subject: Would It Be Healthier To Eat Our Words? [print this page] Based on a computer modeling analysis, researchers projected that if teenagers reduced their salt intake by 3,000 milligrams daily, they would reduce high blood pressure 30%-43% when they were age 50. Other adult benefits of this salt reduction would include a 7%-12% reduction in coronary heart disease, an 8%-14% reduction in heart attacks and a 5%-8% reduction in stroke. The American Heart Association recommends limiting salt intake to 1,500 milligrams. However, nacho-snacking, pizza-eating teenagers consume more than 3,800 milligrams - more than any other age group. Obviously, adulthood would be better for teens if they took life "with a grain of salt".
Yale University has good news for parents who don't want to serve their children high-sugar cereals. In a study involving 91 school-aged children, about half of the children were given sugary cereals and the others were given low-sugar cereals. Both groups were allowed to add sugar and fruit. Although the children in the low-sugar group added more sugar, as well as fruit, to their cereal, the children in the sugary group ate almost twice as much refined sugar. According to Mary Poppins, a spoonful of sugar helps medicine go down. It helps healthier cereals go down too.
Unfortunately, there's more bad news about sugary drinks. Participants in the 22-year Nurses' Health Study who drank 1 fructose-sweetened soda daily were 74% more likely to develop gout than those who drank less than one monthly. Gout is an inflammatory condition caused by elevated uric acid levels in the blood that are deposited in the joints. Orange juice also seemed to be a risk factor for this disease. Although gout is primarily a male disease, women over age 70 are especially susceptible to it. For those who like sugary drinks, this new information about fructose-sweetened drinks isn't "sweet talk".
However, there is good news about cranberries. In addition to being high in vitamin C, cranberries are high in polyphenols, which have antioxidant effects. Antioxidants are compounds that prevent or slow oxidation in the body. That's why they are called "anti-aging" compounds. Anthocyanins, which give cranberries their color, have both antioxidant power and reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer. Cranberries help prevent infection too. They contain compounds that help prevent bacteria like E-coli and staph from sticking to cells. They also fight urinary infections. Considering all this, it seems cranberries are very appropriate for " thanks giving".
