Archive for November, 2008
Probiotics May Also Reduce Inflammation
This article was syndicated from: Laurel on Health Food
Probiotics May Also Reduce Inflammation
I’m sure you’ve heard that probiotics help keep your digestive system healthy and fight off bad bacteria in the gut. But, new research published in the Public Libracy of Science Pathogens journal found that probiotics may fight harmful inflammation too. As you probably know by now, inflammation in our bodies can put us at risk for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
In the study, researchers gave probiotics, specifically Bifidobacterium infantis 35624, to mice. Amazingly, the probiotics increased the number of cells in their bodies that help reduce inflammation.
David Kiefer, M.D. from the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine says that it’s best to rely on omega-3 fats and turmeric to reduce inflammation until probiotic tests can be done on humans. However, evidence that suggests probiotics help ease inflammation is growing. For now, we do have some more solid proof that probiotics help reduce irritable and inflammatory bowel symptoms and prevent other gastrointestinal problems.
Post Your Healthy Thanksgiving Dinnner Dishes
This article was syndicated from: Laurel on Health Food
Post Your Healthy Thanksgiving Dinnner Dishes
Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone! I hope you all have a few days off work and get the chance to enjoy good food, family, and friends. I’ve got recipes on the brain with the holidays coming up. This time of the year means I have more chances to try out some new foods and just cook up a storm!
I’m attending Thanksgiving dinner at another family’s house, but you can bet I’m bringing something special. I’m making an Ina Garten recipe that was featured in last month’s Oprah Magazine. It’s butternut squash baked in a pan with garlic, olive oil, pure maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Sage and thin-sliced pancetta top off the dish. Doesn’t it sound scrumptious? I can’t wait to make it, and I hope it turns out.
For this Thanksgiving, are any healthy dishes making it onto your table? If so, share it here with a comment. I’d love to read about it.
I’m planning a few more posts for this week, but if I don’t get a chance to write it again, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Orange Veggies Cut Heart Disease Risk
This article was syndicated from: Laurel on Health Food
Orange Veggies Cut Heart Disease Risk
Some recent research published in the Journal of Nutrition found that the antioxidants in orange-colored produce could help reduce your risk of death from heart disease by 20%. Orange foods contain alpha-carotene and beta-carotene which are best absorbed in the body when you cook the vegetables a little bit.
The researchers found that carrots are the “primary dietary source” of alpha- and beta-carotene, but oranges, peppers, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, mangoes, and winter squash (like butternut or spaghetti squash) are also great sources.
Scarlet Quinoa
Marinate to Reduce Cancer Risk
This article was syndicated from: Laurel on Health Food
Marinate to Reduce Cancer Risk
Did you know that cooking meats (beef, poultry, fish, pork) at 350 degrees or more produces carcinogenic chemicals known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs)? These chemicals are harmful in our bodies and actually increase our risk of cancer.
But, I just read about a really cool study published in the Journal of Food Science. Researchers found that marinating meat with herbs and spices for an hour before grilling can reduce the HCA levels by as much as 88%. Study author J. Scott Smith, Ph.D. says the antioxidants found in herbs and spices may prevent the HCAs from forming. (Women’s Health, Dec. 2008, p. 26)
All I know is I love a good marinade, and now we know they can help protect your health too. Women’s Health recommends using basil, sage, rosemary, marjoram, savory, thyme, or oregano in your marinade. If you plan to buy a pre-made one, just make sure to check the ingredient list for all natural stuff.
There are endless options for make-your-own marinades. Here’s an easy one from Jamie Oliver on The Food Network. It’s good on all different kinds of meat.
Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon Marinade
Reduce Appetite w/ Omega-3s
This article was syndicated from: Laurel on Health Food
A recent study found that omega-3s can help keep you stay full and eat less. Researchers from the University of Navarra, University College Cork, and University of Iceland monitored hunger in over 200 overweight or obese volunteers for eight weeks. All the volunteers ate a low-calorie, balanced diet but some supplemented a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids, while others had a low dose of omega-3s.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Appetite. They wrote:
“The most important finding of this study is that subjects who eat a dinner rich in long chain omega-3 fatty acids feel less hunger and more full directly after and two hours after than their counterparts fed with the low long chain omega-3 fatty acids diet…This observation indicates that long chain omega-3 fatty acids modulate hunger signals.”
Low-Fat Dairy Foods Prevent Heart Disease?
This article was syndicated from: Laurel on Health Food
Low-Fat Dairy Foods Prevent Heart Disease?
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a recent study that concluded low-fat dairy may prevent heart disease. The study looked at the diets of over 5,000 people. Those who drank one glass of low-fat milk each day had a 37% improvement in their kidney function. Women’s Health Magazine explains that the “kidneys rely on strong blood vessels and circulation to function well, [and] their health can be a gauge of heart health.” (Women’s Health, Nov. 2008, p.28)
Lead study author Jennifer Nettleton, Ph.D. says the amino acids, calcium, and magnesium in milk may be the reasons milk is helpful in keeping the kidneys healthy. Low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese will offer you the same nutrients if you’re not a big milk drinker.
Study Finds Fish Oil Reduces Inflammation
This article was syndicated from: Laurel on Health Food
Study Finds Fish Oil Reduces Inflammation
A 2008 study from the Baylor College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School found that omega-3s in fish oil can help reduce inflammation by improving the body’s immunity response. Researchers found that blood vessels can form small lesions inside our bodies, and the “normal healing process is for these lesions to become inflamed, for the inflammation to cool down, and then for the lesions to heal.” But sometimes the lesion never heals because the inflammation never “cools down.”
Although the scientists concluded that aspirin is effective in reducing inflammation, they also found that omega-3s in fish oil and some vegetable sources are similarly effective.
To help prevent inflammation in your body over a long-term basis, take a fish oil supplment and include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet every day that you can.
Three Bean & Quinoa Chili
Three Bean & Quinoa Chili
