Q: Is eating yogurt daily enough to replenish bacteria in the body, or is a supplement best?
A: Bacteria normally live in our intestinal tract. They ferment dietary fiber to form substances that may help protect against colon cancer. They produce a form of vitamin K, and help to fight off growth of other bacteria that could make us ill. Unless you've been taking an antibiotic medication or other treatment that has wiped out the normal colonies of "good" bacteria, there's
no evidence that you need to take any special measures to support them. If you have been on such medicines or have had a bout of intestinal illness, a week or so of yogurt that contains live active cultures may help, though some studies report that the cultures don't always survive all the way through our digestive systems. Suggestions that continuing yogurt consumption may have health benefits beyond their role as a source of nutrients are far unconfirmed and taking bacteria supplements is not supported by research.
Q: You said in a recent column that honey is not better than sugar, but I have read that it contains a whole variety of vitamins. Doesn't this make it better than sugar?
A: This is a good example of why we have to be careful about what we read. Just because a food "contains" vitamins or other nutrients does not mean that it provides enough to make any difference in our health. Of the long list of nutrients that you sent that are supposedly provided by honey, published nutrient analysis shows that one tablespoon of honey does not
provide even close to one percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for any of them. You can check the nutrient content of foods by connecting to the USDA Web site at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.
Tables listing the RDAs for these nutrients are also available in many books and on other Internet sites.
Q: I heard on the news recently that consumption of red meat is no longer considered a health concern. Is this true?
A: A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported on the results of people with high cholesterol being put on low-fat diets that included either six ounces of lean red meat or six ounces of lean poultry and fish. The blood cholesterol levels of those in the two groups dropped equally after nine months.
As has been shown in earlier studies, red meat does not need to be completely avoided if you have high cholesterol, as long as the amount of saturated fat is limited. The key is to choose cuts from the loin (including tenderloin and sirloin) and round (such as eye of round and top or bottom round), and to look for ground meat that is at least 90 percent lean. In this study, blood cholesterol in both groups dropped only one to three percent. Other studies have shown that this would slightly lower heart attack risk, but a greater drop should have been possible. To reduce cholesterol, don't focus just on the meat you eat.
Look for other ways to eat less saturated and trans fats, and include plenty of fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Six ounces of red meat -- even lean cuts -- is not generally recommended for good health. Since excess red meat has been linked with increased risk of colon and possibly other cancers, the American Institute for Cancer Research guidelines recommend that if you do consume red meat, eat no more than three ounces per day.
Karen Collins is a nutritionist with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institute for Cancer Research.
