Surprising Food Facts

[Guest guest]

Surprising Food Facts

 

 

by Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N. and Janine Mojica

Too often, " common knowledge " about food takes a long

time to catch up with new research. Check out some

surprising food facts that defy the conventional

wisdom.

 

Old news: Nuts make you fat; don't eat them.

 

New news: Nuts can help prevent heart disease.

 

It's true that nuts can promote weight gain if you eat

a lot of them. But in moderation, they provide

omega-3s, aka " good fat. " Omega-3s, also found in

fish, may reduce heart disease risk.

 

A recent study at the University of California, Davis,

found that adding walnuts to both regular and low-fat

diets significantly cut total cholesterol and LDL (or

" bad " ) cholesterol.

 

Old news: Use margarine instead of butter; it's better

for your heart.

 

New news: Stick margarine has as much artery-clogging

fat as butter.

 

Stick margarine contains trans fatty acids, which are

just as dangerous to your heart as the saturated fat

in butter. Trans fats are added to margarine to

produce a firmer consistency.

 

A recent study in The Netherlands found that blood

vessels' ability to dilate was reduced by nearly a

third in people who ate a diet high in trans fatty

acids (margarine) compared to those who ate saturated

fats (butter).

 

Tub margarine has less trans fatty acids than stick

margarine. You're better off using either tub

margarine or butter sparingly than stick margarine.

 

Old news: Don't use table salt. It causes high blood

pressure.

 

New news: If you don't have high blood pressure, table

salt isn't likely to give it to you.

 

Research shows that unless you are sensitive to

sodium, salt may not raise blood pressure - and salt

sensitivity is rare, even among individuals with high

blood pressure.

 

Eating a healthy diet, with at least 5 servings of

fruits and vegetables per day, is much more important

in controlling blood pressure than sodium intake.

 

" When you're on the correct diet, sodium plays little

role in elevating blood pressure, " says David

McCarron, M.D., professor of medicine at Oregon Health

Sciences University.

 

Old news: A glass of red wine with dinner is good for

your heart.

 

New news: Moderate consumption of any alcoholic

beverage can be good for you.

 

Moderate consumption of alcohol - 1 - 2 drinks per day

- has been shown to support good health, not just

diminish the risk of heart disease.

 

A study referenced in the April 2001 issue of JAMA

suggests alcohol may reduce heart-related death risk

by raising the levels of " good " HDL cholesterol in the

blood and by thinning the blood modestly by inhibiting

clotting factors.

 

Old news: Coffee and caffeinated beverages are bad for

you.

 

New news: Caffeine may have health benefits.

 

Over the years, researchers have explored caffeine's

supposed links to heart disease, pancreatic cancer,

osteoporosis, infertility, intestinal problems and

miscarriages. But none of it has been borne out.

 

Health experts now report that unless you overdo it,

coffee and caffeine may not be so bad for you after

all. In fact, caffeine may help with pain relief,

Parkinson's disease, brain function, depression, colon

cancer and gallstones.

 

Old news: I need to eat red meat for protein.

 

New news: You'd be hard-pressed to find vegetarians in

the United States with protein deficiency.

 

Protein is abundant in non-animal sources. Soy, beans

and nuts are all great sources of protein. Many

nutrition experts believe Americans may eat too much

protein, and not getting enough is not a concern with

today's typical diets.

 

Janine Mojica has written about health and lifestyle

issues for several Web sites, including webgrrls.com,

femina.com and cybergrrl.com.

 

 

 

 

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Language is an expression of thought. Everytime you speak, your mind is on

Parade Exodus 20:8-11 & Hebrews 4:9

 

 

 

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