- Author: Myriam Grajales-Hall
The FDA, as
well as health professionals and their organizations, receive many inquiries
each year for consumers seeking health-related information, especially about
dietary supplements. The choice to
use a dietary supplement can be a wise decision that provides health
benefits. However, under certain
circumstances, these products may be unnecessary for good health or they may
even create unexpected risk.
Given the
great quantity and conflicting nature of information now available about
supplements, you may need help to sort the reliable information from the
questionable. Below are tips and
resources that will help you be a savvy dietary supplement user. The principles underlying these tips are
similar to those principles a savvy consumer would use for any
product.
- You
need to think about your total diet.
Dietary supplements are
intended to supplement the diets of some people, but not to replace the
balance of the variety of foods important to a healthy diet. While you need enough nutrients, too
much of some nutrients can cause problems.
- You
should check with your doctor or healthcare provider before using a
supplement. This is a good idea, especially for
certain population groups.
Dietary supplements may not be risk-free under certain
circumstances. If you are
pregnant, nursing a baby, or have a chronic medical condition, such as
diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease, be sure to consult your doctor or
pharmacist before taking any supplement.
While vitamin and mineral supplements are widely used and generally
considered safe for children, you may wish to check with your doctor or
pharmacist before giving these or other supplements to you
child.
- Talking to your doctor
about supplements is very important if you are taking prescription and
over-the-counter drugs.
Taking a combination of
supplements or using these products together with medications (whether
prescription or over-the-counter) could under certain circumstances produce
adverse effects, some of which could be life threatening. Be alert to advisories about these
products, whether taken alone or in combination. For example: Coumadin (a prescription
medicine), ginko biloba (an herbal supplement), aspirin (an OTC drug) and
vitamin E (a vitamin supplement) cab each thin the blood, and taking any of
these products together can increase the potential for internal
bleeding.
- Talking to your doctor
about supplements is very important if you are undergoing surgery. It is important to fully
inform you doctor about the vitamins, minerals, herbals, or any other
supplements you are taking, especially before elective surgery. You may be asked to stop taking these
products at least 2-3 weeks ahead of the procedure to avoid potentially
dangerous supplement/drug interactions—such as changes in heart rate, blood
pressure and increased bleeding – that could adversely effect the outcome of
your surgery.
TIPS FOR
THE SAVVY SUPPLEMENT USER, PART II
Under the
law, manufacturers of dietary supplements are responsible for making sure their
products are safe before they go to market. They are also responsible for
determining that the claims on their labels are accurate and truthful. The government does not review dietary
supplement products before they are marketed, but FDA has the responsibility to
take action against any unsafe dietary supplement product that reaches the
market. If FDA can prove that
claims on marketed dietary supplement products are false and misleading, the
agency may take action also against products with such
claims.
Adverse
effects from the use of dietary supplements should be reported to MedWatch. You, your health care provider, or
anyone may report a serious adverse event or illness directly to FDA if you
believe it is related to the use of any dietary supplement product, by calling
FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088, by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178 or on-line at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm. FDA would like to know whenever you
think a product caused you a serious problem, even if you are not sure that the
product was the cause, and even if you do not visit a doctor or clinic. In addition to communicating with FDA
on-line or by phone, you may use the MedWatch form available from the FDA Web
site.
The
Internet is a rich source of health information; it is also an easy vehicle for
spreading myths, hoaxes and rumors about alleged news, studies, products or
findings. To avoid falling prey to
such hoaxes, be skeptical and watch out for overly emphatic language with
UPPERCASE LETTERS and lots of exclamation points!!!! Beware of such phrases such as: “This is
not a hoax” or “Send this to
everyone you know.”
Whether it
is an add in print or a message on the Internet here are some tips to help you
to evaluate any health information you might receive:
- Who is
the information from?
Is
it the government, a university, or a reputable medical or health-related
association (e.g. American Medical Association). Is the information written or reviewed
by qualified health professionals, experts in the field, academia, government
or the medical community?
- What
is the purpose of the information? Is the information intended to educate
the public or just to sell a product?
Be aware of practitioners or organizations whose main interest is in
marketing product, either directly or through Internet sites with which they
are linked. Most nonprofit and
government sites contain no advertising; and access to the site and materials
offered are usually free.
- Ask
yourself: Does it sound too good to be
true? Do the claims for the product seem
exaggerated or unrealistic? Are
there simplistic conclusions being drawn from a complex study. Learn to distinguish between hype from
evidence-based science.
- Think
twice about chasing the latest headline. Sound health advice is generally based
on a body of research, not a single study. Be wary of results claiming a “quick
fix” that depart from previous research and scientific beliefs. Furthermore, news stories about the
latest scientific study, especially those on TV or radio, are often too brief
to include important details that may apply to you or allow you to make an
informed decision.
Source: U.S.
Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition,
Dietary Supplements, January, 2002.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-savvy.html
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- Author: Myriam Grajales-Hall
LATINOS FACE MAJOR HEALTH HAZARDS IN U.S.
Dr. Marc Schenker, Director
UC
Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
Smoking addiction, weight gain, and sexually transmitted diseases are
three major health hazards Latino immigrants confront when coming in contact
with the American culture, according to a new study at the University of
California, Davis.
"Immigrant health is a major problem today and will be for the
foreseeable future," says Marc Schenker, professor of epidemiology and
preventive medicine and director of the UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural
Health and Safety.
Schenker's study found that Latin Americans' health status
deteriorates when they migrate to the United States. Weight gain becomes a big
health risk when immigrants encounter cheap, low-quality food and develop bad
eating habits. They stop eating fresh foods and homemade meals, increase their
consumption of foods with fat and sugar, and give in to the "super-size"
portions. Also, Latino eating habits change simply because they are able to
afford this new lifestyle, Schenker says.
Secondly, the longer immigrants, including pregnant women, reside
in the United States, the more likely they are to smoke. Again, having the
monetary resources to sustain this addiction encourages smoking, Schenker points
out.
Finally, statistics are showing increasing numbers of Latinos
contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the result of losing conservative
moral attitudes as immigrants adapt to the sexually freer American culture,
Schenker says. According to Schenker, identifying problems and educating Latinos
are important first steps. Further, addressing the problem in its early stages,
before the onset of the chronic diseases, is equally important.
"It is easier and more cost-effective to prevent the consequences of obesity from occurring than to have to treat them once they have developed the problem," says Schenker.
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HEAT STRESS SAFETY GUIDE FOR AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
Prepared by: Steve Sutter
University of California Cooperative
Extension
Area Personnel Management Farm Advisor, Fresno
Heat stress is the body’s heat buildup from muscles and surroundings.
It’s heightened in conditions of little wind, high humidity and temperatures,
and direct sunlight. Physical health, previous heat illness experiences, habits,
duties, and time working affect heat-illness risks. Heat illness can lead to
falls and equipment accidents.
You and your employer share responsibility for preventing heat
illness. Drink water during and away from work, maintain good hygiene, avoid
drugs, get ample sleep, and respond to, and report, any heat illness case to
your supervisor.
It takes 7-14 days, working in heat 2 hours/day, to approach
“acclimatization” (adjustment) to higher work and heat levels. Good physical
condition reduces adjustment time. Acclimatization means smaller increases in
body temperature and heart rate, more sweat production, and higher heat
tolerance.
Full-time workers normally adjust naturally as weather warms, unless
there’s a sudden temperature,
humidity, or workload increase. Once heat-adjusted, you remain so, provided you
work at least every 4 days in hot conditions.
Acclimatization drops after 4 days of not working in heat and is lost
totally in 3 weeks. If you’ve been ill, or haven’t worked in 3 weeks, you’ll
need to acclimatize again. New workers may have to be assigned lighter duties or
longer breaks.
To reacclimatize to sharp temperature or humidity increases, you
should limit heavy work in the severe conditions to half your usual time,
increasing this time an hour/day. Supervisors will adjust task assignments and
work/break schedules in heat stress conditions.
Acclimatization may increase your water needs. Heat illness is often
caused by dehydration, which reduces the body’s ability to cool through
sweating.
Drink water often. Needs, to maintain health, can be 6-10 quarts/day,
and depend on temperature, humidity, and workload. At low humidities, you can
sweat heavily and still have dry skin.
Drink enough water to maintain body weight. Weight losses may
indicate inadequate water. Other clues are dark yellow urine, and passing less
urine than usual. It’s easier to drink smaller amounts of water frequently than
larger amounts less often. Generally, 2-3 gallons
of
water
(50º-60º F) per worker per
hot day’s enough.
Thirst doesn’t measure needs. Workers drinking water to satisfy
thirst drink about two-thirds of that needed, and could lose 2-4 pounds on hot
days. Don’t limit drinking water to keep from stopping to urinate. In hot
conditions, drinking water generally doesn’t cause increases in
urine.
Drink at least a cup of water each 30 minutes; every 10-15 minutes in
extremely hot conditions, even if not thirsty. Drink several cups before work in
hot weather. Follow a strict water-drinking
schedule.
Soft drinks aren’t as good as water to replace body fluids. Gas makes
them hard to drink in quantity. Avoid alcohol, drugs, and non-prescription
medications. Alcohol and hangovers increase risks of heat illness and injuries.
Chronic dehydration can develop gradually over several days, without thirst. It
can lead to such problems as kidney stones and urinary
infections.
Picking crops or
moving irrigation pipe under full sun in 90º F, even with low
humidities and air movement, is stressful for many physically fit, adult
workers, under age 40 years. Adequate rest breaks and drinking water are crucial
in these conditions.
Don’t shorten breaks. You need to slow your heart rate and cool down.
Feeling cooler doesn’t mean deep body temperature has dropped and heart rate has
slowed enough.
Heat can cause skin rashes under clothing. Wash regularly, take
breaks, and wear loose clothing. If the rash persists, see a
doctor.
Heat cramps can be early signs of distress. They’re painful,
sometimes disabling, muscle spasms, usually in the limbs and abdomen. Have
victims rest in the shade and drink water.
Early heat illness signs are dizziness, fatigue, irritability, and
reduced judgment and concentration. Inform a supervisor quickly. Loosen a
victim’s clothing. Have them drink water and rest in shade at least 30
minutes.
In severe heat stress, there can be a rapid rise in body temperature
and heart rate. You may be unaware this is happening. There’s no pain. Symptoms
of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale, or flushed skin, chills, tingling
of hands or feet, confusion, loss of coordination, fainting, fast pulse,
headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, slurred speech, profuse
sweating, excessive thirst, and dry mouth.
Get the victim to a cooler shaded area quickly. Apply cool, wet
cloths, such as towels or sheets, or splash water on the body. Massage the
victims limbs. Have the victim rest comfortably and quietly. Refusing water,
vomiting, and changes in consciousness mean the victim’s condition’s becoming
worse. Call for an ambulance immediately if you haven’t
already.
Heat stroke is the least common, but most life-threatening heat
illness. Symptoms are like those of heat exhaustion. They include convulsions,
incoherent speech, aggressive behavior, a slowdown or ceasing of sweating; red,
hot, dry skin; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing.
Get a victim to shade. Remove outer clothing/shoes. Call the
emergency number. Have them drink water, if conscious. Don’t give salt. Wrap the
victim in a wet sheet, pour water on and fan vigorously. Elevate the legs 1
foot. Continue pouring on water and fanning.
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- Author: Myriam Grajales-Hall
By Karen
P. Varcoe
Consumer
Sciences Specialist
University
of California, Cooperative Extension
While
current low mortgage rates are encouraging people to enter the housing market,
they are also enticing predatory lenders to take advantage of unsuspecting,
eager new buyers. A few tips will help you to arm yourself against devious loan
companies.
You can
avoid paying PMI Buyers
whose down payment is less than 20% of the purchase price must pay private
mortgage insurance (PMI), in addition to principal and interest. Unlike mortgage
interest, PMI is not tax deductible.
To avoid
PMI, many people take out an 80-10-10 loan, which means taking out two
mortgages, with a 10% down payment, an 80% first mortgage, and an additional
loan to cover the remaining 10%. The second loan increases your effective down
payment to 20%, which allows you to avoid PMI. Also popular is an 80-15-5 loan,
with a down payment of only 5%.
The
disadvantages of this form of loan are that you have two mortgages, instead of
one, and that the smaller mortgage will carry a higher interest rate. However,
if the amount saved on PMI exceeds the costs of the higher second loan, you’ll
come out ahead, so ask your lender to make the calculations for
you.
Closing
Costs are Higher at the Beginning of the Month Starting
from the closing date on your home, you have to pay interest on your mortgage,
until you have paid off the full amount of the principal. Usually mortgage
lenders arrange payment dates to coincide with complete calendar months, so that
at closing you pay the interest you owe for the time between closing and your
first full monthly payment.
While
this practice means that your closing costs will be higher if you close at the
start of the month, rather than at the end, your first mortgage payment will
only be due a month later, so you won’t lose any money
ultimately.
If You
Plan to Stay, an ARM May Not Be the Way Adjustable-rate
mortgages (ARMs) often allow buyers to borrow more money, which translates to
larger commissions for the brokers and encourages them to market ARMs more
aggressively than fixed-rate mortgages.
While
the low introductory rates on ARMs may lure homebuyers, later the fluctuating
rates, driven by the economy and the Federal Reserve, can become uncomfortably
high. If you plan to keep your home for more than five years, you will probably
be better off with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
Negotiate
the Broker Fees Mortgage
brokers buy mortgages at wholesale rates and sell them to you at retail rates.
Before you sign for a mortgage, the lenders must disclose their commissions, but
you may negotiate the fees, particularly if you are taking out a jumbo loan. On
standard loans, reasonable markups range between 1 and 1.5
percent.
Don’t Be
Fleeced by These Schemes If you
are familiar with the following devious schemes commonly used by dishonest
lenders, you’ll be less likely to fall prey to them.
Bait-and-switch The
lender promises you one type of loan or interest rate, but actually gives you a
different one. Often the higher interest rate doesn’t take effect until several
months after you start paying off your loan.
Equity
stripping
Equity
in your home is the amount you own above your mortgage. Lenders may encourage
you to borrow heavily against your equity (to consolidate debt, pay for home
improvements, and so on). If the payments and fees become too high for you to
afford and your equity becomes sufficiently reduced, the lender can foreclose on
your loan, take possession of your home, and strip you of the
equity.
Loan
flipping If you
need extra money, some lenders will encourage your to refinance your mortgage several times.
Each refinancing incurs fees and you may end up with a higher interest rate than
you had originally. If your payments become too high, you may face foreclosure
on your loan.
Loan
packing Some
deceitful lenders will try to include fake or unnecessary charges in your
contract. Sometimes they will encourage you to purchase insurance that you don’t
need. They may also charge for services that don’t exist.
Home
improvement scams Dishonest
contractors may try to lure you into agreeing to expensive, often unnecessary
repairs, which they suggest you finance through a particular lender, who has the
loan proceeds sent directly to the contractors. Often the work is not
satisfactory, and you will be left with a long-term high-interest
loan.
Mortgage
servicing scams Once
you have the loan, the lender tells you that you owe more money for fake taxes,
insurance, legal fees, or late fees. Some lenders discourage you from paying off
your loan or refinancing with a different lender by giving you incorrect
information and making you pay more than you owe.
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- Author: Myriam Grajales-Hall
By Ed
Perry
University of
California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor,
Modesto
More
garden plants grow poorly or die as a result of poor watering practices than all
other causes combined. While
gardeners often apply too much water, lack of water or “water stress” is also a
major cause of poor plant performance.
As you
plant new trees and shrubs this summer, remember the importance of keeping the
root ball moist for the first few weeks.
Keep in mind that moisture in the soil outside a newly planted root ball
is unavailable to the new plant until roots can grow into the moist soil. It can take up to 13 weeks before
regenerated roots absorb measurable amounts of water from outside the root
ball. In the meantime, the plant is
obtaining most of its moisture from roots growing in the nursery potting soil,
which can dry out rapidly.
Even
mature, well-established trees and shrubs need some irrigation water during the
hot summer months. Woody plants, like landscape trees and
shrubs, usually don’t show water stress as readily as annuals or herbaceous
plants. Drought symptoms on woody
plants may include yellow leaves, “burning” on the edges of leaves, reduced
shoot growth and smaller leaves, wilting and drying leaves and finally dying
branches. Conifers such as cedars
and pines often die from the top down.
By the time you see leaf drop and dieback symptoms, the trees have been
seriously drought stressed.
Drought-stressed trees then become susceptible to attack by bark beetles
and other insect borers.
Other
plants in your garden and landscape will more readily show drought
symptoms. Turfgrasses, for
instance, turn a dark bluish-green color or wilt. Plants with large succulent leaves, like
squash and cucumbers, may wilt during the hottest part of the day, then recover
in the evening as temperatures drop.
This temporary wilting doesn’t necessarily mean the soil is dry. The plants may simply be transpiring
water more rapidly than the roots are absorbing moisture. If the plants are still wilted in the
evening, or wilt early in the day, they definitely need
watering.
You can
get an idea of moisture conditions throughout your garden and landscape by sampling the soil in several locations
and from several depths at each location.
Lawns and leafy vegetables root mainly in the upper 6 inches of
soil. Tomatoes and small shrubs
root mainly in the top 18 to 24 inches of soil. Large shrubs and trees root mainly in
the top 2 feet of soil, with some roots penetrating to 3 feet. When checking the soil beneath large
shade trees, be sure to begin beneath the outermost branches (drip line). The root systems of many common shade
trees may extend up to three times the diameter of the drip line, so that is
where you need to dig. A soil auger
is a good tool to obtain the deeper samples, but a shovel also works well.
You can
make a fairly accurate assessment of your soil’s moisture content with a simple
“hand-feel test.” After taking a
soil sample, try to roll or squeeze it into a ball. If the soil will not form into a ball,
it’s probably too dry to supply water to plants. If the soil forms a ball, rub it with
your thumb. If the ball will not
crumble, the soil is wet enough.
Very sandy soils are the exception, since they will crumble even when
wet. Be sure to sample different
spots in your garden each time.
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