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April 2004
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The Ultimate Peril of Overweight—Death
Overweight may soon overtake tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
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Research Uncovers Dramatic New Health Roles for Vitamin D
By Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D.
Among nutrients, vitamin D stands out. It’s one of only two vitamins the body makes on its own and it’s the only one produced in the skin. Even so, vitamin D deficiency among Americans is all too common. That’s bad news for bones, but now we know there are other far-reaching health consequences as well.
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From Avocados to Yogurt: 15 Super Foods for Super Health
By Andrea Klausner, M.S., R.D.
Despite the admonition that there are no bad foods, only bad diets, we at EN can think of a few foods that we’d come close to banning (chocolate-covered doughnuts, fast-food French fries). Fortunately, there are the indisputable nutrition winners that may help shield your heart, keep cancer cells in check, bolster your bones, spare your eyes from sight-robbing diseases, boost mood and mind and perhaps even help battle the bulge. Here, EN presents 15 “super foods,” highlighting what gives them their super powers.
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Calories at the Coffee Bar as High as They are 'Tall'
By Andrea Klausner, M.S., R.D.
Maybe the worst of winter is past, but a cozy coffee bar may still be on your daily agenda. Many coffee bars deliver a wide selection of hot beverages, from lattes and cappuccinos to hot mocha drinks and creamy chai’s. But when you step up to the counter, you risk racking up more calories than you bargained for.
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Brassica Tea Promises Good Health
The Buzz: Brassica Tea serves up a new twist on an already healthy drink. Laced with SGS (sulforaphane glucosinolate), extracted from broccoli, it is sold as a health-promoting beverage. Research is said to suggest that SGS can fend off cancer and heart disease, possibly destroy the bacteria that cause most stomach ulcers and stomach cancer and may decrease the risk of developing macular degeneration. So, should you put the kettle on for
Brassica Tea?
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Plastic Wraps—Helpful Kitchen Aid or Health Hazard?
Q. How safe are plastic cling wraps?
A. It depends on what the wrap is made of and how you use it. There’s no question that chemicals in plastic can migrate from the wrap into the food it comes in contact with. More debatable is what effect these chemicals have on your health.
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From Antinutrient to Phytonutrient: Phytic Acid Gains Respect
Q. I’ve heard that phytic acid interferes with the body’s ability to absorb important minerals. Now I see it sold as a supplement in the health food store. Is it one and the same?
A. Yes. Phytate or phytic acid has long been considered a nutrition “bad guy.” However, new research from animal and test tube experiments has shown that phytate also functions as an antioxidant and may actually play more of a protective role in health.
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Heart Disease Prevention: Not Just for Men Anymore
Heart disease is the leading cause of death, not just in men but in women, too, killing close to 500,000 women a year—more than from all cancers combined. Surprised? If so, you’re not alone. Only 13% of women surveyed listed heart disease as their own greatest health risk.
To help make women—and their doctors—more aware, the American Heart Association has issued new heart disease prevention guidelines specifically for women.
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Experts Say Don’t Worry About Your Water Intake
Most Americans are doing a pretty good job of staying hydrated simply by letting thirst be their guide. But we’re getting too much sodium and too little potassium. So says a panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences to issue new dietary recommendations for water, sodium and potassium.
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Research Roundup
•Melatonin may reduce blood pressure during sleep •Eating fatty fish during middle age may help prevent dementia later in life •High doses of the B vitamins folic acid, B6 and B12 may not protect stroke sufferers from a recurrence, contrary to previous research, which suggested a protective effect,
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