Environmental Nutrition

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Web Finds

Subscribers Only Two Internet web sites that help you assess your risk for disease and access more than 150 delicious recipes.

Research Roundup

Subscribers Only •Drinking tomato juice may reduce platelet aggregation in people with type 2 diabetes. •The friendly bacteria found in yogurt may help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis. •Fish oil supplements may help people with systemic lupus.

Mediterranean Diet May Tame Metabolic Syndrome, Prolong Life

Subscribers Only The Mediterranean diet, with its bounty of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and whole grains, has long been promoted as a healthy way to eat. Now, two new studies show it can counter metabolic syndrome in overweight adults and may even add years to the lives of healthy older adults.

Fat-Free Salad Dressing May Not Be Best After All

Subscribers Only If you eat your salads fat-free, you may be shortchanging yourself of vital nutrients. Recent research confirms that some fat is needed to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids found in plant foods. How much fat, however, still needs to be determined.

Chestnuts: Not Your
Usual Nut Case

Subscribers Only If chestnuts are roasting on an open fire (or perhaps just in your oven), you can bet the holiday season is coming. Compared to other tree nuts, chestnuts have far less fat and fewer calories; they are a source of copper, manganese, potassium and some B vitamins and are the only nuts that provide vitamin C.

New Supplement Seal Better Assures Quality, But Not Effectiveness

Subscribers Only Q . What does the new “USP-verified” logo on supplement labels verify? A . Best known for setting drug standards for over 180 years, the not-for-profit, nongovernmental United States Pharmacopeia (USP) has now begun certifying dietary supplements. It’s one of several independent certifiers who have stepped up to the plate to help where the government has fallen short.

No Proof of Milk-Prostate Cancer Link, But Some Foods Protective

Subscribers Only Q . Should I avoid dairy products to reduce my risk of prostate cancer? A . There’s little evidence that’s necessary. During the past decade, a considerable amount of research has focused on whether or not there is a connection between milk and prostate cancer. Several studies have shown a link, yet many more have been inconclusive or yielded mixed results.

Atkins Revolution Aims for Diabetes and Misses the Mark

Subscribers Only The well-oiled Atkins’ publicity machine, determined to conquer America’s obesity epidemic, has decided to tackle diabetes as well. The Atkins’ “revolution,” sans the late Dr. Atkins, continues with Atkins Diabetes Revolution (William Morrow, 2004), which attempts to stop the onset of Type 2 diabetes in its tracks.

EN Finds Soups a Great Way to Sneak Veggies Into Your Diet

Subscribers Only Vegetables were probably the foods you pushed around your plate as a kid to make it look like you had eaten some. As an adult, you may still be so inclined. But vegetables don’t have be boring or a chore to eat. There are lots of ways to get more vegetables in your diet. How about vegetable soups? Whether canned, frozen or dried, they can be surprisingly nutritious.

For Holiday Giving and Healthier Living, Choose a Good Book

Subscribers Only What better holiday gift than a good book? One that promises good eating or a healthier body is a gift of love. Yet the number of books crammed onto store shelves or popping up on Internet sites can be overwhelming. To help narrow your choices, here are some EN recommendations. For even more gift ideas, browse EN 's book catalog.

Reading the Tea Leaves: Is Good Health in Your Future?

Subscribers Only According to legend, tea was discovered quite by accident almost 5,000 years ago by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. But the health claims now associated with tea are no accident. Today, tea drinking has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers, identified as a possible metabolism booster and insulin activator, and may be a boon to oral health. Here’s the latest on what you need to know.

“Prehypertension” Calls For Lifestyle Changes Now To Avoid Meds Later

Subscribers Only High blood pressure is on the rise. Health professionals are gunning to get those numbers down, and the numbers they’re shooting for are even lower than before. That’s because during the past 10 years the death rate attributed to high blood pressure has climbed 36%. It is the major contributor to cardiovascular-related mortality, including heart disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease.

Type of Carbs in Your Diet May Affect Diabetes Risk

Subscribers Only Harvard researchers have found that consuming too much fructose—mainly as high fructose corn syrup from soft drinks and fruit punch—and eating too little complex carbohydrates and high-fiber foods like cereal, result in increased blood levels of a hormone that is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.