August 1996
Vitamin E: Evidence Is Finally Catching Up With Hype
Subscribers Only (First of a two-part series on vitamin E.) Vitamin E used to be dubbed the vitamin in search of a disease. No longer. Researchers now think Vitamin E's powerful antioxidant function almost surely protects against heart disease. Researchers are also hopeful that vitamin E might cut the risk of certain cancers, boost the immune system, prevent muscle inflammation and soreness after exercise -- and perhaps slow aging of skin by defending against
Tuna Salad at the Ready
Subscribers Only The search for convenience never ends. Two leading tuna canners, StarKist and Bumble Bee, have introduced premixed tuna salad in single-serve flip-top cans, complete with crackers and plastic spoons. Is this a good idea for a convenient low-fat lunch to go? Or is this a bad idea, nutritionally, environmentally and economically? Face it. It makes more money sense and earth sense to buy tuna in larger cans, mix it with your favorite reduced-fat
Steer Clear of Summer Calorie Traps
Subscribers Only Summer eats and drinks don't have to be a dieter's downfall. Here are some strategies for avoiding summer's calorie traps: Beverages. There's no doubt you need to drink more fluids in the summer. But reaching for a tall glass of pre-sweetened lemonade or a bottle of flavored iced tea is no calorie bargain. Snapple's Mint Flavored Tea and Raspberry Flavored Tea, for example, each pack 200 calories per 16-ounce bottle. Instead, reach for
Seeds Pack in Nutrition But Also Fat and Calories, So Go Slow
Subscribers Only Q. I've heard that seeds are nutritious. Is this true? A. Yes, very much so, though the amount you can afford to eat calorie-wise may limit the amount of nutrients you get. Seeds are the embryo or "egg" from the fruits of plants and contain the food supply for the next-generation of the plant. As such, they are a gold mine of nutrients, including protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin,
Popular Cabbage Soup Diet Spreads Much Misinformation
Subscribers Only Q. My friends are talking about the new cabbage soup diet. Does it work? Is it safe? A. Not for long and, for some people, it's not safe. Unfortunately, the cabbage soup diet is just another quick fix and an unhealthy one at that. Contrary to rumors, the diet is not recommended by, nor did it originate from, the American Heart Association (AHA), the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital in Spokane or the Cleveland
Organic Ice Cream: Oat Bran Doughnut of The Nineties?
Subscribers Only In what sounds like an oxymoron, the nation's first "organic ice cream" has arrived, from Cascadian Farm, a Washington state organic food company. "Organic" has a nice, healthful connotation, while "ice cream" is sinful, pure and simple. So, you might reasonably expect organic ice cream to be healthier than the run-of-the-mill variety. But hold on. The milk used in Cascadian Farm products simply comes from cows raised on organic feed without antibiotics or
More Proof Folic Acid Prevents Heart Disease
Subscribers Only Compelling new evidence suggests getting enough of the B vitamin folic acid can prevent heart disease deaths. Researchers from Ottawa examined 1970's data from more than 5,000 middle-aged and older men and women, categorizing them based on the amount of folic acid in their blood. Strikingly, those with the most blood folic acid were 69% less likely to die of heart disease as those with the least. Folic acid helps reduce blood
Monitoring of Drinking Water Barely Trickles Ahead
Subscribers Only Here's new warning our drinking water can harm -- in some cases, even kill. It comes from What's On Tap?, a report from the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA). The report surveyed the nation's largest metropolitan water districts, to weigh the risk of a large Cryptosporidium outbreak, like the massive 1993 outbreak. that sickened more than 400,000 and killed more than 100 in Milwaukee. According to the report, six cities are
Lead in Bone: Marker for High Blood Pressure?
Subscribers Only Lead poisoning is kid stuff, you might think. But now, intriguing findings from Boston suggest that lead in adults may signal high blood pressure. Researchers measured shin bone lead in 590 men aged 48 to 92. (Adult bone retains almost all the lead the body absorbs, so it is a better sign of long-term lead exposure than blood lead.) Those with the most bone lead were 50% more likely to develop high blood
Exotic Parasite Emerges as Potential Threat
Subscribers Only If you have recently experienced several days of diarrhea and flu-like symptoms, you may have been hit with a Cyclospora infection. Cyclospora is a little-known microscopic parasite recognized in this country only since 1977. Until now, most infections in the U.S. have occurred in people who traveled to tropical countries. Since May, however, about 1,000 people have been stricken with the exotic parasite in at least 10 states -- Connecticut, Florida, Illinois,
EN's Cookie Jar-Full of Reduced-Fat Options Amid Favorites
Subscribers Only Figs might not be America's first choice in sweet treats, but wrapping them in cookie dough makes a winning recipe, as Nabisco discovered more than one hundred years ago. And a healthful one, too. A Fig Newton is a good source of fiber, iron and potassium. Few cookies offer much nutrition, though seemingly every cookie company has unveiled a line of reduced-fat cookies. Even old favorites, like Chips Ahoy! and Oreos, offer slim
EN's Nutrition Advice for Women of "A Certain Age"
Subscribers Only By the year 2010, women will break the 80-year old barrier; the average American woman will live to 81. As increasing numbers of female baby-boomers cross the 50 mark, preventive medicine and nutrition will become more important than ever. As women age, they contend with concerns beyond the effects of menopause. They face increased risk of chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and cataracts. While no one doubts good nutrition can
Can't Tolerate Milk? Just Go Easy
Subscribers Only Good news. If you're lactose intolerant -- as one in every four to five Americans is -- you do not have to shun dairy products completely. Unlike a milk allergy, in which exposure to even a small amount of milk protein can trigger an allergic reaction, lactose intolerance is a matter of degree. Whereas a milk allergy is the immune system's rejection of milk protein, lactose intolerance results from inadequate lactase, the enzyme
Ancient and Not-So-Ancient Grains Find New-Age Cachet
Subscribers Only "Not rice again!" Banish that complaint and boost your family's nutrient intake with alternative grains. Most have been around for millennia; some are relatively unheard of on the typical American dining table.