10 Health and Nutrition Facts You Should Know!

Here are 10 important "health and nutrition" headlines from the February 2008 issue of Fitness Rx:

1. Fish Oil Cuts Stroke Risk in Women - fish oil prevents blood clots, thins the blood, lowers blood cholesterol and improves blood sugar regulation.
   
2. Green Tea Supplement Prevents Colds and Flu - a study of a product called Immune Guard, which contains compounds from green tea extract was shown to reduce the length of cold and flu symptoms by 36%.
   
3. Green Tea Prevents Bone Loss in Older Women - a recent Australian study showed that older women who drank green tea were better able to maintain bone density in the hip than were women who did not drink green tea.
   
4. Exercises That Build Bone - The best exercises at building bone are high impact or weight-bearing (involving rapid changes in direction) recreational sports, weight training and plyometrics (bounce exercises like skipping rope).
   
5. Yogurt Prevents Weight Gain - Although still a matter of debate, calcium-rich foods are thought to control appetite and yogurt is believed to impede the absorption of nutrients/calories into the bloodstream.
   
6. Probiotics Increase Good Cholesterol - German researchers found that women who consumed probiotics yogurt containing L. acidophilus had a 10% increase in good (HDL) cholesterol. HDL cholesterol protects blood vessels from disease.
   
7. Whole Grain Consumption and Body Fat - According to British researchers, there was no relationship found between consumption of whole grains and overall body fat. However, people who don't consume whole grains are twice as likely to be obese than are those who consume more than 16g per day. That's because whole grains are fiber-rich and filling and thus reduce overall daily consumption of calories.
   
8. Calories Rather Than Carbohydrates Promote Obesity - A study by a well-known fat loss guru showed that overweight people actually eat fewer carbohydrates but consume more calories than thin people. Consuming complex carbohydrates will help control your appetite and help you to lose weight.
   
9. Glycemic Index and Load Not Linked to Diabetes - British researchers over a 13 year study found no relationship between glycemic index and glycemic load and the incidence of diabetes. In fact, they found that people who consumed more carbohydrates (higher glycemic load meals - I assume complex carbohydrates here), were at a reduced risk of diabetes.
   
10. High Fructose Sweeteners Promote Heart Disease - The sweeteners found in your favorite cola are made up of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is also added to many breakfast cereals as well. HFCS increases LDL (bad) cholesterol that can lead to heart disease, as well as obesity.
    

If you haven't yet gotten a subscription to FitnessRx, I highly recommend it.

Have a great night!

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International