Source:  www.koreaherald.com

A state food safety agency is seeking to label more than 70 percent of chocolate and hamburger products with a “red traffic light” marker to indicate that they are unhealthy, officials said yesterday.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration revealed a draft plan for its system, under which depending on the amount of unhealthy ingredients in food products, three labels — colored red, yellow or green — will be attached to the packaging of food items.

Source: Reuters, http://news.yahoo.com

Eating bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other processed meats can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that identifies the real bad boys of the meat counter.

Eating unprocessed beef, pork or lamb appeared not to raise risks of heart attacks and diabetes, they said, suggesting that salt and chemical preservatives may be the real cause of these two health problems associated with eating meat.

The study, an analysis of other research called a meta-analysis, did not look at high blood pressure or cancer, which are also linked with high meat consumption.

“To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should consider which types of meats they are eating,” said Renata Micha of the Harvard School of Public Health, whose study appears in the journal Circulation.

“Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli meats may be the most important to avoid,” Micha said in a statement.

Based on her findings, she said people who eat one serving per week or less of processed meats have less of a risk.

The American Meat Institute objected to the findings, saying it was only one study and that it stands in contrast to other studies and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“At best, this hypothesis merits further study. It is certainly no reason for dietary changes,” James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute, said in a statement.

Most dietary guidelines recommend eating less meat. Individual studies looking at relationships between eating meat and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have had mixed results.

But studies rarely look for differences in risk between processed and unprocessed red meats, Micha said.

She and colleagues did a systematic review of nearly 1,600 studies from around the world looking for evidence of a link between eating processed and unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

They defined processed meat as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives. Meats in this category included bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats.

Unprocessed red meat included beef, lamb or pork but not poultry.

They found that on average, each 1.8 oz (50 grams) daily serving of processed meat a day — one to two slices of deli meats or one hot dog — was associated with a 42 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 percent higher risk of developing diabetes.

They found no higher heart or diabetes risk in people who ate only unprocessed red meats.

The team adjusted for a number of factors, including how much meat people ate. They said lifestyle factors were similar between those who ate processed and unprocessed meats.

“When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats eaten in the United States, we found that they contained similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol,” Micha said.

“In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, four times more sodium and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives,” Micha added.

Last month, the Institute of Medicine urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the amount of salt added to foods to help Americans cut their high sodium intake.

The FDA has not yet said whether it will regulate salt in foods, but it is looking at the issue.

Source: http://green.yahoo.com

Choosing eggs is not nearly as simple as it should be. After all, the average egg weighs about 2 ounces. How many decisions can you possibly have to make for something so small and seemingly simple? Well, let’s see: Brown or white? Large or small? Organic or not?

And those decisions are just the tip of the iceberg. Egg cartons can be stamped with any number of labels, some meaningful, others not so much.

It’s not always easy to separate fact from fiction when it comes to eggs. Below are some of the most common misperceptions. 

Myth: Brown eggs are different than white.

Fact: The only difference between a brown and white egg is the color of the shell, which is merely a reflection of the breed of the hen. In general, but not always, hens with white feathers and earlobes lay white eggs and those with dark feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs.

One isn’t healthier, more “natural,” or more eco-friendly than the other.  There aren’t any differences in nutritional quality, flavor, or cooking characteristics.

Myth: Free-range eggs come from hens that roam freely outdoors.

Fact: The claims are not regulated for eggs, according to Consumer Reports. So there is no guarantee that the hen that laid the eggs ever saw the light of day. Of course, it may have spent time outdoors, but the “free range” label doesn’t mean anything. The following labels are also meaningless when it comes to eggs: “free roaming,” “hormone free,” and “raised without antibiotics.”

Myth: Organic eggs are healthier.  

Fact: They certainly can be, but it all depends on the chicken’s diet. Organic eggs come from hens that are fed a 100-percent organic diet. However, what really matters when it comes to nutrition is whether the hens were raised on pasture. Studies, such as those conducted at Penn State University and by Mother Earth News, found that eggs from chickens that ate grass and insects contained higher levels of omega-3 fat, and vitamins E, A, and in some cases D.

If you want eggs from hens that are raised on pasture or spend a lot of time outdoors, then you’ll have to find a farmer you trust at your local farmers’ market.

Myth: Egg substitutes are simply eggs (or egg whites) without the shells.

Fact:  Most products have added stabilizers, thickeners, vitamins, carotenes, and, sometimes, spices, according to Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat. She also points out that they cost about twice as much as real eggs. (A pound of egg substitutes weighs slightly less than a dozen small eggs.)  

Of course, if you can’t eat egg yolks for health reasons or have no use for them, egg substitutes are a good option, and most products only have a tiny percentage of additives. Just read the labels before buying.

Source:  www.koreaherald.com

Source: AFP, http://news.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Going nuts in your diet can be good for your health, according to a study published Monday, which showed that eating nuts helps to lower blood cholesterol levels.

People who ate an average of 67 grams (2.4 ounces) of nuts a day saw a 5.1 percent fall in total cholesterol concentration and a 7.4 percent drop in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) — sometimes referred to as bad cholesterol — concentration compared to no-nut eaters, the study showed.

People with high triglyceride levels who ate nuts saw a 10.2 percent fall in those blood lipid levels, said the study, which analyzed data from 25 trials conducted in seven countries, involving 583 men and women aged 19-86 with high or normal cholesterol levels.

All the trial data that were analyzed for the study compared nut-eaters to a control group that did not eat nuts. None of the participants were taking medication to lower their blood lipids.

Researchers led by Dr Joan Sabate of Loma Linda University in California found in the study published Monday in the American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine that the benefits to health were the same no matter what nut is eaten.

A person’s weight and baseline LDL cholesterol levels did, however, influence whatever benefits might be derived from eating nuts.

The higher the starting LDL-C, the greater the cholesterol-lowering effects of nuts, the study found.

And the lower a patient’s body mass index — in other words, if the patient was not overweight or obese — the greater the effects of nuts on lowering cholesterol levels, the study found, urging more research to determine why nuts are less effective in lowering the blood cholesterol levels of obese people.

A person’s diet also played a role in the effect nuts have on blood cholesterol levels.

Consumers of Western diets, which are high in saturated fat, got more benefits from nut-eating than those who already ate a healthy diet, high in monounsaturated olive oil, fish and fresh fruit and vegetables, the study found.

And there’s more good news: the data analyzed for the study showed that the benefits of eating nuts remain with us for a long time; that nut consumption appears to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes; and, in spite of their high fat content, nuts don’t necessarily make us fat.

“Research has shown that frequent nut consumption does not lead to weight gain,” said the study.

“Increasing the consumption of nuts as part of an otherwise prudent diet can be expected to favorably affect blood lipid levels… and have the potential to lower coronary heart disease risk,” it concluded.

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com

Garlic has long been touted as a health booster, but it’s never been clear why the herb might be good for you. Now new research is beginning to unlock the secrets of the odoriferous bulb.

In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that eating garlic appears to boost our natural supply of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is actually poisonous at high concentrations — it’s the same noxious byproduct of oil refining that smells like rotten eggs. But the body makes its own supply of the stuff, which acts as an antioxidant and transmits cellular signals that relax blood vessels and increase blood flow.

In the latest study, performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, researchers extracted juice from supermarket garlic and added small amounts to human red blood cells. The cells immediately began emitting hydrogen sulfide, the scientists found.

The power to boost hydrogen sulfide production may help explain why a garlic-rich diet appears to protect against various cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancer, say the study authors. Higher hydrogen sulfide might also protect the heart, according to other experts. Although garlic has not consistently been shown to lower cholesterol levels, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine earlier this year found that injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice almost completely prevented the damage to heart muscle caused by a heart attack.

“People have known garlic was important and has health benefits for centuries,” said Dr. David W. Kraus, associate professor of environmental science and biology at the University of Alabama. “Even the Greeks would feed garlic to their athletes before they competed in the Olympic games.”

Now, the downside. The concentration of garlic extract used in the latest study was equivalent to an adult eating about two medium-sized cloves per day. In such countries as Italy, Korea and China, where a garlic-rich diet seems to be protective against disease, per capita consumption is as high as eight to 12 cloves per day.

While that may sound like a lot of garlic, Dr. Kraus noted that increasing your consumption to five or more cloves a day isn’t hard if you use it every time you cook. Dr. Kraus also makes a habit of snacking on garlicky dishes like hummus with vegetables.

Many home chefs mistakenly cook garlic immediately after crushing or chopping it, added Dr. Kraus. To maximize the health benefits, you should crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. That triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic.

Garlic can cause indigestion, but for many, the bigger concern is that it can make your breath and sweat smell like…garlic. While individual reactions to garlic vary, eating fennel seeds like those served at Indian restaurants helps to neutralize the smell. Garlic-powder pills claim to solve the problem, but the data on these supplements has been mixed. It’s still not clear if the beneficial compounds found in garlic remain potent once it’s been processed into a pill.

Source:  http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com

Soda. It has become the four-letter word of beverages. Of all the drinks on the market, soda probably has the worst reputation. Science and medical research point their collective finger at soda, and blame it for everything from diabetes to tooth decay, hyperactivity to childhood obesity. But is soda really that bad for you?

When asked if soda is inherently unhealthy for people, board-certified nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, said, “Yes. Simple, unequivocal answer, yes. Yup. Affirmative. Absolutely.” What’s so unhealthy about many Americans’ favorite beverage?

To get to the truth, let’s start with the ingredients. The average cola contains carbonated water, caramel color, natural flavors, caffeine, phosphoric acid and high-fructose corn syrup. Carbonated water is plain water infused with carbon dioxide, which creates the bubbles. Caramel color is a natural additive that tints food products, providing the familiar color consumers expect to see. Natural flavors are often of the citrus variety and added for taste. All of these are simple, harmless ingredients. Next is caffeine, a diuretic and stimulant known to be addictive.

What’s left on the list of ingredients is what solidifies soda’s bad name: sugar. Phosphoric acid is a chemical that adds a tangy or sour flavor by breaking down starches into sugar. According to Bowden, we should consume as little sugar as possible, especially refined sugar. “Zero would be a bull’s-eye but is pretty much an unobtainable goal,” says Bowden.

Why is it unobtainable? Because many products on supermarket shelves contain the final ingredient on our soda list: high-fructose corn syrup.

‘Most horrific ingredient’

“It’s included because it is a way cheaper form of sweetener than anything else,” says Bowden. “It is also one of the single most horrific ingredients in the food supply.” Adding high-fructose corn syrup to foods provides little or no nutrition and but lots of calories.

If this is the case, then what about diet soda: Does it help or hinder weight loss? “There’s no hard-core scientific evidence that it hinders,” says Bowden. “But there is a ton of anecdotal information and intelligent observation that leads one to think that might be so.

“New research shows that noncaloric food and beverages deregulate our innate ability to judge caloric intake. Secondly, there’s the psychological part: Many people subconsciously think they’re taking in less calories by drinking these crappy drinks and then subconsciously allow themselves more food.

“Third, there is some suspicion among nutritional scientists that sweet tastes, through a Pavlovian conditioning method, might signal insulin to release even though there are no actual calories or sugar. This is a theory I think has a lot of merit,” he says.

Taking all of this into consideration, soda just doesn’t add up to be a beneficial drink. Even the label on a can states that it is “not a significant source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.”

Now that you have the facts and you’re staring at a month’s supply of soda you just bought, don’t panic. Your purchase need not go to waste. According to numerous household cleaning Web sites, soda can clean your toilet, eliminate rust from a car bumper and remove grease from clothing. We’re not kidding!

Source:  www.juicefasting.org

 

Grapefruit
Luther Burbank developed the Grapefruit by crossing the orange and the lemon. Grapefruit has become an important commodity in the winter fruit market. The sweet red fruits are a popular gift item during the winter holidays. As is typical of citrus fruits, grapefruit is rich in vitamin C.

Grapes
The varieties of grapes are varied with corresponding differences in taste according to color. The bright taste of the purple grape, the spicy taste of the red grape and the sweetness of the white grape offer a palate of flavors with which to satisfy a wide variety of tastes. The grape seeds are rich in pycnogenol, also called grape seed extract. The benefit of the seeds may be had by processing the whole grape in a blender. The pycnogenol is a nutrient that the body uses as a precursor to many materials used in healing the body of disease.

Always wash commercially grown grapes carefully as they are sprayed with poisonous materials to protect them on the vine.

Lemons and Limes
Summertime and lemonade go together. Nutritionally, they are rich in vitamin C, bioflavonoids which are vitamins that maintain the strength of the walls of cells and capillaries. Bioflavonoids are found in the soft white inner skin of the lemon.

Melons
The varieties of melons are rough skinned, orange-fleshed varieties such as the Rocky Ford and the Tender-skinned honeydew with its pale green flesh. They are the most nutritious of fruits, ranking ahead of oranges and watermelon. They are excellent sources for vitamins A and C and they also assist in treating anxiety, so if you are worried, eat a cantaloupe.

Oranges
Through 1800’s oranges were not universally available, but now they are abundant everywhere. They are a seasonal fruit and they are best during the winter months, but they can be found year round with their cheery flavor. As with all vitamin C bearing fruits, they are at their nutritional best when freshly squeezed. The universal orange color of commercially grown oranges is produced by treating the skins to make them uniform and to give them sales appeal. An orange that has a pale skin is nutritious, so don’t let the color of the skin dissuade you from enjoying locally grown oranges if you are fortunate enough to be in a semi-tropical land.

Pears
Pears come in several varieties. The usual ones we find are the commercially grown ones that have been carefully selected for commercial use. Unlike apples, they have a very short period when they are ripe and before they spoil. They are shipped green and ripened in the store or at home, like bananas. They are ripe when they are soft and the stem pulls out easily. They are rich in vitamin C. They also provide calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals.

Pineapples
The pineapples that are available in most stores are picked green and are ripened in transit. Field ripened pineapples have a distinctively sweeter flavor and a yellow skin. They are rich in vitamin C and minerals. They are also rich in bromelain which is a powerful digestive enzyme and is very beneficial when taken with some dietary supplements.

Tomatoes
The tomato was long considered to be poisonous to the western world. They were used as ornamental plants and called ‘love apples’. It was after a man who had visited India and saw that tomatoes were good food, sat on the court house steps of an American city and actually ate a ‘poisonous’ love apple in full view of the public - and he didn’t die, that tomatoes became a staple in the diet of the western world. Incidentally, we think of tomato paste, and pizza in the same thought. Actually, Italy imported their first tomatoes from the United States

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C. Also the peak of their nutrition is achieved on the vine just hours before they are over ripe, so, grow your own tomatoes if you can. Commercial tomatoes that are picked green and store ripened may look pretty but they are missing the nutrition that is available in a vine ripened tomato.

Watermelons
We all know about watermelons but we may disagree on how to pick out a perfectly ripened one. It should make a hollow sound when it is thumped with a knuckle. Watermelon rinds make tasty pickles but the best nutrition of the rind is gotten by juicing

Source:  www.fda.gov

From:  Steve Sundlof, Director of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

You or somebody in your family may be one of the millions of Americans who have taken one of the Hydroxycut products. And hopefully, you have stopped taking that Hydroxycut product. On May 1st, the FDA warned consumers to stop using this dietary supplement. The manufacturer has recalled from the marketplace 14 different Hydroxycut products that are marketed for weight-loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb aids, and for water loss.

FDA issued a public warning and the company recalled these products because some of the products were associated with a number of serious liver injuries.  FDA received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, which are indicators of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. Furthermore, one death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA.

As a dietary supplement, Hydroxycut is regulated differently than either prescription or over the counter drugs, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, dietary supplement manufacturers do not need to register their products with the FDA nor obtain FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements.  FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market – which is what we did with Hydroxycut. FDA’s responsibilities include monitoring the safety of dietary supplements once they are in the marketplace, and it is the Federal Trade Commission that regulates dietary supplement advertising.

The FDA has taken other recent actions to help protect the safety of consumers of products marketed as dietary supplements. This March, the FDA issued a nationwide alert about more than 70 tainted weight loss products containing undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients - including prescription-only drugs. The FDA has also established good manufacturing practice regulations for dietary supplements which have gone into effect for large companies. Smaller manufacturers have until 2009 or 2010 to comply.

We live in an age where there is a multitude of foods and dietary supplements to choose from in the marketplace, but whether you get your products from the local store or through the Internet, you must always remain vigilant. In order to provide the highest protection for your family, FDA suggests that you consult with a health care professional before using any dietary supplement because many supplements contain ingredients that have strong biological effects, and such products may not be safe for all people.

I hope you will visit our website for more details on the Hydroxycut recall.

Source:  http://news.bbc.co.uk

 
Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.

Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

Healthy cuppa

These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.

Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so its got two things going for it Lead author Dr Ruxton

Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption.

They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.

Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

Dr Ruxton said: “Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it’s got two things going for it.”

Rehydrating

She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating.

“Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.

“Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth,” she added.

There was no evidence that tea consumption was harmful to health. However, research suggests that tea can impair the body’s ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.

Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation

Dr Ruxton’s team found average tea consumption was just under three cups per day.

She said the increasing popularity of soft drinks meant many people were not drinking as much tea as before.

“Tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea sometimes made up about 70% of fluid intake so it is a really important contributor,” she said.

Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation said: “Studies in the laboratory have shown potential health benefits.

“The evidence in humans is not as strong and more studies need to be done. But there are definite potential health benefits from the polyphenols in terms of reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

“In terms of fluid intake, we recommend 1.5-2 litres per day and that can include tea. Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink.”

The Tea Council provided funding for the work. Dr Ruxton stressed that the work was independent.