Q: Are eggs part of a healthy diet?

A: Yes! Eggs are a nutrition bonanza, concludes a review of 25 studies on eggs and health conducted by Donald K. Layman, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois, and Nancy R. Rodriguez, Ph.D., of the University of Connecticut. Despite their high cholesterol content, eggs are an “ideal protein choice” and “don’t raise risk for heart disease in most people,” the researchers conclude.

“The media have overstated the risks of the cholesterol in eggs,” says Layman. While it’s true that one egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol (compared to 63 mg in a serving of salmon, 78 mg in lean ground beef and 85 mg in a pork chop or skinless chicken), Layman insists that eggs have “no significant effect” on blood cholesterol unless it’s very high (above 300 mg/dl). In addition, heart disease risk is related more to saturated fat than dietary cholesterol, he says, and eggs are very low in this type of fat. One egg contains a mere 2 grams of saturated fat -- identical to a serving of salmon, and much lower than the 7 g in a serving of lean ground beef or the 10 g in a pork chop.

What’s more, every egg supplies 6 g of high-quality protein (about 13 percent of the daily value), so eggs help preserve muscle mass and prevent muscle loss, especially in older adults. Eggs are also rich in vitamins -- notably thiamin, riboflavin, folate, B6 and B12. Since they do not cause surges in blood sugar, they are safe for diabetics. And compared with other good sources of protein, eggs are inexpensive.

The bottom line: If your total cholesterol is 300 mg/dl or higher, limit egg consumption to “one or two a week,” says Layman. But for most people, “it’s fine to eat seven eggs a week,” he says.

Q: Can ozone/oxygen injections really relieve back pain?

A: Among the many causes of back pain, herniated (aka slipped or ruptured) disks are common, painful and debilitating. Now, health experts are finding that a shot of ozone/oxygen injected directly into a ruptured disk is “as effective as surgery, but faster, easier, cheaper and less traumatic,” says interventional radiologist Kieran J. Murphy, M.D., chief of medical imaging at the University of Toronto.

In between the bones of your back are little cartilage disks. These disks act as shock absorbers, cushioning your spine and protecting it from damage as you move. But when a disk ruptures, its jelly-like filling spills out and presses on nearby nerves, causing serious pain. Back surgery cleans out the disk filling, relieving pressure on the nerves. But it’s invasive and requires extended recovery.

Ozone/oxygen injections eliminate the disk’s jelly filling by oxidizing it. The most familiar form of oxidation is burning. Fire can reduce a big log to a small amount of ash. When a combination of ozone and oxygen are injected into a ruptured disk, they do something similar without the fire. 

Murphy learned about ozone/oxygen injections while working in Italy with the doctor who developed the procedure 10 years ago. He says that more than 20,000 Italians have been treated, with 80 percent experiencing relief and fewer than 1 percent reporting significant complications. This makes ozone/oxygen injections more effective and considerably safer than surgery, says Murphy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the procedure for use in the United States. In the meantime, ozone/oxygen injections have largely replaced disk surgery in Italy.

Q: Is it safe to take medication after it’s expired?

A: In some cases, yes. The Food and Drug Administration requires all prescription and over-the-counter medications to carry expiration dates. But some health experts contend that they are meaningless.

Critics of expiration dates cite one FDA study of more than 100 drugs purchased by the U.S. Army. Ninety percent were still fresh, safe and effective several years after their expiration dates.

However, “the Army study examined drugs stored under ideal conditions in unopened manufacturer containers,” notes Bona E. Benjamin, R.Ph., director of medication-use quality improvement for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Drugs kept in this manner tend to have a long shelf life. But that’s not how most of us treat our medicines, and many everyday factors can decrease shelf life, including:

•     Frequent opening and closing

•     Exposure to moisture, heat or light

•     Shaking or dropping the container or pills

•     Handling the medication, especially with wet hands

In fact, when your pharmacist opens a manufacturers’ container and transfers the drug to another container, “that action alone reduces shelf life,” says Benjamin.

In addition, the following medications have a short shelf life and should always be discarded once they expire:

•     Liquid antibiotics

•     Eye drops

•     Thyroid hormone

•     Insulin

•     Nitroglycerin

•     Warfarin

•     Digoxin

•     Phenytoin and carbamazepine

However, most other drugs don’t become instantly unusable on the day they expire. So if you go to your medicine cabinet with a headache or heartburn only to find that your remedy has expired, don’t despair: Chances are it’s still safe to use as long as the tablets or capsules have not changed or vary in color, do not have a strange odor, are not crumbling and do not appear damaged. But don’t keep expired medication indefinitely. “I tell people to go through their medicine cabinets annually and discard expired drugs,” advises Benjamin.

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