Page 8 THE BATTALION MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1977 Zinc, pickles can extend life Zinc plays a dominant role in the ability to control appetite, a couple of pickles at the end of a meal may help prevent heart attacks, and proper diets could eliminate a large percentage of cancer. These and other revelations came out of Friday’s 30th annual Texas Nutrition Conference held at Texas A6cM University. The conference brought together some of the na tion’s top officials and experts in the field of human nutrition. The theme was food and its rela tionship to cancer, heart disease and infectious disease. Dr. Donald VVatkin of the Admin istration on Aging in Washington, D. C. told the group that people may be able to extend their lives up to 30 years through proper nutri tion, “If presently available knowledge were applied throughout life, it has been estimated that at least three decades could be added to the aver age age at death,” he explained. “In North America, primary malnutri tion does not exist, but malnutrition secondary to disease and disability- physical, emotional and/or attitudi- nal — not only compounds the pri mary problem but also shortens the effective life of its victims.” While nutrition is most important during the first two-fifths of a per son’s life, Watkins said that even changing to good dietary habits at the age of 45 could add 11 years to a life span. “There is a new role for doctors and that is as salesmen of good nu trition,” he said. “Society’s adoption of life-long application of the nutrition-health-aging triad is long overdue. ” Dr. R. I. Henkin of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders at the Georgetown Uni versity Medical Center in Washing ton, D. C. said that loss of appetite and taste in young school children has been associated with zinc defi ciency. According to Dr. Henkin, kidney disease, severe bouts of “Montezuma’s revenge or other varieties of regional enteritis and the application of some drugs can result in a zinc loss. This results in loss of appetite and taste as well as an inability to sleep and mental con fusion in adults. “It has been estimated that 80 per cent or more of human cancers may be environmentally related, said Dr. Anthony Mastromarino of the National Large Bowel Cancer Project. “If so, then many human cancers are potentially preventable, even if the specific carcinogen has not been identified.” Over-nutrition has already been demonstrated to cause artery de generation; our challenge is to de termine our willingness and ability to modify our current diet so as to provide an optimal diet for a largely sedentary population,” Mas tromarino said. “That is, one that will provide proper physical and in tellectual development on the one hand, and prevent chronic non- communicable illness such as ar teriosclerosis and cancer on the other.” Increased awareness and identifi cation of risk factors through educa tional programs, adoption of the prudent diet and engaging in regu lar exercise will hasten the day when every American not only lives longer, but will gain useful longev ity. The ultimate triumph lies not in cure, but in prevention through moderate, but adequate nutrition. A couple of pickles at the end of a meal might help prevent heart at tacks. Research by Dr. Joseph Nagyvary, a Texas A&M professor of biochemistry and biophysics, shows that aluminum, in amounts you could get from a couple of pickles can prevent the absorption of cholesterol by the body. The idea that Nagyvary is testing is that the aluminum combines with such products as algin (in seaweed) and pectin (abundant in fruits and vegetables) to form a trap for choles terol ingested in many foods standard to the American diet. Texan’s personal income grows United Press International AUSTIN — Total personal income has grown more rapidly in Texas than in the nation as a whole in the past seven years, a University of Texas researcher reported Saturday. For the first six months of 1977, personal income in Texas was esti mated to be about 11.9 per cent higher than for the same period in 1976, reported Victor Niemeyer, re searcher with the Center for Energy AGGIES . . . DON’T DELAY! Order Your Boots Now For Future Delivery — Small Payment Will Do YOUR BOOTS MADE TO ORDER Convenient Lay-A-Way Plan ONLY $120.00 A PAIR We Also Have Spurs & Chains Economy Shoe Repair & Boot Co. 109 E. Commerce San Antonio, Texas 78205 — CA 3-0047 Studies. Niemeyer, in the October issue of Texas Business Review, said the national increase in personal in come — total wages, interest, divi dends and rents — was 10.7 per cent. The percentage increase in Texas personal income this year is the largest among the top five income- producing states — California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Pennsyl vania, Niemeyer said. Of the five states, only Texas and California have personal income growth rates higher than the national rate. The positive economic picture in Texas also is reflected in employ ment date, Niemeyer said. Employment in Texas increaded by .4 per cent from May to June and up 2.7 percent from a year ago. Total employment increased by 20,900 from May to a total of 5.4 million in June, the highest ever recorded. A large portion of the growth in Texas employment and virtually all of the growth in the labor force from June, 1976, to June, 1977, was con centrated in Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas. During this period, Niemeyer said, statewide employment increased by 142,600 while the increases for Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth were 76,800 and 44,500, respec tively, or 85 per cent of the state total. Ever wonder about the smoke often seen over Easterwood Airport? Members of the Shell Chemical fire staff from Houston practice frequently on petroleum fires at Texas A&M’s Computer helps Texas citie tipFtqp RECORDS AND TAPES 1000 S. 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