Vital Wellness

There’s no doubt that antioxidants play an important role in almost every function of the body, but scientists have been zeroing in on antioxidants’ ability to defend against respiratory illnesses, such as allergies and asthma. Researchers found out where very few children suffer with allergies. They surveyed 690 chil­dren between the ages of 7 and 18 and gathered data from questionnaires that were completed by their parents.

The researchers discovered that those who ate fresh foods high in antioxidants, such as grapes, oranges, tomatoes, and nuts, were less likely to have wheezing and other respiratory symptoms. In yet another British study of over 2,500 middle-aged men, those who ate five apples a week had greater lung functioning than those who ate no apples. The researchers believed that healthy compounds found in apples, like anti­oxidants, have allergy-fighting effects. Read the rest of this entry »

Some doctors who treat people with allergies recommend that their patients get the Daily Value of magnesium, which is 400 milligrams.

That’s because population-based studies have suggested that low levels of dietary magnesium are associated with an increased risk of airway reactivity and respiratory symptoms. Research also indicates that high intake cf this essential mineral can improve lung function and reduce the risk of wheez­ing. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Value: 18 milligrams

Good Food Sources: Beef, Cream of Wheat cereal, baked potatoes, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, clams.

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There’s no doubt that many of us can use more iron than we’re getting. Roughly 20 percent of Americans are deficient in this mineral. The group most likely to be coming up short: women in their reproductive years.

Iron, which is absorbed in the intestines, comes in two forms: heme and non heme. Found in meats, the heme form is well absorbed. Men get about two-thirds of their iron needs met by heme iron; the amount varies for women. Nonheme iron is found in vegetables and isn’t as well absorbed. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Value: 400 micrograms

Good Food Sources: Fortified cereals, pinto beans, navy beans, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, okra, brussels sprouts.

Folic Acid Food Source

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Folic acid is a nutritional powerhouse that makes things happen within the body. It works with approximately 20 different enzymes to build DNA, the material that contains the genetic code for your body, and is essen­tial for normal nerve function.

It also seems to prevent heart disease and stroke by reducing the body’s levels of homocysteine, an artery-attacking chemical that accumulates in the blood of people who eat meats. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Value: 1,000 milligrams

Good Food Sources: Skim milk, nonfat yogurt, cheeses, collard greens, mustard greens, kale, broccoli, canned salmon with bones, sardines with bones, corn tortillas processed with lime, calcium-fortified orange juice

Calcium Sources

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By now, just about everyone knows that getting enough calcium helps prevent diseases such as osteoporosis. Less well known is just how cal­cium goes about doing this.

When you eat cheese or drink milk, the calcium in these foods is absorbed through your small intestine and into your blood. The amount of calcium in your blood is regulated by a substance called parathyroid hormone. When calcium intake is low, parathyroid hormone signals for bone to be broken down, releasing calcium into the bloodstream. “Diets with adequate calcium intake produce less parathyroid hormone, so that we conserve more calcium and more bone,” says professor of nutrition. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Value: 300 micrograms

Good Food Sources: Brewer’s yeast, barley, oat bran, soybeans, filberts, walnuts, peanuts, bananas, cauliflower, milk, egg yolks, salmon.

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Your nails are a disaster. They’ve been clipped, filed, and buffed, then I coated with polish. And they still look thin, brittle, and pathetic.

They will never appear in Vogue. But they do happen to be just about the first thing folks notice when you shake hands or pet their dogs. So what are you going to do? Read the rest of this entry »