In this article: Separating good oils from bad Scientific Sources Contact Jean Carper

Your Q's answered

From oils to oatmeal, our expert supplies the details you need.

Contributing Editor Jean Carper, an authority on food as medicine, gets tons of mail at StopAgeNow@aol.com after each monthly column. Here are her replies to some recent questions:

I'm confused. I'm told to take calcium for my bones, but you say it may be dangerous for my prostate. What should I do?
Eric Eschmann, Palm Bay, Fla.

A new study suggests high calcium neither "causes" nor increases the risk of prostate cancer -- but it may accelerate early, treatable cases to a potentially fatal stage. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that men who consumed more than 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily from food and supplements had twice the advanced prostate cancer as men getting less than 500mg. Researcher Alan Kristal concludes men diagnosed with early- stage prostate cancer may want to restrict calcium intake; the safe dose is unknown. He says cutting fat and calories also may help contain this cancer.

Which breakfast cereals do you recommend?
Steve and Teresa Smith, Rock Hill, S.C.

Definitely the whole-grain kind. Most cereals now boast on the label if they are "100% whole grain." These include shredded wheat, Wheaties, Cheerios and my favorite, oatmeal (especially the long-cooking type). All-Bran and Bran Flakes also are excellent, with much of the value of whole grain. Pass up sugar-coated cereals.

Will anything keep my nails from peeling and getting ridges?
Cathy Lindberg, Windsor, N.Y.

Most dermatologists blame aging, genes and disease for fingernail problems; they consider supplements such as gelatin worthless. Some research has shown that biotin (2.5mg daily) strengthens nails. A new study suggests that silica, a mineral in whole grains, might help. Women who took 1 tablespoon of silica gel daily for six months had fewer brittle, cracked and split nails than non-users.

Can I take vitamin C if I've had breast cancer? One doctor said to stop; another says it's OK.
Joan McKnight, Brigantine, N.J.
Experts agree that if you're not currently getting chemotherapy or radiation, vitamin C is OK. If you're in those treatments, vitamin C is controversial. Some doctors fear high levels might prevent the treatments from destroying cancer cells; others insist vitamin C stimulates immune function to fight cancer. There's no decisive evidence, says Jane Higdon of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Although she thinks up to 500mg of vitamin C (the amount in five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables) is unlikely to do harm, she urges you to follow your oncologist's advice.

What supplements do I need to avoid macular degeneration?
Susan Payne, Beckley, W.Va.

Lutein, an antioxidant in green, leafy vegetables and supplements, may strengthen resistance to the disease. Recommended daily dose: 6 mg to 10mg. If you already have macular degeneration, megadoses of antioxidants and minerals may slow it, possibly saving your eyesight, finds a major six-year Johns Hopkins-National Eye Institute study. Taking a formula -- 500mg vitamin C, 25,000 IU (15mg) beta carotene, 400 IU vitamin E, 80mg zinc oxide and 2mg copper -- reduced further damage by 25%. You can take these separately or in Bausch & Lomb's Ocuvite PreserVision.

Does the FDA approve the vitamins you make?
Mike Johnson, San Francisco

The Food and Drug Administration doesn't have the authority to "approve" vitamins, but it can pull them from the market if they're a hazard or don't contain the ingredients listed on the label. My high-antioxidant, multivitamin-mineral supplement, Stop Aging Now!, is produced in FDA-inspected laboratories that meet the high standards for pharmaceutical drugs. For more information or to order, call 800-627-9721 or visit jeancarper.com.

Go to top

Slippery details about oils

You never mention that oleic safflower oil is healthful. Why? New research shows it ranks higher in monounsaturated fats and lower in saturated fats than olive oil.
Art Weisker, Davis, Calif.

You are right, with a caveat. The main fat in all safflower oil used to be less desirable omega-6 polyunsaturates. But now most safflower oil is around 75% oleic acid. That's the same good-type monounsaturated fat in olive oil and avocados. Thus, most safflower oil contains as much healthful mono fat as olive oil. But some of the old-type high omega-6 safflower oil is still around. Be sure the label on safflower oil indicates "high oleic acid."

How much flaxseed oil do you have to eat to get the benefits of fish oil?
Mari Baskin, Woodstock, Ill.

Generally, 10 grams of flaxseed oil equals 1g of fish oil, says omega-3 authority Artemis Simopoulos, M.D., president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health and author of The Omega Diet. Flaxseed oil is a short-chain plant omega-3 that the body can convert to long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (called EPA and DHA) like those concentrated in fish such as salmon and sardines. If you depend entirely on flaxseed oil for omega-3, you need about 1 tablespoon of the oil (containing 7,000 milligrams of plant omega-3) to get the recommended daily 650mg of EPA and DHA.

Clarification: "Fish is Health Insurance" (July 5-7) should have stated: "It's critical that the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 be at least 1:4." Eat at least 1g fish oil for every 4g of omega-6 oils (corn oil, margarine, shortening).