Category Archives: Food

CDC: Most Americans Get Plenty of Vitamins and Minerals

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Greg Asseff

Although obesity and malnourishment continue to be important issues in the U.S., a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has some good news: most Americans receive sufficient levels of essential vitamins and minerals, despite the fact that our diets can be questionable overall. In fact, the report states that less than 10% of individuals are deficient for the vast majority of nutrients.

At the same time, CDC researchers warned that deficiency rates vary according to a number of factors, including ethnicity, gender and age. Christine Pfeiffer, one of the lead researchers behind the recently published study conducted by the CDC National Center for Environmental Health, said that the medical community needs to increase their effort to reign in the highest nutrient deficiency rates.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies | 14 Comments

Chocolate Eaters Have Lower BMIs, Study Shows

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Greg Asseff

If you like chocolate, you’ll love this: a new study shows that individuals who regularly eat chocolate have lower body mass indexes (BMI) than people who eat chocolate less frequently.

Your BMI is a comparison between your height and your weight, and is typically relied upon as a general indicator of whether you’re overweight. BMI scores matter little for athletes and strength trainers, who usually weigh more than their same-height peers due to additional muscle mass.

The researchers involved in the chocolate lower BMI study were especially surprised at their conclusions given that the participants who ate chocolate most frequently also tended to consume the most calories, and didn’t make up for these extra calories through additional exercise.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Health Facts, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 5 Comments

Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Death Risk for Elderly Women

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Greg Asseff

With summer on the not-so-distant horizon, the health and fitness news headlines are sure to be filled with advice regarding vitamin D, the nutrient produced by your body when it’s exposed to the sun. This being said, vitamin D is different than the other essential vitamins since our own bodies are able to manufacture it when it is exposed to sunlight. The primary function of vitamin D is to regulate the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in our bones and to assist in promoting cell to cell communication throughout the entire body.

To kick things off a couple of months early, researchers from Austria’s Medical University of Graz have completed a vitamin D deficiency in elderly persons study finding that elderly women can reduce their death risk by ensuring that they maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies, Women | 3,526 Comments

Study Links White Rice with Type 2 Diabetes

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Greg Asseff

Individuals who eat white rice too frequently put themselves at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a newly published study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

According to the results of the study, individuals who consumed three servings of white rice per day were significantly more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. In fact, the researchers concluded that each additional serving of white rice that was consumed per day increased the risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes by 11%.

This being said, Type 2 diabetes, once referred to as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. Approximately 90% to 95% of the 26 million Americans with diabetes have Type 2 Diabetes.

Unlike individuals with type 1 diabetes, the bodies of individuals who suffer from type 2 diabetes make insulin. However, either their pancreas does not produce a sufficient amount of insulin or the body cannot process the insulin well enough. This event is defined as insulin resistance.

When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or the insulin is not utilized as it should be, glucose (sugar) can not get into the various cells of the body. Furthermore, when the glucose accumulates in the blood, instead of going into the cells, the body’s cells are compromised and are unable to function properly.

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Stomach Flu Deaths Have Doubled Since 1999

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Greg Asseff

According to a recent study, deaths resulting from the stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, have doubled between the years of 1999 and 2007. As a result, researchers are recommending that individuals take extra precautions with their personal hygiene, especially when preparing food. The research comes courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Often times, individuals mistake the symptoms associated with the stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, as a viral infection that is typically called the flu. However, the stomach flu is not the same thing as the flu. Instead, the stomach flu is a gastrointestinal illness that can be caused by a number of factors including bacteria, viruses and parasites. The flu, on the other hand, which include symptoms associated with congestion, fever, muscle aches, and fatigue, is caused by viruses only.