Worse Than a Bee Sting - 8 Life-Threatening 'Trigger Foods'   
A rarity just 40 or 50 years ago, today foods like these cause 2.5 times as many deaths as a bee sting - and are linked to a battery of symptoms including wheezing, diarrhea, trouble breathing, nasal congestion, dizziness and much more. Difficult to detect - be careful...

Americans Cook Less Than Ever But Love Watching It on TV   
Why is it that Americans choose to fulfill their innate passion for cooking and food by watching it being prepared on TV, while their own kitchens sit unused?

Clean Eating Made Easy

We know what you're thinking: How can we love packaged foods when so many of them are terrible for you? While many may be unworthy, there are a few choice options that are clean, healthy, and downright delicious. And thanks to our friends atPrevention, we have four fantastic recipes that utilize healthy packaged picks to save time.

Click here to eat cleaner »

Beat a Binge with BreakfastFind out just how mighty that morning meal can be.Read more here » 5 Ways to Make Vegetables AmazingPerfect your produce! Read more here » How Easy Is Local Eating?Discover the 10 most farm-friendly states. Read more here »

Second sight

Dear Reader, Maybe you've heard of the Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) before. If not, let me fill you in on the details. The National Eye Institute funded this study, which wrapped up in 2001. And it showed that a high-dose combo of five different nutrients--vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and the minerals zinc and copper--can put the brakes on age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As you may know, AMD is a leading cause of blindness. So the fact that a nutritional supplement can slow this disease's progression is a pretty big deal. Nevertheless, researchers wanted to see if they could improve upon the original AREDS formulation. So they launched AREDS2, a five-year study that began in 2006. Among other changes, this study examined whether adding omega-3 fatty acids or a combo of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin into the mix would make the supplement more effective. The conclusion? Omega-3s don't make a difference. And neither do lutein or zeaxanthin. These results appeared in the Journal of American Medical Association just this month. And two things stand out to me about them. The first is the low dose of omega-3s this study used--a mere 1,000 mg of DHA/EPA. As you might recall, I usually recommend three times that much. But regardless of the accuracy of this finding, multiple studies do support a link between fish consumption and lower risk of AMD. So I wouldn't go tossing that fish oil just yet. The same goes for lutein and zeaxanthin. Research clearly shows that getting more of these critical nutrients in your diet can slash AMD risk significantly. So you have nothing to lose by filling up on carotenoid-rich leafy greens. What's more, subjects with low dietary intake of these nutrients did enjoy a benefit--namely, a 25 percent lower risk of advanced AMD--from supplementation. So it almost seems silly not to recommend it, knowing what we know about the typical American diet. Still, it's nice to see the value of any nutritional supplements confirmed once again--by the National Institutes of Health, no less.

Skipping This Can Boost Your Risk of Dementia and Only 1 in 5 Americans Gets Enough   
4 out of 5 Americans are gambling with their brains - while also increasing their risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and cancer. It's easy to fix - just start doing this...

Intermittent Fasting Shown to Improve Diabetes and Reduce Cardiovascular Risk
A simple strategy that most people are able to stick to easily because it typically eliminates your junk food cravings.

Fight Prostate Cancer With Quercetin And Green Tea

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States, and it most often develops in men older than age 65. The disease involves abnormal cell division in the prostate tissue and rarely gives warning signs that the disease is developing. Men over 50 should depend on regular physical exams and become familiar with prostate cancer symptoms to get an early start on fighting the disease.

Symptoms can include:

• Problems with urination.
• Pain in the in the pelvis or genitals.
• Frequent urinary tract infections.
• Traces of blood in the urine or semen.

Other, more general symptoms can include unexplained weight loss, fatigue or pain in the lower back. Physicians will discuss the procedures fordetecting and diagnosing prostate cancer, if they suspect the presence of cancer in the prostate.

Quercetin And Green Tea For Prostate Cancer

Healthcare providers may recommend surgery to remove diseased tissue in patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Further recommendations may include a diet that includes antioxidants, such as theProstate Diet for prostate cancer, loaded with foods known to aid in the fight of the disease. These foods have been shown to slow the disease process; a diet loaded with quercetin and green tea may be just what the doctor orders.

A number of recent studies have demonstrated that quercetin inhibits the growth of prostate cancer and cell lines, and it destroys cancer cell cycles. Research also shows that quercetin has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy benefits as well.

In one important study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota showed that quercetin reduced or prevented the growth of human prostate cancer cells. “By blocking activity of androgen hormones, quercetin may provide a non-hormonal approach to combatting prostate cancer.”

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant found in several common foods and prostate supplements. The “apple a day” should be your first step at putting more quercetin in your diet. Other readily available foods, including red grapes, onions, garlic, peppers, cruciferous vegetables, pomegranates, watermelon and tomatoes, are also known to be great sources of quercetin. [1]

Tea Time!

Another proven weapon in the fight against prostate cancer consists of green tea consumption. The catechins (plant chemicals) found in green tea are known to be potent antioxidants. Various studies show that these chemicals, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), are significant in lowering the risk of a variety of health problems, including cancers.

One study demonstrated how green tea slows the growth of prostate cancer cells. Another showed that men who drank five or more cups of green tea per day reduced their risk for advanced prostate cancer. Researchers have also demonstrated that even three cups of green tea per day produce desirable effects.

Maximizing Benefits

A research team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) investigated the benefits of teaming quercetin and green tea for fighting prostate cancer. They suspected that quercetin could stimulate EGCG for maximum effects in fighting the growth of cancer cells in the prostate. [2]

They discovered that “a combination of quercetin and EGCG synergistically inhibited cell growth and spread, interfered with the cell cycle, and induced cell death in prostate cancer cells.” The cancer fighting EGCG abilities found in the tea were significantly amplified by quercetin, delivering a powerful attack on the cancer cells.

Studies have consistently shown value in the combination of quercetin and green tea for lowering prostate cancer risk. A diet high in these substances provides a strong weapon for fighting cancers, and both quercetin and green tea supplements are available in therapeutic dosages to supplement diets.

In addition to fighting cancer cells, both quercetin and green tea have many health benefits, including weight loss assistance, fighting infections and boosting the immune system. Family meal plans should include generous quantities of quercetin every day, and green tea should be a beverage staple.

Cellphones Of Death

Experts still debate whether cellphone radiation is linked to cancer. But Italian researchers have definitive proof that these phones can cause another serious health problem. And it could kill you.

A study at the Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital in Piacenza, Italy, demonstrates that talking on a cellphone can significantly increase your blood pressure. In this research, cellphone calls were shown to increase blood pressure, on average, from 121/77 to 129/82.

The scientists found that the increases in systolic blood pressure (represented by the top number in a blood pressure reading) were less pronounced in people who make more than 30 calls a day.

“The subset of patients who were more accustomed to phone use were younger, which could show that younger people are less prone to be disturbed by telephone intrusions,” says researcher Giuseppe Crippa. “Another possibility is that people who make more than 30 calls per day may feel more reassured if the mobile phone is activated since they are not running the risk of missing an opportunity.”

Research has shown that every increase of about 20 mg in systolic blood pressure doubles your chances of dying from heart disease.

Body Fat Becomes More Dangerous After Age 50

If you’re muddling through middle age with excess pounds around your middle, researchers in England have found another good reason to delete those extra fat cells. As you get older, being overweight becomes deleterious to the flexibility of your arteries.

When scientists at the at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College, London, examined the stiffness of the arteries of 200 people, they found that accumulations of body fat interfered with artery function. While younger people in the study still enjoyed vessel flexibility even if they were overweight, all of those in their 50s or older showed serious signs of arterial dysfunction.

“The effects of having more fat seem to be different depending on your age. It looks like young people may be able to adapt to excess body fat, but by middle age the cumulative exposure to years of obesity may start to cause permanent damage to the arteries,” notes researcher Declan O’Regan. “We don’t know for sure how body fat makes arteries stiffer, but we do know that certain metabolic products in the blood may progressively damage the elastic fibers in our blood vessels. Understanding these processes might help us to prevent the harmful effects of obesity.”