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Will An
Apple A Day Keep The Doctor Away?
Source: NewsRx.com
People would eat sweet potatoes on more days
than Thanksgiving if Susie Nanney, PhD, acting
director of the Obesity Prevention Center at
St. Louis University, had her way.
"People aren't eating the fruits and vegetables
that contain the most nutrients," said Nanney,
who is the author of new research in the March
2004 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic
Association. "People are quite frankly confused
about nutrition. I feel their pain."
Most Americans recognize a healthy diet should
include at least five fruits and vegetables,
but they're not making the most nutritious choices
because messages about what to eat are unclear,
the research finds.
The most popular fruits and vegetables - corn,
potatoes, iceberg lettuce, apples and bananas
- aren't as rich in nutrients as other foods.
"While people understand they should eat
a variety of fruits and vegetables each day,
they are not translating 'variety' in a way to
capture health benefits, such as reducing their
risk of developing chronic diseases," Nanney
said. "I'm just asking them to expand their
interpretation of diets."
Nanney, a dietitian, noted that U.S. Department
of Agriculture, the Department of Health and
Human Services, the American Cancer Society,
the American Heart Association and other health
groups offer conflicting messages about which
fruits and veggies are most nutritious.
"You can see how the public gets confused
by inconsistency in the messages," she said.
In other words, they don't know what's best
for them. Research shows that eating fruits and
vegetables that are rich in vitamins A and C,
beta carotene and fiber - the so-called "powerhouse"
fruits and veggies - reduces the risk of chronic
diseases. Yet, Nanney said, people don't know
which foods work better than others.
"Until nutrition messages become more
consistent and direct, we may not see improvements
in powerhouse vegetable and fruit intake behaviors
to any great extent," she said.
So how do you know which fruits and veggies
have the most power in keeping you healthy?
The veggies and fruits that do the best job
in reducing the health risk for chronic disease
are dark green leafy vegetables, yellow/orange,
citrus and cruciferous.
But even those guidelines can be confusing
so Nanney suggested thinking about color to pack
nutritional power in your diet:
1) White: Eat cauliflower more often than potatoes,
onions and mushrooms.
2) Green: Add more dark lettuces, such as romaine
and red leaf lettuce, spinach, broccoli and Brussels
sprouts to replace iceberg lettuce and green
beans.
3) Yellow/orange: Substitute more carrots, winter
squashes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges
and grapefruit for corn or bananas.
4) Red: Select tomatoes, red peppers and strawberries
in favor of apples.
"When we look at how to get the most bang
for your buck, the most power, it's by eating
these other fruits and vegetables instead of
the traditional choices," Nanney said. This
article was prepared by Biotech Week editors
from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004,
Biotech Week via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.
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© 2004 NewsRx.com. All Rights Reserved.;;©Copyright
2004, Biotech Week via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net
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