Most people have experienced the agony associated with food poisoning, but just how dangerous can it be?

Approximately 11 million cases of foodborne illness are found in Canada each year.  Foodborne illness is commonly referred to as “food poisoning” and occurs after an individual eats food that is contaminated with germs including bacteria, viruses and parasites.  Common culprits that make people sick are: Listeria, E. coli, Vibrio, and Salmonella.  Common symptoms of food poisoning include: stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, sweating and/or fever.  Symptoms usually begin within 72 hours after eating the contaminated food; however, symptoms, in some cases, can appear much quicker.  While most people recover fully from food poisoning, some people do suffer more serious symptoms such as brain and blood infections.  In some cases, food poisoning can even be fatal.

Individuals with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk of contracting foodborne illnesses.  Patients that have weakened immune systems have a harder time fighting off infection caused by common bacteria.  Therefore, they are more likely to become sick after eating contaminated food.

So, who is at risk?

Elderly people and children should take special care when dealing with food, as this category is especially at risk. But the following groups of individuals are also likely to have weakened immune systems and should use caution as well:

-Cancer – this risk is increased if the person is undergoing chemotherapy or radiation
- Alcoholism
-Diabetes
-HIV/AIDS
-Organ transplant recipients
-Auto-immune diseases (i.e. Lupus)
-Pregnancy

If you are affected by any of these conditions, you should take extra precaution when buying, storing, preparing and cooking foods. Read on to learn tips to help prevent food poisoning:

Shopping

-       Keep your raw meat, poultry and seafood away from other food in your shopping cart
-       Put raw meat, poultry and seafood in the small clear plastic bags provided
-       Buy cold or frozen meat, poultry and seafood at the end of your shopping trip
-       Pack raw meat, poultry and seafood separately from other food
-       Wash reusable bags regularly and have separate, labeled bags for raw meat, poultry     and seafood

Storing

-       Your fridge temperature should be at 4°C (39°F) or lower and your freezer should be at -18°C (0.4 °F) or lower
-       Always keep meat, poultry and seafood cold – refrigerate as soon as you get home from the grocery store
-       Always store meat, poultry and seafood away from other food in your refrigerator, and use separate containers for storage in order to avoid cross-contamination

Cooking

-       Always cook raw meat, poultry and fish to a safe internal temperature (use of a digital thermometer is recommended.
-veal, beef, pork and lamb – 71°C (159°F) (medium)
- poultry – 74°C (165°F)(pieces) and 85°C (whole)
- ground beef, lamb, pork and/or lamb – 71°C (159°F)
- ground poultry – 74°C (165°F)
- egg dishes – 74°C (165°F)
- seafood, hotdogs, leftovers, etc. – 74°C (165°F)

Cleaning
-     Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching raw meat
-     Always clean kitchen surfaces, utensils and other cooking materials after use
-     Clean or replace reusable bags regularly

In addition to the recommended safe handling and cooking of food mentioned above, it is recommended that individuals with a weakened immune system should avoid eating:

-       Deli meats
-       Soft cheeses
-       Uncooked sprouts
-       Uncooked shellfish
-       Pate
-       Unpasteurized fruit juices and ciders

If a person with a weak immune system chooses to eat fruit and veggies, they should be cooked.  However, if eaten raw, they should be washed and peeled, especially if grown in the ground. This reduces the chance of suffering from the nasty effects of food poisoning.

It is important for everyone, but especially for those with weak immune systems, to be careful when dealing with food, especially raw meat, poultry and fish. A little care can go a long way to prevent the unwanted symptoms of food poisoning!

It’s one of the top 10 causes of death in North America.  So it makes sense that everything possible is being done to try and slow down or prevent this progressive form of dementia.

Prevention could be as easy as making a few alterations to your diet. Researchers with the University of Pittsburg Medical Center have discovered that regularly consuming baked or broiled fish may play a major role in reducing your chances of developing Alzheimer’s.

Study participants who ate fish at least once a week experienced less brain-cell loss. They also had better short-term memory and performed the tasks involving memory more efficiently.

It may come as a shock that a disease that claims as many patients as Alzheimer’s could be slowed and prevented by just eating more fish products. But a study in the Neurology Journal says nutrition could play as strong a role as other factors like age, education and history of high blood pressure.

In the Neurology Journal study it was found that those who had high levels of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids (both found in salmon, tuna, and other fatty fish), as well as appropriate intake of vitamins C and E (antioxidants found in fruits and green vegetables) appeared less likely to have cognitive difficulties. Researchers also found that those who had blood markers that indicated high levels of trans fats such as margarine and the unhealthy oils found in processed foods – were more likely to have memory loss and brain shrinkage.

For the thinking and memory scores, the nutrient biomarkers accounted for 15% of the variation in the scores. Other factors such as age, number of years of education, and high blood pressure accounted for 50% of the variation. For brain volume, the nutrient biomarkers accounted for 35% of the variation.

Previous research has shown that a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, fish, and fruit and light on red meat, high-fat dairy, and trans-fats confers benefits in delaying cognitive decline.

The research, however, didn’t distinguish between nutrient levels between whole foods as opposed to supplements. With this information missing it’s tough to say whether people can simply take a supplement to reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s or whether they need to rely on a more complicated means of acquiring a nutrient-rich diet.

The benefits of the Omega-3 fish oils don’t stop with Alzheimer prevention. Here are a few other reasons why Omega-3 should be incorporated into your diet where possible:

1.  Improves cardiovascular health.
2.  Reduces heart attack and strokes.
3.  Reduces depression and psychosis.
4.  Increases both male and female fertility.
5.  Improves pregnancy health.
6.  Lowers incidence of childhood disorders.
7.  Decreases the chance of osteoporosis.

The American Cancer Society is reporting that college graduates are considerably less likely than high school graduates to die from cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be almost 2 million new cancer cases in the United States this year, and of those cancer cases almost 600,000 people will die. It also notes that overall cancer death rates have been dropping in the last 10 years, but the decline has been greater for some groups more than others.

The research study says the least educated men died of cancer at rates more than 2 ½ times that of men with college degrees. For women, the numbers also suggest a widening gap.

Elizabeth Ward, who oversees research done by the American Cancer Society says, “people with college degrees are seeing a significant drop in cancer death rates, while people who have spent less time in school are seeing little improvement and sometimes none at all.”

However, Ward was quick to explain that, “just because we’re measuring education doesn’t mean we think education is the sole reason for these differences.”

Some experts believe that the differences have to do with a number of factors including education, how much people earn and the area where they reside. With that being said, it can’t be ignored that the cancer death rate and its connection to education is striking.

For women, the rate was 59 deaths per 100, 000 for the most educated group, and 119 deaths per 100, 000 for the least educated. For all types of cancer among men, there were about 56 deaths per 100, 000 for those with at least 16 years of education compared to 148 deaths per 100, 000 for those with less schooling.

People with a high school education or less died at a rate four to five times higher than those with at least four years of college education. The research shows the most shocking gap when it comes to lung cancer.

Studies have suggested that less educated people are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like over eating (possibly leading to obesity), smoking, and drinking. All of which are contributing factors that could ultimately lead to cancer.

And if all this wasn’t enough to cause concern, the study claims that people with less education often end up in lower income jobs which don’t come with adequate health insurance. Even more shocking is that there are millions of people in the United States who don’t have any health insurance at all, and these people are often diagnosed when it might be too late.

Obesity is a growing concern in Canada with approximately 1 in 4 Canadians suffering from obesity.  Obesity is linked to an array of health concerns, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even some types of cancer among others.  Society is starting to take note of this problem and many companies are trying to capitalize on this growing epidemic.  There is a variety of diet fads out there that promise results, usually with a significant price tag associated.  But, is there anything out there that can naturally help with weight loss? Yes blueberries!

If you are trying to lose weight, adding blueberries to your diet may be a great idea.  Blueberries are a delicious, sweet, weight loss aide for a number of reasons.  They are low in calories, low in carbohydrates and are full of important nutrients. One cup of blueberries is only 81 calories! Blueberries contain approximately 30% vitamin C, 20% manganese, 15% dietary fiber and 8% vitamin E.  Blueberries can be useful to limit food cravings and weight gain.  Blueberries have a high fiber content which has two significant effects.  Fiber makes us feel fuller faster and longer because fiber stays in our stomachs longer. Blueberries have a “satiating” effect which means that they provide a “full” feeling to your stomach. Secondly, fiber helps to move fat through your digestive tract faster, so less of it will be absorbed.

Blueberries also have antioxidant properties which help to detoxify and improve immune function which helps to fight off disease. When picking blueberries, remember that the more colour they have, the more antioxidants they carry.  Pick blueberries that are firm and that have a bright blue colour.

All of the benefits mentioned can be obtained through eating fresh or frozen blueberries. Blueberries are widely available and can be found in most grocery stores year-round. During the months from May to October, blueberries are most plentiful and are cheaper at this time.

In addition to the weight loss effect that blueberries have, they may provide a vast number of other health benefits including:

-          Lowers blood cholesterol

-          Promotes gastrointestinal health (helps with diarrhea and constipation)

-          Protects against certain cancers (colon and ovarian)

-          Protects the eyes (macular degeneration)

-          Lowers risk of developing age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s

There are simple ways to include blueberries into your diet, including:

-          Snacking on them at work/school

-          Smoothies (either blueberries alone, or combined with other fruits)

-          Adding them to yogurt, cereal, and salads

-          Blueberry pies and jams (however, minimize the added preservatives)

While blueberries are a simple and easy food to add to your weight loss diet, eating blueberries alone will most likely not make you achieve your weight loss goals.  Keep in mind that a healthy diet, including blueberries, combined with an active lifestyle will help you to achieve and sustain a healthy weight…good luck!

Mango — it’s a tasty fruit. But did you know that its peel could offer some health benefits,  too? It’s true! Researchers have discovered that the bit that most of us throw out could be  extremely valuable.

The mango is a tropical fruit. Not surprisingly, it grows on the mango tree. It’s believed to  have originally come from Southern and Southeast Asia. This “food of the gods” is shaded yellow, orange and red. It’s very popular — said to be the most commonly eaten fruit in the world. The sweet flesh of the mango contains lots of vitamins A, B and C. But what about the peel?

The mango peel is actually considered dangerous to eat. So do not chomp on this stuff thinking you’ll boost your health. The mango is related to poison ivy. Some people  experience a skin allergy when they touch the peel. If ingested, the peel could also cause  allergic reactions.

Nevertheless, Indian researchers decided to analyze mango peel. The goal? To see if all that wasted peel could be used for something. The researchers looked at the peel content of two different types of mango. These were “Raspuri” and “Badami.” What did they find? They noted that the mango peel contained good amounts of anthocyanins and carotenoids. The ripe peels had higher levels of these than the unripe peels did. But the unripe mango  peel packed a great polyphenol punch.

Now, let’s take a closer look at those ingredients. Anthocyanins and carotenoids are  pigments that provide color in plants and produce. They’re considered powerful  antioxidants. Many believe that antioxidants could help protect us from a slew of diseases and aging. Cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease are just a few examples. Polyphenols are natural chemicals found in plants. These are also thought to act as antioxidants. So, that’s a lot of protective power in a peel! When compared to the synthetic antioxidant BHA, the Raspuri mango peel came out on top. It had higher free radical scavenging activity. And that means disease- fighting potential.

This is a significant finding for all of us. Including companies that process mangoes and mango products. Mango peel accounts for a large amount of waste. So, making use of it would reduce some of the strain on our environment. And cut costs for mango product companies. And let’s not forget the potential health benefits! But until they come up with a mango peel extract that’s safe for consumption, just stick with the juicy mango fruit.

The “DASH” (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was specially created by U.S. health officials in an effort to specifically tackle hypertension. Low in fat and calorie-restricted, the DASH diet has been proven to lower one’s blood pressure levels in just two  weeks by eating certain foods. It is recommended by the American Heart Association, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and annual nutrition guidelines. Studies have proven that it is an cexcellent step toward improving circulatory health.

It is based on restricting yourself to 2,000 calories a day. DASH lays out the number of servings you should aim for in all food groups. Following these rules could help drive your blood pressure down, and thus lower your risk of heart disease. DASH calls for eight to 10  servings of fruit and vegetables each day — far more than the two or three most adults  currently get.

Here’s what DASH looks like on a serving-to-serving basis. The following rounds out to about 2,000 calories:

– Fruits: 4 to 5 servings each day
– Vegetables: 4 to 5
– Whole grains: 7 to 8
– Low-fat dairy: 2 to 3
– Meat, poultry, fish: 2 or less
– Nuts, seeds, beans: 4 to 5 per week
– Sweets: 5 or fewer a week
– Fats and oils: 2 to 3 a week

The DASH diet works in the walls of blood vessels. There are ingredients within some members of the produce aisle that account for the drop in blood pressure. The most integral ingredients are “nitrates,” found in leafy greens and beet root (to name just two),  which, in your body, produce nitric oxide. This is a molecule that relaxes your blood  vessels, which would naturally lower the pressure of blood flow. Nitrates prove that  vegetables could prevent heart disease.

Researchers have proven that nitrate independently drops blood pressure levels. Nitrate supplements could have about the same effect as the DASH diet. For those who have a history of cardiac problems or who are trying to battle hypertension, following the DASH  diet is a true medical tool.

While it’s hard to eat a huge amount of nitrate-rich foods, you can certainly help reverse hypertension by including  more of them in your daily diet. These include virtually all types of lettuce, celery, spinach, beets, potatoes, green cabbage, broccoli, watercress, carrots,  leeks, and radishes.

Exercise needs all the promotion it can get. Though the world knows of its importance to health, most individuals still find it hard to put in the time toward a little exercise. On that note, here are the results of two new studies to refocus our attention on fitness.

One new study, from the “British Journal of Sports Medicine,” found that doing small amounts of any type of exercise could improve mental health. That includes just 20  minutes a week! Though it should be noted that researchers found the harder the activity,  the greater the benefit.

Exercise strengthens the flow of blood to the brain, reduces inflammation and softens  tress. These three abilities could help prevent anxiety, depression and even dementia.

While it has long been known that exercise is good for the heart and helps prevent obesity  and type 2 diabetes, its link to mental health has been less clear. This study, with nearly  20,000 adults from Scotland, helps shed light on this topic.

Researchers found that fitness from any source, including sports, walking, gardening or  simple housework, was linked with 41% lower risk of mental distress. Sports trumped everything, though, by reducing the risk of stress and depression by 33%.

Mixing some housework with sporting activity is a good bet for improving one’s mental activity. This is believed to be the first study to look at how certain activities relate to mental health. It proved that this relationship does exist.

The other new study comes courtesy of the same UK medical journal. Researchers found that anyone who does aerobic activity over a long period of time could delay their body’s natural aging process by up to a dozen years. What happens is that jogging, bicycling and other forms of aerobic activity improve how the body consumes oxygen and generates energy.

Around middle age, the body’s ability to perform aerobic fitness decreases by a certain measure every 10 years. When this falls below a certain point, it is hard to perform
fitness without becoming quickly exhausted. A person at age 60 has about half the “maximal aerobic power” that he or she had at age 20.

But if that person maintains solid aerobic exercise over the long term, it boosts that aerobic power. It boosts it to the equivalent of 10 to 12 biological years. It does so by making the  body more efficient at taking in oxygen and staying energized.

Lead is a heavy metal that, 30 years ago, was quite
prevalent in our society. You could suffer from lead
exposure by coming into contact with a number of
substances. Lead exposure is harmful to your body. If lead
accumulates there, medical experts say it can increase
blood pressure, and cause fertility problems, nerve
disorders, muscle and joint pain, and irritability.

A new study has found that exposure to higher levels of
environmental lead earlier in life can take a toll on the
aging brain. Researchers at Harvard analyzed lead levels
and cognitive scores in almost 600 women from the Boston
area. The research team found that women aged 47 to 74
who tested positive for lead in their blood did worse on
cognitive tests than those who showed no signs of lead
exposure. When you have lead in your blood, this indicates
that you have been recently exposed to the metal. When
you have lead in your bones, it means that you have had
multiple exposures to the metal over the course of your life
span.

The researchers noted that regulatory changes phased out
higher lead content in products such as gasoline during the
1980s. This means that anyone born after that time period
should have relatively low lead levels in their body. In the
study, only those women with lead found in their tibia
bone, a result of long-ago exposure, scored poorly on
cognitive tests.

The researchers concluded that the findings of the study are
important because of the long-range impact on health for
the aging population. When your brain is impaired by lead
poisoning, you can increase your risk for suffering from
dementia, physical disability, hospitalization and reduced
quality of life.

It would be wise to be aware of potential sources of lead
exposure. Older house hold paint that can contain lead. Up
until 1978, lead paint was commonly used inside and
outside houses. It has been estimated that there are about 38
million homes in the U.S. that still contain lead paint.
When this paint deteriorates and starts to crumble and
flake, it can get into household dust and become airborne. It
can also contaminate the soil around your home. As many
as 24 million homes in the U.S. may have lead-
contaminated dust being tracked around the house and
floating in the air that is being breathed indoors.

One other common source of lead exposure is soil. The past
use of leaded gasoline has resulted in vehicle emissions that
have settled into soil, especially near busy roads and
highways. If you are planting a backyard vegetable garden,
it might be a good idea to have the soil tested for lead
before you start eating anything you’ve grown.

What’s truly frustrating about dealing with cancer is that
medicine’s best treatments can cause side effects that take a
real toll on quality of life. A new study shows that an
impossibly simple tool could help relieve nausea caused by
radiation treatment.

The study found that cancer patients who wore
“acupressure” wristbands had much less nausea while
receiving radiation. Researchers concluded, in the “Journal
of Pain and Symptom Management,” that the bands were
therefore a safe, low-cost addition to anti-nausea
medication.

In the past, it was surmised that the placebo effect may be
at the root of why elastic wristbands seemed to reduce
nausea. Essentially, if the person’s mind expects something
to happen, then they believe it is happening. But this latest
study by University of Rochester Medical Center
researchers doesn’t follow suit with that idea.

Acupressure is an ancient practice from Traditional
Chinese Medicine and is a close sibling to acupuncture.
Except here there are no needles involved, just touch or
pressure on specific “acupoints” on the body.

Researchers tried to reduce the placebo effect by
manipulating information they gave to patients in an effort
to change their expectations about nausea. Still, they found
that they could not alter the expectations at all. On the other
hand, wristbands did succeed in reducing nausea
symptoms.

In the study, 88 people were place in one of in three groups.
All had reported some degree of nausea after receiving at
least two radiation treatments for cancer. Although
chemotherapy is more closely linked with producing
nausea and vomiting, radiation to the intestinal tract can
also cause nausea.

Patients without wristbands were a control group. Those
with wristbands were in one of two groups: 1) One that
received an informational handout explaining that, in
previous research, wristbands were found to reduce nausea.
The handout also showed two bar graphs reflecting a
reduction in nausea among people who wear the bands; 2)
One that also received a handout, but the information was
more neutral.

The results showed a 24% decrease in nausea among all
patients who wore wristbands. In the control group, it was
starkly different: five percent. There was virtually no
difference among the wristband groups, suggesting the
information was not important to the outcome.

In any event, these simple-to-wear acupressure wristbands
may be of great use to patients who are unfortunately
battling cancer and the side effects of its treatment.

There are two words for lowering cholesterol if you have type 2
diabetes. They might not spring to mind at first, but a new study
suggests that they just might work.

Sour tea.

Increasing evidence suggests that drinking sour tea (a.k.a.
Hibiscus sabdariffa) has hypoglycemic (helping regulate blood
sugar) and hypolipidemic (lowering cholesterol) effects. In this
way, the tea may benefit patients suffering from metabolic
disorders such as diabetes.

A new study has just investigated the cholesterol-lowering
possibilities of sour tea in patients with diabetes. Researchers
compared it to black tea. It was a randomized, controlled clinical
trial, where 60 diabetic patients were randomly assigned into
two groups: sour tea and black tea. They were instructed to
consume sour tea or black tea two times a day for one month.

At the beginning and the end of the study, researchers took
fasting blood samples to evaluate many different cholesterol
molecules. Fifty-three patients finished the study. Those
drinking sour tea watched their HDL cholesterol levels (the
good one) increase significantly by the end of the study. They
also experienced a significant decrease in total cholesterol, LDL
cholesterol (the bad one) and triglycerides (also bad). For those
drinking black tea, they did experience higher HDL levels, but
not the cholesterol-lowering effects.

The study concludes that sour tea “has a significant effect on
blood lipid profile in patients with diabetes.”

Along with your cup of sour tea each day, you might be
interested in the supplement chromium. It has well-established
anti-diabetic abilities, because it can improve insulin sensitivity.
And it regulates cholesterol for those with diabetes.

Now, it goes without saying that, after all the research that has
been done, chromium plays an essential role in insulin activity
and it is poorly absorbed through our diet. Therefore, taking
supplements is the sure way to have increased levels of the
mineral. Between 50 mg to 400 mg of chromium both enhances
the action of insulin and decreases fasting blood sugar levels.

One recent study even found which kind of chromium gives you
the best results. An analysis shows that “chromium picolinate” is
effective in improving control over blood glucose and
normalizing cholesterol levels in people who have type 2
diabetes. This type, at between doses of 200 micrograms and
1,000 micrograms a day, continually produces the best results.
Chromium picolinate may work better because the body absorbs
it more easily.

Any extra knowledge in the battle against diabetes is a bonus.