we've got mail - letters - Letter to the Editor - Brief Article

YOUR CANDIDA QUESTIONS

Because of an overwhelming response we received to Cheryl Young's personal account of her struggle with candida in our February issue, we at Better Nutrition would like to provide you with some online answers to your many questions. Although we urge that you discuss your health matters with a healthcare practitioner, the following are some web sites that may offer additional information: www.candidapage.com is the place to go for links to a variety of resources about candida including definitions, frequently asked questions and organizations that can help you.

If you have already been diagnosed with this illness and are confined to the strict candida diet, turn to www.paleofood.com for recipes that include everything from beverages to dinners and can also help you convert your old favorite recipes according to your new dietary restrictions.

The National Candida Society is based in the United Kingdom, but its web site, www.candida-society.org.uk, offers excellent information and advice regarding the disease.

Many books are available regarding candida and can be found in your local book store or through online booksellers like Amazon.com.

For referral and testing information, www.price-pottenger.org, a site hosted by the Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation can help, but it is recommended that you first discuss the matter with your physician.

A TOAST TO HEART HEALTH

My boyfriend Kris and I enjoyed the article on the benefits of beer (Patti Woods' "Food Matters," March 2001). I also appreciated the recipes you included.

Our interest in this article is with specific respect to Kris' family history of heart and cholesterol problems. We realize that alcohol has some positive sides to it. I am interested in finding out what effect, positive or negative, beer or alcohol has on people who have high triglyceride levels. Do the benefits of drinking alcohol outweigh the harm?

AMEILA HAN
Santa Clara, Calif.

Editor's reply

Good question. First and foremost, there is never an excuse to drink to excess (consuming more than two drinks a day). It goes without saying that a balanced diet and moderate exercise regimen are the best ways to have a positive effect on heart health. In regards to your question, alcohol does raise triglyceride levels. Having said that, however, there is reason to believe that an alcoholic drink or two a day can actually be good for the heart. A recent study done by researchers at the University of Ulm Medical Center, in Germany, showed that those who drank moderately (one to two drinks a day) had less signs of inflammation in the body compared with both nondrinkers and heavy drinkers. Specifically, it was shown that moderate drinking was linked to significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood protein that has been tied to heart disease risk.

THANK YOU

As a health educator, I think it is very important to promote responsible drinking.

After reading your article on beer in the March issue, I recognized key words "light-to-moderate." These are popular words in the health field. They reveal the flip side of the things most people would think were bad. Thank you for the efforts in promoting good health. The article helps in the balancing efforts of moderate drinking.

DEONNA SHAW
San Diego, Calif.

COPYRIGHT 2001 PRIMEDIA Intertec, a PRIMEDIA Company. All Rights Reserved.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group