More on Red Yeast Rice

Don't be confused. A new study shows that a Chinese food product, Xuezhikang, derived from rice is effective in reducing heart disease risk. The investigators studied 5000 men for 5 years and found an impressive forty-five percent reduction in heart disease in those on the 600mg/d supplement compared with the controls who received a placebo. The lead author, Dr David Capuzzi, explains in the NY Times that the compound used in this study referred to as red yeast rice is different from the red yeast rice extract available in U.S. Health food stores."This study,” Dr. Capuzzi said, “was done with a carefully constituted compound totally different from what is available over the counter.” The encouraging part of this study is that it demonstrates a powerful heart disease prevention effect from a natural food product in a randomized controlled trial, the gold standard for medical research. The unfortunate part is that the authors refer to the substance tested with the same name as a widely available and potentially ineffective and toxic product. (See post here from January 2008). Hopefully this new compound will become available here soon; in the meantime we should avoid using red yeast rice.

THE Wii BY NINTENDO

Many of my patients are video gamers and many of their parents are concerned their kids spend too much time gaming. The Wii is a revolutionary new type of gaming system which can include physical activity. I recently got one to evaluate its potential and have found that it can make it fun to work up a sweat, with Wii Sports particularly. Wii Sports is a series of 5 simple yet engaging games that includes training modules. If you're not a natural athlete, you can the learn the skills of the game to improve your play and enjoyment, which may result in more and longer sessions.
Parents need to know that in order to ensure that they're kids are getting a benefit from the Wii they need to supervise them. For maximum benefit the players should move around with their bodies like they're actually participating in the sport. The games can be played mainly with the wrist which defeats much of the workout potential of the system. That being said, Wii Sports can be a good compromise particularly when the outdoors is not inviting for a youngster( see earlier post on jogging indoors v outdoors.) Here's a NY times article about a new accessory for the Wii that may help parents get into the game as well. I'll let you know more about as soon as I've had time to evaluate it. It certainly looks promising for adults,I don't know about kids.

Exercise Outdooors vs Indoors

Better to run outdoors or on the treadmill? The NY times reporter Anahad O'Connor writes that outdoor running burns more calories for the same distance (about 5% more probably because of wind resistance and uneven terrain), but running on the treadmill has the advantage of producing less injuries. So there are trade offs. For kids an exercise prescription must be adjusted to their situation. Many overweight teens in particular are easily embarrassed and won't exercise if it has to be done in public, so a treadmill at the gym doesn't work for them and running outdoors where peers may see them is equally unfeasible. What they may need is an individualized program that may include walking outdoors(not obvious that they're exercising) , a stationary bike at home or a setup where they can dance to their favorite music in private. Another option may be video sports game like wii sports or a dance pad like DDR. Sometimes a few sessions with a personal trainer geared to their age group can teach them some basic things to do with light dumbell weights or bands that they can use at home. The message is that a variety of approaches need to be available so each child or adolescent can find what works for them. Most important of all don't give up if one approach doesn't work for you, try something else

Sugar Sweetened Drinks Linked to Gout

A new study in the British Medical Journal underscores the importance of limiting intake of sugar sweetened beverages(SSB's), like soda and sweetened teas or sports drinks, particularly those with fructose. The Study looked at 46,000 US and Canadian men and found over seven years the incidence of gout was highest in those with the highest intake. This is another reason why its important to limit soda and other SSB's. Kids are better off with water, skim milk and limited portions of juice as their first choice of drink with soda, sweet teas and sports drinks as sometime treats.

Fitness Level Important in Preventing Heart Disease, a New Study Shows

A new large study has reinforced the importance of maintaining our level of fitness in preventing deaths from heart disease. This study looked at exercise capacity by treadmill test. The investigators found that the men in the top 25% in fitness level had a 70 % lower death rate over 7 years than did the least fit group. This study showed these findings for both whites and blacks and after taking into account risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, and BMI. So remember to keep your level of fitness high with 5-6 days per week of 30+ minutes of regular activity for you and your kids. This activity does not have to be strenuous, a good walk is fine.

RED YEAST RICE ALERT

Many parents have asked me what I think of red yeast rice which is sold as a dietary supplement to lower cholesterol. I personally don't feel RYR is a sensible thing to take and I never recommend it for children. Here's why. RYR contains a mixture of statins which are the active ingredients of drugs like Zocor, Lipitor, or Crestor yet because RYR is sold as a supplement, there are less stringent controls on dose and contaminants then they are with drugs. So you can't be sure what your getting. Because the active component of RYR is a stain, if you're taking it, you need your liver and muscle enzymes checked regularly as well but this is not commonly done with supplements. I am aware of no scientific studies testing RYR for safety or efficacy in adults or children. Whereas the Statin drugs have been studied extensively for over 20 years in thousands of patients and have proven safe and lifesaving. If you want more information, check out this link to the Mayo Clinic Site

Meanwhile if you want a dietary supplement which has been proven to be safe and effective in lowering cholesterol, consider plant sterols and stanols in products like Smart Balance, Benechol, Cholestoff or Promise Activ.