1. A Chewy Treat for Teeth
Research reveals that chewy raisins may provide special benefits to your choppers.
Phytochemicals in raisins appear to help fight cavities by inhibiting the growth of certain types of oral bacteria. Raisins also prevent the bacteria from sticking to teeth. Keep your teeth healthy by brushing and flossing every day, having regular dental checkups and professional teeth cleanings, and choosing smile-friendly snacks.
Eating a diverse diet that includes 4 servings of fruit per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.
Raisins are high in heart-healthy nutrients called flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that also may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and some forms of dementia. A recent study suggests raisins may have dental health benefits as well. Researchers isolated compounds in raisins shown to inhibit bacteria such as cavity-causing S. mutans as well as P. gingivalis, which play a role in periodontal disease. Other beneficial compounds in raisins prevented S. mutans from sticking to teeth, which also could help thwart cavities. More research is needed to confirm these findings. In the meantime, munching on raisins is not a substitute for good oral hygiene. Stay on top of regular brushing, flossing, and dental screening visits to keep your mouth healthy.
2. Health at Every Size
Healthy living beats skinny living hands down.
In a recent study, obese women who focused on being healthy, regardless of their size, achieved greater long-lasting health benefits than women who focused on dieting. When you change your eating and exercise habits, make improving your health your primary goal, and take the focus off the bathroom scale.
Eating a diverse diet that is low in calories and high in nutrients can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.
Many of the same choices that improve health also can lead to weight loss. However, if you focus on weight loss, you may feel discouraged by your appearance or by slow progress. In a recent study of 78 obese women, researchers found that the women who focused on being healthy at any size achieved marked, long-lasting health improvements, while the women who participated in a diet intervention group did not. In the health-at-any-size group, women learned to eat intuitively, responding to internal cues of hunger and satiety while avoiding dieting behavior. Women in the diet group did lose weight and achieve certain health gains initially, but they failed to sustain either by the end of the 2-year follow-up period. Also, 41 percent of the study participants in the diet group dropped out. By comparison, women in the health-at-any-size group did not lose weight, but they achieved and sustained other physical and psychological improvements by the end of the study, including reduced blood pressure, better blood lipids, enhanced self-esteem, and less depression. Only 8 percent of these participants dropped out of the study. Although weight loss is important to your health if you are overweight or obese, the study suggests adopting a healthy attitude toward eating, accepting your size, and avoiding yo-yo dieting may be some of the best ways to help you reach your long-term health goals.
3. Seeing Red
Cut back on red and processed meat to help keep your colon healthy.
Eating 160 grams or more of red or processed meat per day — the equivalent of about 5 and a half ounces — was associated with a significant increase in a person’s risk of colorectal cancer in a recent study. Try poultry, fish, dry beans, egg whites, tofu, or nuts for an alternative to red meat that is still rich in protein.
Eating a diet low in saturated and trans fats can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.
Unlike eating red meat, eating fish was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in a recent study. Eat at least one serving of fish per week and avoid fish varieties that are known to be high in mercury contamination, such as long-lived, predatory fish. In a recent study, people who ate the most hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs, and processed meats had the highest risk of developing colorectal cancer. The only meat in the study with no influence on colorectal cancer risk was poultry.
4. Love Those Limonoids
There’s a new reason to love your morning glass of orange juice.
Orange juice and other sources of citrus are high in limonoids, phytochemicals that studies suggest inhibit the growth of certain types of cancer cells. While research confirming the benefits of limonoids continues, go ahead and drink up; orange juice also is high in heart-healthy potassium, folate, and vitamin C.
Eating a diverse diet that includes 4 servings of fruit per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.
Limonoids may help lower cholesterol by inhibiting the synthesis of certain proteins. For example, lab tests with human liver cells reveal limonoids may reduce the synthesis of apolipoprotein B, a protein related to high cholesterol. Results from several animal studies suggest limonoids — phytochemicals found in citrus fruit and citrus fruit juices — may arrest the growth of malignant mouth, skin, colon, and lung tumors as well. Other results from human cell studies suggest limonoids may inhibit the growth of neuroblastoma and breast cancer cells. Also, these citrus compounds appear to stimulate detoxification enzymes in the body, which may help explain the health benefits of these compounds. A recent study of the body’s ability to absorb, metabolize, and use citrus limonoids confirmed their bioavailability in humans.
5. Herb of the Hour
A popular herb may help make cooking red meat safer.
Cooking meats may create carcinogenic compounds, especially if the meat is cooked at a high heat. However, a recent study reveals rosemary may minimize those compounds. In the study, adding a bit of rosemary extract to hamburger patty mixtures before cooking helped reduce the formation of the harmful substances
Cooking beef, chicken, pork, and fish at high temperatures results in the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), compounds that can cause genetic mutations that may increase the risk of colorectal, esophageal, prostate, and breast cancers. In a recent study, researchers compared the effects of rosmarinic acid and rosemary extract antioxidant powder on the formation of HCAs in ground beef patties fried at different temperatures for different amounts of time. Researchers found that antioxidants in both rosmarinic acid and rosemary extract reduced the formation of HCAs. To make cooked meat healthier, use the lowest temperature possible to raise the meat’s temperature to the appropriate point to kill all food-borne pathogens. Turning the meat often on the skillet, grill, or broiling pan will help reduce the risk of overcooking and creating harmful compounds. Avoid eating overcooked or charred meats.
