 Eating about one chocolate bar per week may reduce women's risk of stroke. Other studies have shown chocolate to lower blood pressure, boost vascular function, reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol and reduce insulin resistance. Overall stroke risk dropped 14% with each 1.8 oz of chocolate a week. Hemorrhagic stroke risk dropped 27% per 50 g of weekly consumption. Many chocolate products are high in fat, sugar, and calories, and overindulging could counteract any of the potential benefits.  Chocolate Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Women -- Larsson et al. 58 (17): 1828 -- Journal of the. content.onlinejacc.org* Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, Stockholm SE-17177, Sweden (Email: susanna.larsson{at}ki.se<!-- var u = "susanna.larsson", d = "ki.se"; document.getElementById("em0").innerHTML = '<a href="mailto:' + u + '@' + d… ................................................................................. This works. A diet based around plants, nuts, high-fiber grains, soy milk, tofu, oats, peas and beans lowered "bad" cholesterol more than a low-saturated-fat diet. 1 of 4 adults age 45 and older in the U.S. takes cholesterol-lowering drugs. Dietary changes, giving many other healthy benefits as well, could replace statin medications for many people. "Diet is really powerful." "The diet only is enough for the majority of the people." "By changing the diet and their lifestyle they can establish good control of their cholesterol."  Effect of a Dietary Portfolio of Cholesterol-Lowering Foods Given at 2 Levels of Intensity of Dietar jama.ama-assn.orgContext Combining foods with recognized cholesterol-lowering properties (dietary portfolio) has proven highly effective in lowering serum cholesterol under metabolically controlled conditions. ................................................................................. The bounty of health benefits of the Mediterranean now includes protecting small blood vessels in the brain. Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, avocados, peanut butter, and many nuts and seeds) have a positive effect in particular. Previous studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet may protect against heart disease, stroke, cognitive disorders, and other vascular events. "This just adds to the building body of evidence of the power of lifestyle changes, especially the Mediterranean diet, in disease modification and prevention."  Medical News:Mediterranean Diet Good for Small Brain Vessels - in Primary Care, Diet & Nutrition fro www.medpagetoday.comThe benefits may spring from the diet's heavy reliance on monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, since such fats were shown in adjusted analyses to predict white matter hyperintensity volume. .................................................................................. This works. Vitamin A supplementation and omega-3 fatty acids may slow the loss of vision for patients with retinitis pigmentosa, and "ensure both visual acuity and central visual field for most of their lives." The average patient may preserve vision by an additional 18 years. Omega-3 (also linked to improved intelligence, good heart health, increased longevity and many other benefits) can be found in fish. Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods, including: liver, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, and carrots.  Medical News:Adding Omega-3s May Help Slow Vision Loss - in Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology from MedPag www.medpagetoday.comamong patients taking vitamin A palmitate daily, those who ate the equivalent of one to two 3-ounce servings of oily fish per week had significantly slower losses of distance and retinal acuity compared with those who ate less ................................................................................ This works. Black tea -- which is rich in flavonoids -- significantly reduces blood pressure. This improvement could lead to a 10% reduction in hypertension and a 7-10% decrease in the risk of cardiovascular events. And among many other health benefits: "A recent meta-analysis suggests that green tea and its flavonoids -- many of which are structurally similar to black tea flavonoids -- together with caffeine can reduce body weight and abdominal fatness." Drinking green tea has also been linked with a reduction in cholesterol levels.  www.medpagetoday.com Regular consumption of black tea -- which is rich in flavonoids -- significantly reduced blood pressure, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial showed. ................................................................................... A professional nutritionist stored an un refrigerated McDonalds cheese burger for one year. The meat patty has shrunk, but still looks healthy and edible and it “still smells slightly like a burger.” “Obviously it makes me wonder why we choose to eat food like this when even bacteria won’t eat it.” The meat may have been treated with ammonium hydroxide to make it safer, healthier, better tasting, and to improve its price and increase its long life. A “regular bun” has polysorbate 20, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, calcium propionate and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides. The cheese slice has 15 ingredients.  McDonald's patty, bun, cheese unchanged after one year sitting on kitchen counter | News | National. news.nationalpost.comWhenever Melanie Hesketh’s kids get a hankering for junk food, all she has to do is point to the kitchen counter. That’s where she keeps an unwrapped cheeseburger that turns one on Thursday, and it looks pretty much the same as the day it came off a McDonald’s grill .................................................................................... McDonalds stopped using "pink slime" in its hamburgers. The "slime" consists of beef trimmings treated with ammonium hydroxide to make them safer, healthier, better tasting, and to improve their price and increase their long life. "People don't like hearing that they're eating spare trimmings of beef from strange parts of a cow. Nor, for that matter, do people like to hear that they're eating ammonia." A “regular bun” has polysorbate 20, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, calcium propionate and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides. The cheese slice has 15 ingredients.  www.huffingtonpost.com McDonald's said this week that it was no longer using the controversial ground beef additive known as "pink slime" in its hamburger recipe. Taco Bell and Burger King have also reportedly repudiated the "slime," which consists of spare beef trimmings that have been treated with ammonium hydroxide to .................................................................................. Some think "you can eat anything you want in whatever quantity you want, and if anything goes wrong, there is a pill or procedure to fix it." Some "diseases can be miraculously cured by a pill. But cancer and other "lifestyle" diseases are not caused by single-source infections." The problem is money. "Teaching people how to prepare healthy meals at home and becoming fit on their own is not" profitable. "Without health there is no happiness. An attention to health, then, should take the place of every other object." (Thomas Jefferson)  www.oftwominds.com The weblog, wEssays, feature articles and works of fiction of Charles Hugh Smith .................................................................................... Low levels of vitamin D may help and improve the heart and give us many other health benefits. But too much vitamin D may be harmful. Men who got at least 600 IU of vitamin D from food, supplements, and sunshine had a 16 percent lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Adults older than 70 are recommended to get 800 IU. Higher doses are not advised. www.medpagetoday.com Low levels of vitamin D may confer a cardiovascular benefit but too much of it might be a bad thing, according to a large cross-sectional study. .................................................................................... Eating processed meat has been linked to pancreatic cancer. For every 50-gram serving of processed meat per day - a couple of slices of ham - risk rose by 19% Red meat also posed a 29% greater risk of pancreatic cancer to men, but not to women. Eating red and processed meat has previously been linked to bowel cancer. A good, healthy diet provides numerous health benefits including many gains in fitness, improved quality and satisfaction of life and increased longevity. "This is more reason to follow a healthy diet, which aside from lowering the risk of cancer, also lowers the risk of heart disease and other diseases as well." www.medpagetoday.com Processed meats such as sausage, bacon, and cold cuts may pose a slightly increased risk of pancreatic cancer, researchers found. ..................................................................................... More reasons to eat organic. The FDA is concerned that overuse of antibiotics in agriculture is endangering human health. Farmers and ranchers now must restrict their use of cephalosporins in cattle, pigs, chickens and turkeys because such practices may contribute to the growing threat of drug resistant bacterial infections in people. Cephalosporins are not used as widely among livestock as penicillin. But the drugs are routinely injected into fertilized eggs and are also used in large doses to treat various infections.  www.nytimes.com The agency said the widespread administration of a common class of antibiotics known as cephalosporins may have contributed to the development of drug-resistant bacteria that infect humans. ................................................................................... "Reductions in sodium (salt) could prevent more than 100,000 deaths annually.” And those whose diets had a high sodium-to-potassium ratio were nearly 50 percent more likely to die from any cause and more than twice as likely to die from ischemic heart disease. Potassium activates nitric oxide and reduces blood pressure. Recommendations include eating fewer processed foods and more fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Good sources of potassium include cantaloupe, bananas, oranges, grapes, grapefruit, blackberries, yogurt, dried beans, leafy greens, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Arch Intern Med -- Abstract: Sodium and Potassium Intake and Mortality Among US Adults: Prospective. archinte.ama-assn.orgArchives of Internal Medicine, a bi-monthly professional medical journal published by the American Medical Association, publishes original peer-reviewed research articles on internal medicine topics ....................................................................................
Diets rich in vitamins linked with better brain health. Elderly people with diets high in vitamins C, D, E and B, or omega 3 fatty acids were less likely to have brain shrinkage. But diets high in trans fats led to more brain shrinkage and reduced performance in thinking and memory tests. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, also a source of vitamin D. B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are in fruits and vegetables. B12 mostly comes from animal products, although it is also present in fortified breakfast cereals. Trans fats are in fast, packaged, fried and frozen food, many baked goods and margarine spreads. "People could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet."  www.medicalnewstoday.com A study of elderly people finds that those whose diets were high in certain essential nutrients were less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease and more likely to ................................................................................... The number of people who experience acid reflux (GERD) (Heartburn) has gone up by nearly 50%. This could lead to an increase in cancer of the oesophagus. Being overweight is a risk factor for acid reflux. Middle age appears to be when the most severe symptoms occur. Women may be more affected because of their use of hormone replacement therapy. Acid reflux can spontaneously disappear without the help of medication. The vast majority of people with acid reflux will get better if they make some changes to their diet, including smaller more frequent meals.  www.medicalnewstoday.com A long-term Norwegian study reveals the number of people who experience acid reflux at least once a week has gone up by nearly 50% in the last 10 years, with women appearing to be more susceptib ..................................................................................... Weight loss can help prevent the loss in thickness and quality of cartilage associated with knee osteoarthritis. "Weight loss can lead to improved cartilage structural outcomes and may reduce the need for total knee replacements," Weight loss as low as 7% was associated with preservation of cartilage quality, and better quality of the cartilage also improved the knee range of motion. "These findings suggest that early cartilage degradation may be reversible." www.medpagetoday.com Weight loss among obese individuals can help prevent the loss in thickness and quality of cartilage associated with knee osteoarthritis, a prospective study showed. ..................................................................................... One in four adults over 45 takes cholesterol-lowering drugs. But foods with known cholesterol-lowering properties -- such as nuts, soy, and barley -- lowered "bad" cholesterol more than a low-saturated-fat diet. "A lot of people rely on medication, but diet is really powerful." "Diet only is enough for the majority of the people that have a not-so-good lifestyle." "By changing the diet and their lifestyle they can establish good control of their cholesterol." www.medpagetoday.com Eating a predominantly vegetarian diet focused on lowering cholesterol -- and getting advice on how to do so effectively -- can drop LDL levels more than a diet focused only on reducing saturated fat, ....................................................................................... This works. Young women who consume little to no fish or omega-3 fatty acids appear to have an elevated cardiovascular risk. Those who reported eating less than 3 grams of fish per day during pregnancy were about 50% more likely to be hospitalized with a cardiovascular event than those who ate more than 30 grams per day. www.medpagetoday.com Young women who consume little to no fish or omega-3 fatty acids appear to have an elevated cardiovascular risk, a Danish study showed. ............................................................................. Those with the highest intake of antioxidant-rich food had a 17% lower risk of stroke. Those with the highest total antioxidants were found to eat twice as much fruit and vegetables and drink 17 times more tea. They also drank less coffee. "In conclusion, our results suggest that total antioxidant capacity of the diet may be of importance for the prevention of total stroke among cardiovascular disease-free women and hemorrhagic stroke among women with a cardiovascular disease history." www.medpagetoday.com The more antioxidants in a woman's diet the less chance there is she'll have a stroke, possibly due to the reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, according to the results of a long-term study in S ....................................................................................... Roughly 10% of apple and grape juice samples tested by Consumer Reports contained total levels of arsenic that exceeded federal standards set for drinking water. The brands above 10 ppb for total arsenic were Apple & Eve, Great Value (Walmart), Mott's, Walgreens, and Welch's. Brands of juice that had at least one sample of lead above 5 ppb were America's Choice (A&P), Gerber, Gold Emblem (CVS), Great Value, Joe's Kids (Trader Joe's), Minute Maid, Seneca, Walgreens, and Welch's. Those who reported drinking apple or grape juice had 19% to 20% more total arsenic in their urine. www.medpagetoday.com Roughly 10% of apple and grape juice samples tested by Consumer Reports contained total levels of arsenic that exceeded federal standards set for drinking water, according to results of an investigati ............................................................................... Eating baked or broiled, but not fried, fish on a weekly basis may improve brain health and reduce risks of developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's. Gray matter volume is crucial to brain health. When it remains high, brain health is being maintained. "Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons in the brain's gray matter by making them larger and healthier," Dr. Raji said. "This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain's resistance to Alzheimer's disease and lowers risk for the disorder." The results also demonstrated increased levels of cognition. People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented November 30 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSN... ..................................................................................... More reasons to eat organic. Antimicrobial drugs are used as feed additives to boost animal growth. The U.S. uses an estimated 24.6 million pounds of antimicrobials for nontherapeutic purposes every year. Adding antibiotics to swine feed causes microorganisms in the guts of these animals to start sharing genes that could spread antibiotic resistance. If bacteria in humans acquire resistance genes from animals, there can be serious health consequences.  mbioblog.asm.org Antibiotics: they’re not just for curing the sick. Livestock farms in the U.S. regularly use antibiotic drugs as feed additives to boost animal growth, but a study in mBio this week reveals new evidence that adding antibiotics to pig feed stimulates gene exchange in the guts of these animals, a deve... ..................................................................................... More reasons to eat organic. Atrazine is the second-most widely used herbicide and the most commonly detected pesticide contaminant of ground water, surface water, and precipitation. Atrazine is also an endocrine disruptor that, among other effects, alters male reproductive tissues. Atrazine demasculinizes male gonads producing testicular lesions associated with reduced germ cell numbers in teleost fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, and induces partial and/or complete feminization in fish, amphibians, and reptiles.  ScienceDirect - The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology : Demasculinization and fe www.sciencedirect.comTyrone B. Hayesa, , , Lloyd L. Andersonb, Val R. Beasleyc, Shane R. de Sollad, Taisen Iguchie, Holly Ingrahamf, Patrick Kestemontg, Jasna Kniewaldh, Zlatko Kniewaldh, Valerie S. Langloisi, Enrique H. Luquej, Krista A. McCoyk, Mónica Muñoz-de-Toroj, Tomohiro Okal, Cleida A. Oliveiram, Frances Ortonn,... ..................................................................................... Women eating 5 or more servings of processed red meat per week were 30% more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, compared to those who had less than one serving per week. Many previous studies have found similar associations. Other studies found eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat per day was associated with a 19% increased risk. But replacing one serving of red meat with one serving of nuts, low-fat dairy and whole grain was correlated with a 16-35 percent reduced risk for type 2 diabetes.  care.diabetesjournals.org OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relation of processed and unprocessed red meat and incident type 2 diabetes. .................................................................................... People who ate one serving of canned food daily for five days had elevated levels of bisphenol-A, or BPA, a substance that lines most food and drink cans. BPA is also found in polycarbonate bottles, (identified by recycling number seven), as well as dentistry sealants and composites. BPA, a endocrine disruptor that can mimic the body’s hormones, has been linked to a higher risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The FDA is concerned regarding exposure of BPA to fetuses, infants and young children. Canadian authorities have declared BPA a toxic substance. “Sodas are concerning, because some people have a habit of consuming a lot of them.” “We don’t know what health effects these transient increases in BPA may have.”  www.medicalnewstoday.com Volunteers who had one can of soup per day for five days had urine BPA (bisphenol A) levels rise by over 1,221% compared to the same people who had consumed freshly made soup daily for five days, ............................................................................................... Women, but not men, who drank two sugar-sweetened beverages every day were more likely to gain weight, increase waist size, and develop impaired glucose tolerance. Sugar-sweetened beverages have been associated with a host of health problems, including weight gain, obesity, hyperglycemia, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. "Women especially should choose their beverage calories carefully and stick primarily to water, unsweetened coffee and tea, other low calorie drinks, and non- or low-fat milk." Medical News: AHA: Sugared Drinks Tied to CVD Risk Factors - in Meeting Coverage, AHA from MedPage T www.medpagetoday.comORLANDO -- Women who regularly drink sugary beverages may be increasing their cardiovascular risk, researchers found .................................................................................................. Drinking green tea is associated with a statistically significant reduction in total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels; however, there was no significant effect on HDL (good) cholesterol or triglyceride levels.  Green Tea Catechins Decrease Total and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol: A Systematic Review and. www.adajournal.orgJournal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 111, Issue 11, Pages 1720-1729, November 2011, Authors:Amie Kim, PharmD; Andrew Chiu, PharmD; Meredith K. Barone, PharmD; Diane Avino, RD; Fei Wang, PharmD; Craig I. Coleman, PharmD; Olivia J. Phung, PharmD
 www.familypracticenews.com ORLANDO Low vitamin C intake may worsen heart failure and put patients at a higher risk for cardiac events, according to a study conducted in three U.S. clinics. The findings showed that patients who had low intakes of vitamin C were 2.4 times as likely to have higher levels of high-sensitivity C… ............................................................................................ Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to several autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D was also lower in people with recurrent transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, and related inflammatory spinal diseases. But, please note: Excessive doses of vitamin d are toxic. Men who got at least 600 IU of vitamin D from food and supplements had a 16 percent lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Adults older than 70 are recommended to get 800 IU. Higher doses are not advised. Medical News: Vitamin D May Be Linked to Spine Disease - in Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology from MedPag www.medpagetoday.comVitamin D was significantly lower in people with recurrent transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, and related inflammatory spinal diseases, researchers found ................................................................................................... This works. Those who drank the most fluids were found to be least susceptible to declines in kidney function. The findings do not support “aggressive fluid loading,” which can cause side effects. But they do provide evidence that moderately increased fluid intake, above two liters daily, “may in fact benefit the kidney.” www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov PubMed comprises more than 21 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. .............................................................................................. This works. Hemodialysis patients had significant improvement in their cardiovascular risk profile after consuming 10 ounces of pomegranate juice weekly for a year. Triglyceride levels and systolic blood pressure declined, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased and need for antihypertensive medications was reduced 22.2%. "Ongoing consumption of pomegranate may well lead to a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality." Medical News: ASN: Less CV Risk in Dialysis With Pomegranate - in Meeting Coverage, ASN from MedPage www.medpagetoday.comPHILADELPHIA -- Patients on hemodialysis had significant improvement in their cardiovascular risk profile after consuming pomegranate juice weekly for a year, Israeli investigators reported here. .............................................................................................. This works. Individuals eating three daily servings of whole grains had a 17% lower risk of colorectal cancer. "Our results suggest a particular benefit of increasing cereal fiber and whole grain intake." Other benefits include lower rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, "and possibly overall mortality." "Factors such as increased satiety, stabilized glucose homoeostasis and insulin response, and the fermentation of fiber and resistant starch in the colon to produce short chain fatty acids are probably important." Medical News: Whole Grain Fiber, Colorectal Cancer Risk Linked - in Primary Care, Diet & Nutrition f www.medpagetoday.comIndividuals eating three daily servings of whole grains had a significantly, though modestly, lower risk of colorectal cancer, according to pooled data from nearly 800,000 individuals -- perhaps the l .................................................................................................... This works. Women who consumed more than three cups of coffee per day had a 20% reduction in risk for basal cell carcinoma (a skin cancer), and men who consumed more than three cups per day had a 9% risk reduction. Previous “Mouse studies have shown that oral or topical caffeine promotes elimination of UV-damaged keratinocytes via apoptosis (programmed cell death) and markedly reduces subsequent cancer development.” "Our study indicates that coffee consumption may be an important option to help prevent BCC." www.eurekalert.org Caffeine could be related to an inverse association between basal cell carcinoma risk and consumption of coffee, a study found. ................................................................................... This works. Young men who consume a diet of grains, fruits, and vegetables, and avoid trans fats, are more likely to have healthy sperm. "Intake of trans-fatty acids was associated with lower sperm concentrations but was unrelated to motility or morphology," "We are starting to get a better idea of how nutrition affects fertility, but we still have a lot to learn." Medical News: ASRM: Healthy Diet Boosts Semen Quality - in Meeting Coverage, ASRM from MedPage Today www.medpagetoday.comORLANDO -- Young men who consume a diet of grains, fruits, and vegetables, and avoid trans fats, are more likely to have more motile sperm in their semen, researchers reported here. ................................................................................. The NRDC claims that the FDA underestimated the risk of cancer from contaminants from the BP oil spill. The FDA let through foods with 100 to 10,000 times too much contamination. "Up to 53% of the tested shrimps had PAH levels above their own revised safety limits for pregnant mothers and children." As well, EPA scientists also warned the FDA in an email that it underestimated risks for many seafood consumers. www.medicalnewstoday.com A study accuses the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of allowing seafoods with unsafe levels of contaminants to enter the food chain after the BP oil disaster. A study carried out by the Natural ......................................................................... This works. Effective immune responses to infection are dependent on vitamin D availability. "The findings underscore the importance of vitamin D in all human populations for sustaining both innate and acquired immunity against infection." "Vitamin D deficiency may compromise both the innate and the acquired antimicrobial host defense pathways." Please note: Excessive doses of vitamin D are toxic. Medical News: Vitamin D Needed to Fight Off TB - in Primary Care, Diet & Nutrition from MedPage Toda www.medpagetoday.comEffective immune responses to tuberculosis infection are critically dependent on vitamin D availability, researchers said. ............................................................................... This works. "A healthy lifestyle can actually turn off the gene" for heart disease. "Other studies have also shown that those who eat healthier diets tend to offset the risk that same chromosome places on them," Risk is reduced by "targeting smoking, cholesterol and diet." A good diet is "rich in fruits, raw vegetables and nuts." "Lifestyle factors can actually change the genes." ............................................................................... "Men who consumed 2.5 eggs or more a week had an 81 per cent increased risk of lethal prostate cancer compared to men who consumed less than half an egg a week." "'Although additional studies are needed, caution in egg intake may be warranted for adult men." Study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.  www.whatsonsanya.com Networking Page My Personal Page My Control PageAction BarsMy Photos Member News WOS Card Centre My Astrology ..............................................................................................Most cases of type 2 diabetes can be avoided or even reversed by exercise and nutrition. But while the "link between diabetes and increased cognitive impairment and dementia is unquestionable, what intervention to take to try to reduce this is really still in question." "At present it is still unclear whether dysglycemia is a key factor in accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in type 2 diabetes." Medical News: Tight Control No Help for Cognitive Loss in Diabetes - in Clinical Context, Type 2 Dia www.medpagetoday.comTight glucose control won't mitigate the cognitive effects of type 2 diabetes, an ACCORD subanalysis found. ....................................................................... Drinking coffee may lower women's risk of depression. Earlier work has found an association between drinking coffee and a reduced risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and stroke. Decaffeinated coffee, caffeinated tea, sugared soft drinks, and chocolate were not significantly associated with depression risk.  www.medscape.com : A large study suggests that women who drink between 2 and 4 cups of coffee a day are at decreased depression risk compared with those who drink 1 cup or less per week. ............................................................................Older people with low levels of vitamin B12 may be more prone to age-related memory declines and brain shrinkage. "We found that the vitamin B treatment not only slowed decline, it stopped it in some people with high levels of homocysteine." Medical News: Brain Takes Multiple Hits from Low B12 Levels - in Neurology, General Neurology from M www.medpagetoday.comLow levels of vitamin B12 may contribute to cognitive problems for older adults in more than one way, according to a cross-sectional study. ...................................................................................Junk food is not cheaper than real food. But junk food is easy and addictive. And fast-food companies spent $4.2 billion on marketing in 2009. “Anything that you do that’s not fast food is terrific; cooking once a week is far better than not cooking at all.” Real food is like exercise: "more is better than less and some is a lot better than none.”  www.nytimes.com It’s a myth that chips are cheaper than broccoli. They’re not. So what’s stopping people from eating more healthfully? ...................................................................................... This works. Healthy bacteria in yogurt and supplements were associated with 12% fewer acute upper respiratory tract infections. Probiotics also help in infectious diarrhea, preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and treating vaginal infections in pregnancy. For older adults probiotics offer shorter duration of common diseases and a 3.4-fold reduction of common cold or influenza virus infection. Medical News: Probiotics May Be Effective Cold Remedy - in Infectious Disease, Flu & URI from MedPag www.medpagetoday.comProbiotics modestly help stave off colds and the need for antibiotics to treat them, according to a Cochrane review. .................................................................................................................... This works. "Our brain comes to associate food with (an) environment and make us keep eating as long as those environmental cues are present." "Dieters (may) disrupt the established patterns of how they eat through simple techniques, such as switching the hand they use to eat."  Why We Mindlessly Eat Junk Food — and How to Stop | Junk Food, Habitual Eating Patterns & Mindless E www.livescience.comPeople who usually eat junk food at the movies ate just as much stale popcorn as freshly-popped popcorn, a new study about automatic eating triggers shows. Those who rarely ate popcorn at the movies consumed much less of the stale popcorn. .............................................................................................. This works. Women who enjoy an alcoholic drink in the evening tend to be healthier as they move into old age. Women who drank on 5-7 days of the week had almost double the chance of good overall health in old age compared with complete abstainers, "but it's very important not to go overboard."  PLoS Medicine: Alcohol Consumption at Midlife and Successful Ageing in Women: A Prospective Cohort A www.plosmedicine.orgPLoS Medicine is an open-access, peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes outstanding human studies that substantially enhance the understanding of human health and disease. ............................................................................ This works. A diet including walnuts drops the risk of breast cancer. "Food is important medicine in our diet." "What we put into our bodies makes a big difference - it determines how the body functions, our reaction to illness and health." "The simple stuff really works: eat right, get off the couch, and turn off the TV." .............................................................................. Almost half of Americans get a substantial amount of their calories from sweetened drinks. Young people and minorities are consuming the most. Excess sugar has been linked to obesity and to increased internal inflammation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and more. The American Heart Association recommends fewer than three cans per person per week.  www.doctorslounge.com WEDNESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of Americans get a substantial amount of their calories from sweetened drinks, a new report indicates. ................................................................................... People who eat about two pieces of chocolate per week had a 37% lower risk of any cardiovascular disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke compared with those who ate less. Many chocolate products are high in fat, sugar, and calories, and overindulging could counteract any of the potential benefits.  www.medpagetoday.com PARIS -- Willy Wonka may have been on to something with that chocolate factory, according to a meta-analysis that suggests chocolate can provide a heart benefit. ................................................................................ Companies spend an estimated $10 billion per year marketing foods and drinks -- candies and snacks in particular -- to children in the U.S. www.medpagetoday.com Food items that feature kid-friendly characters like Dora the Explorer or the Disney princesses on their labeling may drive children to nag for products that aren't necessarily good for them, a small ............................................................................. Triclosan is now in soaps, kitchen cutting boards and even a best-selling toothpaste, Colgate Total. The F.D.A. says there are "valid concerns about the effect of repetitive daily human exposure to these antiseptic ingredients.” The chemical is present in the urine of 75 percent of Americans over the age of 5. Regulators, consumer advocates and soap manufacturers are locked in a battle over triclosan, the active ingredient in antibacterial soaps like Dial Complete. ........................................................................................... This works. Fatty food trips a genetic switch in the body that can trigger diabetes. The discovery helps explain why Type 2 diabetes is so often linked to obesity. Molecular pathways by which high-fat diets contribute to type-2 diabetes have been uncovered by a US study. .................................................................................................. This works. Sexual function improves significantly and quickly in obese men after weight loss. Erectile function, sexual desire, urinary symptoms and systemic inflammation all benefit. Blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profile, also responded favorably. Both nutrient quality and caloric restriction contribute to these benefits. Sexual function improved significantly and quickly in obese men with type 2 diabetes after weight loss with low-calorie diets, results of a small Australian clinical study showed. ................................................................................ This works. Women who eat more fiber are less likely to get breast cancer. Other benefits of a high-fiber diet include lower cholesterol and weight loss. Fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are all high in fiber. "Increasing dietary fiber intake in the general public is of great public health significance."  .................................................................................. This works. More than 15% of liver disease is attributable to obesity. Obesity also worsens viral and alcoholic liver disease. The authors conclude: "Obesity accelerates the progression of cirrhosis and that its correction could be a valuable nonpharmacological measure to improve prognosis in this patient population. Obesity was associated with more than double the risk of clinical decompensation in patients with compensated cirrhosis, a retrospective analysis of a randomized clinical trial showed. ................................................................................ This works. More reasons to eat organic. The USDA estimates that 30 percent of poultry, 15 percent of beef and 90 percent of pork contain solutions and other additives. They can have five times as much sodium as would naturally occur in those foods. Ground beef may have other added substances. Last week, as health advocates around the nation raced against a deadline to submit comments to the federal government on food marketing to children, the food industry was busy doing... .................................................................................. This works. Soy and milk protein supplementation reduced blood pressure. "These findings suggest that partially replacing carbohydrate with soy or milk protein might be an important component of nutrition intervention strategies for the prevention and treatment of hypertension," the authors wrote. In individuals with prehypertension or stage I hypertension, soy and milk protein supplementation reduced systolic blood pressure, a randomized trial showed. .................................................................................... “Nobody will ever want to eat beef from Fukushima again,” he said. Contaminated meat, which officials attribute to cattle that ate hay stored outside and exposed to radiation, has made its way to supermarkets and restaurants across Japan in recent weeks. ................................................................................... This works. Reducing exposure to bisphenol A and phthalates (plastics) may be as simple as eating fresh food that hasn't been packaged in plastic. Both compounds are regarded as endocrine disruptors with potential risks to human health. Removing such compounds from packaging would "significantly decrease exposure for adults and children." Reducing exposure to bisphenol A and phthalates may be as simple as eating fresh food that hasn't been packaged in plastic, researchers suggested. ................................................................................... This works. Hot coffee and tea may cut the chance of bacteria lurking inside the nose. While the mechanism behind the possible effect of coffee and tea is not completely understood, there is increasing evidence to suggest that both coffee and tea have antimicrobial characteristics. Eric M. Matheson, MD, MS, from Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and colleagues, report in the latest issue of Annals of Family Medicine about an association between the consumption of hot tea or coffee and a decreased likelihood of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA .................................................................................... Herbicides have side effects. The chemical name of the product is aminocyclopyrachlor, one of a new class of herbicides. It may kill trees. "The herbicide does not bind with soil, and it leaches into groundwater." Many extension services have issued warnings, Dr. Cregg said. Imprelis is used on athletic fields and cemeteries as well as on private lawns and golf courses, he noted. The product, Imprelis, was hailed as environmentally friendly but is now a suspect in thousands of fallen trees. ................................................................................... This works. "F as in Fat." Diseases associated with obesity such as diabetes and high blood pressure are increasing. Obesity rates in children have tripled or quadrupled since the 1970s. "We have cut off physical activity funding in schools and the foods that are subsidized are those that are least healthy for children." It is difficult to even get healthy foods in some parts of the country. Adult obesity rates increased in 16 states during the past year, and none of the 50 states showed any decline in their rates of obesity, a study shows. ....................................................................................  blog.friendseat.comThere's no such thing as a natural or organic hot dog -- the meat may be organic, but processing meat onto a hot dog is still artificial. And processed meat .................................................................................... This works. With many GMOS the insecticide is inside every cell and can not be washed off.  blog.friendseat.com Not many consumers realize that the FDA does not require genetically modified food to be labeled. That's because the FDA has decided that you, dear ......................................................................................
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