Facial, Mouth, and Head Injuries

Q:  Why is spring considered the worst time of the year for facial, mouth, and head injuries?

A:  Spring is the worst time of year for these injuries.  As a matter of fact, April is National Facial Protection Month.  April was named National Facial Protection month and is sponsored by several Sport and Dental associations due to the large number of injuries from people getting outside and participating in outdoor activities.

Research by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Policy on Prevention of Sports-related Orofacial Injuries found that 10% to 39% of all dental injuries in children are related to sport injuries. Research also found that three of the five most common causes of childhood injuries are bicycling, playgrounds and soccer.

Most of the injuries could have been prevented or minimized by following the below guidelines:

•        Use a mouth guard to protect your teeth.

•        Wear a helmet.  Not just for sports like football or hockey.  Wear when playing sports such as softball, baseball, bicycling, and skateboarding.

•        Ensure for proper vision (20/20) and wear protective eye gear.

•        Use face shields to protect your face from flying objects and balls.

•        Be alert.  Be conscience of your surroundings and minimize distractions.

 The following websites were used in answering the question:

http://www.ada.org/en/press-room/news-releases/2015-archive/april/sports-safety-tips-for-national-facial-protection-month

http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/inexpensive-sports-safety-precautions-can-help-prevent-costly-sports-injuries

The Drug-Food Interaction

Q:

Why shouldn’t you eat or drink certain citrus fruits while taking certain medications?

A:

Grapefruits, Seville oranges, Tangelos, and the juices made from them have many health benefits, but they can also interfere with some prescription and non-prescription medications.

The interference is generally called drug-food interaction.  Specifically, the fruits and juices speed up the rate of absorption in the body.  With a faster rate of absorption, the drug enters the bloodstream more quickly.  Abnormally high drug levels can have negative side effects on the body and negatively impact the performance of the drug.

It is believed that a natural chemical found in the fruit blocks the enzyme in the body that regulates the drug absorption rate.

The drugs impacted most are the prescription drugs used to lower cholesterol, known as Statins.  However, not all Statins are impacted the same.  Statins that are taken orally, such as Lipitor, are impacted the most because the drug-food interaction occurs in the digestive tract.

Negative side effects of the drug-food interaction may include the following:

•        muscle breakdown

•        liver damage

•        digestive problems

Drug-food interactions are well known and patients should be provided guidance with the applicable prescriptions.

The following website was used in answering the question:

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm292276.htm

What causes a side ache when running or swimming?

Q:  What causes a side ache when running or swimming?

A:  Side ache refers to the nagging abdominal pain that tends to result from running or swimming.  The scientific term, "exercise-related transient abdominal pain" (ETAP), has plagued exercise enthusiasts for centuries and yet there is still no definitive explanation to the cause of the pain.  Below are the three leading theories:

Drinking before exercise - One recent study found people that consumed reconstituted fruit juices and beverages that were high in carbohydrates before exercise were prone to get ETAP.  ETAP didn’t seem to be related to the volume of the beverage consumed.

Diaphragmatic ischemia - During exercise, blood flow is increased to the working muscles and reduced to other parts of the body.  The theory suggests that the decreased blood flow (ischemia) to the diaphragm (muscle which expands your lungs for breathing) causes localized pain.  However, recent studies have found that runners prone to ETAP had no difference in inhalation strength compared to non-prone runners.  The findings imply that poor blood flow to the diaphragm was not a major cause of ETAP.

Ligament irritation - This theory suggests impact during exercise pulls the organs in your abdomen down, putting stress on the ligaments in the upper abdomen and results in pain.  However, side aches affect up to 75% of swimmers. Swimming does not involve the up-and-down strain found in running. Therefore, the up-and-down strain does not fully explain the origin of all ETAP.

Several theories exist, but they all have some short comings.

The following websites were used as references in answering the question:

http://www.levelrenner.com/tag/diaphragmatic-ischemia/

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/aa053100a.htm

The Health Benefits of Eating Oatmeal

Q:  January is National Oatmeal Month.  What are the benefits of adding oatmeal to your diet?

A:  Each month the Whole Grains Council recognizes a staple of the worlds’ grains.  January is Oatmeal’s month because more oatmeal is purchased in January than any other month of the year.  The main reasons for this behavior are fewer fruits and vegetables are in season and people create a new year’s resolution to eat healthier.

Eating oatmeal has many health benefits.  Below are some of the many benefits or potential benefits:

•        Helps lower LDL "bad" cholesterol and may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

•        May help lower blood pressure.

•        May help reduce your risk of type II diabetes due to the soluble fiber helping control blood sugar.

•        Oats are high in beta-glucans, a starch that stimulates the immune system.

•        Early introduction of oats in children's diets may help reduce the risk of asthma.

•        Higher in protein and healthy fats, but lower in carbohydrates compared to other grains.

•        Contain anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics.

•        Other grains have their bran and germ removed.  Oats almost never have the bran and germ removed; meaning the whole grain is present.  Australian researchers found oatmeal rated #1 among breakfast foods for making you feel full and rated #3 for making you feeling satisfied.

Even though January is National Oatmeal Month, it is important to remember the many health benefits of including oats and oatmeal in a balanced diet year-round. 

The following websites were used as a reference in answering the question:

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/oatmeal-month/

http://sites.udel.edu/chs-udfoodlab/2016/01/11/january-oats/

http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/oats-january-grain-of-the-month

Cool and Warm Season Vegetables

Q:

Do some vegetables grow better in cool weather?  If so, does the cooler weather limit their nutritional value?

A:

Vegetables generally fall into two categories:  cool season and warm season.  As the names imply, cool season vegetables have adapted to cool climates and grow best in temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm season vegetables have adapted to warmer climates and must be planted when night temperatures stay above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since cool season vegetables grow best in cooler temperatures, the vegetable’s appearance, nutritional value, and flavor are at their peak when their growing season remains below 70 degrees.  When temperatures rise about 70 degrees in late spring and summer, the vegetables start producing seed stalk and they develop a woody/bitter flavor.

Here in Minnesota, we have the opportunity to grow cool season vegetables in the spring and in the fall.  Cool season vegetables tend to be leafy or root vegetables and include cabbage, carrots, broccoli, spinach, onions, radishes, lettuce and turnips.  Some cool season vegetables can tolerate some frost and will continue to grow even when temperatures are in the low 40’s, which allows some vegetables to be harvested into  October.

The following websites were used as references in answering the question:

http://igrow.org/up/resources/06-1018-2012.pdf

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/planting-vegetables-midsummer-fall-harvest/

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Exercise and Brain Health

Q:

Does strength training have any impact on the brain?

A:

Past research has found regular exercise to be a good way to help protect your brain from the normal deterioration that occurs due to aging.  Normal deterioration includes memory loss and the decline of cognitive abilities.  The exercise that is most often researched is walking and aerobic activity and very little research has been done on strength training.

A recent study that focused on strength training has found that regular strength training does provide benefits to the brain.  As we age, lesions form in the white matter of the brain.  White matter is the material that connects the various regions of the brain.  Studies have found older people tend to have more lesions and, the more lesions there are, the worse your cognitive abilities are.

Similar to how strength training increases or maintains muscle mass, researchers wondered if strength training could have the added benefit of maintaining the brain’s white matter.  The study found that women who strength train twice a week had less shrinkage and damage to the white matter.  The study also found that the number of lesions had increased at a slower rate.

The study did not attempt to measure changes in cognitive ability, but researchers hope to study that issue soon.  It is not entirely clear why exercise, including strength training, helps the brain, but it does have benefits and further research is needed. 

The following websites were used as references in answering the question:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/lifting-weights-twice-a-week-may-aid-the-brain/

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110

Nutritional Benefits of Eating Fish

Q:

What are the nutritional benefits derived from eating fish?

A:

Beyond adding variety to the normal protein options of chicken, pork, or red meat, fish is a great alternative that provides the additional benefits of being low in saturated fats, lower in calories, and an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Saturated fats found in meat and high-fat dairy products may increase your risk to cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.  Substituting an unsaturated fat may reduce the risk of these conditions.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that are essential for human health.  Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to have many benefits including:  reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes,  lowering cholesterol, reducing the symptoms of arthritis, depression, and ADHD to name a few.

Finally, substituting a low calorie protein in place of a high calorie protein helps in weight management/loss.

It is recommended that you eat fish twice a week and that the portion size should be about 4 oz. (size of a deck of cards).   The following fish are high in Omega-3 fatty acids:  Anchovies, Herring, Salmon, Lake Trout and Tuna.

The following website was used as a reference in answering the question:

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/omega-3-fatty-acids-fact-sheet