It is not enough to choose healthy foodstuff if you are to eat healthily. You also have to pay attention to how the food is prepared, Wenche Frølich says, who is professor at the University of Stavanger.
They must not be cooked in ways which destroy their nutritional value. Cooking is important for how nutrition is processed and used in our body. This is called bio-accessibility, Frølich says. She has a lot of good advice for eating with sense. Frølich is project leader for a long-running research project supported by the Research Council of Norway of which the aim is to get young men to improve their eating habits.
Frølich has shown how important it is that the food is prepared and stored in such a way that the nutritional ingredients are present and accessible when the food is to be eaten. A lot disappears during cooking. For vegetables and potatoes the best advice is: Steam boil in little water and over a short time. Serve the vegetables as soon as possible after preparation.
Cooking in a microwave oven seems to be as good as steam boiling, if not better. Frying vegetables in a pan destroys the nutritional value the most. Neither the raw materials nor the cooked food should be stored too long. It is therefore advantageous to have a short way between producer and consumer. Lettuce loses the folat more quickly if it is stored in light and at room temperature. Vegetables should therefore quickly be put into the refrigerator and stored under dark and cool conditions.
Many people, and women in particular, buy readymade vegetarian dishes in order to eat healthily. Unfortunately the tests show that that such dishes get a low folat content, which is a nutrition substance important for women. In rice dishes there is normally little folat while in potatoes and couscous, which comes from wheat, there are larger quantities.
There is a clear connection between eating lots of vegetables, fruit and grain products and the risk of a series of illnesses like some forms of cancer and heart and vascular diseases. These nutrients seem to influence our genes, Wenche Frølich says, and gives us this piece of advice: Eat food, not pills and dietary supplements. Supplements may be downright harmful. And the general rules still apply: Reduce the quantity of food, practice variation, which means as many kinds of food as possible.
University of Washington Researchers are trying to make medical discoveries, even finding a cure for HIV by a new game called Foldit. The game may be the key for biological mysteries ranging from vaccine to Alzheimer. The free program is available at http://fold.it/.
Foldit is the first protein-folding project which capitalises
on people’s natural 3-D problem-solving skills. Researchers are trying to use the brain power of people all around the world to advance biomedical research and asking volunteers to participate in this study.
Not eating your apple a day? Perhaps you should be. Adults who eat apples, apple juice and apple sauce have a significantly reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health problems that are linked to numerous chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers found that adults who eat apples and apple products have smaller waistlines that indicate less abdominal fat, lower blood pressure and a reduced risk for developing what is known as the metabolic syndrome.
In addition to having a 30% decreased likelihood for elevated diastolic blood pressure and a 36% decreased likelihood for elevated systolic blood pressure, apple product consumers also had a 21% reduced risk of increased waist circumference – all predictors of cardiovascular disease and an increased likelihood of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, adult apple product consumers had significantly reduced C-reactive protein levels, another measurable marker related to cardiovascular risk.
Furthermore, apple product consumers’ diets were healthier than non-consumers – they had a greater intake of fruit and key nutrients, including dietary fibre, vitamins Aand C, calcium and potassium. These consumers also ate less total fat, saturated fat, discretionary fat and added sugars.
Relief from rheumatoid arthritis with no harmful side effects. New trials show Cod Liver Oil can reduce the need for anti-inflammatory drugs without loss of pain-relief
The results of a five-year study show that Cod Liver Oil can reduce the amount of anti-inflammatory drugs taken by Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients by over 30%. Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin, are heavily prescribed to relieve pain for those with Rheumatoid Arthritis. However, fears are growing among consumers about the dangers of long-term use, with reported side-effects including stomach bleeding, high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attacks.
The study was conducted by investigators from Rheumatology units at Dundee and Edinburgh Universities. RA patients were recruited over a 5 year period and randomly assigned to two treatment groups: Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil 10g/day, or a control group provided with a dummy pill. Results showed that by taking Cod Liver Oil daily, nearly 40% of patients were able to reduce their anti-inflammatory intake by over 30%. Most importantly, this study showed that the reduction in intake of anti-inflammatory drugs in those taking the Cod Liver Oil supplements was not associated with any worsening of pain or disease activity. Cod Liver Oil is one of nature’s richest sources of Omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Surely your bathroom is fungus-free once you’ve wiped the mould off the tiles? Not according to a study by French scientists. They report that almost one in five rooms studied with no visible mould was in fact highly contaminated by fungus which could aggravate conditions such as asthma.
The study also found that bedrooms and living rooms were no less contaminated than bathrooms and kitchens — hidden fungus was not only airborne but found in carpets and soft furnishings, and behind wallpaper, and was often colourless and odourless.
Mould in the home is not just unsightly and indicative of poor hygiene standards; it is known to aggravate a range of medical conditions, such as asthma, rhinitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. This study set out to establish if more could be done to identify fungus as exacerbating these complaints.
Surprisingly, the study found that factors commonly held to increase mould contamination had relatively little effect. The age of the building, presence of pets and even outdoor and indoor temperature had little bearing on fungus concentration.
As for airborne fungi, it made little or no difference if the room was regularly used to dry clothes, or contained indoor plants — factors that public health inspectors had previously highlighted as key issues.
The researchers found that significant factors in levels of contamination were structure, such as lack of ventilation or a ground floor apartment, or accidental damage, such as water damage.
Hands are the most visible parts of our body, and they also take a lot of abuse. You use them in everyday activity, and yet, they are the ultimate accessories. You must give them the same attention you give your face.
You can soften your hands even while you do the dishes. Add a little almond oil (about a teaspoon) to dishwater. The water will soften rough skin while the oil seals the moisture.
Remove dead skin cells with a solution made of sea salt and lemon. Brush it into hands with an old toothbrush. Do this twice a week to soften hands and remove discoloration. Wash hands thoroughly with warm water, then, using a coarse flannel, rub briskly. While skin is slightly damp, apply a mixture of one-teaspoon honey and one teaspoon olive oil. Place hands in small plastic bags, then in a pair of cotton gloves for thirty minutes. The heat helps the treatment penetrate.
Warm a cup of milk in the microwave for thirty seconds (or until warm, but comfortable to the touch). Soak your hands for five minutes to strengthen nails and hydrate skin. Not only is milk loaded with lactic acid, a natural alpha hydroxy acid that gently exfoliates dead skin, but also its high calcium content will strengthen fragile nails.
Studies have shown that regularly exercising can significantly cut the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by a third, whilst a lack of physical activity can lead to dementia and depression according to scientists.
The University of Bristol conducted a study, based on 17 trials, and found that physical activity could reduce the risk of Alzhiemer’s disease by 30-40%. The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) conference found that there was a link between depression and a lack of exercise.
It’s still unclear why a lack of exercise has such a major effect but it could be associated with benefits to the vascular system as well as a release of chemicals within the brain.
Judy Buttris, director- general at the BNF, said the implications of such studies were enormous.
A brand new vaccine has been introduced by leading British Scientists to control high blood pressure and save thousands of lives in the UK alone. High blood pressure is blamed for 60,000 deaths a year in Britain; statistics shows it affects a third of all adults.
Based on a protein found in limpets, the course would include three jabs every six months. Current medication to treat patients with high blood pressure has been highly criticised about their side-effects and is in danger of individuals simply stopping their medication due to this.
Protherics (the Cheshire based drug company) announced that the vaccine will make it much easier for people to control their blood pressure. The company is planning trials for an improved version of the jab, which is ten times more effective at stimulating the immune system than the original formula.
“Improving compliance in this way could save thousands from life- threatening complications such as heart attacks or stroke” said the company’s Dr Andrew Heath.
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