BBC NEWS | Health | Green tea 'may protect the heart'

BBC NEWS | Health | Green tea 'may protect the heart': "team of researchers, led by Dr Anastasis Stephanou, carried out laboratory tests on heart cells which found that a major chemical component of green tea known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) can reduce cell death after a heart attack or stroke."

I really have to question how a single product (green tea) can be so amazing, but it is hard to argue with the success! So be sure to drink your green tea!!!

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Childhood obesity fuelled by cartoons

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Childhood obesity fuelled by cartoons


Miranda Watson, from Which?, said: "Parents feel they are being manipulated by the use of these cartoon characters on a wealth of unhealthy food products. The message we are getting is that they are finding it incredibly difficult and they need help." "Ms Watson said: "Our message today is that licensing companies are just as responsible as food manufacturers and they can't afford to turn a blind eye to childhood obesity any more.""

This is a tough one. BUt it is hardly the fault of the marketer. Yes (s)he deserves some blame for the obesity problem, but by no means all, or even much. I guess we need a cartoon character for Broccoli, Bananas, and Brussel Sprouts. lol

AOL News - More High School Seniors Juggling Jobs and School

AOL News - More High School Seniors Juggling Jobs and School

Two times in the past week I have had discussed this with parents and/or family. While obviously students can work too much, I truly believe that having a job in high school is a good thing not only for the economy but also for the student.

"University of Minnesota researchers found in 2003 that high school students who work 20 hours a week or less reap benefits including increased confidence, improved time-management skills and enhanced academic success."

I wholeheartedly agree! And it seems to work! Need proof? Upon entrering our Allegany Store, take a look at the wall that highlights those employees currently on the school Honor Roll. It is almost all of our high school employees!

Ragu Organic Pasta Sauce

We just began carrying Ragu Organic Pasta Sauces. Of course I had to try them. I had the Garden Vegetable variety and it was excellent! Look for them!

While the taste alone is worth it, given the previous post on the nutritional benefits of organic vegetables, I think this may be my new favorite.

Yahoo! News - Organic greens strengthen the immune system: Danish study

Yahoo! News - Organic greens strengthen the immune system: Danish study: "Rats fed with organically grown vegetables are healthier than rats fed with non-organic greens, according to findings by researchers at the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS) in Foulum in western Denmark."

WOW. I am not sure what to say on this one. While I try to eat organic as much as possible (see next post), I have to say that I am quite surprised. I would have guessed if there was a benefit of organic foods, it would have been due to fewer chemicals and/or better taste which would result in more consumption. This is worth watching!

Yahoo! News - Carbohydrate Type, Not Amount, Linked to Obesity

YES!!! I was pretty sure this had to be the case, but never had peer reviewed research to prove it.
Yahoo! News - Carbohydrate Type, Not Amount, Linked to Obesity: "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When it comes to carbohydrates, it's not how much you eat, but which kind...."

The researchers (headed by Dr. Yunsheng Ma of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester) "found that overweight people tend to eat more refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta, which cause a rapid spike in blood sugar."

So what to do? My advice has not changed a bit: watch the gylcemic index and minimize simple carbs.

Yahoo! News - Periodontal Bacteria Linked to Heart Disease

Are you brushing your teeth? Flossing? Rinsing mouth?

Yahoo! News - Periodontal Bacteria Linked to Heart Disease: "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who test positive for bacteria that cause periodontal disease also have increased thickness of the carotid artery, which suggests there is a direct relationship between periodontal infection and atherosclerosis, investigators report."

Interestingly, one of our cats has been diagnosed with a heart murmur. I did quite a bit of research on it (fortunately it is only a level 1 and he is totally free of symptoms) and found that teeth problems are seen as a cause of cats' heart problems as well.

And now for some good news about Green Tea!

Still more evidence that Green Tea is good for you! And this time we have a better explanation of why and how it fights cancer.

from MedicalNewsToday

"A study on bladder cancer cells lines showed that green tea extract has potential as an anti-cancer agent, proving for the first time that it is able to target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.

The study, published in the Feb. 15, 2005 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Cancer Research, also uncovered more about how green tea extract works to counteract the development of cancer, said JianYu Rao, a Jonsson Cancer Center member, an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and the study's senior author"

Maybe Splenda is not all that it is cracked up to be

NBC-Sandiego.com - NBC 7/39 Special Reports - The Skinny On Splenda

While it has been known since its intrdocution that Splenda merely is not absorbed and "passes through you," the studies that suggest using it may actually backfire and cause weight gain are new to me.

"In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, laboratory animals fed no-calorie artificial sweeteners showed signs of confused appetite. The animals became incapable of regulating their calorie intake, Katz said.

The makers of Splenda also criticize the weight-loss research, saying "a significant body of science does not support these findings, including studies in people.""

The article also has some news of lawsuits over claims that Splenda is natural.

Interesting read.

Can Coffee Protect Against Common Cancers?

Can Coffee Protect Against Common Cancers?: "Feb. 15, 2005 -- There's more good news for the roughly 100 million Americans who couldn't imagine getting through the day without their coffee fix. Recent studies have shown that regular coffee consumption may lower the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson's. Now comes word that it may also protect against two common cancers."


"Two separate studies, reported in the Feb. 16 issue of The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, examined the impact of coffee drinking on cancer risk.

Researchers in Japan found that regular coffee drinkers had about half the incidence of liver cancer as people who never drank coffee. And a study from the Harvard School of Public Health showed that drinking decaf, but not caffeinated, coffee appeared to have a similar impact on colorectal cancer risk"

now if I could only stand the taste...lol...

The New York Times > Business > Fat Substitute, Once Praised, Is Pushed Out of the Kitchen

Another "this is no surprise" but when the NY Times covers it, the story gets more visibilty.

The New York Times > Business > Fat Substitute, Once Praised, Is Pushed Out of the Kitchen: "trans fat, a component of the oil, is more dangerous than the fat it replaced. Studies show trans fat has the same heart-clogging properties as saturated fat, but unlike saturated fat, it reduces the good cholesterol that can clear arteries. A small but growing body of research has connected it to metabolic problems."

Best advice, avoid trans fat!!!!!

FOXNews.com - Health - Eating Breakfast Cuts Calories and Heart Risk

Not that this is that surprising, but more research shows that eating breakfast is good for you!

FOXNews.com - Health - Eating Breakfast Cuts Calories and Heart Risk: "Although previous studies on the effects of eating or skipping breakfast in obese people may have produced conflicting results, researchers say the findings of this study show that skipping breakfast may lead to weight gain as well as increase the risk of heart disease in healthy people over time."

Why? Those who skipped breakfast tended to eat more (and less nutritious) food later in the day.

Carrots May Be A Natural Cancer Fighter

Carrots May Be A Natural Cancer Fighter

More proof that carrots may help fight cancer! And it is not from the usual beta carotene source:

"Researchers from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in England and Denmark have solved the riddle. They found a natural pesticide produced by the carrot called falcarinol, reduced malignancies in rats by a third."

SO eat your carrots!

The full article will be published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Yahoo! News - Diet Lowers Cholesterol as Well as Drug - Study

Great news!!!
Yahoo! News - Diet Lowers Cholesterol as Well as Drug - Study: "A diet rich in fiber and vegetables lowered cholesterol just as much as taking a statin drug, Canadian researchers reported on Monday. "

"David Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto and colleagues created what they called a diet "portfolio" high in soy protein, almonds, and cereal fiber as well as plant sterols -- tree-based compounds used in cholesterol-lowering margarines, salad dressing and other products."

Another look at vitamin supplementation

Runner's Web and Triathlete's Web, a Running, Track and Field and Triathlon Resource Portal

Very few areas of nutrition are more controversial than vitamin supplementation. Some studies say we should supplement, others say that vitamin can be detrimental.

Runner's Web attempts to cover the research in an interesting piece. Some highlights:

1. "Two South African studies have produced encouraging results regarding vitamin C supplementation...The supplemented runners experienced fewer upper-respiratory infections in the two weeks following the race...A following up study confirmed these results, though a recent study is not as encouraging."
2. "Regardless of your level of supplementation, sticking with a high intake of fruits and vegetables should pay off immune wise. They contain hundreds of phytochemicals that provide many preventative health benefits, and are also excellent sources of carotenoids that boost the activity of white blood cells called lymphocytes. "
3. "What we do know is that a daily dose of 250 mg is adequate to your saturate body stores with vitamin C. Excellent sources of vitamin C include sweet peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, cantaloupe, kiwi fruit and broccoli."

What do I do? I try to eat as nutritiously as possible but then also supplement. On a fairly regular basis (6 days a week) I take an antioxidant, calcium, vitamin B, a mega mineral supplement, fish oil, and often grapeseed extract or pycnogenol. But I try to keep the doses fairly low and treat them really as supplements and not substitutes for fruits and vegetables.