The bottom lines on 2 not so new pieces of news out there in the mainstream press, one relatively new piece … and one on a finding in the medical literature (Journal of the American Medical Assn – JAMA) that may go under the radar but you’ll want to know about and will if you read about it here!

First the 2 not really new pieces of “news”:
1. Moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower risk of death. Well, as I tweeted about on my Twitter page (twitter.com/drtomrifai), this finding isn’t new but it is controversial. Here’s the bottom line: do NOT start drinking if you are a non-drinker based on this observational study. IF you DO already drink about one drink a day as part of your lifestyle (the study said up to 3 but that would be VERY unwise to assume from an observational study that 3 drinks per day was any “fountain of youth”…though you may feel that way while your feeling high until the next morning or when you get busted for a DUI) then, with caveats, you may continue. Such caveats include if you’re a woman at risk for breast cancer (where risk seems to rise at more than 3 drinks per WEEK), a person with high triglycerides having trouble controlling them or feel you are at ALL dependant on drinking and, in the bottom of your heart, know that you may be at risk for increasing to higher levels over time or throwing in occasional binge drinking episodes (which I, personally, would consider more than 3 drinks in a day). All that said, I do know of SOME healthy moderate drinkers (1-2 drinks per day on many days per week) and they tend to be drinking red wine…though the hype of the advantages of red wine over other alcohols seems bigger than the data would support (disclosure note: when I drink, which is probably 2-3 drinks per month, it is virtually always red wine).

2. Excess calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart disease/attacks…NOT a new observation. Bottom line: calcium supplements are over-rated. If you are going to take them for bone health remember these points: first – get your dietary sodium level <1500-2000mg day (think this is easy...well, less than 10% of Americans REALLY pull this off on most days but WAY more think, or say, they do). If not, your probably sapping your bones of calcium because of how the kidney deals with sodium (high sodium in blood equals high calcium out in your pee....which ultimately is from your bones, and could even turn into a kidney stone - just more reason to back off on your sodium intake). Read the book "The Pritikin Edge" in terms of tasty ways around salt and subscribe to "The Nutrition Action Healthletter" for more sane information on nutrition and salt intake (www.cspinet.org). Also, make sure you are eating AT LEAST 2-3 pieces of whole fruit per day and 2-3 (OR MORE) servings of no or low salt added veggies because fruit and veggies contain blood acid neutralizing (alkaline) compounds (like bicarbonate and citrate) that reduce blood acid levels...and if you don't eat such compounds, your bone will have to do the job of buffering the acid in your blood and with the release of buffers from your bone will come the calcium too; additionally - getting and KEEPING (esp in winter) your D level >30ng/mL (better yet >45ng/mL…but this level is more for other health issues beyond bone, such as flu and cancer…esp colon, maybe breast.. prevention – likely MS too). You probably need at LEAST 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily to get and keep that level. Best way to make sure is have your “25 hydroxyvitamin D” level checked after 8-12 weeks on any new Vitamin D dose (go to www.vitamindcouncil.org for cutting edge info on Vit D). Now, after you’ve done ALL that AND are a regular exerciser (essential for natural bone health and good bone density), then and MAYBE then you may take a calcium CITRATE form of calcium supplement (like “Citracal Plus with Magnesium”), but keep the total amount of ELEMENTAL calcium from PILLS to no more than 500mg day or LESS – each Citracal Plus with Magnesium has 250mg of elemental calcium, for instance…so one or two daily MAX. Don’t take calcium carbonate unless your doc gives you a specific reason why to do so instead of the better absorbed, and probably less likely to risk kidney stones, citrate form. The rest of your calcium, AND BONE PROTECTIVE manner of eating (i.e., high amounts of whole fruits and veggies, low sodium and avoiding massive doses of protein at single sittings) should come from the foods you put into your mouth (and swallow….that’s an inside joke for those “Sex and the City” fans out there).

Now the one relatively new piece of info in the mainstream press from Europe (and just another reason to eat lots of WHOLE fresh fruits and veggies) is that, and who knows why specifically (though just consider it the anti-oxidants if you like, for now), eating a high variety of fresh whole fruits and veggies may lower lung cancer risk … and lung cancer is BY far the most common cause of cancer DEATH (not most common cause of cancer…the most common cause of cancer DEATH – a very deadly cancer) in the USA. This was found to be especially true among smokers…but make NO MISTAKE – the ONE AND ONLY BEST WAY to prevent lung cancer is to NOT SMOKE….but throw the fruits and veggies in there too for bonus because, as you’ve read above – from prevention of heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones and osteoporosis, there’s a huge list of reasons why we should be doing better as a country than only 14% of us eating the minimum 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily (that’s right! a PATHETIC FOURTEEN PERCENT of us! Even Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa admitted that, likely due to this low demand, if EVERY single person in the US immediately started trying to eat 5 servings – we should probably be shooting more for like 8 to 12 – of fruits and veggies per day THERE WOULDN’T BE ENOUGH IN THE US TO PROVIDE IT! Sad, just sad! Come people, start switching from all those crappy, salty refined bread, chips, crackers, wraps, pastas, white rice, etc etc and get on the FRUIT AND VEGGIE WAGON ALREADY!).

Last, but not at all least, is an important piece of data from JAMA Sept 1, 2010 issue (pg 949-950) revealing the bottom line that people with resting (that means RESTING…probably most strictly defined as after sitting and resting for at least 5 and maybe up to 14-15 minutes) heart rates higher than 80 (and technically, the threshold started at a rate of 74) beats per minute are at double the risk of KIDNEY DISEASE AND FAILURE. People with higher resting heart rates have higher “sympathetic tone” (no, it does not mean you are necessarily a sympathetic person from a social perspective) – meaning, basically, higher amounts of adrenalin being pumped out of nerve endings in your body, including to your heart (giving higher heart rate) AND KIDNEYS leading to blood vessel contriction and, among a host of other things, INSULIN RESISTANCE (higher than optimal insulin levels) which has already been implicated in heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes and some cancers. SOOOOoooo….the answer is NOT a heart rate lowering drug – and this was made clear in article so do NOT let that be your docs’ answer to your heart rate unless he/she gives your a VERY clear and evidence based reason why…the answer is GET PHYSICALLY ACTIVE and BACK IN SHAPE with some weight loss! Getting yourself in physical shape (with aerobic exercise but also some resistance too …. get a quality trainer or physical therapy to guide you if needed! its worth it!) will lower your resting heart rate naturally and probably go WELL beyond just preventing kidney disease – it’ll likely lower your risk of all the major modern causes of death and disease: including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, dementia (and guys….ED probably too – that’s a published fact!)….so, for your bones, your kidneys, your heart, brain and….well guys, you know – but I can’t find the gall to type it – EAT YOUR FRUITS/VEGGIES, get walkin’ and lifting some moderate weights have a FANTASTIC and HEALTHY day as a leader and role model for the masses that NEED HEALTHY LEADERS!