For optimum health, steer clear of high-fat meals and tropical oils.
King Henry VIII is renown for having had six wives, two of whom he executed. But he also was an infamous glutton. He expanded the kitchens at Hampton Court Palace to 55 rooms, had over 200 people on his kitchen staff and offered guests meals with up to 14 courses.
While you’re probably no King Henry, chances are you like to have a rich meal now and then. The problem is that even one high-fat meal can guillotine yesterday’s — and tomorrow’s — best intentions. When an international team of researchers gave a small group of men the amount of palm oil that’s equivalent to what would be found in a fatty meal, the guys’ health immediately took a turn for the worse:
• Their insulin sensitivity went down by 25 percent (this increases the risk for diabetes and promotes weight gain).
• Triglyceride levels skyrocketed by 35 percent.
• There were measurable increases in blood levels of glucagon, a hormone that boosts glucose levels.
Keep eating high-fat meals and you’re at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to inflammation, trigger irreversible scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and clog hardened arteries.
Unfortunately, almost half of the everyday foods most Americans eat contain tropical oils like coconut and/or palm oil! No wonder lousy LDL cholesterol levels are elevated for 73.5 million U.S. adults, doubling their risk for heart disease. So read all ingredient labels; dodge bad-for-you saturated and trans fats; and start treating yourself like the Duchess of Cambridge’s version of royalty!
Q: I’m pretty sure my sister didn’t drink during her pregnancy, but my 6-monthold niece looks like she may have fetal alcohol syndrome. Is it possible that something else is the case?
Emma W., Los Angeles
A: Yes, it’s possible, although we don’t know what symptoms have made you suspect fetal alcohol syndrome. FAS happens because alcohol is what’s called a teratogen — a substance that can cross the placenta and damage a developing embryo and fetus. Other teratogens include antibiotics such as tetracycline, some acne meds, some antiseizure meds, lithium, antirheumatics and chemotherapy — as well as recreational drugs. Experts believe that teratogens can begin affecting an embryo growing in the womb about 10 to 14 days after conception. Perhaps your niece was exposed to one of them in utero.
But whatever the cause of your concern, your niece needs to be evaluated by a pediatrician who’s a specialist in developmental problems ASAP. The sooner she’s treated for any developmental problems she may have, the better her chances of overcoming any deficits.
Fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder happens when a woman consumes alcohol while pregnant. Often a woman doesn’t know she’s pregnant when she’s drinking — only 50 percent of pregnancies are planned. (That’s why we suggest women of childbearing age and those trying to get pregnant skip alcohol.) A meta-analysis of 328 studies found that worldwide, 9.8 percent of women used alcohol during their pregnancy. Of that group, one in every 67 delivered a child with FAS.
FAS has distinct symptoms, although the degree to which they’re present is arrayed along a spectrum. A child is born with some cognitive impairments as well as physical impairments, such as low birth weight, low post-natal growth rate and what’s referred to as “dysmorphic facial features.”
Make sure your sister and niece get evaluated so the little one can get the care she needs right now.