In the news
One less thing to worry about.
You might have heard about a disease that has affected the deer population in most states – especially if you are a hunter – called Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Elk, caribou and moose are also affected. First described in the late 1960s, it has been found in 30 states and some areas of Canada; a few diseased animals have been found in Scandinavia. Affected animals show gradual weight loss (hence the name), abnormal gait and behavior. The disease is caused by prions (pree-ons), unusual proteins that are not alive but yet are capable of being transmitted from one animal to another.
If the term prion sounds familiar it harkens back to the 1980s when Mad Cow Disease (the medical term is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE) terrorized the United Kingdom. About 200 Britons succumbed to a disease that was very similar to a very rare but fatal brain disease in humans. Only four cases of human CWD-related illness have been reported in the United states but all appear to have acquired the disease in other countries.
My reason for writing about a disease to which humans do not appear to be susceptible is the growing awareness that many, perhaps most, infectious diseases of humans ultimately come from animals. COVID-19 is an example and has stimulated intense interest in zoonoses, diseases transmitted from animals to humans. There is speculation – irresponsible in my opinion – that CWD will mutate as viruses are known to do and will initiate a pandemic for which there is no known treatment.
On the other hand, there is no need to tempt fate. BSE spread in the United Kingdom because farmers there fed their animals meat scraps from infected cows. That practice does not exist in this country. The worry is that deer or elk hunters may feast on their kill and thus acquire the deadly brain disease. After nearly half a century that hasn’t happened but hunters have been put on notice by health officials that they should not eat meat from animals that appear ill. There is, of course, no way that contaminated meat will find its way into your local supermarket.
So there! You can stop worrying about prion diseases the next time you see a dramatic headline on the Internet warning us of the next animal-related pandemic.
Lifestyle
Which is healthier, white potatoes or sweet potatoes?
During my lectures I discourage some kinds of potatoes. For instance, I define french fries as nutritional pornography. Unlike the other kind of pornography, it’s OK to enjoy french fries now and then. We all love baked potatoes but the stuff we put on them, like butter and sour cream, isn’t exactly health food. Further, those Idaho baking potatoes as well as the ones used to make French fries are bred to produce starch that is quickly broken down into sugar – which is why they taste sweet even while you’re still chewing them – a clever marketing ploy.
According to Dr. Katrina Nguyen, a pediatric gastroenterologist, both white potatoes and sweet potatoes are considered healthy. White potatoes have more calories but sweet potatoes have lots more vitamin A – perhaps 1,000 times as much depending on the variety.
What most laboratory-centered nutritionists seem to ignore is the eating habits of the average American. Most people eat the starchy stuff on the inside and leave the skin – where most of the vitamins, minerals and fiber are – in the garbage disposal. (I know – some of you are saying “Not me! I always eat the skin.” Forgive me, but that’s not what I see when I dine with family or friends.)
The bottom line: except for the generous amount of vitamin A in the form of beta carotene in sweet potatoes, it’s pretty much a draw. But eat the skin!!