The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-26)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26 , 2021. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ EE E3

They point to structural racism

as a particular challenge to youth

mental health.

In 2020, mental health crises

were particularly acute. Accord-

ing to Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention data, they in-

creased 24 percent for 5- to 11-

year-olds and 31 percent for 12- to

17-year-olds. Suspected suicide

attempts increased as much as 50

percent for teenage girls during

February and March of this year

compared to the same period in

2019. Suicide is the second lead-
      ing cause of death for adolescents
      in the United States, and it has
      been rising for the past decade.
      “We are caring for young peo-
      ple with soaring rates of depres-
      sion, anxiety, trauma, loneliness,
      and suicidality that will have last-
      ing impacts on them, their fami-
      lies, and their communities,” the
      groups wrote. “We must identify
      strategies to meet these challeng-
      es.”
      — Erin Blakemore

If you are in crisis, call the toll-free

National Suicide Prevention Life line

at 800-273-TALK (8255), available 24

hours and seven days a week.

HEALTH NEWS

“Can my 63-year-old husband
get a b ooster to help protect me
with an underlying condition? I
got the booster — c an he?”
— Dee in New York
Getting vaccinated yourself
and rec eiving a b ooster shot are
important ways to protect your-
self, so you ’re already doing the
right things.
You didn ’t mention whether
your husband is eligible for a
booster on his own, so we’ll
assume that he isn’t.
As a r eminder, people who
completed Pfizer-BioNTech’s
vaccine regimen at least si x
months ago have been eligible
for a b ooster if they’re 65 or older,
have a health condition that puts
them at higher risk of severe
illness or work in a high-risk job.
The Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention late last
week approved booster doses as
well for recipients of Moderna’s
and Johnson & Johnson’s vac-
cines, so that those eligible for
boosters can now choose among
three vaccines. The Washington
Post reported last week th at the

Food and Drug Administration is

“seriously considering” authoriz-

ing boosters for everyone 40 and

older.

Even if your husband doesn’t

meet the criteria for a booster, he

should still be able to get one by

asking his doctor, said Monica

Gandhi, an infectious-diseases

speciali st at the Universi ty of

California at San Francisco. Most

pharmacies will also give him a

booster dose if he tells them that

his wife has an underlying condi-

tion that puts her at greater risk.

“It’s a li ttle loosey-goosey right

now,” said Tom Russo, a profes-

sor and chi ef of infectious-dis-

ease at the Universi ty of Buffal o’s

Jacobs School of Medicine and

Biomedical Sciences. “The ten-

dency is to have a low threshold

to give people shots.”

For your husband, it’s prob-

ably a good idea. Making sure

that everyone in your household

is maximally protected against

contracting the coronavirus min-

imizes the chance that they will

pass the virus to you.

— Marisa Iata

Your coronavirus questions, answered: Can my

under-65 spouse get booster shot to protect me?

HEALTH SCAN

Declaration of a national

emergency in child and

adolescent mental health

American Academy of Pediatrics,

American Academy of Child and

Adolescent Psychiatry and

Children’s Hospital Association

Overdoses and emotional diffi-
culties. Crushing loneliness and
stress. Grief and depression. The
pandemic has accelerated mental
health crises among children.
The problem has ballooned to
emergency proportions because
of a shortage of child psychia-
trists, a growing wave of suicidali-
ty and the ongoing stress over
covid-19, a group of experts sa y.
In a d eclaration of a national
state of emergency in child men-
tal health, the American Acad-
emy of Pediatrics, the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatr y, and the Children’s
Hospital Association point to a
litany of challenges faced by chil-
dren in the United States.
Emergency department visits
for mental health have increased
dramatically, they say, and chil-
dren and families face “enormous
adversity and disruption.”
And this month, UNICEF is-
sued a report estimating that 13
percent of adolescents ages 10 to
19 live with a diagnosed mental
disorder. The agency called for
commitment and action from
governments and societies
around the world to protect child
mental health.
The American groups provided
a similar message, calling for
more federal funding for children
with mental health challenges,
better school-based mental
health care, and community-
based support for kids and par-
ents.

A flood of severe mental health crises is

overwhelming U.S. children, experts warn

BY HALLIE LEVINE

Y

ou’re probably aware

that, for better or

worse, what you eat

can affect your risk for

conditions like high

blood pressure and Type 2 dia-

betes. But the same kind of diet

that’s good for your brain, heart

and lungs — rich in fruits, veg-

gies, lean protein, grains and

healthy fats — also helps hear-

ing, vision and dental health,

says Libby Mills, a spokesperson

for the Academy of Nutrition and

Dietetics, a trade association.

“This type of eating pattern is

not just rich in antioxidants that

can help keep ears, eyes and

teeth healthy,” she says, “it also

reduces inflammation in th e

body that can worsen gum dis-

ease and vision and hearing

problems.”

Adding certain foods into an

overall healthy diet may be even

more beneficial. Here’s what the

research suggests.

Hearing helpers

Women who followed one of

three eating patterns — the alter-

nate Mediterranean diet, DASH

(Dietary Approaches to Stop Hy-

pertension) and the 2010 Alter-

native Healthy Eating Index —

had about a 3 0 percent lower risk

of hearing loss. That’s according

to a 22-year study published in

2018 in the Journal of Nutrition.

Though the diets have some

differences, “they all emphasize

higher intakes of fruits and veg-

etables, and lower intakes of

sodium, added sugars and satu-

rated fat,” says Sharon Curhan,

director of the Conservation of

Hearing Study at Brigham and

Women’s Hospital in Boston.

And all contain plenty of beta-

carotene, folate and omega-3 fat-

ty acids, which seem to be partic-

ularly hearing-protective, she

says.

Those eating plans may help

in part by promoting blood flow

to the inner ear’s cochlea, whose

tiny hair cells transmit “messag-

es” that the brain interprets as

sound. They may help protect

against age-related declines in

cochlear function, too.

Such diets also limit starchy

carbohydrates — such as white

rice, potatoes and pastas — a nd

added sugars, says Christopher

Spankovich, director of clinical

research in the Department of

Otolaryngology and Communi-

cative Sciences at the University

of Mississippi Medical Center.

“These types of foods raise blood

glucose levels,” he says, “and we

know that Type 2 diabetes (which

is marked by uncontrolled blood

glucose) can also impact hearing

because it damages the tiny

blood vessels in the ears.”

To follow a hearing-healthy

diet easily, fill half your plate

with fruits and vegetables,

Curhan says, especially those

rich in beta-carotene or folate:

dark orange produce such as

carrots or cantaloupe and leafy

greens such as arugula, kale and

spinach.

At least a quarter of the plate

should contain protein, Spank-

ovich says. (Many older people

don’t get enough. Aim for at least

0.36 gram of protein per pound of

body weight a day, about 54

grams for a 150-pound person.)

An analysis published in 2020 in

the journal Ear and Hearing

found that sufficient protein re-

duced the risk of tinnitus, a

ringing in the ears that may be a

sign of hearing loss. Curhan’s

research also suggests that eating

fish, which has omega-3s, at least

twice a week is helpful for hear-

ing.

Smile savers

The American Dental Associ a-

tion (ADA) recommends follow-

ing the MyPlate guidelines from

the Department of Agriculture.

So for dental health, too, produce

should make up half your meal.

Along with plenty of vitamin C

(good for gum health) and vita-

min A ( it helps rebuild tooth

enamel), fruits and veg etables

contain water and fiber. Both

keep the mouth moist; water

does so directly, and fiber be-

cause chewing it stimulates sali-

va production. “Saliva washes

harmful acids from food away

from your teeth, which protects

them against decay,” says Ruchi

Sahota, an ADA spokesperson.

On the protein front, strive to

get at least half from lean meat,

poultr y, fish and eggs, says Mark

Wolff, dean of the University of

Pennsylvania School of Dental

Medicine. All are rich in phos-

phorus, a mineral that protects

and rebuilds tooth enamel.

Adults 60 and older also need

three daily cups of dairy. It’s high

in calcium, another mineral

th at’s good for tooth enamel.

Limit saturated fat (found in

red meat and full-fat dairy) and

processed meat (think bacon,

sausage, hot dogs). A study pub-

lished in 2021 in the British

Journal of Nutrition found that a

diet low in produce and high in

satur ated fat and processed

meats was associated with tooth

loss, dry mouth and gum disease

in older age.

For the final quarter of your

plate, focus on whole grains

(oatmeal, brown rice). Processed

grains (white bread, white rice,

pasta) “are higher in sugar,

which the bacteria in your

mo uth feed on,” Wolff says, con-

tributing to decay.

Strategies for sight

“When I think about older

adults and nutrition, I divide it

into two categories: the cornea,

which is the surface of the eye

and the window we look

through, and the retina, which is

in the back of the eye and

essentially works as the film of a

camera to receive images,” says

Michelle Andreoli, clinical

spokesperson for the American

Academy of Ophthalmology

(AAO). “In order for both to work

optimally, you need good nutri-

tion for both.”

So, in addition to an overall

healthy diet, Andreoli advises

drinking at least 64 ounces of

water daily. Good hydration is

key for dry eye, a c ornea-related

condition common with age. “If

the surface of your eye isn ’t

well- hydrated, the optics get

lousy, kind of like mud on a

windshield,” she says.

Omega-3s may help protect

against dry eye, too, as well as

age-related macular degenera-

tion, which impairs vision in the

center of the retina. So Andreoli

recommends dining on fish at

least twice a w eek, just as other

experts advise for hearing.

And of the five to nine recom-

mended daily servings of fruits

and vegetables, Andreoli sug-

gests making about half of them

dark in color, such as blackber-

ries, kale, raspberries and spin-

ach. “These are all rich in lutein

and zeaxanthin, two nutrients

that protect your macula,” she

says.

3 more smart moves

l Get needed screenings. The

AAO advises that adults 65 and

older see an ophthalmologist for

a complete eye exam every one to

two years. There’s no of ficial

recommendation on dental

screenings, but because cavity-

contributing conditions like dry

mouth are more common with

age, every six months is reason-

able, Sahota says. For hearing

checks, a good rule of thumb is

every three years, and more often

if you notice any problems,

Spankovich says.

l Limit alcohol. It causes de-

hydration and dry mouth, which

can lead to tooth decay and gum

disease. And though less than

four weekly drinks has been

shown to slightly reduce the

likelihood of cataract surgery,

daily drinking can raise it, ac-

cording to a study published in

2021 in the journal Ophthalmol-

ogy. One study has also linked

heavy drinking to hearing loss.

l Stay at a healthy weight.

Research suggests th at over-

wei ght or obese people may be

more likely to have gum disease

or hearing loss. And obesity has

been linked to a higher risk of

cataracts, glaucoma, age-related

macular degeneration and dia-

betic retinopathy , Andreoli says.

© Copyright 2021, Consumer Reports Inc.

FROM CONSUMER REPORTS

A diet for your hearing, vision and teeth

ISTOCK

C onsistently eating a l ot of fruits, veggies, lean protein, grains and

healthy fats can help your hearing, vision and dental health.

Consumer Reports is an

independent, nonprofit organization

that works side by side with

consumers to create a fairer, safer,

and healthier world. CR does not

endorse products or services, and

does not accept advertising. CR has

no financial relationship with

advertisers in this publication. Read

more at ConsumerReports.org.

3,400 mg

of salt

American adults consume an
average of 3,400 milligrams of
salt each day, or roughly
1½ teaspoons, and most of it
(70 percent) comes from sodium
in prepared foods, according to
the Food and Drug Administration. The federal government’s Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, which provide advice on nutrition and
health, recommend no more than 2,300 mg per day for people 14 and
older. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and other
health problems, including kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.
The FDA recently issued new guidelines to the food industry to reduce
the amount of added sodium in their products so that people’s salt
intake will not exceed roughly 3,000 mg daily. Although many often
think of salt as simply a flavor-adding substance, the body actually
needs some sodium to work properly. For instance, it’s needed for
proper nerve and muscle functioning and to maintain the correct
balance of fluids in the body. The FD A’s guidelines, which are voluntary,
asks the food industry to make sodium cutbacks in the next 2½ years in
163 categories of processed, packaged and prepared foods. The goal is
to prevent diet-related diseases that “often result in hundreds of
thousands of lives lost and billions in annual health care costs,” the FDA
says. The American Heart Association described the FDA guidelines as
“an important step forward... but not enough.” It believes lowering
salt consumption to 2,300 mg a day would prevent 450,000 cases of
cardiovascular disease and save about $40 billion in health-care costs
over a 20-year span. To cut back on salt, health experts advise eating
fewer processed foods and chec king nutrition labels for sodium content
on foods and ingredients used in at-home preparation.
— Linda Searing

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