Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, October 16, 1996, Page 10, Image 10

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What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is a set of
symptoms resulting front the body’s
inability to digest the milk sugar
called lactose.
Lactose is commonly found in
dairy-based foods and beverages, and
is digested in the intestines by the
enzyme lactase.
Lactase breaks down lactose so it
can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
When the body does not produce
enough lactase, lactose cannot be
digested which may result in lactose
intolerance. Individuals may have
varying degrees o f intolerance to lac­
tose
If you are lactose intolerant, you
share this condition with many peo­
ple. It is estimated that 90 percent of
Asian-Americans are lactose intoler­
ant and 75 percent o f all African and
Native Americans, Jew, and Hispan­
ics in the U S. Have insufficient lev­
els o f the lactase enzy me and may
experience some or all symptoms.
H hat are the sym ptom s?
Depending on the individual, the
sym ptom s may vary, including
cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and
nausea.
If you experience these symptoms
after eating dairy products, talk w ith
a registered dietitian or physician for
an accurate evaluation and appropri­
ate management.
How can I m anage lactose intol­
erance?
Lactose intolerance can be easily
managed. Because some individuals
may produce small amounts o f lac­
tase, they may be able to consume
small servings o f dairy products or
other foods that contain lactose with­
out experiencing discomfort
A larger amount o f lactose is need­
ed to digest a larger amount o f lac­
tose, so eating a larger serving o f
lactose-containing food could result
in the symptoms o f lactose intoler­
ance.
In such cases, a registered dieti­
tian can plan helpful strategies to
manage lactose intolerance.
Consider the following sugges­
tions:
♦ Drink milk in servings o f one
cup or less.
♦ Try hard cheeses that are low in
lactose, like cheddar.
♦ Drink milk with a meal or with
other foods.
♦ Try yogurt with active cultures.
♦ Substitute lactose-reduced dairy
products, such as nonfat, low-fat,
and calcium-fortified milk, cottage
cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, for
regular dairy products.
♦ Take lactose enzyme tablets be­
fore eating or with dairy products.
♦ Add lactase enzyme drops to
regular milk.
Does lactose-reiluced m ilk con­
tain the sam e nutrients as regular
m ilk?
Lactose-reduced milk contains the
same amounts o f protein, vitamins
Supplementing not always beneficial
More is not always better, espe­
cially when it comes to supplement­
ing children's dies with vitamins.
Over-the-counter supplements can
be potentially toxic and megadoses
can be harmful, warns Dr. Kathleen
J. Motil at the U SD A 's C hildren’s
Nutrition Research Center.
“Too much iron can be fatal, and
there are cases where excess vitamin
A and D can damage the kidneys,
heart, and brain,” said Motil, an as­
sistant professor o f pediatrics at
Baylor College o f Medicine.
Vitam ins are available in two
forms: fat soluble and water soluble.
Fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E,
Inner cities
needs health
providers
Dr. Sullivan recentely visited
Oakland Tech High School to en­
courage students to pursue careers
as primary care physicians in in­
ner city and rural areas.
Dr. Sullivan met with students
in the school physiology laborato­
ry. Dr. Sullivan held a briefques­
tion and answer session with stu­
dents to discuss the benefits o f
taking individual and community
responsibility for health care.
Sullivan is furthering M SM ’s
mission to train and graduate minor­
ity physicians to practice primary
care in urban and other underserved
areas. While in the Bay area, Dr.
Sullivan also met with key corpo­
rate leaders in M SM 's $30 million
national fundraising campaign. The
medical school leads the nation in
the percent o f its graduates who
enter primary care
Louis W. Sullivan is an M.D.,
and the former Secretary o f the U.S.
Department o f Health and Human
Services and president o f the
Morehouse School o f Medicine.
and K. W ater solubles include B-l,
B-2, niacin, B-6, B - l2, and vitamin
C.
Water soluble vitamins are easily
absorbed by the intestinal tract and
flushed out o f the body during urina­
tion if not needed, Motil explained.
Fat solubles, on the other hand,
are more difficult to absorb and tend
to be stored in the body.
“The fat soluble vitamins are the
worry,” Motil said.
“ Retractions vary' from person to
person. Some people are more sensi­
tive to fat soluble vitamins.”
In general, Motil believes that vi­
tamins are unnecessary if a child is
healthy and consumes a well-bal­
anced diet.
She suggests the USDA’s food
guide pyramid as a reference. The
pyramid recommends 2 to 3 servings
a day from the milk group, 2 to 3
servings o f meat, poultry, fish or
eggs, 3 to 5 servings o f vegetables, 2
to 4 servings o f fruit, and 6 to 11
servings from the bread/cereal group.
“Even the most finicky eater will
get enough vitamins and minerals
with a varied diet including meat,
dairy products, grains and fruits and
vegetables.”
There are exceptions, however
Motil believes supplements are ap-
Local Pediatric asthma soars
The study, Insight, Insight into
A sth m a P re v a le n c e in O regon
(AL AO) at a press conference held at
W oodlawn Elementary School yes­
terday.
The study. Insight into Asthma
Prevalence in Oregon reveals that
the number o f Oregon children with
asthma actually increases from ele­
mentary school through high school.
Asthma is a serious lung disease
w ith deadly potential. Children with
asthma have trouble moving air in
and out o f their lungs. Their airways
sometimes swell and the muscles
around the airways tighten.
“To truly help those with asthma
we have to throw false assumptions
about the disease and its causes out
the window," says Shane McDermott,
Executive Director for the A LAO.
“This study demonstrates the need
for increased asthma monitoring and
education to truly eliminate unneces­
sary expense, suffering and death."
Their review o f data involving
85,533 school students from Centen­
nial, D avid D ouglas, G resham -
Barlow, Portland, Reynolds and
Sauvie Island school districts found
average reported current asthma of
5.9%. One particularly noteworthy
find was that asthma prevalence rate
among chi Idren tends to increase from
elementary' school (5.2% ) to middle
school (6 .1 % ),o high school (6.8%).
It appears that a conservative esti­
mate o f current asthma prevalence is
about 6% for school-aged children.
“There’s a message here for par­
ents that asthma should not be treated
as a temporary problem to be weath­
ered until a child outgrows it,” says
Stephen A. Tilles, M.D.. Assistant
Professor o f Medicine & Director of
the Allergy and Asthma Clinic at the
Oregon Health Sciences University,
and a member o f the A LAO Board of
Directors.
“Asthma can easily be a lifetime
condition, and the long term out­
come may be improved with early
intervention.”
"Study data also confirms that
O regon's asthma death rate has been
almost twice as high as the national
average—2.6 deaths per 10,000 pop­
ulation," says study co-author Marla
London.
“ It is unclear whether there is ac­
tually a higher asthma death rate in
Oregon or whether the rate is attrib­
utable to O regon’s policies on accu­
rate reporting on death certificates.
Study links prozac to minor
birth abnormalities
The company that used its cereal
boxes to educate the public about the
link between fiber and cancer pre­
vention is now addressing an often
overlooked yet very significant fam­
ily issue: breakfast.
In support o f a new initiative spear­
headed by the American I lealth Foun­
dation (AHF) and supported by 18
other national health, nutrition and
educational organizations, Kellogg
Company (NYSE: K) is taking out a
full-page advertisement in USA To­
day to encourage Americans to “eat
together
talk to g e th e r... and hug
one another" at breakfast. The ao is
specifically designed to create na­
tionwide awareness and participa­
tion in a new observance — Take
Time Gut for a Healthy Breakfast
Day — on Monday, Oct. 7 when
health and education authorities are
encouraging parents and children to
eat breakfast together as a way o f
strengthening family bonds.
“At a time when Americans want
to spend more time together as fam­
ilies, we want parents to know that
breakfast matters beyond just con­
suming food,” said Ernst Wynder,
MD, president, American Health
Foundation. “Not only does break­
fast offer important health benefits
but it is a forum for reconnecting and
teaching family values.”
K ellogg's advertising message is
supported by health experts who have
docum ented a strong relationship
between family eating and those ex­
periences that are involved in the
nurturing process.
Recognizing the shift in time avail­
ability for many working parents, the
campaign encourages breakfast as
the new family meal time since din­
ner has given way to long work hours
and busy after-school schedules.
Besides taking less time to eat than
other meals, studies show that eating
breakfast is an indicator o f overall
good health habits. It is a simple first
step to improved nutrition and per­
formance, especially for children.
“Now that experts have made a
compelling case for families having
breakfast together, we want Ameri­
cans to understand that the old adage is
true: breakfast is the most important
meal of the day. Through Kellogg's
advertising support, we hope to get
this message across," Dr. Wy ndersaid.
The “Take Time Out for a Healthy
Breakfast Day" observance on Oct. 7
is supported by the following nation­
al medical, nutrition and education
organizations.
Speak to Your Brothers
This past spring marked the end of
a five-year survey o f over 1200 gay
men in Portland
Dr. Colleen Hoff, PhD from the
Center For AIDs Prevention Studies
will participate in a community fo­
propriate for premature infants, chil­
dren or restrictive diets including
vegetarian diets, and for children
under the care o f a physician for
specific medical reasons such as a
chronic illness, teen pregnancy, or
eating disorders.
A pediatrician may also recom­
mend a fluoride supplement, avail­
able alone and in combination with
vitamins, if there is insufficient fluo­
ride in the drinking water.
Motil urges parents to consult their
pediatrician or a registered dietitian
who specializes in children's nutri­
tion if they are concerned about their
child’s eating habits.
rum where she will present some of
the findings, answer questions and
take part in an open discussion about
the gay m e n ’s com m unity: who
we are, how we live and how we
love
This community forum will be
held at 7 pm Wednesday, October 30
in the Metro Council Chambers,
Third Floor, 600 N.E. Grand.
For further information contact
Doug at 223-5907 ext. 145.
Thisdemonstrationan imminent need
for ongoing monitoring and evalua­
tion o f asthma impact in Oregon,”
she added.
Asthma is costly. It is estimated
that the direct and indirect costs o f
asthma in the U.S. is $6.2 billion or
1% o f total health care costs.
T hecostoftreating asthma in chil­
dren alone amount to m orethan$l.35
billion every year. If asthma is indic­
ative o f the prevalence o f chronic
illnesses in school-aged children, the
burden o f providing healthcare for
school children with asthma and oth­
er chronic condition is extremely
high.
Among chronic diseases, asthma
ranks first in the number o f children
affected, first in making kids miss
school, and first in sending them to
the hospital. Each year, children with
asthma miss twice as many school
days as kids without asthma.
The American Lung Association
ofOregon along with volunteers from
across the state is working to stop the
rising number o f school absences,
hospitalizations and asthma-related
deaths through its Open Airways for
Schools (OAS) asthma intervention
program.
A, D, and riboflavin, and the miner­
als calcium, phosphorus, and mag­
nesium as regular milk.
Some lactose-reduced milk is also
calcium-fortified. Check the Nutri­
tion Facts label for the amounts of
nutrients in milk.
Dairy products are a significant
source o f calcium and other miner­
als needed for healthy bones and
teeth.
Two to three servings from the
milk, yogurt, and cheese group help
provide the calcium and other miner­
als you need each day.
W hat fo o d s contain calcium ?
Many foods contain calcium, such
as broccoli, kale, canned salmon with
bones, calcium-fortified breads, and
Support AIDs patients
Join other compassinate people
in your community by volunteering
your time to support someone near­
by who is living with AIDs.
Support ing someone could mean
anything from helping with shop­
ping and cooking to holding hands
and listenings.
T here will be a training in
McMinnville forali interested peo-
ple on October 26 and 27.
We will enhance skils that we
already have, learn more about AIDs
and caregiver safety, and have a lot
o f fun doing it.
To learn more call Grace Taylor
at Cascade AIDs Project in Port­
land, 503-223-5907, or Norm Cos­
ta at the Health Department in Yant­
hill County, 503-434-7525.
Free Eye Screenings
In recognition of November as
National Diabetes Month, the Pa­
cific University College ofO ptom -
etry Vision Centers and the Amer­
ican Diabetes Association — Ore­
gon Affiliate are offering a program
o f free eye health screenings for
people with diabetes.
The free screenings w ill be avai I-
able for people with diabetes o f all
ages from mid October to mid De­
cember.
Screenings will be sponsored by
and provided at the Pacific Univer­
sity Vision Centers and affiliate vi­
sion clinics in downtown Portland,
Forest Grove, Southeast Portland,
Cornelius, and McMinnville.
Diabetes mellitus is the leading
cause o f legal blindness in America
today affecting people between the
ages o f 20 and 75 affecting 16 mil­
lion Americans and approximately
150,000 Oregonians.
Diabetes mellitus is also a lead­
ing cause o f morbidity and mortal­
ity in our nation.
Statistics from the American
Optometric Association indicate
that approx imately one third ofthose
with d iabetes have never had a com ­
prehensive vision evaluation.
“Even more alarming is the fact
that more than one third o f people
suffering from diabetes who are con­
sidered to be at highest risk for
vision loss have never received an
eye exam,” says Leland Carr, O.D.,
Professor o f Optometry and Asso­
ciate Dean for Clinical Programs at
Pacific’s College o f Optometry.
According to Dr. Carr, findings
reveal that more than 60 percent o f
the people in this high risk group
will suffer from serious eye disor­
ders such as diabetic retinopathy,
cataracts, glaucoma, and other eye
conditions that are made worse by
diabetes.
For more information and to
schedule a free-eye health screen­
ing for those with diabetes, please
contact Pacific University’s Port­
land Vision Center, (503)224-2323
or Forest Grove Vision Center, (503)
357-5800.
Advertise For Diversity In
^lortlanh (!î)b semer
Call: 503-288-0033
(EI tc
BROCCOLI
packed full of vitamins
Moderate
influenza
season
Experts are predicting a moder­
ate 1996-97 influenza season, but
people most at risk for life-threat­
ening flu complications should still
get vaccinated — and the sooner the
better.
“The elderly and people with
chronic underlying health prob­
lems should get vaccinated every
flu season,” said Dr. W Paul
G lezen, epidem iologist at the
Influenza R esearch C en ter at
Houston s Baylor College o f Med­
icine
Influenza B will likely be the
dominant strain this season, Glezen
said, but there could also be an
appearance by A/Wuhan (H3N2),
a new variant.
Glezen advises people in the
high-risk groups to get inoculated
as soon as the vaccine becomes
available, usually in early autumn.
In North America, flu season
usually begins in earnest after
Thanksgiving, but, as happened in
1991, it can come earlier.
“ If it hits early, the elderly and
people with chronic underlying
health problems need to be protect­
ed," Glezen said
tofu.
Read the Nutrition Facts label for
the amounts o f calcium in these
foods.
A healthy, well-balanced eating
pattern includes foods from all food
groups: bread, cereal, rice, pasta,
fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish,
eggs, dry beans, nuts, milk, yogurt,
and cheese.
F or m o re in fo r m a tio n : The
American Dietetic Association/Na-
tional Center for Nutrition and Die­
tetics
For answers to your nutrition ques­
tions or for a referral to a registered
dietitian in your area, call the Con­
sumer Nutrition Hot Line at 800/
366-1655.
steam and serve with
m elted cheese
POUND
H O N EYD E W M ELO N S
green flesh variety
whole melons
summer
sweet
POUND
GREEN BELL PEPPERS
large size good for stuffing
00
7-’1
BEVERAGES
COCA C O L A -S P R IT E o r
CARTON
WE RESERVE THE
RIGHT TO LIMIT
QUANTITIES
12 ox.
CANS
SPECIALS EFFECTIVE TUESDAY through SUNDAY
OCTOBER 15 through
jgl 20. 1996
MEMBER OF UNITED GROCERS
FOR YOUR NEAREST KIENOWS STORE CALL: 85S-S220
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