TO YOUR HEALTH…

TO YOUR HEALTH

SUMMER GRILLING SEASON

WASHINGTON

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the outdoor grilling season. But health officials say the warm weather months also see an increase in foodborne illnesses. They say it's because bacteria grows faster during the warm weather, and also because people may not as careful about proper cooking temperatures, storage and cleaning as they should be. The Partnership for Food Safety Education's Fight BAC! campaign offers some safe grilling tips to help you Fight BAC! (bacteria) and enjoy your backyard barbecue:

CLEAN -- Wash hands with warm, soapy water before handling food.

When grilling away from home, pack clean, soapy washcloths, disposable moist towelettes, or paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.

COOK -- Meat and poultry cooked on a grill tend to brown very fast on the outside, so make sure that these foods are cooked to a safe temperature all the way through on the inside. Use a food thermometer to make sure that food reaches a safe internal temperature.

Hamburgers should be cooked to 160 degrees F, while large cuts of beef such as roasts and steaks may be cooked to 145 degrees F for medium rare or to 160 degrees F for medium.
Cook skinless, boneless poultry breasts to 160 degrees F, bone-in breasts to 170 degrees F, ground poultry to 165 degrees F and poultry parts (drumsticks, thighs and legs) to 180 degrees F.
Fish should be cooked until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. SEPARATE -- Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood in sealed containers or plastic bags so juices will not cross-contaminate already cooked foods or other items such as fruits and vegetables.
Use a separate cutting board for raw meat products.
When taking foods off the grill, put the cooked items on a clean plate.

CHILL -- Keep perishable foods such as meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, cold or frozen until ready to cook.

Pack refrigerated perishables directly into a cooler to minimize the threat of bacterial growth on the food.
Pack the cooler with plenty of extra ice or freezer packs to insure a constant cold temperature -- a full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled.
Store drinks in a separate cooler to avoid frequent opening of the food cooler. (For more information on practicing safe food handling, visit the Fight BAC! Web site at www.fightbac.org <http://www.fightbac.org> , or call the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555, or the FDA's Information Line at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.) Contact Beth Johnson of Fleishman-Hillard at 202-828-9723 for Fight BAC!

Lots of Antibiotics, Little Success

by Dr. Brad Krueger

Otitis refers to inflammation of the middle ear area just behind the eardrum. Two out of three children under the age of three suffer at least one episode of otitis media, and up to one third experience six or more episodes by the time they start school. Common symptoms include irritability, difficulty sleeping, fussiness (in younger children), and ear pain and hearing loss (in older children). Antibiotics are standard treatment for this condition, even though little scientific evidence supports their use. A case in point comes from the British Medical Journal, which published a study comparing antibiotic treatment vs. placebo (no treatment) for acute otitis media. Among 53 general practices in the Netherlands, 240 children between six months and two years of age were randomly selected to receive either amoxicillin or placebo. Results showed only slight differences between the two groups with regard to symptom resolution (more common in the antibiotic group at day four, but similar by day 11); duration of fever (shortened by one additional day in the antibiotic group); and crying and/or pain (no differences between the two groups). The authors conclude that if seven to eight children with acute otitis media are given amoxicillin treatment, only one child will experience symptom improvement by day four. They suggest that the effectiveness of antibiotics for this condition is limited, especially in children under two years of age. Damoiseaux RAMJ, van Balen FAM, Hoes AW, et al. Primary-care-based randomized, double-blind trial of amoxicillin versus placebo for acute otitis media in children aged under 2 years. British Medical Journal, Feb. 5, 2000: Vol. 320, pp350-54. *****

'SUPERBUG' GENOME:

By LIDIA WASOWICZ

Researchers have unraveled the genome of a harmful bacterium, dubbed the "superbug," which is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. The genome for Enterococcus faecium, notorious for its stubborn resistance to antibiotic treatments, was deciphered at the Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute in Walnut Creek, Calif. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. "This new capability to rapidly decode the DNA of microbes can be used to provide the scientific community with a huge amount of fundamental data about life and the microbial world. This information allows us to explore bacteria that cause disease, as well as bacteria that can clean up the environment and benefit us in many other ways." The 2.8 million base pairs of DNA that make up the genome of E. faecium bacterium were sequenced in a day. "I believe this kind of fast response capability could prove to be very useful to researchers in medical, national security and agricultural contexts," said JGI Director Elbert Branscomb.

Ginkgo and Ginseng Research

by Dr. Brad Krueger

Anew double-blind, placebo- controlled study of ginkgo biloba and ginseng reports very favorable results in cognitive performance. British researchers compared doses of ginkgo and ginseng to a placebo and measured attention span and short-term memory. Attentiveness and alertness were significantly improved in the volunteers by one dose of ginkgo at nine o'clock in the morning; the condition lasted until three in the afternoon. The optimum dose was judged to be 360 mg. A single 400 mg dose of ginseng produced improvements in short-term memory and concentration throughout the day. Dr. Andrew Scholey of the University of Northumbria, et al., in a report to the British Psychological Society in Winchester, April 14, 2000.

Too Much Added Sugar Carbohydrates

by Dr. Brad Krueger

Too Much Added Sugar Carbohydrates, including sugars, comprise the body's primary source of energy. Sugar occurs naturally in many foods (i.e., fruits and dairy products), but there are countless processed foods that contain high amounts of refined sugar. A little sugar is OK, but too much can contribute to poor overall diet and poor health. The figures show that Americans consume far too much sugar on a daily basis. As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, 15,010 people two years of age and older recorded a 24-hour recall of dietary intake. Researchers calculated intake of added sweeteners, paying specific attention to average intake from all sources and from specific categories; contribution of added sweeteners to total energy intake; and percentage contribution of each food category to total added sweetener intake. * An average of 82 grams of carbohydrates per day came from added sweeteners, accounting for 16% of total energy intake. (Nutritional guidelines recommend that between 6-10% of carbohydrates come from sugars.) * Adolescents consumed the most added sweeteners as a percentage of energy (20% of total energy intake). * The primary sources of added sweeteners were soft drinks (33%), sweets (candies, syrups, honey, table sugar - 16.1%), and sweetened grains (cookies and cakes - 12.9%). If you're consuming a lot of sugar, you're probably not getting enough of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs to function properly. In fact, the sweeteners Americans seem to consume most frequently (non-diet soft drinks, candy, syrups and jellies, etc.) possess no nutritional value whatsoever except for the sugar. Teach your children about the importance of a balanced diet that minimizes consumption of refined sugar. Guthrie JF, Morton JF. Food sources of added sweeteners in the diets of Americans. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2000: Vol. 100, pp43-48, 51. *****

MILD HEAD INJURY WITH MAJOR CONSEQUENCES:

A mild head injury may have major consequences, doctors say. Their study, using Positron Emission Tomography, or PET, of the brain indicates a concussion may have a serious effect on the brain, the researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, reported in the Journal of Neurotrauma. Even a mild brain injury sends the human brain into a prolonged altered metabolic state, they said. "This new evidence challenges the conventional neurological wisdom regarding cerebral concussion. Even though a person may appear normal, alert and able to talk, what occurs inside the person's brain is anything but normal," said researcher David Hovda, director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center and the study's senior author. "PET scan evidence will change the way brain-injured patients are currently diagnosed and managed." When a mild concussion occurs, most physicians assess recovery based on the subject's ability to answer simple questions. While MRI and CT scans, which show brain structure, are usually completely normal after a concussion, a PET scan can reveal serious abnormality in how the brain is functioning, the scientists said. For more information call 310-794-0777.

HUMAN DNA REVELATION DRAWS NEAR

By ELIZABETH MANNING

Scientists are nearing completion of the first draft of the human blueprint with work on assembling an estimated 3 billion letters that encode the instructions for human life, announce officials from two research institutions. "We are working toward achieving about 90 percent of the work by mid-June," Dr Ewan Birney, a lead researcher at the European Bio-informatics Institute in Cambridge, England, told United Press International. Dr. Don Powell from the adjoining Sanger Centre, the UK's participant in the international Human Genome Project, told UPI that all the data would be made freely available immediately to start working on disease control worldwide. For example, says Birney, the work would enable medical scientists worldwide to react to individual patients. "It gives us the ability to find genes which indicate how a certain individual responds to certain drugs, such as in heart disease," he explains. "Previously it would have been a lottery." Genetic tests will also highlight disease risk factors, allowing preventative action and possibly even gene correction.

DIME SIZED DEVICE COULD HELP SUNBATHERS AVOID SUNBURN

Jim Kling, Washington

A new dime-sized device could help sunbathers avoid sunburn. Created by researchers at Israel-based Skyrad, which is associated with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the Sticker changes color upon over-exposure to the sun's rays. Ultraviolet rays cause tanning and burns, and recent damage to the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere have led to higher exposures. "The sun's ultraviolet radiation is the cause of premature aging, wrinkling, benign and pre-cancerous growths and at least 90% of all skin cancers," said Perry Robins, founder and president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. The Sticker comes in versions for use with or without sun screen, and versions designed for six skin types ranging from very light to very dark.

ARTHRITIS OPTIONS

By LIDIA WASOWICZ

Arthritis affects more than 43 million Americans, according to the Arthritis Foundation. A nutritional supplement might bring relief to some of them, a preliminary study indicates. The study tested methyl-sulfonyl-methane, a supplement that supplies sulfur. In a small study, those who took the daily supplement for six weeks reported significant improvement in pain relief. "Although this was only a preliminary study, it appears that a more intensive investigation of MSM with a more extended control group is warranted," said Dr. Ronald Lawrence, co-author of The Miracle of MSM and lead study author. "Lignisul MSM may offer a significant new nutritional substance for the control of arthritic pain without the serious side effects of other pharmaceuticals."

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PNEUMONIA TREATMENT

By ELIZABETH MANNING

In response to looming concerns about drug resistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced guidelines for treating community-acquired pneumonia. For those with mild to moderate CAP, the Atlanta-based agency says clarithromycin, marketed as Biaxin, is the best antibiotic to try first, as are other antibiotics in the macrolide family -- specifically, erythromycin and azithromycin. "Macrolides provide coverage against a broad spectrum of respiratory pathogens -- including atypical pathogens responsible for CAP, such as M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae," says Dr. John Barlett of Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Barlett, a member of the CDC team that developed the recommendations, says doxycycline (a form of tetracycline) is a good choice as well. To avoid adding to the problem of drug resistance, the CDC urges doctors reserve the use of fluoroquinolone for CAP patients who have not responded to first-line treatments, are allergic to them, or are infected with highly drug-resistant pneumococci. For more information 847-935-9545

WOMEN MANAGING STRESS

Researchers have gained insight into how women deal with stress. The scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, say their study highlights one of the most basic differences between men's and women's behavior. Principal investigator Shelley Taylor termed a female's behavior pattern as "tend and befriend," in which the response to stressful conditions centers around protecting and nurturing the young and seeking social contact and support from others, especially other females. This differs from the traditional view of how both genders cope with stress. "For decades, psychological research maintained that both men and women rely on fight or flight to cope with stress -- meaning that when confronted by stress, individuals either react with aggressive behavior, such as verbal conflict and more drastic actions, or withdraw from the stressful situation," Taylor said. "We found that men often react to stress with a fight-or-flight response, but women are more likely to manage their stress with a tend-and-befriend response by nurturing their children or seeking social contact." The study will appear in the Psychological Review of the American Psychological Association. For more information call 310-206-0510.