Fruit juices have been slammed for being high in carbs and low in fiber. But get ready for a surprise: They do have redeeming qualities for your health.
Fruit juice has become the Britney Spears of the grocery store, typically scoffed at by those old enough to remember a time before ultra-low-rise jeans. Between being called liquid sugar by the anti-carb crowd and being blamed for the rising obesity rate among kids, it would seem that juices are simply not worth swallowing. (In fact, their sales dropped 1.4 percent between 2002 and 2003, the first decline in more than 6 years, according to a recent report by www.marketresearch.com.) And mainstream nutritionists promote the whole fruit over juice for its fiber and pulp. But the truth is, some fruit juices do deserve a place at your table because of their nutrients and powerful disease-fighting properties.
One brazil nut a day is enough to raise the average people’s selenium intake to internationally recommended levels and eating two could lead to added health benefits, according to the research.
However, too much of the micronutrient can be toxic and people should be careful to limit themselves to no more than a few nuts a day.
Today the nuts were a simple, effective and relatively low-cost way for people to boost their levels of the essential micronutrient.
“There is mounting evidence that a marginal selenium status can lead to an increased risk for a range of conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease,” Prof Thomson said.
A happy heart just might be a healthier one as well, new research suggests.
A study of nearly 3000 healthy British adults, lead by Dr Andrew Steptoe of University College London, found that those who reported upbeat moods had lower levels of cortisol - a “stress” hormone that, when chronically elevated, may contribute to high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and dampened immune function, among other problems.
In the study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, women who reported more positive emotions had lower blood levels of two proteins that indicate widespread inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is believed to contribute to a range of ills over time, including heart disease and cancer.
Common drug treatments for sinus infections - antibiotics and steroid nasal sprays - seem to be little better than doing nothing at all, British researchers said on Tuesday.
“Wide-scale overtreatment is likely occurring” because there is no proof many of these infections are bacterial in nature, Dr Ian Williamson of the University of Southampton and colleagues wrote in their report.
Antibiotics are useless against viruses, a common cause of sinus infections, and their overuse can lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
The findings, published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, came from a study of 240 adults with sinus infections between 2001 and 2005.
Fruit juices have been slammed for being high in carbs and low in fiber. But get ready for a surprise: They do have redeeming qualities for your health.
