Talk is cheap. It's the good advice that will cost you — most of the time, that is. But today, we've got some expert words of dietary wisdom, for free.
As a way to spotlight National Nutrition Month, we asked readers to write us with any nutrition questions they might have. Registered dietitians — members of the Utah Dietetic Association — contributed the answers.
Both questions and answers were edited due to space limitations. But if your question doesn't appear here, don't panic. Several dietitians' responses hadn't been received by press time, so we'll run more inside next week's Food section.
Question: I have a sore hip, and friends have suggested I try a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. Does it really help joints, and are there any side effects?
Answer: Glucosamine rebuilds damaged cartilage and may be a mild anti-inflammatory agent. Chondroitin regulates formation of new cartilage. Possible side effects from taking a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement include possible pain or swelling (usually of the legs), skin reactions, nausea and vomiting. In general, there have been few studies looking at the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin, and chondroitin may not be well-absorbed. So it is safer to use glucosamine alone. Glucosamine has been shown in studies to decrease joint pain when used longer than two weeks. The Arthritis Foundation does not sanction the use of glucosamine or chondroitin. — Jessica Gibbon, RD, CD (clinical dietitian), McKay-Dee Hospital
Question: I've read that it's important for pregnant women to eat a lot of whole-grain foods. Is there a special benefit to the baby?
Answer: Whole-grain products contain more fiber than their processed counterparts. Constipation is a common problem for pregnant women, due to the effects of progesterone (which causes smooth, intestinal, muscles to relax), of iron supplementation, decreased physical activity and pressure from the baby pressing on the intestines.
The best treatment for most cases of constipation is more fluid, exercise and a high-fiber diet. Also, whole grains are higher in nutritional value. Grain processing takes out many nutrients from a kernel of wheat, including iron, B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, fiber, magnesium and zinc. Enrichment will return iron, B1, B2, B3 and folate back to the flour, but not the other nutrients. — Susan Fullmer, MS, RD, CNSD, assistant teaching professor, Brigham Young University
Question: What is the nutritional value for some of the less talked-about foods such as parsnips, beets, radishes and rhubarb? Did the pioneers plant them just because they grew well and were hardy? I also am interested in parsnip recipes.
Answer: They are low-calorie, fat-free foods and are good sources of potassium. Parsnips and beets are fair sources of folate, and parsnips are high in fiber. Radishes provide small amounts of some nutrients but not a significant amount of any one nutrient.
The pioneers most likely brought seeds for vegetables they liked and could grow in a short season, according to Wade Bitner, Horticulturist USU Extension. Beets and radishes are cold-weather crops and grow in a very short period of time. Rhubarb has leaves that create a natural pesticide, making it very easy to grow. Parsnips tolerate cold weather and actually become sweeter after a few frosts. — Pauline Williams Ingols, MPA, RD; Utah State University Extension
Question: There are a couple of new products coming out that claim to remove wax, pesticides, dirt, etc., from produce. Are these safe? Can fruits and vegetables be cleaned completely without them?
Answer: It is hard to guarantee 100 percent removal of pesticides and wax. However, any washing of produce will help minimize exposure to pesticides and may reduce the wax coating. The amount of pesticide or wax removal will depend on the washing product used and the type of pesticide or wax on the produce. The USDA recommends washing produce with plain, clean water. Do not use soap or detergent; they are not approved or labeled by the FDA for use on foods and may cause stomach irritation.
The National Food Safety Database indicates that wax generally cannot be removed by regular washing. Approved wax coatings come from natural sources and extensive research has shown they are safe to eat. They go through the body without being absorbed. If you'd rather not consume waxes, look for unwaxed produce or peel the fruit or vegetable. — Pauline Williams Ingols
Question:I have two teenagers (a son and daughter) who run cross-country track and track events all year long. What should they eat and drink while training, the day before their races and following their races? Is it different for male and female?
Answer: It's great to see children take up sports that they can do the rest of their lives. Athletes' nutrition needs start with the basic-food guide pyramid, with a few areas of special emphasis. Like most people, athletes should eat 6-11 servings of grain foods (bread, cereal, pasta, etc.), 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruit, 2-3 servings of milk/milk products, 2-3 servings of meat and limited fats and sweets. Teens who can burn a lot of calories can eat the higher number of servings in each group.
Carbohydrates are the main fuel source for runners. The food-guide pyramid guidelines provide about 50 percent to 70 percent of your daily energy as carbohydrate. Olympic and other top athletes aim for about 65-70 percent carbohydrate in their diet. Grains, fruits, vegetables and to some extent, milk, are high in carbohydrates.
As they train, your teens should follow the food guide pyramid. This sets the base for their endurance and performance in competition. The day before races, they should eat foods that they normally enjoy. Here are tips for the competition:
— Foods with a lot of fat, fiber (fresh fruits/vegetables with skin and/or seeds, whole grains) and protein (meat servings greater than 3 ounces) tend to digest slowly. They might "sit" in the stomach and make runners feel sluggish or slow. So carbohydrate foods are preferred.
— Large meals should be eaten at least two hours before an event, to allow for digestion time and comfort during the race. They should practice eating "competition-day" foods during training season to see how they feel.
— With multiple events and long periods of time between events, they can have smaller snacks that digest well: carbohydrate foods like low-fat crackers, bread with low-fat spread, milk, some fruits and fruit juices, and low-fat sandwiches.
— Fluids are very important to performance. Athletes often tend to be dehydrated. When they train, they can weigh themselves before and after working out and replace every pound lost in training with two 8-ounce cups of water or fluids sometime during the course of the day (above their usual fluid intake). Gatorade and other sports drinks are OK, but in general, water is best. Caffeine-containing beverages will dehydrate, not replenish.
— When a runner's foot strikes the ground in running, he or she has a little greater breakdown of blood cells through the feet. This means that runners (male and female) should get enough iron. Meat, in general, is the best iron source. Vegetable sources are not always well-absorbed, and supplements (iron or other) may not be the best help either. Food is usually the best source of nutrients, and when competing at higher levels, many substances that often accompany supplements are banned by athletic organizations.
Question:Are residual pesticides really a major concern? How rapidly do they decompose? Is it necessary to worry about removing them?
Answer: The U.S. food supply is one of the safest in the world, yet, as consumers, we are concerned about pesticides and health. Pesticides are widely used in producing food. They may pose some risk to humans because they are designed to kill or adversely affect living organisms. But they are useful because of their ability to control disease-causing organisms, insects and other pests.
These pesticides may remain in small amounts (called residues) in or on fruits, vegetables, grains and other foods. The Environmental Protection Agency sets limits — called tolerances — on how much of a pesticide's residue can remain on food, with a standard of 100-1,000 times the safety margin. Inspectors from USDA and FDA monitor food in interstate commerce to ensure that these limits are not exceeded. The rate of decomposition depends on the pesticide and the food it is used on.
To reduce your consumption of pesticides, wash and scrub all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water, which has an abrasive effect that soaking does not have. Not all pesticide residues can be removed by washing. Peel and trim fruits and vegetables to reduce dirt, bacteria and pesticides. Discard outer leaves of leafy vegetables. Eat a variety of foods, from a variety of sources. This gives you a better mix of nutrients and reduces your likelihood of exposure to a single pesticide.
Here are Web sites and hotlines for information on pesticides and food:
— EPA Office of Pesticide Programs: www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/
— Food Safety and Inspection Service: www.foodsafety.gov
— USDA Nutrition: www.nutrition.gov
— Utah State University Extension:www.ext.usu.edu/ag/upep/upephome.htm
— National Pesticide Hotline, 1-800-858-7378
— USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-800-535-455
— Or your local county USU Extension Service. — Pauline Williams Ingols
Question:For "non-organic" cabbage, are the inner leaves exposed to pesticides, so they need to be separately washed?
Answer: According to the EPA, "Organically grown" food is food that is grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, but pesticides derived from natural sources may be used to produce "organically" grown foods. Most pesticide residues rest on the tops or outer leaves of cabbage or leafy vegetables, so peel and discard the outer leaves. You can rinse the inside leaves in clean water, although very little, if any, pesticide residue will be on these inner leaves. — Pauline Williams Ingols
Question:Do grapes and other produce from South America have high levels of pesticides on them?
Answer:According to the National Pesticide Hotline, there are no current consumer alerts related to produce out of South America. It can be hard to quantify the amount of pesticides on imported produce. The FDA or USDA conduct "sample" testing to determine if the products are within tolerance limits as set by the EPA. But because it is unrealistic to test every product in every shipment, there may be some imports with higher levels of pesticides than are allowed on domestic products. If you are concerned with pesticide levels on imported produce, look for products produced in the United States. — Pauline Williams Ingols
Question: Can you please tell me the most "acidy" fruits and vegetables? I have stomach and colon problems, and I want to avoid the real acidy foods, as they really give me "fits."
Answer: Most foods are less acidic than normal gastric pH of 1-3. Citrus juices, tomatoes and soft drinks are considered acid foods with a pH of 2.8-3.6. Acid foods do not have any therapeutic significance in the colon and are not likely to cause ulcers or interfere with healing. Some people have discomfort with ingesting acid foods.
Often the symptoms are related to heartburn. Some individuals with reflux problems experience pain when eating acid foods or pepper, due to an inflamed esophagus. If reflux is occurring, try a low-fat diet and omit caffeine, alcohol and carminatives (peppermint/spearmint). Smaller, more frequent meals and avoiding food a few hours before bedtime may also be helpful. — Kris Douglass, RD, McKay-Dee Hospital
Question: Is it true that drinking lots of carbonated drinks can cause osteoporosis?
Answer: Phosphorus is a required nutrient for the growth and maintenance of healthy bone. Both a deficiency and an excess are detrimental.
Too high a phosphorus intake can impair calcium absorption and can lead to low blood levels of vitamin D, which both increase bone breakdown. Also, when phosphorus is in greater amounts in the diet than calcium, bones are adversely affected. Americans tend to have a high-phosphorus diet with carbonated beverages (which contain phosphoric acid), meat and processed foods. Teens have doubled to tripled their consumption of soft drinks, while cutting their consumption of milk by more than 40 percent.
Studies show that high consumption of carbonated beverages among adolescent girls and women are related to bone fractures and reduce bone-mineral density. In older women, current modest intake of carbonated beverages does not appear to adversely affect bone mineral density.
Many carbonated beverages also contain caffeine, which causes a person to urinate more often and increases loss of calcium from the kidney. — Susan Saffel-Shrier, MS, RD, CD, assistant professor,University of Utah School of Medicine
One of our readers asked a dietitian for parsnip recipes in addition to advice. Pauline Williams Ingols contributed these:
ROASTED PARSNIPS
1 pound parsnips, peeled, then cut diagonally into 1/4-inch thick slices
4 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss parsnips with oil and salt to taste in a shallow baking pan and roast in oven 30-35 minutes, until golden and tender. Turn parsnips over halfway through cooking time. Serves 4. — Gourmet, November 2000 issue
Nutritional analysis per serving: 125 calories, 20 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g protein, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber, 425 mg potassium, 37 mcg folic acid, 32 percent vitamin C, 11 mg sodium.
PARSNIP AND APPLE SOUP
1 large potato diced
2 parsnips (about 1/2 pound) peeled and chopped fine
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 leek, trimmed and chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
In heavy saucepan, cook potato, parsnips, onions, leek and parsley in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until leek is softened, about 12 minutes. Add broth and simmer covered, 20 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. In a blender pure mixture in batches and transfer to a large saucepan. Stir in cider or juice, cream, salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Serve warm with poached apple for garnish. Makes 4 one-cup servings. — Epicurious.com
Nutritional analysis per serving: 351 calories, 35 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 23 g fat, 2 g fiber, 700 mg potassium, 72 mcg folic acid, 47 percent vitamin C, 24 percent vitamin A, 728 mg sodium.
Note: To reduce the fat content in this recipe substitute fat free evaporated skim milk for the heavy cream which reduces calories to 251 per serving and fat to 12 g per serving.
GLAZED PARSNIPS
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-by- 1/4-inch sticks
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
In large heavy skillet, combine butter, brown sugar, salt and water and simmer, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add parsnips and simmer, covered until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer parsnips with a slotted spoon to a bowl and boil cooking liquid until reduced to a glaze. Return parsnips to skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring, until heated through and coated with glaze. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2. — Epicurious.com
Nutritional analysis per serving: 137 calories, 27 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g protein, 3 g fat, 2 g fiber, 452 mg potassium, 76 mcg folic acid, 33 percent vitamin C, 356 mg sodium.
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