春分，是春季九十天的中分点，一般在每年的3月20日前后。春分时节，天气逐渐变暖，但温差大，早晚的气温还较低，爱美的年轻人穿的少，美丽冻人易受凉，就会降低对疾病的抵抗能力。因此，穿衣仍要以保暖为原则，带个保暖的风衣、外套挡风御寒。

在阳光灿烂的日子里，建议多沐浴沐浴阳光，增加点体内维生素D的合成，有益于骨骼健康。春天里，人们常常感到困乏无力、昏沉欲睡，也就是老话说的“春困”，这是人体正常的生理现象。因此，要保证充足的睡眠，不熬夜，不赖床。不仅能够有效对抗“春困”，还能够提高人体对疾病的免疫力。

春分时节，值得一吃的当属韭菜。俗话说，韭菜有“春食则香，夏食则臭”之说。这时的韭菜嫩、鲜、美，一个字：好吃！应该是两个字！春天里采摘韭菜无疑是一件很美妙的事，夏天的韭菜一般用镰刀割，叫割韭菜。春天的韭菜鲜嫩，长的纤细，需要细心伺候，用剪子小心翼翼地剪，一剪下去，韭菜略带辛香的鲜味已经扑鼻而来，嘴巴里已经充满津液，恨不能马上吃上。手里刚刚剪下的韭菜、地上的韭菜根嫩的往外冒水。

韭菜是百合科多年生草本植物。根据叶子的形状可以分为细叶韭菜和宽叶韭菜。细叶韭的叶狭小而长，深绿色，耐热，南方种的多是细叶韭菜；宽叶韭耐寒，叶宽而柔软，叶色淡绿，香味不如细叶韭，北方种多是宽叶韭菜。我在日内瓦工作期间，还在树林中割过叶子特别宽的一种韭菜，叶子宽的快赶上油麦菜啦。从外形上看，一点都不像韭菜，但切时韭菜味十足。

从韭菜的营养成分含量来看，其中含的维生素及矿物质和其他常吃的蔬菜相比，并没有特别的，但韭菜中的膳食纤维丰富。膳食纤维能增进胃肠蠕动、保持大便通畅，可以预防便秘和肠癌。韭菜营养成分的另一个特点就是含有的植物化学物，包括含硫化合物及挥发性的精油，所以，韭菜有独特的韭香气味。韭菜还含有皂甙、黄酮类等物质。这些物质除具有一定的杀菌消炎作用，可以帮助提高免疫力，还可以降低血脂。

韭菜的吃法有多种，可以炒、拌，做配料、做馅等。
◆ 炒：韭菜炒鸡蛋用料简单, 省时省力, 营养丰富。鲜绿色的韭菜，配上鸡蛋的淡黄色，可以说是色香味俱佳。此外，韭菜和海鲜放在一起炒也是很好的搭配。
◆做馅：韭菜是做馅的主角，如韭菜肉馅、三鲜馅、韭菜鸡蛋馅等，就是用白菜馅，加点韭菜，立即起到增鲜提味的效果。韭菜馅可以用于包饺子、大包子、馅饼、锅贴、菜盒子、菜条子……
◆做汤：韭菜也可以作为辅料做汤来调味，如韭菜鲫鱼汤等。
◆生吃：韭菜可以直接腌着吃。将韭菜洗净、晾干，切成寸段，拌上食盐、花椒，即可食用。

除了韭菜本身，韭菜花也是美味。再过几个月，韭菜会长出韭菜苔，开出韭菜花。关于韭菜花的吃法就且听下那时分解吧。

本文作者：马冠生
本文地址：http://www.wjbb.com/know/1449
原文出处：http://weibo.com/p/2304185d5947690102xjdv
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来自营养学家的指南和烹饪技巧
 
早餐一定要吃。但是由于鸡蛋富含饱和脂肪酸和胆固醇含量，很多人不能确定早上是否应该吃鸡蛋。危险信号仅仅是给的有心脏病风险因素的人的, 克利夫兰诊所的预防心脏病的营养组织的注册营养师茱莉亚·赞潘诺说。
 
每周吃几个鸡蛋？

“关于每周您应该摄入几个鸡蛋，并没有准确的推荐摄入量。”赞潘诺说，“研究显示，总饱和脂肪酸比膳食胆固醇更有助于LDL低密度脂蛋白（坏的）胆固醇的形成。”

她指出，蛋清是安全的，也是蛋白质一个好的来源。蛋黄含有您试图避免的胆固醇和饱和脂肪酸。
 
“如果您有心脏病，或者高胆固醇，要小心每天摄入的蛋黄量，还要考虑到您的饮食中其他形式的饱和脂肪酸（红肉、牛肉、猪肉、小牛肉、羊肉、家禽的皮、全脂牛奶乳制品或者全脂奶酪）”， 赞潘诺说。“根据2013年美国心脏协会/美国心脏病学会的指南，降低你的低密度脂蛋白（LDL）胆固醇，来自饱和脂肪酸的热量不要高于5%-6%。”

考虑到烹饪方式
 
当您准备做鸡蛋的时候，也应该注意您的烹饪方式，赞潘诺说，如果采用油炸，添加的油会导致你这一天的饱和脂肪增加，她说。推荐干煎或无油烹调方法：

• 低温煮
• 沸水煮
• 用喷雾式的油在平底锅上煎

赞潘诺补充道：您应该避免在鸡蛋上撒盐，以保持饮食中钠的摄入量在推荐水平。一茶匙的盐就是每一天所需要全部的量。

中文翻译：梦乐媛
本文地址：http://www.wjbb.com/know/1448
原文出处：https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/01/how-many-eggs-can-you-eat-to-stay-heart-healthy/ 收起阅读 »

树上开的花、地里发芽的小草、大街上美女的春装……提醒着我们：春天来了！

春天来了，大自然奉献给我们的除了美景之外，还有食物，其中不得不说的是野菜。以前说到野菜，年长一些的人联想到的是生活困难时期，拿野菜来当干粮活命的痛苦回忆，也往往把吃野菜与生活困难联系在一起。可如今，痛苦的回忆已经远去，吃野菜已经成为一种时尚，地里长的荠菜、苦菜、灰灰菜、鱼腥草，树上长的榆钱、榆树叶、柳树芽等都成了餐桌上的美味佳肴。

野菜不野，有的成家养啦

在经过很多前人的尝试后，能吃的野菜还不少：荠菜、扫帚苗、苦菜、马齿笕、灰灰菜、野苋菜、鱼腥草、蕨菜等等，各地还有特色的野菜。野菜之所以称为野菜，是因为它是野生的，不用管播种，只管采摘就行。如今，随着消费的需要，人工栽培的、大棚里种的就越来较多了，野菜也就不野啦，味道也大打折扣。

野菜有营养，但不是灵丹妙药

野菜之所以受到追捧，是因为其鲜美的外形、独特的味道、短暂的季节性，还有就是它含有不少的营养物质。根据现代营养学的知识，野菜应该归类到蔬菜，它们的营养成分和普通的蔬菜差不多。有这样几个特点：

● 含的水分多，有65%-95%的水分。
●含的胡萝卜素、维生素C和核黄素等丰富，特别是绿色、深绿色的野菜中。
●矿物质，如钙、钾、镁的含量也较高。
●膳食纤维丰富，可以促进胃肠蠕动，减少便秘。
●含较多的植物化学物质，有利于健康。

野菜的吃法

●凉拌：荠菜、苦菜等，洗净后凉拌，看着清、吃着爽。
●做馅：如荠菜，可以和肉馅拌在一起做馄饨、饺子馅，咬到嘴里，清香满口，说不出的美妙滋味。
●蒸：扫帚苗、榆钱，洗净后用干面粉拌一下，上锅蒸几分钟，拌着蒜汁吃。
●其他：做汤、煮面时放点野菜，增色增味。

吃野菜的四项注意

1. 不认识的野菜不采、不吃。有的野菜看上去绿油油的很是可爱，但不能食用。采摘野菜时一定注意，不认识的不采、不吃。
2. 路边的野菜不要采。路边生长的野菜容易受到污染，垃圾地上、路边的野菜不要采。
3. 做好前处理。一些野菜有微毒，需要经过煮、浸泡才能去毒，一定要认真处理好后再吃。
4. 不要贪吃。野菜毕竟是野菜，没有成为“家常菜”一定有它的原因，这是我们前辈在亲身实践中得来的经验。但野菜就是野菜，，不宜天天吃、吃很多。吃野菜重在尝鲜、品味，为紧张的生活增添些春天的色彩和滋味。

本文作者：马冠生
本文地址：http://www.wjbb.com/know/1447
原文出处：http://weibo.com/p/2304185d5947690102xj3d
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上回我们说了铬，今天我们说说镉。尽管发音相同，但此“镉”非彼“铬”。

镉是1817年被德国哥廷根大学的化学医药学教授斯特罗迈尔发现的。

1990年粮农组织和世界卫生组织把微量元素分为三类，第一类是人体必需的，有8种，包括碘、铁、锌、硒、铜、钼、铬、钴；第二类是人体可能必需的，有5种，包括锰、硅、镍、硼、钒等；第三类是具有潜在毒性，但低剂量时，对人体可能具有必需功能的微量元素，包括氟、铅、镉、汞、砷、铝、锂、锡。镉就属于第三类中的一种。
镉主要通过食物、水和空气，经过消化道和呼吸道进入人体内蓄积下来，在人体内代谢较慢。镉摄入过量时，会引起急性、慢性中毒。

吸入氧化镉的烟雾可产生急性中毒，中毒早期表现咽痛、咳嗽、胸闷、气短、头晕、恶心、全身酸痛、无力、发热等症状，严重者可出现中毒性肺水肿或化学性肺炎，有明显的呼吸困难、胸痛、咯大量泡沫血色痰，可因急性呼吸衰竭而死亡；

用镀镉的器皿调制或存放酸性食物或饮料，饮食中可能含镉，误食后也可引起急性镉中毒。

长期吸入镉可产生慢性中毒，引起肾脏损害，主要表现为尿中含大量低分子量蛋白质，尿镉的排出增加。
镉中毒会引起“痛痛病”。20世纪初，在日本的富士县，人们发现当地的水稻普遍生长不良。1931年出现了一种怪病，患者大多是妇女，表现为腰、手、脚等关节疼痛。病症持续几年后，患者全身各部位会发生神经痛、骨痛现象，行动困难，甚至呼吸都会带来难以忍受的痛苦。到了患病后期，患者骨骼软化、萎缩，四肢弯曲，脊柱变形，骨质松脆，就连咳嗽都能引起骨折。患者不能进食，疼痛无比，常常大叫“痛死了！”“痛死了！”有的人因无法忍受痛苦而自杀。

这种病由此得名为“骨癌病”或“痛痛病”。后经调查，这个地区的稻田被镉污染的河水灌溉，稻米含镉量很高。人们长年吃被镉污染的大米，喝被镉污染的神通川水，造成了慢性镉中毒，痛痛病就是典型的慢性镉中毒。痛痛病不仅在日本发生过，在其他国家也有发现。

我国食品中镉限量卫生标准规定：大米镉含量≤0.2毫克/公斤、面粉镉含量≤0.1毫克/公斤、肉鱼镉含量≤0.1毫克/公斤、蛋类镉含量≤0.05毫克/公斤。

食物中含镉量受自然环境中镉含量的影响，其中以软体动物、甲壳动物。谷物、花生等含量比较高。有数据表明，水产品和动物肾脏的镉超标比例要比大米高得多，经常吃这两种食物的人将存在更大风险。另外，机体缺钙使镉在肝、肾的蓄积增高，机体缺锌可增加镉的吸收，膳食缺少维生素D也会导致镉的吸收增加。因此，在减少摄入镉污染食物的同时，要注意钙、锌和维生素的营养。

我们要提高环保意识，共同保护我们生存的环境。

本文作者：马冠生
本文地址：http://www.wjbb.com/know/1446
原文出处：http://weibo.com/p/2304185d5947690102xit1
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Obesity at conception or during pregnancy is a big problem that's getting bigger: New evidence says a child's mental health could be at stake.
 
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• More than 1/3 of U.S. women are obese.
• More than 1/2 of reproductive age women are obese.
• More than 8 percent of reproductive-age women are extremely obese.

Source: ACOG
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When Elinor Sullivan was a postdoctoral fellow at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, she set out to explore the influence of food and exercise habits on obesity. In one experiment, she and her colleagues fed a troop of macaque monkeys regular chow. Other macaques dined American-style, with a hefty 32 percent of calories from fat and ready access to peanut butter treats. Over time, the second group of monkeys grew noticeably fatter.

Then they all had babies.

Sullivan, now at the University of Portland, noticed odd behavior in the plump moms’ offspring. At playtime, they often slinked off by themselves. When handled by keepers, the infants tended to vocalize anxiously, and the males became aggressive. They were prone to repetitive habits, like pacing.

In their carefully controlled world, the only difference between those monkeys and others at the facility was their mothers’ extra pounds and indulgent diet. The behavior was so striking that Sullivan changed the course of her research.

“It made me start thinking about human children,” she says, and the twin epidemics of obesity and behavioral problems such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Her research, published in 2010 in the Journal of Neuroscience, was one of the first studies to note that the progeny of female monkeys eating a high-fat diet were more likely to experience altered brain development and suffer anxiety. Not long after, researchers worldwide began compiling evidence linking the heaviness of human mothers to mental health in their children. One headline-grabbing study of more than 1,000 births, reported in 2012, found that autism spectrum disorders showed up more often in children of obese mothers than in normal-weight women (SN: 5/19/12, p. 16).

Over the course of a generation, obesity rates among U.S. women have soared. Today, 38 percent of females in the population are obese (defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher). Among women of childbearing age, well over half are overweight or obese, with almost 8 percent considered extremely obese (a BMI of 40 or greater). Lucilla Poston, who is head of the division of women’s health at King’s College London, calls too much weight during pregnancy “the biggest problem in obstetrics at the moment.”
 
Within the body, obesity is not a passive state. Excess weight can inflame the immune system, upset the balance of hormones and even alter the microbial flora tucked inside the intestine. If shared by the fetus, any or all of these changes can affect the baby’s development in subtle but important ways. Further complicating matters, the fetus is probably being exposed to the effects of fattening, and perhaps inflammatory, foods.

Only recently have researchers begun to understand what this physiological storm might mean for children. In part, obesity during pregnancy raises the odds that a baby will be born overly large, setting the stage for future health problems (SN: 5/31/14, p. 22). But when a mother is excessively overweight, risks persist even for newborns of normal size. One study published in 2013 in the journal BMJ analyzed medical records of more than 37,000 people born in Scotland between 1950 and 1976. After accounting for socioeconomic status, gender, weight at birth and many other variables, the researchers found that children born to obese mothers had a 35 percent higher mortality rate from birth to 2012. “Independent of birth weight, a child can grow up with increased blood pressure, obesity and risk of diabetes,” Poston says.

The list doesn’t stop there. Perhaps most surprisingly, a mom’s metabolic state might compromise her child’s mental health—the very observation that changed Elinor Sullivan’s career. One study published in 2015 even raises the possibility that a child’s normal cognitive development might be slightly impaired by mom's high BMI.

If there is a bright spot, it’s that unlike many threats during development, this one is preventable. As the risks of obesity during pregnancy emerge, researchers hope more young women on the verge of starting families see the importance of maintaining a healthy life—and that the culture around them will support efforts to do so. “Pregnancy is a good time to talk to people about lifestyle,” Poston says, “because they do care deeply about their babies.”
 
Womb with a clue

Few research questions are easy, but epidemiologists studying maternal obesity face a particularly daunting challenge. They have to separate the effects of a mother’s weight from a multitude of other influences on children’s health. In the United States, obesity disproportionately affects low income and minority women. Children born in less affluent neighborhoods face obstacles to their well-being: more stress, heightened exposure to pollutants and less access to wholesome foods. Plus, the same food choices and lack of activity that drive a woman’s weight gain may also become the lifestyle adopted by her children.
 
The data become even more difficult to tease apart when examining effects on the mind. Given the correlation of obesity with poverty, children of obese parents also might have educational disadvantages. Case in point: Studies have found that young children in poverty score lower on measures of school readiness, including motor-skill development, emotional health and social knowledge.That said, the latest studies—many published in recent months—attempt to overcome those biases. And they still find reason for concern. Lisa Bodnar, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh, describes a “small but growing literature” suggesting that obesity in a mother is associated with lower cognition and other mental health challenges in children. In 2015 in the Journal of Nutrition, Bodnar and her colleagues published a study of women on similar economic footing who were patients at Pittsburgh's Magee Women’s Hospital. The majority were unemployed, single mothers. The researchers nonetheless found that children of women who were obese at conception or gained excess weight during pregnancy scored slightly lower on tests of intelligence and executive function, a measure of the ability to plan, organize and adjust to new situations.
 
Probably the most compelling data link maternal obesity with ADHD, says Sullivan, who continues her primate studies. Whether maternal obesity (or a fattening diet) can actually cause hyperactivity is unclear, but one study of rodents published in Molecular Psychiatry in 2012 described results that “point to a direct biological link between in utero exposure to maternal obesity and hyperactivity in the adult offspring.” Researchers from England and Sweden fed one group of female mice a high-fat diet that started six months before pregnancy and lasted until weaning, while another group ate regularly. The offspring of the obese mothers scored significantly higher on tests of hyperactivity.

Another animal study, published in 2014 in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, found that female offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet had increased anxiety while the males were prone to hyperactivity. The study, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Oregon Health & Science University, also opened the door to prevention. When mother rats were given a healthier, less inflammatory diet while nursing, the mental health of the female pups improved, though the males still had issues.

In November 2015, Sullivan and colleagues reviewed the evidence in Hormones and Behavior, making the grim prediction that, given persistent rates of obesity and pervasiveness of high-calorie foods, “the prevalence of neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders will continue to rise in future generations.” In December, researchers from George Washington University and Mathematica Policy Research announced that 12 percent of U.S. children and adolescents have been diagnosed with ADHD, a 43 percent increase since 2003.

The field is still too new to explain biologically how obesity would impair fetal brain development, but Sullivan points to theoretical consequences of high glucose or the hormone leptin. Leptin inhibits appetite, but is often elevated in obese individuals and may affect brain development. Most commonly, however, researchers circle back to the effects of an agitated immune system on the brain. “We think of obesity as the state of chronic inflammation,” Sullivan says. “Many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are very sensitive [to inflammation] in early development.”
 
Baby buggy

The immune system isn’t the only part of body mechanics co-opted by obesity and diet. A compelling line of inquiry has linked the microbiome—specifically the microorganisms inside the digestive system— to body weight. For example, the microbiome of an obese person differs from the microbiome of someone of normal weight. In experiments involving lean mice with no intestinal microbes, transferring the microbiome of an obese person to a thin mouse is enough by itself to make the lean mouse pack on weight.
 
Since a newborn gets its microbiome from mom, a baby could inherit microbes that want to hoard calories. In both human and animal studies, the microbiomes of offspring born to obese moms are different than in children born to lean moms, says Deborah Sloboda, a fetal physiologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. “What we don’t know is whether it comes from transfer during pregnancy, transfer during birth or poor developmental environment altering how the gut forms.”

The intestine is normally a fortress that does not like micro­organisms to escape. Several studies, however, have suggested that when under siege from a fast-food Western diet, the gut lining can become porous (SN: 5/30/15, p. 18). Perhaps bacteria slipping into the bloodstream during pregnancy could affect proper formation of the intestine. Other scenarios are also possible: The microbiome transferred during birth could, as it has in animal experiments, predispose a child to a microbiome that extracts more calories from a given amount of food.

In Pediatric Research in 2015, Sloboda and colleagues reviewed research on obesity and the maternal microbiome. One theory holds, they noted,that the microbiomes of lean women remain stable during pregnancy; the microbiomes of obese women appear more volatile, experiencing a greater bloom of species associated with obesity. These women’s children may then start life with a microbiome inclined toward weight gain.

Story continues after graphic
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Microbial melee

Lean women generally carry a stable population of microbes in their intestines. In obese mothers, the microbes are out of balance, heavier on Firmicutes, bacteria linked to harvesting more energy from the diet. These changes can affect fetal gut development and future disease risk. 

Source: W. Gohir et al/Pediatr. Res. 2015
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Provoking problems

Like researchers who study the brain, Sloboda and others suspect that inflammation—which also appears to be a consequence of the microbiome coping with junk food—lies at the heart of many risks conveyed to a developing fetus. “When you consider the spectrum of conditions that have been linked to maternal obesity,” says immunologist Ilhem Messaoudi of the University of California, Riverside, “one of the things that links all these diseases is inflammation.”

In addition to the irritation that might come from the high-fat, high-sodium, high-calorie fare at the drive-through, adipose tissue itself provokes a mother’s immune system. In this state of overactivation, the normal cues for her baby’s immune formation might then become lost.

“If you have to develop an immune system in the presence of inflammation, the programming of the immune system is going to change,” Messaoudi says. In an experiment published in 2015 in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, she and her colleagues studied 39 pregnant women who were designated as lean, overweight or obese, based on their preconception body mass index, a measurement of body fat. The researchers extracted blood samples from the umbilical cords of the women’s newborns, and tested the reaction to antigens, molecules that are supposed to trigger an immune reaction.

“The cord blood cells of babies born to obese moms did not respond to bacterial antigens,” she says. It was as if the immune system, put to its first real test, was stumped. “If your immune cells don’t know how to react, you’re going to be sick more often. You may not respond to vaccinations in the way your immune system is supposed to respond.”
 
Those findings may partially explain studies finding that children of obese mothers are more likely to develop disorders that arise from off-kilter immunity. In 2014, researchers who reviewed a dozen studies concluded in the journal Pediatrics that babies born to mothers with a high body mass index had a 20 to 30 percent greater risk of asthma and wheezing, though they noted that mechanisms remain unknown.
 
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 A weighty list

Although the research is still preliminary, studies are suggesting that a high-fat diet and obesity at conception and during a woman’s pregnancy could have lasting influences on her child’s mental health. 

Child’s possible mental health risks from mother’s obesity
Mom：High prepregnancy BMI Attention
 
Child：deficit/hyperactivity disorder，Autism spectrum disorder，Anxiety/depression，Food addiction，
Cognitive impairment
 
Mom：Excessive gestational weight gain
 
Child：ADHD，Autism spectrum disorder
 
Mom：Intake of sweets
Child：Food addiction
Source: H.M. Rivera, K.J. Christiansen and E.L. Sullivan/Front. Neurosci. 2015
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Rewired appetite

Of all the possible consequences of maternal obesity, the data are most compelling in suggesting that overweight mothers tend to raise children who grow up to be overweight themselves. “It’s a very strong effect, and consistent, across all populations,” says Bodnar, from Pittsburgh. Chinese researchers writing in 2013 in PLOS ONE pooled the analysis of 45 studies examining whether children faced greater odds of being heavy based on mom’s size. Although studies have varied and genetics obviously play some role, the scientists concluded that having an obese mother roughly tripled the risk of obesity.

In addition to a woman’s weight when she becomes pregnant, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, especially in the first months, is also linked to her child’s obesity risk. In one 2012 study comparing more than 6,600 Finnish mothers, those who put on more pounds during the first 20 weeks of gestation (compared with those who gained the least) had children who were 46 percent more likely to be overweight at age 16.

Theories to explain the association are examining how increased glucose and hormonal balance affect fetal development, particularly in the brain. Leptin resistance, which leads to higher secretion of the hormone, can be a consequence of obesity. In the journal Acta Physiologica in 2014, Poston and her colleagues from King’s College pointed out that many studies have found that the presence of too much leptin can cause collateral damage to the developing hypothalamus, a key interface between the brain and the hormone-producing endocrine system.

Animal studies suggest an altered hypothalamus could mean a child is born with difficulty regulating blood pressure and controlling appetite. “That particular part of the brain may become rewired, and a child may grow up eating more,” Poston says.

With little sign that the obesity epidemic is abating, that theory and others are likely to take on increasing importance in medical research. This generation’s greatest health threat could leave an unexpected legacy. Scientists working in this field often worry that their research will be seen as solely finding fault with mothers. “I think it’s unfair to blame this on women,” Bodnar says. Obesity is a global problem. One starting point, she says, is for more doctors to speak with their patients about the importance of weight. Since half of all pregnancies are unplanned, those conversations should happen before a woman gets pregnant. Yet in a U.S. study published in 2014, overweight women of child-bearing age received diet and exercise advice during preventive medicine exams only 36 percent of the time. The number was even lower among pregnant women who were overweight. 

At the same time, Bodnar says, this is not going to be fixed in doctors’ offices. Women every day are offered cheap, calorie-dense food, pushed by companies with fat marketing budgets (McDonald’s alone spends about $900 million a year on advertising). “It’s not easy, in this environment, to lose weight,” Bodnar says. “We have to agree as a society that this matters.”
 
The other half

Let’s not forget the father, whose size can alter sperm, perhaps in ways that affect a child’s risk of obesity, according to recent studies.

In a study published online in December in Cell Metabolism, researchers compared sperm samples from 13 lean and 10 obese Danish men. Scientists from the University of Copenhagen looked for epigenetic differences — the chemical attachment of methyl groups to DNA that affects which genes are turned off or on. The researchers found significant differences depending on the men’s size. The obese men had more methylation in genes involved in metabolism and appetite control.

Six of the obese men then underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost weight. A year later, their sperm had lost many of the epigenetic changes linked to obesity and appetite. The researchers caution, however, that the extent to which epigenetic changes affect a child’s appetite isn’t known.

Other studies also suggest that overweight dads can harm a baby’s development. In September, a team of Australian researchers reported on a mouse experiment that found the offspring of two obese parents fared worse than if either parent alone was obese. The scientists found lower weights in the placenta and fetus, as well as cellular differences (such as impaired mitochondrial function) in the offspring of two obese mice. That study appeared in the American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and Metabolism. — Laura Beil
 
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If you wear contact lenses, the way you clean them can affect your vision and health.

Following instructions and taking note of product warnings is especially important if you use a solution that contains hydrogen peroxide.
 
Background

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates contact lenses and certain contact lens care products as medical devices. Contact lenses require a prescription, and all products, including those relating to contact lenses, marketed to consumers must be determined to be safe and effective. (Even if you have perfect vision, and your contact lenses are just “decorative” or “colored,” a contact lens prescription is required by federal law.)

Before you choose a contact lens solution, talk to your eye-care provider about the best cleaning and disinfecting method for you. For instance, contact lens multipurpose solutions clean, disinfect, and condition contact lenses. Other lens cleaning products contain hydrogen peroxide, which requires special care for safe use.

Contact lens solutions are sold over the counter, which means that you don’t need a prescription. “But over-the-counter products are not all the same,” says Bernard P. Lepri, O.D., M.S., M.Ed., an FDA optometrist in the agency’s Contact Lens and Retinal Devices Branch.

Incorrect care of contacts can increase your risk of eye infections and injury—and can cause blindness in rare cases, Lepri adds.

Like multipurpose solutions, when hydrogen peroxide is used in certain contact lens solutions, it helps to clean and disinfect contact lenses by breaking up and removing trapped debris, protein, and fatty deposits.

Hydrogen peroxide solutions are preservative-free, which makes them a good option for those who are allergic or sensitive to preservatives in multipurpose solutions. But they are not risk-free.
 
The Required Disinfecting Process

Before you use solution with hydrogen peroxide, read all warning labels and instructions. Also note that the tip of the bottle is red. The red coloring is a reminder that these products require special handling.

“You should never put hydrogen peroxide directly into your eyes or on your contact lenses,” Lepri says. That’s because this kind of solution can cause stinging, burning, and damage—specifically to your cornea (the clear surface that covers your eye).

If you use a solution that has hydrogen peroxide you absolutely must follow the disinfecting process with a “neutralizer.” A neutralizer is always sold as part of your hydrogen peroxide cleaning solution kit. It turns the peroxide into water and oxygen, making it safe to put lenses into your eyes.

Neutralization can be either a one-step or two-step process. The one-step process neutralizes your lenses during the disinfecting stage, while the two-step process neutralizes your lenses after the disinfecting stage.

Some storage cases have a neutralizer built-in, making it a one-step process. With others, you must add a neutralizing tablet that comes with the hydrogen peroxide solution. This is the two-step process.
 
About Adverse Events

The FDA encourages healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and consumers to submit voluntary reports of problems with medical products to MedWatch, FDA’s Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

The FDA’s Medical Device Reporting (MDR) regulation provides mandatory requirements for manufacturers, importers, and device user facilities to report certain device-related adverse events and product problems to FDA.

When it comes to solutions with hydrogen peroxide, consumers have reported adverse events (unwanted experiences) like burning and stinging to the FDA, most often because they failed to read and follow directions for use.

The FDA has received 73 medical device reports about hydrogen peroxide contact lens solutions since 2010. But the FDA received only 12 of these reports since 2012, after which many members of industry updated their product labeling with more visible warnings. These enhanced warnings included red boxes as a background for the text and a red tip on bottles.

“Using any product without following instructions is a safety risk,” Lepri notes.

So remember to follow all product directions. Contact your eye-care provider if you have questions or concerns. And, if you have any adverse reactions or problems with these products, report them to FDA’s MedWatch Program.
 

Checklist for Solutions With Hydrogen Peroxide

• Talk to your eye-care provider before deciding on the best cleaning and disinfecting method for your contact lenses. Never change your lens-care system before consulting your provider.
• Before you use a new solution, read all instructions on the box and bottle and follow them carefully. If you have questions, stop and contact your eye-care provider.
• Never share solution that contains hydrogen peroxide. Other people might confuse your solution with multipurpose solution and not follow instructions. This could result in damage to their eyes.
• Always use the special contact lens case that comes with each new bottle of solution. Never use a case other than the one that comes with each new bottle. (An old case would not neutralize the peroxide, which would cause burning, stinging and irritation when you put contacts in your eyes.)
• Leave contacts in the solution for at least 6 hours to allow the neutralizing process to finish.
• Never rinse your contact lenses with hydrogen peroxide solutions or put these solutions in your eyes.
• Report any eye problems with your contacts or solution to the FDA’s MedWatch voluntary reporting program。

 
This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

February 26, 2016
 
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If you buy imported products marketed as “dietary supplements” and nonprescription drug products from ethnic or international stores, flea markets, swap meets or online, watch out. Health fraud scams abound. According to Cariny Nunez, M.P.H., a public health advisor in the Office of Minority Health at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), health scammers often target advertising to people who prefer to shop at nontraditional places, especially those who have limited English proficiency and limited access to health care services and information.

“These scammers know that ethnic groups who may not speak or read English well, or who hold certain cultural beliefs, can be easy targets,” Nunez says. For example, Native Americans, Latinos, Asians and Africans may have a long tradition of turning to more herbal or so-called “natural” remedies. Many advertisers put the word “natural” somewhere on the package of a product, knowing it inspires trust in certain groups.
 
“Natural” Does Not Mean “Safe”

But just because a product claims to be natural doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe, says Gary Coody, R. Ph., FDA’s national health fraud coordinator. Likewise, just because a product claims to be natural does not mean that it’s free of hidden drug ingredients.

Furthermore, these products may also be contaminated or contain potentially harmful chemicals or drug ingredients not listed on the label.

For example, many products that claim to help people lose weight contain hidden and dangerous prescription drug ingredients such as sibutramine. Sibutramine was in Meridia, a formerly FDA-approved drug that was removed from the market in October 2010 because clinical data indicated it posed an increased risk of heart problems and strokes.

And just because an ingredient is contained in an FDA-approved drug product does not mean it is safe in the dosages or amounts used in these nonprescription products, according to Coody. Moreover, scammers seek out ethnic populations who are overweight or have serious conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or heart disease. They target consumers looking for easy—and sometimes less expensive—solutions to difficult problems. Using these products could mean delayed treatment for serious diseases.

Others illegally sell imported antibiotics without a prescription and with no physician oversight. According to Coody, this can easily lead to misuse and overuse, a key factor contributing to antibiotic resistance, meaning they might not be as effective in stopping infections when they’re truly needed. And some products marketed as dietary supplements resemble antibiotic products marketed in foreign countries—but actually don’t contain any antibiotics.

You may see these products advertised in ethnic newspapers, magazines, online, infomercials on radio and TV stations or in ethnic stores, flea markets, and swap meets, which may stock products claiming to be from, for example, Latin America or Asia.

“It’s not surprising that people are more comfortable with familiar products that claim to come from their home country or are labeled and marketed in the consumer’s native language, whether they buy them at a U.S. market or get them from friends and family who have brought them from home,” Nunez says.

But that does not guarantee the product is safe or effective.

By the same token, products with the claim “Made in the USA” may not be made here. Consumers sometimes see this claim as an assurance of safety, Coody says, but any scammer can slap the label on, and buyers are none the wiser.

In fact, the law does not require companies who make dietary supplements to get FDA approval before marketing their products.

“Remember, dietary supplements are not drugs,” Coody says. “They are not substitutes for the drugs your health care professional prescribes. And you should let your health care professional know what supplements you are taking, because they may interact in a harmful way with prescribed medications or keep a prescribed drug from working.”
 
How Do You Know It’s Fraudulent?

Watch out for these claims:

• One product does it all. Be suspicious of products that claim to cure a wide range of diseases.
• Personal testimonials. Success stories such as “It cured my diabetes,” or “My tumors are gone,” are easy to make up and are not a substitution for scientific evidence.
• Quick fixes. Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, even with legitimate products. Beware of language such as “lose 30 pounds in 30 days,” or “eliminates skin cancer in days.”
• “All natural.” Some plants found in nature can kill if you eat them. Plus, FDA has found products promoted as “all natural” that contain hidden and dangerously high doses of prescription drug ingredients.
• Miracle cure. Alarms should go off when you see this claim or others like it such as “new discovery” or “scientific breakthrough.” A real cure for a serious disease would be all over the media and prescribed by doctors—not buried in print ads, TV infomercials, or on Internet sites.
• FDA-Approved. Domestic or imported dietary supplements are not approved by FDA.

Finally, if you're tempted to buy an unproven product or one with questionable claims, check with your doctor or other health care professional first. You can also check FDA’s website to see if the agency has already taken action on it.
 
Have a Bad Reaction? FDA Wants to Hear From You

Suppose you or someone in your family uses a product and has a bad reaction to it. That’s something FDA wants to know about so it can investigate and, if the product is found to be harmful, make sure appropriate action is taken.

You can report a bad reaction or a product defect by calling the Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your state. Or you can report online at FDA’s MedWatch. Your report will remain confidential.

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

Updated: March 4, 2016
 
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您的配偶说你打鼾让她发狂。

您醒来感觉到不安和急躁。

这些都是表明您可能患有阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停(OSA)的常见迹象，这种睡眠障碍未经治疗会对身心造成不良影响。

未经治疗的阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合症与高血压、心脏病、中风、车祸、工伤事故和抑郁都有关联。美国睡眠协会称超过1200万的美国人遭受阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合症的影响。

美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）会确保医疗器械的安全性和有效性，包括受OSA折磨的人经常使用的一些设备，如俗称CPAP持续气道增压机和一种激发上呼吸道刺激(UAS)系统的新型设备。 

什么是睡眠呼吸暂停

希腊词“窒息”的字面意思是“没有呼吸”。睡眠呼吸暂停就是在睡眠期间出现多次呼吸停顿。这些的停顿可以持续几秒钟到几分钟,每小时可以发生五次以上,最高可达100次（每小时少于五次是正常的）。有时候当你重新开始呼吸时，你会发出很大的鼻息声和透不过气的声音。

最常见的一种阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停是由呼吸道堵塞引起的，通常是因为喉咙后部的软组织塌陷造成。而中央睡眠呼吸暂停则不太常见,其发病原因是大脑控制呼吸的区域不能给呼吸的肌肉发出正确的信号。

美国FDA的眼科和神经以及耳、鼻和喉咙的设备部的副主任埃里克•曼医学博士称，您可能没有意识到这些事件,因为它们发生在您睡觉的时候。呼吸暂停会使您在夜间醒来，打断你的睡眠，因此第二天您经常感到疲倦和烦躁。
 
通常男性的睡眠呼吸暂停发生几率是女性的两倍。除性别外，其他风险因素包括：

• 超重致使脖子上额外的脂肪组织让气道很难保持开放
• 年龄在40岁以上
• 吸烟
• 有睡眠呼吸暂停的家族史
• 患有由隔膜,过敏或鼻窦问题导致的鼻塞。

通常3到6岁的孩子也有睡眠呼吸暂停，最常见的原因是上呼吸道的扁桃体肥肿。

Eric Mann 说，“如果您认为自己或孩子有睡眠呼吸暂停的症状，应该告诉医生,但睡眠障碍,如阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停的诊断，需要一个正式的睡眠诊断测试。”

多睡眠图(PSG)是最常见的睡眠呼吸暂停的诊断测试，通常在一个睡眠中心或实验室进行，通常是记录大脑活动、眼球运动、血压和进出肺部的空气量。

进行治疗

行为方式是第一道防线。减肥可能会改善阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合症。停止使用使您昏昏欲睡的酒精或药物也会有帮助,因为这些药物和酒精会令人呼吸困难。

最常见的治疗是CPAP机器。CAPA使用温和的气压来保持气道开放。空气将通过一个适合您的鼻子和嘴巴，或者只适合鼻子的口罩传递。

消费者可以拨打电话1 - 800 - FDA - 1088或访问MedWatch网站来报告关于他们CPAP的任何问题。

CPAP不是唯一批准用于治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合症的医疗器械。2014年5月1日,FDA批准了第一个植入医疗器械来治疗这种疾病。激发上呼吸道系统(UAS)治疗是为患有中度到重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合症的消费者专门设计的，包括有体质指数指数低于32和喉咙后部没有完全塌陷的两种特殊特征的消费者，以及不能支持CPAP设备治疗,或不能容忍CPAP治疗的消费者。激发装置是通过外科手术类的方式植入锁骨下方，通过电脉冲刺激病人的舌头肌肉和保持气道开放。

这种激发上呼吸道系统是由一个电子脉冲的发生器组成，该发生器有可以刺激控制舌头和病人呼吸感受的神经的管道和传感器。

手术部位愈合后（约一个月）,医生将打开装置装配脉冲发生器。在上呼吸道系统结构优化前，患者可能需要接受一个或更多的睡眠诊断测试。患者使用遥控器在睡前打开该装置，并在醒后关掉该装置。

另一个用于治疗轻度至中度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停的是一种口腔设备。牙科博士Susan Runner说牙医将会与临床医生密切合作,来确定该口腔设备是否适合严重性的诊断。据美国睡眠医学牙科学院称,口腔设备只适合在睡眠时佩戴或者适合作为一些运动护口器和畸形牙齿就矫正器。它通过支撑下颌向前的位置来帮助患者保持一个开放的上呼吸道。

目前FDA没有批准任何药物来治疗睡眠呼吸暂停。FDA药品评价与研究中心的罗纳德·法卡斯医学博士说，有时医生会开如莫达非尼和阿莫达非尼的药物来使因睡眠呼吸暂停而导致白天嗜睡的患者清醒过来，但这些药物不治疗夜间呼吸问题。

此外,法卡斯建议如果您被诊断出患有睡眠呼吸暂停，并同时在服用其他药物的话，您应该让您的医生知道这些药物是什么。他还说，“一些药物可以使睡眠呼吸暂停更严重,包括造成许多失眠、焦虑或严重的疼痛。”

本文刊载于FDA的消费者更新专栏上，此栏目专门刊载FDA所管理产品的最新消息。

最后更新：2016年3月4日

中文翻译：yujia
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这几年，营养素中的几个小元素备受关注，屡屡成为新闻“明星”和议论的“热点”。先是“锰”被猛议了一阵，接下来是铺天“钙”地说补钙；钙还没有结束，又因为“胶囊”把铬推到了前台。今天我们就从营养学的角度来认识一下一位“哥（铬）”。

铬是人体必需的营养素之一。人体需要40多种营养素来维持生命和健康，铬就是其中的一种。铬是在1948年被确认为是动植物体内的组成成分的，1954年发现铬具有生物活性。

自然界存在的铬主要是以三价状态存在于铬铁矿，化工工业的铬主要是重铬酸盐和铬酸盐，六价铬对人体毒性大，可以引起急性及慢性中毒。

自然界中存在的很多元素，人体中都多多少少地含有一点。人体各部分都有一点铬，主要以三价铬的形式存在。铬在人体内具有一定的生理功能，主要表现在：

1、作为辅助因子加强胰岛素的作用，使胰岛素充分发挥作用。
2、可使血清胆固醇浓度降低，从而预防动脉粥样硬化。
3、促进蛋白质代谢和生长发育。
4、促进免疫功能。
5、增加DNA合成，调节细胞生长。
6、抑制肥胖基因合成，降低血糖、总胆固醇、甘油三酯。

铬就像其他人体必需的营养素一样，在人体内发挥着重要的作用。铬对人体健康来说，少了不行，多了也不行，过少过多都会影响健康。澳大利亚新南威尔士大学和悉尼大学共同进行的研究发现，备受减肥人士和健身爱好者青睐的铬膳食补充剂，进入人体后部分转化成致癌物。研究小组在实验室中向动物脂肪细胞内注入三价铬，然后利用Ｘ射线荧光显微镜元素映射技术等对经过处理的细胞进行观察，发现这些细胞中的铬被氧化，丢失了电子，并转化为一种致癌的化合物。研究发现，摄入低剂量的铬对人体几乎没有危害，但长期或大剂量服用铬片则可能有患癌风险。

身体内的铬，大多是通过食物吃进去的，主要是在小肠内被吸收。当吃进行的铬多的时候，身体对铬的吸收率会降低；当身体内缺铬了，吸收率就会增高。随着年龄的增长，各组织和器官中的铬浓度均随着年龄而下降。目前没有可靠的指标来评价铬的营养状况。

美国建议成人铬的安全适宜摄入量是每天50~200微克，英国制定的膳食参考值成人每天安全摄入量大于25微克，澳大利亚建议，成年人每日只摄入25~35微克铬。我国目前建议的成年人适宜摄入量是每人每天50 微克，可耐受最高摄入量是每天200微克。

铬广泛存在于各种食物中，主要来源包括谷类、肉类以及鱼贝类。由于每个人膳食中食物种类和量各异，铬的摄入量也差别很大。

本文作者：马冠生
本文地址：http://www.wjbb.com/know/1441
原文出处：http://weibo.com/p/2304185d5947690102xihz
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曾经的手术服是白色的——白色，干净整洁的象征色。然而，在二十世纪早期，一位颇具影响力的医生首次穿上了绿色的手术服。当时发表于1998年《Today‘s Surgical Nurse》期刊上的一篇文章让他认为：手术医生在绿色的背景下视物会更加清晰、容易。尽管很难断定绿色的手术服是否因此而流行起来，但是不得不承认绿色确实特别适合在手术室穿戴，它使得医生在手术操作时，视物感会更清楚，因为绿色是红色的互补色。

绿色能让医生视物更清楚的原因有两点：一是在手术过程中，医生常处于红色视野的情况下（例如需要长时间注视患者血红的内脏器官），绿色或蓝色能够起到振奋视觉的作用。大脑对颜色信息的处理是通过互补色进行解码的。当手术医生凝视某红色或粉色的物体时，视觉敏感度会慢慢下降。大脑中的红色信号会逐渐弱化，使得医生难以区分患者身上细微的差别。加利福利亚大学研究视觉的心理学家John Werner认为，在充满红色的视野下，时不时看看绿色的物体，有助于保持视觉的敏感性。

另一个原因是：当深度关注红色物体时，会导致在白色背景下出现绿色的错觉。因此，手术医生把目光从血淋林内脏器官转移到诸如床单或麻醉医生白大褂的等白色背景上，这时绿色的错觉可能就会立马浮现。（如果感兴趣，可以自行尝试一下这种“后遗效应”的幻影。）绿色错觉如影随形，手术医生的目光所及之处将饱受幻影之扰。这种情形十分类似于被闪光灯刺激之后在眼前产生的动态浮点。

这种现象的产生源于白光包含了光谱中所有颜色的光，也即含有红色和绿色。但由于红色信号通道敏感度下降，绿色信号较之于红色信号则在大脑中占领优势地位，使眼前呈现“绿色”。

意大利帕多瓦大学（University of Padova）的视觉研究专家Paola Bressan认为：然而，当手术医生看到绿色或蓝色的手术服时，这些绿色的错觉将融入到同色的背景中而不再产生干扰。

所以，虽然手术衣颜色各种各样，但绿色仍然可能是医生的最佳选择。

中文翻译：糊涂毛毛虫
本文地址：http://www.wjbb.com/know/1440
原文出处：http://scienceline.org/2008/09/ask-locke-greenbluescrubs/ 收起阅读 »