Toxic relationship

WHEN YOUR CHILD BECOMES WHAT YOU DRINK

“Prevenge,” a 2016 movie written, directed and starring Brit cult favourite Alice Lowe, is about a pregnant woman whose fetus instructs her to do terrible things. While that’s clearly a fantasy scenario, sometimes the opposite — a pregnant woman directing her unborn’s behaviour — is not.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 per cent of pregnant women say they’ve had some alcohol, and one out of every 33 admits to binge drinking in the past 30 days. That indulgence can cause terrible things to happen to a fetus — and your future child. What’s more, according to a new lab study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, the damage doesn’t stop there. It can be passed on through subsequent generations, to grandchildren and greatgrandchildren!

Besides triggering these behavioural problems and maybe fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety and impulse control problems, drinking while pregnant can make it more likely that your offspring will have to contend with addiction.

Research scientists at the University at Buffalo Institute on Addictions found that prenatal exposure to alcohol triggers changes in reward systems of the brain, mostly affecting the brain’s own cannabis-like chemicals called endocannabinoids. Those changes persist and make an adult’s dopamine neurons more sensitive to an abused drug’s effect. That increases vulnerability to addiction.

So don’t listen to reports that say a sip or two during pregnancy is OK. There’s no reason to ever risk your future generations’ health and happiness. Want to raise a glass? Stick with some bubbly apple juice!

FLAX FLACK: WHAT’S THAT ALL ABOUT?

One of impressionist painter Jean Renoir’s favourite techniques was to dilute oil paint with linseed oil and turpentine so that it ran down the canvas. He called it “juice.” Well, these days linseed — what we call flaxseed — is having a Renaissance moment as a food and oil that leads to better health.

The benefits of flaxseed: Flaxseeds (always use the ground variety, not whole) deliver a substantial amount of vitamin B-1/thiamine as well as some B-2, B-3, B-5, B-6, folate (B-9) and choline. Plus every tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains almost 2 grams of fibre and 1.6 grams of omega-3 ALA fatty acid (which can ease symptoms of diabetic neuropathy). One of flaxseed’s great assets is that it contains 75 to 800 times more lignans, a form of polyphenol, than other plant foods! The lignans and other nutrients in the seed are associated with a reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease, the slowing of prostate tumour growth, tamping down your stress response and quelling inflammation.

What about flaxseed oil? The oil is a great source of ALA, but it becomes rancid easily (store in the fridge no more than six to eight weeks). And, it does not contain the lignans, fibre or protein of the ground seeds.

So how do you get this powerpacked seed into your diet? Grind the seeds in a coffee grinder as needed; aim for eating 2-3 tablespoons a day. They add flavour and texture to salads, soups and cereals, steamed veggies, broiled fish and smoothies.

DRINKING (COFFEE) TO YOUR HEALTH

According to the Oxford Dictionary blog, three unusual words for a cup of coffee are: “skilly,” nautical slang for a tooweak brew; “sergeantmajor,” military slang for coffee with milk and sugar; and “coffee Biggin,” a cup brewed in a filtered drip pot first invented by George Biggin around 1780. Then there are the more down-to-earth synonyms of “java,” “mud,” “jamocha” and “Joe.”

But whatever you call it, this universal beverage improves cognitive function and heart health. And the good news keeps coming: An observational study of 500,000 people in Europe published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that drinking at least three cups a day — caffeinated or decaf — improved liver and immune function and, during 16 years of the study’s followup, reduced the chance of an untimely death.

For the 54 per cent of Americans 18 and older who already drink 3.1 cups a day, enjoy the benefits! But if coffee isn’t your beverage of choice, here are some other great beverages that confer bountiful health benefits.

Green tea: Helps lower lousy LDL cholesterol, and a Japanese study showed that five cups a day reduces your risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including stroke.

Black tea: Although most tea studies feature green tea, drinking black tea is also a heart-healthy choice.

Chicken broth: While some studies show that drinking this soothing liquid may help tamp down the common cold and stimulate nasal fluids that help block infections, others indicate that it may be an anti-inflammatory. We say, it tastes so good, why not enjoy?

NO ED MEDS BEFORE ANESTHESIA

We have a new, firm warning from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists to the millions of guys taking erectile dysfunction drugs who are heading into surgery: When combined with anesthesia, medications such as Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) can cause a dangerously severe drop in blood pressure. That’s because ED meds contain — and promote the body’s own ability to produce — nitric oxide. Nitric oxide opens blood vessels and relaxes muscles, making it much easier for erections to occur. Adding anesthesia and other medications used during surgery to the blood-vessel dilating actions of an ED med can increase those effects.

Since the average American male can expect to undergo more than nine surgical procedures during his lifetime, and a growing number of ED pills are dispensed to men in the U.S. (annually it’s around 1.2 million Viagra and almost 3.6 million Cialis), this is a warning lots of guys need to take seriously. We also predict that when generic Viagra is available this December, there will be a big increase in the size of the market — and with that, an increased risk for the onetwo punch of ED drugs and anesthesia.

Our advice if you’re taking an ED medication and headed for surgery:

• Stop taking ED drugs 48 hours before the procedure; that will allow the drug to clear your system.

• Presurgery: Alert your anesthesiologist to all medications and supplements you’re taking, including ED meds. Your emergency contact also should know to tell medical staff about any ED drug use.