Nutrition: Info..
Wash Fruits and Vegetables
Contaminated fruits and vegetables cause 5,000 deaths and send 325,000 people to the hospital every year. More of our produce comes from countries with low standards of sanitation, so we must be careful to wash and refrigerate fruits and vegetables. Meredith Agle and colleagues- in a study presented at the Institute of Food Technologists meeting in June 2001- contaminated parsley with the shigella bacteria. They couldn’t get rid of the bacteria- even after washing the parsley for five minutes in water or an antibacterial rinse. They admitted that this situation was extreme, but showed the importance of washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Here are some tips to protect your family from food-borne bugs:
- Wash your hands and kitchen surfaces before and after handling fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood.
- Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables immediately before eating.
- Use clean knives when preparing food.
- Don’t eat ice that might have been in contact with unwashed foods.
- Avoid unpasteurized juices.
- Use a cooler and ice when transporting food outdoors.
(Health Matters, Aug.17, 2001)
Carbohydrates Increase Blood Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the fats found inside fat cells. You increase blood triglycerides when you need fat for energy, or after a rich meal. Scientists disagree about the dangers of high triglycerides. However, many believe they increase the risk of coronary artery disease and may be involved in promoting abdominal (gut) fat that’s very bad for your health. The diet composition may change triglycerides in the blood. Dr. Jeroen van Wijk and colleagues from Holland found higher blood triglycerides in people who consumed more carbohydrate, saturated fats and alcohol in their diets. This study shows that high-carbohydrate diets may be unhealthy for people who have elevated blood triglyceride levels or, perhaps, in people who store a lot of fat in their abdomens. (Am J. Clin Nutr. 74: 171-178, 2001)
Modified Pork is Heart-Healthy
The media often portrays fat people eating pork chops, ribs and pork roasts. Even though pork is delicious, many health-conscious people avoid it like the plague because of its high fat content. University of Iowa scientists – headed by Dr. Jeanne Stewart- found a way for you to have your pork and eat it too. They raised pigs on a diet containing 40 percent soybean oil and extra soybean meal. The diet altered the fat and protein content of the pork so that much of the unhealthy saturated fat in the meat was replaced with more heart-healthy polyunsaturated fat. They fed 20 women pork products for eight weeks- first traditional pork, and then the heart-healthy pork (crossover study). Blood cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) were 25 percent lower when the women ate the heart-healthy pork. Using science to change the fat content of basic foods may be a way to improve the health of Americans- even without changes in lifestyle. (Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 74: 179-187, 2001)S
Sodium Propianate Cuts Sugar Load of Simple Carbs
The glycemic index is a measure of how fast a food will increase blood sugar. Generally, nutritionists recommend that people avoid high glycemic index foods because these can cause large changes in blood sugar and may promote abdominal obesity (at least in some people). Some foods with high glycemic indexes- such as white bread- are so popular and common in the diet that it is difficult to convince people to change. Science may come to the rescue by adding substances to high glycemic index foods that slow the absorption of their sugar content into the blood stream. Swedish researchers found that adding sodium propionate- a substance found in sourdough bread- to white bread, slowed down the digestion of the food. Introducing designer foods that promote health may be a way for scientists to fight the obesity and heart disease epidemic. Bodybuilders take note: Eating high glycemic index foods after a workout- particularly if you include protein- will promote recovery and muscle growth. (Am J. Clin. Nutr, 74: 254-258, 2001)
