VITERBO UNIVERSITY
WELLNESS @VU
V o l u m e 1 , I ss u e 3
N o v e m b e r 20 0 6
N U T R I T I O N A N D Y O U : K N OW I N G T H E
E F F E C T S O F D I E T A RY S U P P L E M E N T S
Special points of interest:
• Dietary supplements
• Nutrition and Fitness
• Vegetarian diets
• Eating disorders
• Nutritious diets throughout
life
Ever wonder why people
consume supplements and
herbal remedies? Exactly
what does Ginkgo biloba do
for your body? There are numerous supplements available in toady’s market. But
before you start taking dietary
supplements it’s a good idea
to know how they help you
and possibly harm you.
Creatine is a fairly popular
supplement used by athletes
to increase performance in
short high-intensity events.
Side effects of creatine include kidney disease, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Ephedra is another popular
supplement used to promote
short-term weight loss. It can
also cause insomnia, headaches, nervousness, stomach
problems and seizures.
Garlic can actually lower
blood cholesterol, relieve cold
and other infections, and
reduce the affects of asthma.
At the same time it can cause
heartburn, gas, and act as a
blood thinner.
Ginkgo biloba has a ten-
NUTRITION
AND
The Food and Nutrition
Board recommends a total of
60 minutes of moderate activity per day. To continually
participate in physical activity
it is important to stay healthy
through a nutritious diet.
Physical fitness primarily affects the fat use by the body.
dency to increase mental
skills, delay progression of
Alzheimer’s disease, increase
blood flow and decrease depression. This supplement
can cause nervousness,
headaches, and stomachaches.
Ginseng is used by people to
increase energy, normalize
blood glucose, stimulate immune function, and relieve
impotence in males. Potential side effects of ginseng
include: insomnia, hypertension, low blood glucose, and
menstrual dysfunction.
Cholestin is known for maintaining desirable levels of
blood cholesterol. On the
down side the safety of some
of the ingredients used to
produce it are unknown.
DHEA is a supplement that
improves physical well being
through aging. It can also
increase breast and endometrial cancer in women and
prostate cancer in men.
Saint John’s wort is used by
many people to relieve depression. It can cause dry
mouth, dizziness, and interacts with drugs such as: iron
supplements, oral contraceptives, cyclosporine, and
MAOIs.
SAMe can relieve mild depression and reduce pain
associated with arthritis. It
has been known to trigger
manic excitement and cause
nausea.
Peppermint is a common
anecdote for treating indigestion and flatulence. It is also
used as muscle relaxer and
an antibacterial agent. Peppermint may cause heartburn
and many people have allergic reaction to it.
If you are interested in taking dietary supplements it is a
good idea to contact a health
professional and also research the product before
beginning consumption. Be
sure to look at both the positive and negative aspects of
each dietary supplement or
herbal remedy.
FITNESS
Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for vigorous activity. Carbohydrate
intake should be at least 5g/
kg body weight or 300-400
grams per day.
A diet containing up to 35%
of energy intake from fat is
recommended for athletes.
Protein intake should range
from 1.2 to 2.4 grams of protein per kg of body weight.
Vitamins are also crucial for
athletic performance. Vitamins B, C, and E are especially important for physical
performance.
Page 2
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3
VEGETARIAN
There are nearly seven percent of Americans who consider themselves to be
“vegetarian.” Many believe
that vegetarians are people
who simply do not eat meat.
There are actually three types
of vegetarians: vegan, lactovegetarian, and vegetarian.
Vegans do not eat any meats
or honey. Their diet consists
of grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, soda, and vegetable
burgers.
Lacto-vegetarians do not eat
meat, poultry of fish. They do
eat plenty of milk, cheese,
yogurt and butter.
Vegetarians do not consume
“red meat” including: beef,
DIETS
pork, lamb, venison, and buffalo. Their diet varies by each
individual but consists of
shellfish, fin fish, poultry, and
game birds.
There are numerous benefits
of vegetarian diets. Diseasespecific benefits include: decreased symptoms of heart
disease, lower incidence of
hypertension and decreased
risk of colorectal and breast
cancer. The higher intake of
vegetables and fruits improves overall nutritional
risks. Another general diet
benefit is that vegetarian
diets are lower in saturated
fats and calories. The environmental benefits to a vegetarian diet include: utilizing
fewer resources in the food
production chain and affecting organisms that are lower
on the food chain.
It is important that vegetarians still intake appropriate
amounts of protein, vitamin
B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron,
and linolenic acid (fats). They
can receive these nutrients by
in taking: peanuts, eggs, soymilk, yeast, natural sunshine,
dark leafy greens, enriched
flour, breads, cereal, beans,
walnuts, and canola or soybean oil.
EATING DISORDERS
An eating disorder is defined
as severe alterations in eating
patterns linked to physiological changes. The three most
common eating disorders are
anorexia nervosa, bingeeating disorder and bulimia
nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa involves a
psychological loss or denial of
appetite and self-starvation,
NUTRITION
FOR
Nutrition experts classify
adults into four categories:
19-30, 31-50, 51-70, and
ages beyond 70. As you get
older your nutritional needs
change; vitamin B-12 needs
increase as due calcium
needs.
One diet that optimizes longterm nutritional health consists of: low-fat dairy products, limited lean meats, nuts,
fruits, vegetables, breads,
and cereals.
related in part to a distorted
body image and to social
pressures. Nervosa refers to
the person’s disgust with
one’s body.
Bulimia nervosa occurs
when large quantities of food
are eaten at one time and
then purged from the body by
vomiting, or misuse of laxatives or diuretics. Other bu-
limics deal with an increase
in calories through fasting or
excessive exercise.
Binge-eating disorder is
characterized by recurrent
binge eating and feeling of
loss of control over eating for
over 6 months. Binging can
be triggered by frustration,
anger, depression, anxiety,
and excessive hunger.
FAST FACTS
•
7% of Americans
are vegetarians
•
An estimated 10%
of college females
suffer from a clinical eating disorder
•
The new MyPyramid helps individuals create a food
pyramid that is
right for them
LIFE
A multivitamin and/or mineral supplements can be
taken to meet nutritional
needs as well. Staying away
from alcohol and tobacco
products can also help you
stay healthy.
When choosing a diet it is
important to be sensible.
Most diets should be low in
saturated fat and cholesterol
and moderate in total fat.
Before beginning a diet make
sure that you understand the
difference in fats: polyunsaturated, saturated, trans fatty
acids and essential fatty acids.
Never choose a diet that is too
extreme that you believe you
won’t be able to stick with.
Dieting with a friend or group of
people can help you stay motivated.
Remember that a healthy life
is a combination of exercise
and a healthy diet.
For more information,
check us out on the web!
www.viterbo.edu/recsports
Email:
[email protected]