In This Issue

Vitamin E Boosts Immunity in Elders

An extra 200 milligrams of vitamin E daily may help reduce infections in older people, but bigger doses of the vitamin don't mean bigger benefits. In a recent study, men and women over age 65 who took daily vitamin E supplements had improvements in the immune system's response to foreign antigens - substances that prompt the body to produce antibodies.

The immune system declines with aging, contributing to increased infections. Until now, few nutritional interventions have boosted older people's immune response. The 80 volunteers in the study took either 60, 200 or 800 mg of vitamin E-or a look-alike placebo-each day for 4-1/2 months. Then they were given a standard test, called DTH, that measures the body's reaction to seven antigens injected into the skin. The DTH test indicates how well immune-system cells called T cells "remember" antigens they have seen before and how to respond to them. Compared with the placebo group, the group getting 200 mg daily-equivalent to 200 International Units-had a 65 percent increase in DTH response. Those taking 800 mg had a 49 percent increase, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (vol. 277, pp. 1380-1386).

The 200-mg group also produced the most antibodies to three vaccines administered after the supplemental period. For example, their antibodies to hepatitis B virus were sixfold greater than those in the placebo group. The findings suggest that 200 mg is a threshold level, and that higher levels give no extra benefit.

Another study which supports vitamin E as an enhancer of the immune system is an animal study using older mice. Older mice receiving higher doses of vitamin E were able to suppress influenza (flu) virus far better than those getting the recommended level of vitamin E. Until now, only food restriction has restrained this virus in animal studies. And that's not practical for people.

Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Research Briefs, July, 1997.

Food Safety at the Office: "Bugged" by Your Coworkers

Does the "flu bug" frequent your workplace? Did you ever think it might be a food-borne illness? Often symptoms are the same: stomachache, diarrhea, and vomiting. They can occur anywhere from a half hour to two or more weeks after eating a contaminated food. Have you ever heard comments around your office such as the five that follow?

"Too often I've seen the catered lunch delivered around 11:00 AM (who knows how long it sat out during the delivery process), served at noon, left sitting in the conference room till 1:30 PM, and then leftovers offered to staff."

Never leave perishable food-such as milk, cheese, and other dairy products; eggs; meat; poultry; and seafood-at room temperature over two hours. Once fruits and vegetables are cut, it is safest to also limit their time at room temperature to a couple of hours.

"I saw an episode of Seinfeld on 'double-dippers.' They were the people who stood around the chips and would dip, bite, and eat. Followed by dip, bite, and eat WITH THE SAME CHIP! This could have been filmed at our office!"

The best defense may be a good offense on this one. Beat the double-dippers to the dip; put enough dip on your plate to enjoy with all your chips or offer bite size chips.

"We have a dishcloth in our break room that is used for everything from cleaning the sink and table to washing coffee cups. I've seen this same dishcloth there for the past two months. It started out white-it's now sort of a dingy gray. I think it's probably putting more germs on things than it's wiping off."

Encourage the use of disposable paper towels to wipe off the sink and tables. Place your food on a napkin or paper towel rather than directly in contact with the table surface. Either wash coffee cups in a dishwasher or wash them with hot, soapy water using a freshly cleaned dishcloth, then rinse with hot water, then air-dry. Don't re-contaminate clean dishes by drying them with dirty towels-especially towels that also are used as hand towels! If you have little control over how cups are cleaned, bring your own cup that you can clean appropriately. Also keep on hand some special cups for when you serve coffee to your visitors.

Source: FoodTalk, Nov. 1997.

New Publication

Peppers: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve and Enjoy is now available at our office for $1.30. The 13-page publication includes information on storing, freezing, drying, pickling and canning peppers. Recipes include Sweet Pickled Peppers, Hot Pickled Peppers, Hot Chili Salsa, Marinated Peppers, Pepper Relish, Pepper Jelly and Apricot Pepper Jelly. For more information call 733-6363.

Money 2000+

If you have added up what you owe on all your credit cards and nearly fainted...

If you need and want to save for a house, education, or retirement, but just can't seem to get started...

If you feel that all your money goes in your mouth or on your back...

Then Money 2000+ is for you!

Money 2000+ is a program offered by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Its goal is to help every participant boost their financial fitness by learning how to pump up personal savings and trim down consumer debt. For a $15 enrollment fee participants will receive an exciting quarterly money management newsletter, financial worksheets, and opportunities to attend money management programs which may be planned in the community.

Participants learn how to set financial goals that are realistic for them. Techniques for tracking spending, the best ways to save, and tips on managing run-away credit cards will all be discussed in various aspects of Money 2000+ programming.

Where are you today? Which money trap catches you?

• Eating out! If you pack a brown bag lunch 3 days a week instead of purchasing your lunch daily, in 2 years you will have saved almost $2,000.
• Smoking! Try cutting back. Instead of purchasing two packs of cigarettes daily, purchase one pack. In 3 years you will have saved over $2,000.
• Entertainment costs! Instead of taking your family of four to a movie theater once a month, rent a video. In 3 years you will have saved about $2,000.
• Credit card debt! Pay your credit card bill in full each month and save $2,000 in 2 years. (If your credit card balance averages $6,000, you average $1,000 in interest and fees annually.) PAY WITH CASH...don't spend tomorrow's income by buying on credit today!

Where can you be tomorrow?

• Save $2 a day... for 3 years and you will have more than $2,000 in your savings account.
• Save for newborn babies... save just $5 a week for a newborn child and in 6-1/2 years that child would have $2,000 and by college age, approximately $8,000.
• Once saving becomes a habit... save 5% of your take home pay. Example: If your take home income is $360 per week (5% would be $18) and you save that for 2 years, you would have about $2,000...save that for 30 years, you would accumulate approximately $74,000.

If you find savings difficult

Here are a few suggestions:

• Try having payroll deductions deposited to a savings account. (If you don't see it you won't spend it.)
• Try saving a salary increase rather than spending it!
• Change your life by enrolling in MONEY 2000!

Anyone interested in participating may call our office for an enrollment form then mail it with a $15 check made out to U.C. Regents to:

Money 2000+
University of California
Cooperative Extension Consumer
Economics Program
137 Highlander Hall C
Riverside, CA 92521

Also complete "Is My Savings Growing" and "Is My Debt Shrinking?", but keep these for your own use.

Partial funding provided by the San Francisco Foundation's Bank of America Consumer Education Fund.