Don’t forget your K
In the alphabet soup of a search for important vitamins, don’t forget your K, prominently found in dark green, leafy vegetables. This fat-soluble vitamin is important for blood clotting and cellular growth, according to a feature in the October issue of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.
Phylloquinone, the best-known form of K, may lower your risk of osteoarthritis in the hand and knee, says Sarah Booth, director of the Vitamin K Laboratory at Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging. It also may lower your risk of coronary heart disease in women, according to the results of the ongoing Nurses’ Health Study.
Another form of vitamin K, called menaquinone-4 (MK-4), is highest in chicken, cheddar cheese and egg yolks, the researchers found. Scientists know that MK-4 is abundant in brain tissue but are still studying its functions.
The egg’s color code
Speaking of eggs, do you wonder what the nutritional differences are between white and brown ones? And what about other parts of the egg? Brown eggs come from hens with red or brown feathers and white ones from hens with white feathers, but shell color does not affect nutritional value or flavor, says a report in the October UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.
The darker yolks result from a particular type of feed and are no more nutritious than the lighter ones. Those cordlike strands on the yolk indicate freshness. Prominent, thick ones are best.
As for those “free-range” eggs, don’t buy them because you imagine the chickens cavorting around the ranch. The wellness letter advises that these claims aren’t regulated and may have no meaning; if you’re tempted to buy those labeled “hormone free,” be aware that no egg-laying hen is fed or treated with hormones.
Stylists as watchdogs
Many people feel more comfortable confiding in their hairstylists about serious matters than in family members. A growing number of salons are running with that concept, training staff to recognize signs of abuse so victims safely can be referred to local resources.
The movement is the brainchild of the non-profit Chicago-based Cut It Out program, sponsored jointly by the National Cosmetology Association, Southern Living at Home and Clairol Professional. The program is dedicated to mobilizing professionals to fight the epidemic of domestic abuse across the United States.
Domestic abuse involves a controlling behavior that may include physical, sexual and/or psychological abuse or assaults. For more information or to donate to a fund supporting local domestic violence shelters, call the organization at 312-527-6765.
Colon cancer site
A new online questionnaire can help people learn whether they have gene mutations that put them at higher risk of colon cancer. The questionnaire was developed by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute and is based on a five-year study of clinical and genetic data gathered from nearly 2,000 patients.
Available at dfci.org/premm, the online tool is an important first step in helping doctors determine the likelihood that their patients are carrying inherited mutations associated with colon cancer. From 2 to 5 percent of all colorectal cancers in Western countries develop in people with mutations in the genes MLH1 and MSH2, a condition called Lynch syndrome (also called hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer).
People with this syndrome often develop colorectal cancer at an early age, and their family members also have a higher than average risk for cancers, including the uterine tract lining, ovaries, stomach, small intestines, brain and skin. Those identified with the gene mutations should be given colonoscopies every year or two, rather than every 10 years as for the general population.
