80 Percent of Americans Have No Idea Which Foods Contain Trans Fats

While most people in the United States now know that they should avoid trans fats, only 20 percent actually know which foods are likely to contain the dangerous ingredients, according to a survey conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado-Denver and published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.Trans fats, also known as hydrogenated oils, are artificially produced in the laboratory by adding extra hydrogen atoms to unsaturated vegetable oils. They have long been a favorite of the food industry for their increased shelf life over conventional oils. Unlike natural fats, however, trans fats have no nutritional value and drastically increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Like saturated fats, they increase the body's levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, but unlike those fats they also lower its levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol.Researchers surveyed 1,000 adult residents of the United States in 2007 about their knowledge of trans fats, and found that a full 92 percent had heard of the fats, compared with only 84 percent who had heard of them in 2006. Almost 75 percent of those who had heard of trans fats were aware that consumption of the fats raises the risk of heart disease.The researchers next asked people to list three foods that contain trans fats, but only 21 percent were able to do so -- nevertheless an improvement over 17 percent in 2006.While food companies are required to list trans fats on nutritional labels, a product can be listed as trans fat free if it contains less than five grams of the fats per serving. Any product containing "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils, however, contains trans fats. They are commonly used in baked and fried foods, although some manufacturers have started phasing out their use.Laws banning the use of trans fats in restaurants have been passed in a number of cities, including New York, as well as by the state of California.Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/.

Not-So-Sweet Treats

Turns out high-fructose corn syrup can mess with more than just your waistline. A recent study published in the journal Environmental Health found this widely used sweetener often contains traces of mercury, a toxic metal that interferes with the brain and nervous system and causes a host of health problems, particularly for children and pregnant women. Unfortunately, the sweet stuff is so prevalent, turning up in most sodas and scores of packaged goods, that the average American consumes an estimate 12 teaspoons of it every day. Read labels carefully before you toss anything into your cart.

34%

That's how much women can reduce their risk of age-related macular degeneration by supplementing with vitamin B6 and B12 in combination with folic acid.

Source: Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Eat Less, Remember More

German researchers report that cutting calories can improve memory and brain function. The researchers speculate that consuming fewer calories helps reduce levels of inflammation, a known risk factor for cognitive decline. Study participants cut 30 percent of their daily calories, which is 750 calories (about five and a half cans of cola) if you are consuming 2,500 calories a day.

2.94

Times more likely you are to develop a cold if you sleep fewer than seven hours a night, according to a study from Carnegie Mellon University.

15

Minutes of high intensity exercise needed to reduce blood sugar levels and risk of diabetes. When researchers had 16 men do 15 minutes of cycling sprints three days a week, they found that the men's insulin levels dropped 37 percent within teo weeks.

Allergies

It is that time of year again! I know you have seen them. They are everywhere! People rubbing their eyes, sneezing, sniffling and complaining. Some of them deny it saying, “I do not have allergies,” or, “I never had allergies before” and many others just try to grin and bear it. Knowingly or not, more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. The culprits in these most annoying conditions (i.e., the allergen) include some of the most ordinary things, such as cats, dogs, grass, dust, pollen, copper coins, nickel-coated earrings and buttons, insects and insect stings. I once met someone who told me they were allergic to air. I imagine if you are allergic to dust you might as well be allergic to air.
Despite the variety of substances that an individual can or may be allergic to, all allergies result from the same basic cause: an immune system that is unable to distinguish between the harmful and the friendly. This is an extremely important point. Many people have the misconception that it is the dust or the pollen (the allergen) that causes the allergic reaction. It is not! It is the body’s inability to adapt to the allergen that is the problem!!! If pollen was the problem, everyone would have allergic symptoms in the presence of pollen, and that is not the case. Rather, it is the body’s inability to adapt to the allergen that is the problem.
For example, an article in the newspaper noted that the pollen count was almost 50 times above what is considered normal to the Clean Air Council. The purpose of the article was to provide readers with tips on how to control allergic reactions, all of which boiled down to avoiding the allergen. The article noted that the high levels had caused reactions in people who had never experienced them before. At first glance, this might seem to suggest that indeed it is the pollen that is the cause of allergies. However, as long as there are still people who do not develop symptoms in the presence of these unusually high levels of pollen, then pollen is not the cause.
You see, everyone is born with a certain potential for adapting to pollen (as well as to every other allergen), and some have a greater potential to adapt than others. For those who express no symptoms when in the presence of high concentrations of specific allergens, it is because their bodies are working the way they should. Their bodies do not see pollen as harmful (which it is not) and consequently, do not declare war on it by trying to rush it out of the body by either sneezing or washing tears across the eyes. More importantly, while everyone is born with a different potential to adapt to allergens, some may have the potential to adapt but are not fully expressing it because of interference in their nervous systems caused by vertebral subluxations.
The medical world admits that the best way to treat any allergy is to avoid the allergens that cause it, but how does one avoid air or dust. We suggest that one of the best things you can do for allergies is to be sure your nervous system is free from interference so your body can work at its highest potential to recognize what is harmful and what is not.


We suggest that one of the best things you can do for allergies is to be sure your nervous system is free from interference so your body can work at its highest potential to recognize what is harmful and what is not.