Shaking up the milk myth I know there's a lot of conflicting advice out there about milk. Just recently a Swedish study reported that men who consumed more than seven servings a day of dairy products were 54 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who ate less than two servings a day. Researchers were careful to point out that the results were based on dairy intake, not calcium intake. But if this really is a benefit of dairy, it's one of the few. Dairy products have been shown to be a culprit in a wide range of health problems, from allergies to osteoporosis to prostate cancer. It's also problematic in the regulation of insulin, which is one of the mechanisms gone haywire in the overwhelming number of people with diabetes in this country. With all of the potential problems caused by dairy, it would be pointless to increase your servings in an effort to guard against colorectal cancer -- especially when there are safer ways to achieve the same results. One of the best I know of is by getting adequate selenium. Last August, I told you about a research study that found a direct correlation between selenium levels and the risk of developing colon cancer -- the higher the level, the lower the risk, and vice versa. Apples and Brazil nuts are the best sources of selenium, though you can also get it from protein-rich foods such as fish, meat, and poultry, as well as some cereals and grains. But since it's difficult to tell just how much selenium your foods really contain, Dr. Wright suggests that his patients supplement with 200-500 micrograms of selenium a day. Selenium can be toxic at high doses, though, so you should work closely with a nutritional physician to be safe.
Vital K
Q: My husband recently had a stroke and was put on the blood thinner Coumadin. His doctor told him not to take vitamin K while he was on Coumadin. Why would this be a problem? How important is vitamin K to our bodies? JVW: Coumadin and vitamin K have opposite effects: Coumadin helps to thin the blood, and vitamin K helps to clot the blood. That's why doctors don't want the two to be taken together and why they tell patients to avoid eating the green, leafy vegetables that are high in vitamin K content. But vitamin K is extremely vital to your body systems. It's an anti-aging nutrient and a pain reliever. It also offers protection against tooth decay and helps to keep your bones healthy and strong. Taking Coumadin can interfere with the functioning of vitamin K and can lead to deficiency. Since you're worried about a vitamin K deficiency, you may want to check with a physician skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional and natural medicine to discuss alternatives to Coumadin. But in the meantime, if your husband is taking Coumadin, he should not take vitamin K.
What is...a sedimentation test?
A sedimentation test is often used to help detect anemia, inflammation, infection, rheumatoid arthritis, or certain cancers. The blood test determines how long it takes for red blood cells to settle to the bottom of a liquid-filled test tube. If the sedimentation rate is faster than normal, it could be an indication of one of the above problems. Sources:
"Calcium and dairy food intakes are inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk in the Cohort of Swedish Men," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006; 83: 667-673
| 
