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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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 Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:33 pm Post subject: Re: Discussing Japanese Health Myths with a Partner |
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| Cherryflakes wrote: |
| She doesn't want to take prenatal vitamins because she's discussed it with her regular OBGYN and he insists that Japanese can't take those kinds of vitamins because their bodies aren't as strong as "Westerners". |
Aside for low dosage folic acid right before and for a few months after the point of conception, she's in the right: if she's otherwise healthy then there's no need for "pre-natal vitamins" and it's quackery to suggest otherwise. Her reasoning might be mistaken, but the result is correct.
Just as a personal anecdotal research question: are you American by any chance?  |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| You know, I don't think my mother did the pre-natal vitamin thing either. I recall her telling me that she just ate really healthy, which wasn't too different from her current lifestyle. I know she said she even ate the vegetables that she didn't like when carrying me and drank a lot of milk too for calcium. I can't recall the other stuff she mentioned doing. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Apsara wrote: |
You presumably mean other than the ones that have been proven to be effective in certain cases, like iron supplements for anaemia and folic acid to prevent spina bifida. Iron supplements certainly helped me when I was borderline anaemic, and I doubt it was just the placebo effect. |
No one has suggested that *medical necessity* doesn't dictate taking X or Y vitamin. What people have said is that mindlessly popping pills as a general habit or part of a regular diet is more likely harmful than beneficial.
AFAIK, low dose folic acid is the only vitamin that's been shown to have a direct beneficial effect for pregnant women *as a group*. Individual needs and results may (obviously and for the pedantic) vary depending on need and situation.
Personally, after experiencing the US "health care" system first hand, I would trust the average Japanese doctor over the average American-trained doctor. Quacks exist in every country, but the US ones are far more dangerous than the Japanese ones, *IMun-medicallyqualifiedO*
YMMV, and that's what opinions are for. |
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| ShioriEigoKyoushi wrote: |
For reference w.r.t. medicines, in the UK standard dosage for Ibuprofen is 400mg per four hours, but here it's 300mg, so there is a difference. Medicine toxicology is based on body weight, so it makes sense.
Shiori |
It's interesting when you think about it that there is usually just one dose recommended for adults, given the wide range of weights that adults can be in any country. It's not unusual for a tall and big-boned guy to be around 100kg for example, which is close to twice what I weigh, but still the recommended dose of anything is theoretically the same for both of us.
I find that OTC medication (which I rarely take anyway) in Japan suits me much better- cold or travel sickness medication in NZ used to just about knock me out, and with painkillers I always used to take the teenager's or child's dose because that was plenty to be effective. Do any other women/guys with a lighter build find this, or is just that I'm somehow particularly sensitive to the medications for some reason?
I totally agree that pregnancy is way too touchy a subject for someone to be pushing their wife about something like vitamins- alcohol consumption or smoking for example, sure, but as long as someone is eating plenty of vegetables etc. there's probably not too much to worry about, as people have said. Fortified cereals could be an idea provided they don't contain too much sugar, as they have a tendency to unfortunately. |
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flyer
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:32 am Post subject: |
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A very good friend of mine is a well trained and experienced Japanese mid-wife (she is Japanese) I asked her about this question (taking vitamin tablets etc for a healthy preg) this is what she said;
Japanese do not need to take extra vitamins etc for pregnacy etc. In normal everyday Japanese food there is enough range of vitamins and minerals for any expecting mother. There is no need for any extras. In fact taking extra stuff could be more harmful than any good.
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gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
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| Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:46 am Post subject: |
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flyer posted
| Quote: |
| Japanese do not need to take extra vitamins etc for pregnacy etc. In normal everyday Japanese food there is enough range of vitamins and minerals for any expecting mother. There is no need for any extras. In fact taking extra stuff could be more harmful than any good. |
I would probably agree with that, assuming the OP's wife is not a ramen freak. Some Japanese foods are excessively salty, but as stated, many are nicely balanced for most vitamins. |
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flyer
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:55 am Post subject: |
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yes, it is true.
The Japanese diet has too much salt, but then they live the longest in the world (on average) so .... maybe we should all have more salt (tongue in cheek)??
LOL |
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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flyer
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:02 am Post subject: |
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| Yes, I think Okinawa people live th longest in the world |
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womblingfree
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 826
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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| flyer wrote: |
| Yes, I think Okinawa people live th longest in the world |
And their diet is based on pork!! Go figure! |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| womblingfree wrote: |
| flyer wrote: |
| Yes, I think Okinawa people live th longest in the world |
And their diet is based on pork!! Go figure! |
Maybe they stick with only the lean parts. 
That aside, I cannot remember what was typical in the Okinawan diet as to why the life expectancy rate is so high. It was mentioned on one of the health shows I was watching months ago. I just know it's something generally found only there. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe all that goya?  It's not only diet though, it's all kinds of other factors as well. I have also heard that due to a rise in obesity and consumption of non-traditional food, that younger Okinawans are unlikely to be as long-lived as their grandparents. |
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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Text deleted
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Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
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