 Health Front
News that's good for you
March 2008
Reprinted with permission from Taste For Life
Peels Pack a Punch
Infant Alert!
Shopping for Sustainable?
Fruits Protect Against Alzheimer's
Green Tea to the Rescue
Peels Pack a Punch
During the national low-fat diet fad, carbohydrates were dieters’ best starchy friends. Today, “carbohydrate” has become a bad word. But as with fat, not all carbohydrates are bad carbohydrates. Many nutritionists today make a distinction between refined and complex carbohydrates, recognizing that consumption of the latter, including whole grains, is a central part of a healthy diet.
selected source
- "Apple Peel as a Contributo to Whole Fruit Quantity of Potentially Healthful Bioactive Compunds " by B. Lata and K. Tomala, J Agric Food Chem, 12/07
Infant Alert!
Parents are urged not to give babies or children under the age of two any over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products because of possible life-threatening side effects. Although most pharmacies pulled these medicines off their shelves when pharmaceutical manufacturers issued a voluntary recall back in October 2007, the Food and Drug Administration—concerned that parents may still have these medications at home—has now issued its own public health advisory. The ingredients in these OTC medicines may make children hyperactive and irritable. In some cases, these products can even be fatal.
Any child with a cold needs plenty of fluids, including chicken soup and gentle herbal teas. Antiseptic chamomile tea soothes and helps children sleep. Add a drop or two of eucalyptus and/or lavender essential oils to olive oil and rub on a child’s chest to relieve congestion.
selected sources
- "FDA Confirms Infant-Meds Recall" by Zoe Galland, BusinessWeek, 1/17
- Naturally Healthy Kids: An A to Z Guide for Illness and Wellness by Zoe Galland, BusinessWeek, 1/17
- The Parent's Guide to Natural Health Care for Children by Karen Sullivan ($18.95), Shambhala Publications Inc., 2004)
Shopping for Sustainable?
You’re in good company! A new Information Resources Inc. survey reveals that approximately 50 percent of U.S. consumers consider sustainability—as measured by factors including organic, ecofriendly products and packaging, and fair treatment of employees and suppliers—when making purchase selections and deciding where to shop.
Fruits Protect Against Alzheimer's
Apples, bananas, and oranges appear to provide protection against oxidative stress which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. A new study demonstrates that the antioxidants in these fruits may offer protection against neuronal cell membrane damage which is associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease—the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 13 million people worldwide. The researchers suggest that consuming more apples, bananas, and oranges along with other fruits in our daily diet may reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases .
selected sources
- "Effects of Banana, Orange, and Apple on Oxidative Stress-Induced Neurotoxicity in PC12 Cells" by H.J. Heo et al., Journal of Food Science, 1/08
Green Tea to the Rescue
More good news for green tea drinkers—this antioxidant-rich brew, already reported to reduce the risk of various diseases, may support the treatment and prevention of breast cancer. A recent study found that green tea has antitumor effects in breast cancer cells, inhibiting growth of tumors as well as inducing the death of cancerous cells. These results may help explain why the risk of breast cancer is lower in Asian countries where green tea is regularly consumed.
And that’s not all: A preliminary study shows that green tea and its extracts may be a useful preventative in the development of fatty liver, a condition that increases the risk for liver inflammation and ultimately liver failure. Fatty liver is reportedly on the rise in our country, with nearly 40 million Americans already afflicted. Although weight loss is the primary recommendation for this malady, green tea extracts also appear to stop the buildup of fatty deposits in the liver.
Smokers have even more reason to consider drinking green tea. Regular consumption may offer protection against tobacco carcinogens, and some evidence suggests that drinking more than three cups of green tea a day may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer in smokers. Longer term studies are needed to further investigate these findings.
selected sources
- "Does the Consumption of Green Tea Reduce the Risk of Lung Cancer Among Smokers? " by W. Liang et al., Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 3/07
- "Green Tea Extract Protects Leptin-Dificient, Spontaneously Obese Mice from Hepatic Steatosis and Injury " by R. S. Bruno et al., J Nutr, 2/08
- "Green Tea Polyphenol and Epigallocatechin Gallate Induce Apoptosis and Inhibit Invasion in Human Breast Cancer Cells" by R.L. Thangapazham et al., Cancer Biol Ther, 9/07
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