A (trans) fat belly
By now you've heard me -- and every other doctor -- rant (more than once) about trans fats. But I don't think there's been enough explanation as to what makes them so much worse than other fats out there.
First of all, trans fats can actually make you fatter than other foods with the same number of calories. They also increase the amount of fat around your stomach, not just by adding new fat, but also by redistributing fat from other areas directly to your belly.
Researchers learned this when they conducted a study of 51 monkeys, feeding them a diet consisting of 35 percent fat. Of those monkeys, half received a diet that included 8 percent trans fat. The others received unsaturated fats, like olive oil.
Both diets were calorie-controlled, which should have meant that the trans-fat monkeys wouldn't have gained any more weight than the other monkeys. Wrong.
By the end of the study (six years later), the monkeys who ate unsaturated fats saw a 1.8-percent increase in their body weight. But the monkeys who at the most trans fats saw a 7.2-percent increase. That's huge.
Granted, we're not monkeys, but in humans, that kind of increase would be enough to seriously raise your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Basically, there's just no winning with these unnatural, unhealthy fats.
But these days, trying to cut them out of your diet is pretty hard. They're found just about everywhere, especially in fast-food restaurants. They're also pretty abundant in vegetable shortenings, some kinds of margarine, and manufactured baked goods like cookies, crackers, and snack foods.
My advice is to avoid anything prepackaged. Most plastic-wrapped foods are stuffed with trans fats, often in the form of preservatives. And fast food is just as bad, if not worse so skip the drive-through and hit the kitchen instead: You have a lot more control over what goes into your body when you prepare it yourself.
A few goods spirits may benefit your brain
I hate to say I told you so, but I've always said that an occasional glass of wine offers a lot of healthy benefits. And now I've got even more evidence to back it up.
A recent study has shown that moderate drinking (key word: moderate) by women ages 65 and older could have benefits for the brain.
The study, which involved almost 2,300 subjects, found that women who consumed at least one alcoholic drink (beer, wine, or liquor) every day scored higher on verbal skills tests than nondrinkers.
The researchers weren't willing to give an out-and-out recommendation for regular alcohol consumption, though. They warned that results of this test were based only on the three-month study, and they didn't factor in the women's drinking habits during their entire lives.
They also urged people to consider other factors, like the facts that the drinkers also seemed to be more educated, have a higher income, have a lower body mass index, and no history of certain illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. They claim that any one of those factors could have played an equal role.
Well, even if these researchers think the benefits of a little alcohol every now and then are inconclusive, I don't.
A good bit of evidence has shown that a good glass of red wine is chock full of healthy antioxidants. And antioxidants are known for being good brain food. Of course, this doesn't mean you should just go out and start drinking and expect an immediate increase in mental sharpness or verbal skills. And you should certainly keep in mind that too much alcohol has been linked to dementia. The key here, like always, is moderation.
So if the mood strikes you, have a nice glass of red wine with dinner every once in a while -- There's nothing tastier with a nice salad and a sensible portion of steak.
