Environmental Nutrition

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Research Roundup

Subscribers Only • Eating two eggs a day had no effect on the ability of arteries to dilate, a reliable indicator of cardiovascular risk, according to a study from Yale Prevention Research Center. • Exercising regularly and learning to manage stress improves improves the prognosis for people with heart disease, report researchers from Duke University Medical Center • A natural pest-killing component of carrots may reduce cancer risk, say British researchers.

Go Figure. Ancient Fruit of Biblical Lore Measures Up in Nutrition

Subscribers Only According to Pliny, the Roman writer, “Figs increase the strength of young people, preserve the elderly in better health and make them look younger with fewer wrinkles.” Figs are actually inverted flowers, though botanists consider them a fruit. Inside the sweet, chewy flesh lies a gold mine of nutrients.

Fewer Fishy Questions

Subscribers Only Where does your seafood really come from? Does that salmon hail from an Alaskan stream or a fish farm in Chile? Now you won’t have to depend on the say-so of the person behind the fish counter. Last month, a new law dubbed COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) went into effect.

New Yogurt Has Cholesterol-Lowering Punch

Subscribers Only “Helps lower cholesterol” boasts a banner on Yoplait’s new Healthy Heart Yogurt , the first yogurt in the U.S. to contain plant sterols, substances clinically proven to reduce blood cholesterol levels.

Your Eyes Really Are Bigger Than Your Stomach

Subscribers Only Under the heading of “how’d they do that?” falls a cleverly designed study published in Obesity Research . To determine whether visual cues influence food, researchers resorted to a stunt worthy of the TV show "Candid Camera."

FDA to Revamp Labels

Subscribers Only Did you ever want to have your say in what the government does? If you think, as EN does, that food labels are often misleading about the number of calories they contain, here’s your chance to let the Food and Drug Administration know about it.

Fluoride in Instant Iced Teas:
Health Benefit or Hidden Danger?

Subscribers Only Q . I read a recent report about a woman who overdosed on fluoride from drinking too much iced tea. Should I stop drinking tea? A . In a word, no. Tea provides a boon to health by virtue of its naturally occurring phenols. And the fluoride in tea is good for bones and teeth. This incident is simply a case of too much of a good thing.

Does New Enova Oil Live Up to Its Fat-Busting Claims?

Subscribers Only Q . I’ve been seeing ads for a new cooking oil called Enova that say it is not stored as fat. Is this for real? Is it safe? A . Yes, it’s for real, but it isn’t quite as miraculous as it sounds. And although it appears safe so far, there are other concerns.

EN Helps You Pick Through Prepared Pasta Sauces

Subscribers Only The convenience of jarred pasta sauce is hard to beat, especially with the myriad of flavors available. Watch out for sodium and sugar content, but otherwise, the nutrition payoff is good, with tomato-based sauces packing a potent dose of lycopene, linked to reduced risk of cancer and heart disease.

Eating Right on the Road: Where to Get Healthful Meals

Subscribers Only For roving retirees, vacationing road trippers and even seasoned business travelers, America’s highways are gauntlets of fast-food outlets and questionable quick marts offering precious few healthful options. With a little forethought, more healthful off-road eating alternatives do exist.

Vitamins, Minerals and Multis:
EN Tests Your Supplement I.Q

Subscribers Only It's hard to know what vitamin and mineral supplements to take, if any. The advice out there seems to flip-flop with irritating regularity. What do you know about the vitamins and minerals you are taking or should be taking? Get out your number 2 pencil and take EN ’s quick quiz about supplements.

South Beach Trumps Counting Calories

Subscribers Only A weight-loss plan that focuses on whole grains, lean meats, vegetables and fruits—a so-called modified-carbohydrate diet, modeled after the bestselling South Beach Diet—reaps more health benefits than counting calories.

Breathe Easy: Adopt a Lifestyle That Supports Healthy Lungs

Subscribers Only Our lungs do more than just breathe for us. Lungs not only supply oxygen, they also remove wastes and toxins, and they defend against harmful intruders. We take these functions for granted until something goes wrong. EN focuses here on the role nutrition can play in keeping your lungs strong.