L. Katz, M.D., MPH, Yale University, believes the "good" bacteria in yogart (brands whose label says "Live and Active Cultures) help prevent infection by stimulating the body's immune cells and competing with bad bacteria for entry through the intestinal walls. These beneficial actions of yogurt prevents infection.
The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities, and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.
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Dr. Philip S. Chua is Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the Chairman of Cardiovascular Surgery of the Cebu Doctors' University Hospital in Cebu City. He is also the Vice-President for Far East Operations of the Cardiovascular Hospitals of America, a hospital builder in Wichita, Kansas. His health column appears in 8 newspapers (4 in the United States and 4 in the Philippines), 3 magazines, and 9 websites on the internet. His email address is scalpelpen@gmail.com