Question: I visited France this summer, where I ate a type of dried bean called a flageolet. I had never seen them in this country and would like to know more about them.Answer: Flageolet is a variety of bean that looks similar to green beans as it grows. Although the whole pod can be eaten if picked when very young, flageolet beans are rarely sold fresh, but both dried and canned beans are available. They are smoother in texture than most of the dried beans with which we are familiar. In traditional French cookery, they are commonly combined with a garlic-flavored tomato sauce and served with lamb.
Actually, flageolet is a fairly recent variety of bean. According to "Larousse Gastronomique," it was first produced by chance in 1872 by Gabriel Chevrier who lived near Arpajon, quite close to Paris. Indeed, the beans are sometimes called chevriers in France. Nowadays, they are also grown in Brittany and in central France. Unfortunately for those like yourself who have discovered and enjoyed them abroad, they are available in this country usually only in specialty food shops and cost considerably more than traditional dried beans. But to our mind, they do have a flavor and texture all their own and are worth a try.Question: My son began taking large doses of vitamin C because he believed it would help prevent colds. Shortly after he started, however, he developed diarrhea. He stopped taking the vitamin C and the diarrhea disappeared. Do you think it was a coincidence?Answer: We cannot say for sure that his diarrhea was related to taking vitamin C, but we can tell you that large doses of vitamin C can have that effect. In a small study reported recently in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, nine subjects were given gradually increased doses of the vitamin.
It has long been recognized that vitamin C in large doses, as much as 2 grams a day, has an antihistamine effect. The objective of the study was to determine whether 500 milligrams (mg.) of the vitamin - eight times the Recommended Dietary Allowance, but still an amount that could be obtained in a carefully planned diet - would have a significant antihistamine effect.
The study began with a dose of 500 mg. of vitamin C, taken once a day. At the end of the second week of the study, two subjects withdrew, complaining of chronic diarrhea. Another reported having diarrhea, but completed the study. The vitamin C was then increased to 2,000 mg. a day in a divided dose. At this level of intake, two other participants complained of dry nose and nosebleeds. Their dosage was reduced to 1,000 mg. and they completed the study without further complications.
At the 500 mg. level, blood histamine levels were unaltered. At the higher levels, the antihistamine effect was significant. But the fact that over half of the healthy subjects in this small study experienced significant effects on their gastrointestinal tracts should not go unnoticed. In short, self-medication with large doses of vitamins remains an ill-advised and potentially harmful practice.
Question: I would like to know whether there is evidence to predict which individuals are likely to maintain weight loss after following very low calorie diets.Answer: A recent study identified several factors that are associated with short- and long-term weight loss, at least among women. Seventy-six obese women began the study on a 1,200-calorie diet for four weeks. Then they were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group was placed on a very low calorie diet (VLCD) of 400 to 500 calories a day for two months and a 1,200-calorie diet for two months more. A second was placed on a 1,200-calorie diet and given behavior therapy for six months. A third group was on the VLCD for two months and the 1,200-calorie diet for six months. That group also received behavior therapy for six months.
Average weight loss at the end of the treatment period in each group was nearly 32 pounds, and at the one-year follow-up, about 17 pounds. For all three groups, weight loss during the first four weeks when all subjects were consuming 1,200 calories was the strongest predictor of weight loss, both at the end of treatment and at the one-year follow-up. That has also been shown in other studies.
Perhaps not surprisingly, higher initial weight was associated with greater weight loss. Another success factor was attendance at behavior therapy meetings. The higher the percentage of meetings that subjects attended, the more weight they lost. The researchers also found that subjects who scored higher on a test to measure depression lost more weight. They were reluctant to attach too much significance to this finding, however, because the results of other studies of this relationship have been inconsistent.
For someone whose weight is sufficiently excessive that a VLCD might be appropriate, perhaps the most important observation is that not only is behavior therapy of value, but that it is important to stick with it. For many people, the natural tendency is to not attend the meetings when they are having trouble staying on their diets, but that is exactly the time that these sessions may be most critical to success.
The researchers pointed out that very little is known about the subject of weight loss predictors and, with research, other factors may turn out to be better predictors.