An apple a day may be too much. According to the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 report, apples topped the list of produce most contaminated by pesticides - and that was after washing and peeling. Rounding out the top 5 most contaminated were celery, strawberries, peaches and spinach. Onions topped the list of lowest in pesticide residue, followed by sweet corn, pineapples, avocados and asparagus. By choosing 5 servings of fruits and vegetables from the clean list, most people can reduce the amount of pesticides consumed daily by 92%. However, even some organic produce tested positive for pesticides – which will leave consumers “bugged”.
Fish is good for the heart. However, how the fish is cooked is important. A study published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure followed the eating habits and health of about 85,000 postmenopausal women for an average of 10 years. Those who had 5 or more servings of fish weekly had a 30% lower risk of heart failure than women who rarely ate fish – but only if the fish was baked or broiled. Eating 1 serving of fried fish weekly was linked to a 48% higher risk of heart failure. Obviously, we shouldn’t get “hooked on” fried fish.
Alcohol, milk, tea and coffee all reduce diabetes risk. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed a link between moderate alcohol consumption and lower diabetes risk. In a 12-year study of more than 41,000 men, Harvard scientists found 1 serving of dairy a day decreased type 2 diabetes risk 9%. Chinese researchers found polysaccharides, a carbohydrate in tea, helped control blood glucose levels. A Swedish study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine determined insulin sensitivity improved in direct proportion to coffee consumption – each daily cup decreasing the risk of insulin resistance 16%. So … drink to your health!
Finally, coffee may lower men’s risk of prostate cancer. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute followed approximately 48,000 men for 22 years, with the men reporting every 4 years about how much coffee they drank. Men drinking 6 or more cups daily – caffeinated or decaffeinated – had a 20% lower risk of prostate cancer than men who didn’t drink coffee and a 60% lower risk of lethal prostate cancer. The fact that coffee is also linked to lower risks of Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes and liver cancer may put more “bucks” in Starbucks.
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