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April 2005
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Keep Your Immune System Working 24/7 To Guard Your Health
By Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D.
If you’re like most people, you don’t give your immune system a second thought until you’re down for the count with a miserable cold or worse. Fortunately, legions of immune cells patrol your bloodstream to stop trouble before it can start. As you get older, however, your immune system doesn’t work as effectively.
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Resist the American Way by Eating Less, Moving More
By Adrienne Forman, M.S., R.D.
Americans are fat and getting fatter. Is that the result of bad genes or the American way? It’s not hard to see that our current way of life encourages overeating and discourages physical activity.
The result is inevitable—an obesity epidemic fueled by our lifestyle, not our DNA.
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Breakfast on the Run: Slim Pickin’s Among Fast-Food Options
By Janet Helm, M.S., R.D.
A dash to the drive-thru has become a regular A.M. option for many
Americans. The portable breakfast sandwich is the most popular choice, usually eaten at work. While this grab-and-go approach makes it tough to eat well in the morning, it’s not impossible.
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Splenda Ads Stir Controversy: Is the Sweetener Real Sugar?
Q. I’ve read a lot lately about how the sweetener Splenda is falsely claiming it’s like real sugar. What’s the deal? Is it safe to eat?
A. A growing number of critics argue that Splenda slogans give the misleading impression that it contains natural sugar and is therefore safer than other sugar substitutes.
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Does Organic Offer a Nutrition Edge Over Conventional Crops?
Q. Does organically grown produce provide more nutrients than fruits and vegetables grown using pesticides?
A. Though this question is still debated, recent research suggests that, yes, organic produce does contain more of some vitamins and minerals and more phytonutrients than crops grown using pesticides.
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Choosing a Trans-Free Spread That Will Do What You Want It to Do
Trans-fat-free foods are spreading fast and nowhere faster than among margarine spreads. Why? Trans fats are known to raise blood cholesterol levels even more than saturated fat, and manufacturers want to avoid listing them on labels as will be required next January.
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Sweet News About Honey and Your Health
The Folklore. European settlers introduced honeybees to New England in the 17th century, using honey not only in food and beverages, but in furniture polish, in cement and for medicinal purposes. The Findings. Honey isn’t just a sweetener. Researchers have found that honey contains a variety of antioxidants that provide an array of potential health benefits.
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Cancer News You Can Use
• Overweight and obese men may be at greater risk for undetected
prostate cancer than normal weight men, say researchers in San Antonio and Seattle.
• A diet rich in carotenoids may help reduce the risk of pancreatic
cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer, concluded Canadian
researchers.
• No link was found between dairy consumption and the risk of ovarian cancer, say Japanese researchers.
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Heart Rx: More Fruits, Veggies, Less Saturated Fat
A new study has found that men who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and keep their saturated fat intake low are significantly less likely to develop heart disease or die from it than men who follow only one of those diet recommendations.
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Earth Day Tidbits
• Celebrate Earth Day, April 22nd, by checking out Consumers Union’s guide to environmental labels, a wealth of unbiased information about “green” foods, products and sites.
• Kudos to the Rainforest Alliance’s 2005 sustainability award winners and its push for sustainability certification.
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