RightHealth Daily Dose » soda

Would You Support A “Soda Tax”?

Steven — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:10:40 +0000

An article in the September 17th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine proposes that a national “soda tax” of 1 cent per ounce of soda and other sugar-laden drinks could curb the United State’s obesity epidemic while generating funds to promote obesity prevention programs. While this tax strategy has reduced cigarette and alcohol use, will it would work with food? That remains to be seen. “There are certain products which make a strong contribution to the obesity epidemic while, conversely, there is no plausible public health benefit [from them],” noted Dr. David Ludwig, senior author of the paper and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Opponents of such an idea say that singling out a specific food type sends the wrong public health message. Rather, they say, the government should promote proper nutrition education. Would a heftier price stem your appetite for soda? [via BusinessWeek]

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Coconuts are “Nature’s Gatorade”

Steven — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:10:10 +0000

As more people search for alternative, non-soda beverages coconut water is fast becoming commonplace in American grocery stores. Coconut water, which comes from a young coconut, should not be confused with coconut milk, which is made from the fatty adult coconut. Coconut water actually contains a great deal of electrolytes including potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus which allow coconut water to be rapidly absorbed by our bodies. One registered dietician on ABC News likens it to “nature’s Gatorade.” So much so, in fact, that in emergency situations, coconut water has been used as intravenous fluid when saline isn’t available. Read more via ABC News.

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Colonoscopy Bowel Cleansing Drugs May Cause Kidney Damage

Steven — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:06:47 +0000

The FDA has announced warnings against two prescription drugs – Visicol and OsmoPrep – used to cleanse the bowels before colonoscopies. The concern is over the potential of these drugs in causing kidney damage due to their high phosphate content. Similar over-the-counter medications, such as Fleet Phopho-soda, should not be used for bowel cleansing either; however, at lower doses, they are still safe to use as laxatives. Commonly used alternatives – GoLytely and Halflytely – exist and are safe to use for colonoscopy preparation. We know that colonoscopies can save lives, so this should not dissuade anyone from getting one, especially when safe bowel prep regimens exist.