NEW YORK - When it comes to apple juice, “cloudier” may mean healthier, according to a study published Monday.

In a head-to-head comparison of apple juices, Polish researchers found that pulpy, non-clarified juice carried a greater antioxidant punch than clear juice. Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize free radicals, molecules that can damage body cells and contribute to disease.

Unlike cloudy apple juice, the much more common clear variety undergoes additional processing to remove any apple solids. Manufacturers typically think the public will favor the more attractive, clear juice over its cloudy cousin, and retailers prefer the clear variety for its longer shelf life.

But the new findings suggest that health-conscious consumers should reach for the cloudy variety, according to Dr. Jan Oszmianski, the study’s lead author.

LONDON - Drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke but only if milk is not added to the brew, German scientists said on Tuesday.

Research has shown that tea improves blood flow and the ability of the arteries to relax but researchers at the Charite Hospital at the University of Berlin in Mitte found milk eliminates the protective effect against cardiovascular disease.

“The beneficial effects of drinking black tea are completely prevented by the addition of milk, said Dr Verena Stangl, a cardiologist at the hospital.

“If you want to drink tea to have the beneficial health effects you have to drink it without milk. That is clearly shown by our experiments,” she told Reuters.

The findings come as the industry is already battling to recover from several cases of food poisoning in recent months, which resulted in serious illness and severe market consequences.

According to a new survey conducted last month, over one in ten adults say they or someone in their household have been affected by food poisoning, although only a third of these incidents were reported.

Ratatouille is a great way to get your veggies. But if you roast the dish, you increase the acidity of its eggplant, zucchini and green bell peppers, according to recent research from Britain.

That makes the vegetables more likely to erode your tooth enamel. Stewing is better for teeth but hard on nutrients.

If you prefer using the oven, experts say go ahead and roast — just be sure to brush or rinse your mouth with water right after you eat to keep your chompers healthy.

source Kansas City Star

Eating healthy may be virtuous, but it just doesn't seem like that much fun.

The feast-filled holidays were a great excuse for blowing off your strict diet and indulging. Why else bother with a healthy New Year's resolution? Most of us prefer the taste of french fries and peanut brittle over that of oat bran. A glass of burgundy sounds more tantalizing than a cup of wheat grass juice. And while a nice piece of fruit is no punishment, chocolate is exceedingly more tempting.

The good news: Not all of those seemingly unhealthy choices actually are.

Cheese fries may never be a part of your recommended diet, but Russet potatoes alone are nothing to fear. In fact, they're full of disease-fighting antioxidants. Eating the whole box of chocolates still isn't a good idea. A square a day, however, may help prevent cancer and stave off weight gain.

Order from a menu of vegetables, fish, wine and chocolate, but hold the trans fats and sugary sodas. That might best sum up the diet headlines of 2006.

The year’s biggest nutrition news sometimes echoed what moms and food scientists have been harping on for years. Other times, it seemed too good to be true.

Often, the news centered on food choices many want removed from the table, but in a year that included white-bread icon Wonder Bread baking two whole-wheat versions, there were still plenty of healthy options available.

By Kirsten Hawkins

If you’re on a diet, or considering going on one, you’re in luck. We’ve put together ten of the most frequently asked questions about diets and weight loss and compiled them here. Enjoy!

1. How much should I weigh?

Your doctor can answer that question most accurately. More important than how much you weigh is your body/mass index, which measures your height against your weight.

2. What's the best diet for losing weight?

Any diet that provides all the nutrition that you need for health, and in addition, provides fewer calories than your body burns regularly.

What Is the New American Plate?

Of the three, moving toward a plant-based diet seems to challenge people the most. Reshaping your diet conjures up all those guidelines to memorize and all that counting of calories, servings, or grams. It can get pretty confusing—and discouraging before you even begin.That’s why AICR developed the New American Plate—a way of planning healthy meals without any calculation or guidelines. Instead, you get used to relying on a wide range of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans so your plate will be filled with delicious foods that will reduce cancer risk and help you manage your weight.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to eat and should be allowed into the U.S. food supply without special labeling, a report says.

"All of the studies indicate that the composition of meat and milk from clones is within the compositional ranges of meat and milk consumed in the U.S.," two Food and Drug Administration scientists wrote in a report published in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Theriogenology, which focuses on animal reproduction.

The finding is a strong signal the FDA will endorse the use of cloning technology for cattle, goats and pigs when it publishes a key safety assessment next week, The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Previously published folic acid related articles -  Folic acid can cut heart attack riskSpinach 'fights skin cancer relapse' and 

Folic acid should be added to flour to cut the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida, experts have recommended.

The Expert Advisory Group on Nutrition said it supports bringing in mandatory fortification.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will now launch a consultation to see if the public supports the move.

However, there is concern that adding the vitamin to flour could harm some elderly patients, as it could mask a deficiency in the B12 vitamin.

The theory that eating slowly means a lower food intake has been around for at least 30 years, but this study is the first to lend scientific proof to the idea.

"It started in 1972 as a hypothesis that eating slowly would allow the body time for the development of satiety, and we would eat less," said University of Rhode Island assistant professor of nutrition and food science Kathleen Melanson. "Since then it has become common knowledge, but no studies had been conducted to prove it."

Thirty college-aged women were split into two groups, the first of which was asked to eat pasta with tomato and vegetable sauce and Parmesan cheese without pausing between bites. This group averaged 646 calories in nine minutes. The second group was served the same meal, but asked to put their forks down and chew between bites, and averaged 579 calories in 29 minutes. The members of the second group reported still feeling full an hour after their meal.

The study of nearly 7,000 pregnant women by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine looked for links between diet, lifestyle and miscarriage, and were detailed in the study led by Dr. Maureen Maconochie from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Maconochie and her colleagues studied thousands of pregnant women and concluded that those who ate fruits and vegetables often in pregnancy were 46 percent less likely to have a miscarriagefruits and veggies as often. compared to those who did not use

People with a dietary pattern closely matching the "Western" diet, rich in processed foods and dairy, was found to significantly increase the risk of colorectal cancer, said the researchers.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Taco Bell on Tuesday raised to nine the number of fast-food restaurants it had closed in New York and New Jersey after a suspected outbreak of the foodborne E. coli bacteria that may have sickened more than 50 people in three states.

But the division of Yum Brands Inc. said no new cases had been reported since November 29 and it had planned to reopen the eight New York locations later on Tuesday.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services said it was investigating 40 cases of E. coli infection in four counties. So far, 23 people who were sickened between November 20 and possibly November 30 ate at a Taco Bell restaurant, the department said in a statement on its Web site.

Regulators are watching as companies market an ever wider list of energy drinks, teas, and even candy bars with added dietary supplement ingredients purported to improve health. Watchdog groups want authorities to crack down, accusing companies of making unfounded and sometimes bogus claims about the benefits of the products.

The FDA takes action against unsafe dietary supplements after they are on the market. Manufacturers are responsible for making sure their products are safe before they are marketed.

The board was poised on Tuesday to make New York the nation’s first city to outlaw the unhealthy oils, though it’s expected to give restaurants a slight break by relaxing what had been considered a tight deadline for compliance.

The restaurant industry argued that it was unrealistic to give eateries six months to replace cooking oils and shortening and 18 months to phase out the ingredients altogether.

LONDON - Obese women can improve their health without dieting by changing their eating habits and exercising more, researchers said on Monday.

They showed that lifestyle changes including exercise programs such as tai chi, aqua aerobics and circuit training, coupled with behavior modification, can improve health risks in obese women even if they do not lose significant amounts of weight.

“People of all sizes and shapes can reduce their risk of poor health by adopting a healthier lifestyle,” Dr Erika Borkoles, of Leeds Metropolitan University in England, told a news conference.

Obesity is a growing public health problem worldwide and a leading preventable cause of death. An estimated 300 million people worldwide are obese.

It's now official. The simple act of fidgeting can mean the difference between lean and obese. It’s the natural weight loss diet.

My friend likes to relate a story from time to time about when he was just a lad. His grandfather called him "Worm", because he fidgeted so much. And between you and me, it can get rather annoying.

But he had the right idea, even if it wasn't intentional. He's 5'8" tall and weighs around 145 lbs.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Hands up -- who doesn't agree the best part of the Thanksgiving feast is the leftovers?

It's the suggestion of mild delinquency, like eating cold pizza for breakfast, that comes with tugging off with the fingers those crunchy bits of turkey that lie along the exposed carcass and layering them between more succulent slices with dollops of cranberry sauce and chunks of stuffing to build the perfect sandwich. And you probably eat it standing up, lounging back against a kitchen counter, swapping anecdotes with friends and family you haven't seen in a while.

But the best leftover of the lot, in my view, is the totally stripped-down carcass. It becomes the foundation of the best soup stock of the year.

Overall, recent studies suggest that coffee (regular and decaffeinated) may offer a variety of health benefits against diseases such as cancer and diabetes. However, coffee may not deserve a place in the same category with other healthful foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Need to lose weight, but don't know the best way to start? If you're in your 50s, cardiovascular exercise may be your best option.

Diet and exercise are both effective ways to lose weight. But if you're over 50, you may want to hit the treadmill to help maintain muscle mass when you're dropping pounds. A new study reveals caloric restriction promotes weight loss, but it may result in loss of muscle and aerobic capacity.

"The systems responsible for moving the body, the musculature and the cardiovascular systems, are being used in exercise-induced weight loss, therefore the body preserves them," study author Edward Weiss, Ph.D., of Saint Louis University in St. Louis, told Ivanhoe. "In the case of caloric restriction or diet-induced weight loss, there are fewer demands put on these systems, so the body degrades the tissues responsible for delivering oxygen and producing muscular force."

“These results suggest that protein and fiber enrichment of bread with lupin kernel flour has the potential to influence appetite and reduce energy intake, at least in the short term,” Dr. Ya P. Lee of the University of Western Australia in Perth and colleagues write.

Lupin is the name for a family of plants that includes the Texas bluebonnet. In the current study, Lee and others investigated bread enriched with lupin kernel flour (LKF), which contains up to 45 percent protein and 30 percent fiber, with little sugar and starch.

Italian researchers found that people whose diets are rich in onions, garlic, and other alliums have a much lower risk of several types of cancer than those who avoid the pungent herbs.

Researcher Carlotta Galeone, of the Istituto di Ricerche Farmocologiche "Mario Negri" in Milan, and colleagues say the health benefits of onion and garlic have been touted for centuries, but few studies have been able to prove the benefits.

Cranberries are full of antioxidants, which protects cells from damage by unstable molecules called free radicals.

The National Institutes of Health is funding research on the cranberry’s effects on heart disease, yeast infections and other conditions, and other researchers are investigating its potential against cancer, stroke and viral infections.

ATHENS, Ga., Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Many try to forget about calories on Thanksgiving; others are obsessed with counting them, but a U.S. expert says few know why food is measured in calories.

"We all teach this unit, (the calorie) and nobody knows where it came from, not even the historians of nutrition," said James L. Hargrove, associate professor of foods and nutrition in the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Science.

Formally, a calorie is a measure of the amount of energy required to heat 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius. It was first used in engineering and physics, but eventually found its niche in nutrition, where it is used to measure the amount of energy food contains, according to Hargrove.

Nov. 16, 2006 -- Taco Bell today announced that it will start using a new canola oil for frying that contains no trans fats.

Trans fats have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Taco Bell restaurants will start frying with canola oil containing zero grams of trans fats -- instead of partially hydrogenated soybean oil -- in all of its U.S. restaurants by April 2007.

Experts at the Medical Research Council found most fast food is very dense in calories - you only need a small amount to bump up your calorific intake.

They found that these "energy dense" foods can fool people into consuming more calories than the body needs. The research is published in the journal Obesity Reviews.

A typical fast food meal has a very high energy density. It is more than one and a half times higher than an average traditional British meal and two and a half times higher than a traditional African meal.

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL -- According to official figures from a 2006 report compiled by The Trust for America's Health, the adult obesity rate rose from 15 percent in 1980 to 32 percent in 2004. Combine that with the number of Americans who are overweight but not obese, and the figure stands at 64 percent. And the childhood obesity rate more than tripled between 1980 and 2004, from 5 percent to 17 percent.

 "I don't have enough time for exercise." "I'm too out of shape to workout." "I don't know what to do." "I'm too afraid to ask the fitness instructors." "The gym is too crowded." "The health club members are rude." "I don't have the willpower." These are some of the top excuses revealed by a 2004 survey conducted by the American Council on Exercise of San Diego.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tomatoes eaten in restaurants were probably the source of an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning that sickened 183 people in 21 states and Canada, federal health officials said on Friday.

The outbreak is over and is no longer a threat, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. But 22 people were sick enough to be admitted to hospitals, the CDC's Dr. Christopher Braden, Chief of Outbreak Response and Surveillance, told reporters.

"We identified tomatoes eaten in restaurants as the cause of this outbreak," Braden told a telephone briefing.

Braden said there was no evidence pointing to any single restaurant or type of restaurant.

• Sales of organic food have grown about 20 percent during the last five years, with this year's tally expected to top $15 billion, the Organic Trade Association reports.
• More than one-fourth of Americans are eating more organic products than a year ago, according to a 2004 survey by Whole Foods Market. At the same time, more than half of Americans have tried organic products.

The nation's soaring obesity rates won't fall until Americans stop placing their faith in unproven and possibly fraudulent weight-loss products and treatments. That's the message from some of the nation's top obesity experts, commenting on new data about Americans' continued, naive hope for the quick fix.

Part of the problem, they say, is consumers' misconceptions about safety laws. A national survey released last month at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society found that 60 percent of Americans believe incorrectly that over-the-counter dietary supplements for weight loss must be tested and proven to be safe and effective.

More than half mistakenly believe that these products are reviewed and approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

WASHINGTON - After the latest outbreak of illness possibly linked to contaminated produce, the Food and Drug Administration reminded consumers Thursday of steps to keep fresh foods safe.

The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to investigate the latest outbreak, which is thought to be linked to produce contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.

Reports of illness peaked in late September; health officials believe the outbreak is now over.

HELSINKI, Finland, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A 30-percent decrease in salt intake over 30 years in Finland was associated with a decrease in both stroke and coronary heart disease mortality.

During the same period the life expectancy of both male and female Finns increased by 6 to 7 years, according to researchers Dr. Heikki Karppanen of the University of Helsinki and Dr. Eero Mervaala of the University of Kuopio.

The most powerful explaining factor for the favorable changes was the more than 10 mmHg "point" decrease in the average blood pressure of the population, says Karppanen. A marked decrease in the average cholesterol levels of the population also remarkably contributed to the decrease of heart diseases. The extensive use of drugs contributed less than 10 percent of the observed decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases, the researchers say.

Worried about the amount of cholesterol in turkey? Here are ways to enjoy the holidays and your low-cholesterol diet.

Sticking to a special diet is especially challenging during holidays and special occasions. Tables laden with food prove tempting, and you may feel like disregarding your diet for the day (or for several days).

But your health depends on you sticking to your low-cholesterol diet. This doesn't mean that you can't enjoy your meal or eat delicious foods. It simply means that you make healthy choices and enjoy those foods in moderation.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. adults who recently ate at a casual dining restaurant said in a survey that they are eating less fried food and less red meat.

The online survey, conducted by Maritz Research, of nearly 1,900 Americans who recently ate at a casual dining restaurant found when given a choice between food that is grilled or fried, 87 percent said they preferred their food grilled.

The survey also revealed that 36 percent said they were eating less red meat compared to five years ago, while 8 percent said they were eating more red meat.