Health Front
News that's good for you
April 2009
Reprinted with permission from Taste For Life

CFLs & EWG
Did you know?
Savings, Al Dente
Hard to beet
Here's somthing to crow about
To shed pounds, keep it simple
Reasons to love red
Keep on sippin'



CLFs & EWG

Get to know these two if you don’t already—CFL stands for compact fluorescent light bulbs and EWG is the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting human and environmental health. CFLs use 75 percent less energy than regular bulbs, last 5 to 10 times longer, and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions considerably, according to EWG. The downside? They also contain mercury, and breakage can contaminate buildings and endanger pregnant women, children, and wildlife. EWG research has identified seven CFLs with much less mercury plus longer life spans than the federal government’s Energy Star standards require. To help consumers see the light, EWG offers a guide that shows which bulbs are less toxic than others. To learn more, visit www.ewg.org and select the shopper’s guide “Lighten Up in ’09.”

selected sources

• "Eureka! A Low-Mercury Light Bulb" by Lisa Sorg, www.indyweek.com, 1/7/09
• "Lighten Up in 2009," www.ewg.org, 1/2/09

Did you know?

You can now buy 100% recycled aluminum foil. Aluminum is one of the few products that can be recycled again and again, and recycled foil requires just 5 percent of the energy needed to make regular foil.

Savings, Al Dente

Has a large pot of pasta water ever seemed too heavy to hoist? Don’t laugh—Americans cook around a billion pounds of pasta a year, and besides muscle, we use lots of energy and water to do it.

So here’s some welcome info: You can cook pasta in about half the water called for. Save energy and water (and your strength) by using three to four quarts for a pound of pasta. Gradually add it to boiling water, stir until water returns to a boil, and cook to your liking, stirring occasionally. Besides tasty noodles, you’ll end up with thick pasta water you can add to sauce. Even better, use whole-wheat pasta; it’s nutritious and results in flavorful water for sauces and pestos.

selected sources

• "How Much Water Does Pasta Really Need?"by Harold McGee, New York Times, 2/25/09
• "How to Cook Pasta," www.savvyvegetarian.com

Hard to beet

They’re an excellent source of vitamin A and mixed carotenoids (including lutein and zeaxanthin) and a good source of vitamin C, along with B1, B2, B6, and folic acid, calcium, manganese, potassium, and fiber. Still, beets don’t always get the attention they deserve.

For example, they’re one of the few foods that contain betaine, which helps detoxify homocysteine (an amino acid implicated in heart disease). If the body doesn’t have enough vitamin B12 or folate to get rid of excess homocysteine, betaine comes to the rescue. “It’s considered a salvage mechanism,” say Teodoro Bottiglieri, PhD, at Baylor’s Institute for Metabolic Diseases. “When things get desperate, then betaine kicks in.”

Wash beets well before grating them raw onto salads or into soups. Roast them with carrots, onions, and other root veggies, but leave the skins on (and an inch or two of stems) before cooking. Peeling beets causes them to bleed, losing not only their brilliant color but also their nutrients.

A little lemon juice will remove any red stains. Also juice them. One recent pilot study suggests that beet juice can lower blood pressure, helping to protect against atherosclerosis and stroke.

selected sources

• "Beets - the Serious Vegetable," by Lori Glenn; "Pilot Study Shows Beet Juice May Affect Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular System" by Marissa N. Oppel, MS, HerbClip, 9/30/08
• The Color Code, A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health by James A. Joseph, PhD, Daniel A. Nadeau, MD, and Anne Underwood ($22.95, Hyperion, 2002)

Here's something to crow about

. . . Especially in the Southwest, where supermarkets recently featured the most advertisements for organic chicken in the nation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that the number of stores offering organic large eggs has also increased dramatically. Driven by consumer demand, eggs and poultry are among the fastest-growing foods in the country’s organic sector. Shoppers’ concerns about the use of antibiotics and growth hormones in animals, the environment, and humane treatment of animals are cited as reasons for expansion of these products.

selected sources

• "Huge Increase in Organic Chicken, Eggs Features at U.S. Supermarkets," Sustainable Food News, 2/9/09
• "Organic Poultry and Egg Market Sees Good Growth and Higher Premiums" by Lydia Oberholtzer et al., Economic Research Service, USDA, 12/06

To shed pounds, keep it simple

Low fat or high protein or low carb? Anyone who’s dieted in the past few decades is familiar with these weight-loss plans. Now a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that any diet low in calories and saturated fats and high in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is effective, providing you count calories and stay with it. “It doesn’t make any difference what diet you choose,” Robert Eckel, MD, told the Los Angeles Times. “Calories have always been the bottom line.” Frank M. Sacks, MD, lead author of the study, added that this refutes the idea that any one nutrient (fat, protein, or carbs) has a special power to speed up weight loss.

selected sources

• "Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates" by Frank M. Sacks et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2/26/09
• "Study of Diet Shows What Truly Counts: Calories" by Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, 2/26/09

Reason to love red

The boldly colored beet contains immune-boosting nutrients, but don’t forget about other red fruits and veggies. They’re bursting with tasty benefits as well.

Red peppers offer as much vitamin C as oranges. They’re also rich in vitamin A, which supports healthy skin, bones, and teeth.

Tomatoes are good sources of potassium, vitamin C, and the powerhouse antioxidant lycopene.

Watermelon is also packed with lycopene, known for its cardiovascular benefits and potential protection against some cancers.

Strawberries offer plenty of vitamin C and folate, important for heart health and for women in their childbearing years.

selected sources

• "Red Foods: The New Health Powerhouses?" by Denise Mann, www.webmd.com, 4/1/08
• The Top 100 Immunity Boosters by Charlotte Haigh ($12.95, Duncan Baird Publishers, 2005)

Keep on sippin'

In good news for coffee lovers, a long-term study of more than 83,000 women finds that java might modestly reduce the risk of stroke. Compared to drinking less than a cup a month, drinking four or more cups a day is linked to a 20 percent reduction in risk, and drinking two to three cups a day is associated with a 19 percent reduction. Rather than increasing the chance of stroke among women, conclude researchers, long-term coffee consumption may help lower the risk.

Coffee, like tea, comes from a plant, so antioxidants may account for some of its benefits. One of these, methylpyridinium, may help protect against colon cancer. Another one, chlorogenic acid, improves glucose metabolism to help prevent diabetes. Still other antioxidants in coffee may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by improving blood vessel function, fighting inflammation, and protecting LDLs (the lousy cholesterol) from oxidation.

The bean may even benefit the brain. Studies link daily coffee consumption to less decline in memory and verbal recall.

Although no one is recommending coffee as a health food, this news allows those of us who love our cup of joe to sip without guilt. But be aware of the sugar and fat content in specialty coffee drinks.

selected sources

• "Coffee Comes of Age, with a New Look at Java's Many Health Perks" by Linda Antinoro, JD, RD, Environmental Nutrition, 3/09
• "Coffee Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Women" by E. Lopez-Garcia et al., Circulation, 2/09