The media has been ablaze lately with two stories related to the meat you eat, and red meat has ended up on the losing side of a bloody battle. Enjoy this summary of recent events with our view on the topic.

"Pink Slime"
It all started with articles revealing the frequent use of "pink slime" as an unlabeled filler in beef. It's made from fatty meat trimmings left over after other meat cuts have been removed from the cow. The trimmings are heated to about 100 degrees F and spun in a centrifuge to reduce fat. Because these trimmings come from dirtier areas of the cow that are more likely to be contaminated with bacteria, the resulting mix of lean trimmings are exposed to ammonium hydroxide gas to kill bacteria like E.coli and salmonella. The sanitized trimmings are compressed into blocks and sold for use in ground or processed meat.

This cheap filler is added to meat without any labels telling the consumer it's there. You won't find "pink slime" on any ingredient list. The company that makes it calls it "lean, finely textured beef", but you won't find that on the label either. The government doesn't consider the ammonium hydroxide to be an ingredient, and otherwise considers the processed trimmings a "healthy" form of lean beef. What's to label? Lean beef is healthy.

Major grocery stores continued to say "yum."

With an overwhelming sound of disgust (and perhaps regurgitation) from Americans, McDonald's and other fast food chains quickly sent out press releases that they would no longer use "pink slime" as a cheap filler in their meat. Unfortunately, major grocery stores continued to say "yum." A report noted several major grocery stores consider it to be healthy and would continue to add it to their meat without labeling it. The USDA reportedly purchased 7 millions pounds of the "healthy" product and noted it would continue to be a part of school lunches.

It was only a matter of time before the grocery store owners noticed the full disgust of the American public. Most major grocery stores (including Safeway, Kroger, Supervalu, and Giant Foods) now will stop selling "pink slime", but noted they will sell the rest of their current stock. Others including Walmart and Sam's Club noted they will start selling meat without it, but will not stop selling meat with it. The USDA has even stated that schools may choose whether they want to feed their students with the product to keep costs low. Some districts have publicly stated they will no longer feed students "pink slime".

It looks like Americans' backlash is winning this war, but don't expect "pink slime" to completely disappear from the American diet any time soon. And if you're expecting a label now, we wouldn't bet our lean, finely textured beef on it.

Red Meat & Cancer
In other news, research reported the link between consumption of red meat and cancer. An observational study looked at the reported diet of several thousand Americans and their health history over 22-28 years. There were no groups fed meat compared to groups living on veggies. It was simply an observation trying to link health conditions and diet. Researchers noted an increase in cardiovascular disease and cancer death for those eating red meat. Case closed, right?

Not all red meat is created equal.

Not so fast. Not all red meat is created equal. Research has noted a significant nutritional difference in beef raised on a pasture compared to beef raised on a factory farm. Pastured cows eat primarily grass and develop a healthier fat composition. Their meat actually contains more healthy omega-3 fats, which have been reported as good for the heart and brain, among other benefits. It also contains more CLA, a fat that has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer. In contrast, cows fattened up on cheap grains, injected with hormones, and fed antibiotics tend to have much fattier meat and the type of fats in their meat is more harmful. This rather major detail was overlooked in the study.

Based on common sense and quality research, our doctors find grass fed or pasture-raised beef without additives can play a role in a healthy diet. Local farms provide a good source for this healthy meat.

For those unfamiliar epigenetics, this is a growing area of research that has revealed the ability of our lifestyle choices (like eating broccoli) to change the activity of our DNA. It won't change the genes, but it can switch them on or off. The natural phytochemicals in broccoli basically flip a switch in your genes that tells them to grow in a healthier way. Epigenetic research has increasingly shown that our daily habits play a powerful role in determining whether we develop heart disease, cancer, and a variety of chronic conditions. Take control of your health and eat your vegetables.

Common cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and brussel sprouts. Mom was right. These veggies pack a powerful nutritional punch. Try to include them regularly in your diet, especially anyone with an increased risk of cancer. Make sure to eat some of these veggies raw to avoid cooking away the beneficial nutrients. When cooking, using lower heat for a limited time is best. Don't cook them into a mush.

It's hard to keep up with all of the recent health news, so here's a rundown on the latest.

Sleeping Pills Called 'as Risky as Cigarettes'
Study Links Sleeping Pills to 4.6-Fold Higher Death Risk

WebMD recently reported on research that showed a surprisingly high death rate related to taking sleeping pills. Researchers estimate that sleeping pills are linked to 320,000 to 507,000 U.S. deaths each year:

The top third of sleeping-pill users had a 5.3-fold higher death risk. They also had a 35% higher risk of cancer, the study found. "We are not certain. But it looks like sleeping pills could be as risky as smoking cigarettes. It looks much more dangerous to take these pills than to treat insomnia another way," study leader Daniel F. Kripke, MD, tells WebMD. The sleeping pills in question are known as hypnotics. They include newer drugs such as zolpidem (the best known brand name is Ambien) as well as older drugs such as temazepam (the best known brand name is Restoril).

In their latest study, Kripke's team analyzed 2002-2007 data from a large Pennsylvania health system. They obtained medical records for 10,529 people who were prescribed hypnotic sleeping pills and for 23,676 matched patients who were never prescribed sleeping pills. "We think these sleeping pills are very dangerous. We think they cause death. We think they cause cancers," Kripke says. "It is possible but not proven that reducing the use of these pills would lower the U.S. death rate."

You may want to consider alternatives when possible. Natural sleep aids like melatonin were not linked to these risks. Read the full story here on WebMD.

More Evidence Omega-3 Rich Diet May Protect Aging Brain

Medscape Medical News recently reported on research published in the Journal of Neurology that indicates increased omega-3 fat consumption is beneficial for brain health:

New data from the Framingham Offspring Study cohort suggest that higher dietary intake of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may help protect the aging brain. Results showed that lower red blood cell (RBC) levels of DHA and EPA in late middle age were associated with smaller brain volumes and a "vascular" pattern of cognitive impairment, even in persons free of clinical dementia.

"People with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about 2 years of structural brain aging," study author Zaldy S. Tan, MD, MPH, from the Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research and the Division of Geriatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, comments in a written statement.

This study, Dr. Tan told Medscape Medical News, "adds to the current body of evidence on the beneficial health effects of omega-3 fatty acids." However, he said, it is premature to make clinical recommendations solely based on this study. "It needs to be validated in other populations and extended to clinical trials, which may be able to provide more specific recommendations."

"With that said, people who are already consuming fish as part of a balanced diet can take stock in the promising findings of this study that omega-3 fatty acid may benefit not only their heart but their brain as well," Dr. Tan said.

The findings were published in the February 28 issue of Neurology. Read the Medscape article here.

If you're not including fish in your diet, add it or add a good quality fish oil to supply your omega-3 fats.

Statin Labels Will Come With New Safety Warnings

CNN reported on changes in labeling for cholesterol medications, which will warn of newly recognized risks:

An entire class of statin drugs will get new labels that alert the public to safety concerns, the Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday. Statins, which treat cholesterol, now will come with labels that include a warning that the drugs, taken by almost 32 million Americans, can cause memory loss and confusion. The FDA says reports in general have not been serious, and the symptoms subsided when patients stopped taking the medications.

The new labeling will also warn doctors and patients that statins can cause hyperglycemia, an increase in blood sugar levels and increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Amy Egan, deputy director for safety in the FDA's Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products, says the agency looked at the adverse events reported to determine the scope of the problem. They can't say what caused the memory loss and confusion, but it seems to be a class effect and a rare event.

While these medications may be helpful for some patients, most see dramatic improvement in a short time in their cholesterol when they eliminate processed food from their diet and eat more whole foods like fruit, vegetables, and good quality fat & protein. Some patients have come to our clinic for aches and pains, and we figured out their painful complaints were related to their cholesterol medication. Once they improved their cholesterol with better eating habits and their physician no longer recommended the medication, most of the muscle aches went away. Read the full CNN article here.

There are plenty of excuses for not eating healthy. The most common complaint is that it costs too much. Most won't argue that they could actually save money in the long run by avoiding expenses for health problems related to unhealthy eating. But what about right now?

Here's 7 tips to help you spend less now (and later) while eating healthier.

1. Buy Vegetables in Season - they are generally cheaper in season because there's more to go around. In February that includes: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, grapefruit, kale, leeks, lemons, oranges, parsnips, rutabagas, tangelos, and turnips. In March look for: artichokes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, pineapples, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips. Watch for those sales in the produce aisle and stock up.
2. Buy Frozen Vegetables - most frozen veggies are just about as good as fresh ones. Fill the freezer so you always have some around without worrying about them going bad. It's best to avoid canned fruit & veggies with added salt and sugar.
3. Drink Water - quit wasting your money on "performance enhancing" sugary beverages. Do you really need an energy boost to be able to flip through TV channels faster? Water is the best and cheapest drink on earth. Use a filter on your tap and fill up a metal bottle instead of buying plastic bottles each day. Most bottled water is just tap water in disguise.
4. Grow a Garden in Your Yard - buy a few packs of seed for only a few dollars and fill your table with fresh, chemical-free produce during the summer. If you're really dedicated, you could stretch our growing season from early spring to late autumn with insulating covers or frames. Don't forget fruits. Strawberries and raspberries spread each year (unless you cut them back), providing an abundant harvest of delicious berries with little work.
5. Grow a Garden in Your House - whoever said you need a yard for a garden? With a jar, water, and seeds, you can make sprouts year-round with little effort. Some of the most common seeds for sprouting are alfalfa, broccoli, radish, red clover, and mung beans. Many more types can be sprouted. Seeds cost only a few dollars per pound, but can produce heaps of sprouts.
6. Shop at the Local Farmers' Market - snag great deals buying local produce straight from the farmer. You get better quality food that's fresh in season. The best deals come in the last hour or so when everyone wants to clear out their stock.
7. Pick Your Own - local farms offer opportunities to pick your own fruit or veggies at a reduced price. This is a great chance to stock up. Take the whole family and make an adventure of it.

You don't have to be rich to eat healthy. It just takes a little effort, but it's worth it.

Pop Quiz: Who consumes the most antibiotics in this country?
A. Humans
B. Livestock (including the animals we eat)
C. Cousin Bob, he's always sick with something

It has been reported that more antibiotics are consumed by our farm animals than by humans in the US. Our last blog post discussed the efforts of the the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to help physicians reduce the use of antibiotics for children and adults. Unfortunately, the farm industry has been slower to respond.

The CDC reported in 2005, "In the United States, data on the quantity of antibiotics given to food animals is not available to the public or to government agencies. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, about 25 million pounds of antibiotics and related drugs are used every year in livestock for nontherapeutic purposes. The Animal Health Institute estimates that 20.2 million pounds of antibiotics were produced for use in farm and companion animals in 2003."

Why are so many antibiotics being used on farm animals (and what are "nontherapeutic purposes")?

The CDC reports, "Antibiotics are used in food-producing animals for three major reasons:

1. Antibiotics are used to treat sick animals.
2. Antibiotics are used in the absence of disease to prevent diseases during times when animals may be susceptible to infections. This use affects a larger number of animals, because it usually involves treating a whole herd or flock, which increases the likelihood of selecting for organisms that are resistant to the antibiotic. In these two examples, high doses of antibiotics are used for short periods of time.
3. Antibiotics are commonly given in the feed at low doses for long periods to promote the growth of cattle, poultry, and swine. In the 1950s studies showed that animals given low doses of antibiotics gained more weight for a given amount of feed than untreated animals. Exactly how this occurs is unknown. This effect appears to be less effective or absent in animal production settings with good sanitation."

Do you notice anything odd here? While doctors recommend humans take antibiotics only when they are sick with a bacterial infection, our animals are given antibiotics to prevent infections and to cause them to gain weight (more pounds = more $$$). Often farmers are not therapeutically treating sick animals. They are using antibiotics to fatten up animals quicker, and as an easy way to keep them from becoming sick. The Union of Concerned Scientists notes, "This type of 'disease prevention' is a crutch that allows [factory farm] operators to avoid good husbandry practices that could avoid and manage disease outbreaks responsibly, and is the ideal breeding ground for antibiotic-resistance."

Based on the CDC's information above, we can assume the farms using antibiotics to fatten their animals must not provide "animal production settings with good sanitation", otherwise this wouldn't work. A sanitary environment seems like a reasonable "good husbandry practice" to expect from farms. Other issues involve crowding the animals in limited space and feeding them unnatural foods (primarily corn-based diets) that tend to bring on these diseases.

Because of increasing antibiotic use, the CDC is concerned about growing resistance to antibiotics and started "Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work On The Farm". The CDC notes, "Antibiotic resistance is a food safety problem for several reasons:

1. Antibiotic resistance is increasing to some antibiotics...commonly used to treat serious infections caused by bacterial pathogens frequently found in food, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. Each year, several million people in the United States are infected with [these bacteria]...
   
2. More people may become ill. Ordinarily, healthy persons who consume a few Salmonella may carry them for a few weeks without having any symptoms, because those few Salmonella are held in check by the normal bacteria in their intestines. However, even a few antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in food can cause illness if the person who consumes the contaminated food then takes an antibiotic for another reason. The antibiotic can kill normal bacteria in the gut, letting a few Salmonella that ordinarily would be unlikely to cause illness, take over and cause illness...
3. The food supply may be a source of antibiotic-resistant genes. Harmless bacteria present in food-producing animals could be resistant, and humans could acquire these bacteria when they eat meat products from these animals. Once ingested, resistant genes from these bacteria could be transferred to bacteria that cause disease. Quantifying the extent to which this contributes to a food safety problem is difficult."

How do resistant bacteria spread from animals to humans?

The CDC notes, "Resistant bacteria may be transferred to humans through the food supply or direct contact with animals. For example, Campylobacter lives in the intestines of chickens. People get Campylobacter diarrhea primarily from eating undercooked chicken. In 1989, none of the Campylobacter strains from ill persons that CDC tested were resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics. In 1995, the FDA approved the use of fluoroquinolones in poultry. Soon afterwards, doctors found Campylobacter strains from ill persons that were resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics."

What does the CDC say about this health risk?

"The use of antibiotics to promote growth is widespread in food animal production. Antibiotics used for growth promotion increase the pressure for bacteria to become resistant. To address this public health problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that antibiotics not be used for this purpose. It is determined that this practice is unsafe for the public's health (World Health Organization)."

There is growing agreement that farmers should at least stop using antibiotics as a cheap way to fatten their livestock, and we may see legislation to stop this. It will be harder to convince factory farms to give up using antibiotics as a preventive health measure. They would have to provide a more sanitary environment with more space for the animals and provide healthier feed to keep them from becoming sick. That costs money.

The best way to encourage positive change is by avoiding meat grown with antibiotics. We recommend looking for meat that is grown without antibiotics (or hormones) to avoid any potential harm to your health. Organic foods are grown without the chemicals or medication. Pasture-raised or grass fed animals are even better. Farms will only produce what sells, so buy the good stuff.

Find more information about this topic on the CDC's website.