Laurel on Health Food

Did you know that cooking meats (beef, poultry, fish, pork) at 350 degrees or more produces carcinogenic chemicals known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs)? These chemicals are harmful in our bodies and actually increase our risk of cancer.

But, I just read about a really cool study published in the Journal of Food Science. Researchers found that marinating meat with herbs and spices for an hour before grilling can reduce the HCA levels by as much as 88%. Study author J. Scott Smith, Ph.D. says the antioxidants found in herbs and spices may prevent the HCAs from forming. (Women’s Health, Dec. 2008, p. 26)

All I know is I love a good marinade, and now we know they can help protect your health too.  Women’s Health recommends using basil, sage, rosemary, marjoram, savory, thyme, or oregano in your marinade. If you plan to buy a pre-made one, just make sure to check the ingredient list for all natural stuff.

There are endless options for make-your-own marinades. Here’s an easy one from Jamie Oliver on The Food Network. It’s good on all different kinds of meat.

Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon Marinade

A recent study found that omega-3s can help keep you stay full and eat less. Researchers from the University of Navarra, University College Cork, and University of Iceland monitored hunger in over 200 overweight or obese volunteers for eight weeks. All the volunteers ate a low-calorie, balanced diet but some supplemented a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids, while others had a low dose of omega-3s.

The researchers published their findings in the journal Appetite. They wrote:

“The most important finding of this study is that subjects who eat a dinner rich in long chain omega-3 fatty acids feel less hunger and more full directly after and two hours after than their counterparts fed with the low long chain omega-3 fatty acids diet…This observation indicates that long chain omega-3 fatty acids modulate hunger signals.”

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a recent study that concluded low-fat dairy may prevent heart disease. The study looked at the diets of over 5,000 people. Those who drank one glass of low-fat milk each day had a 37% improvement in their kidney function. Women’s Health Magazine explains that the  “kidneys rely on strong blood vessels and circulation to function well, [and] their health can be a gauge of heart health.” (Women’s Health, Nov. 2008, p.28)

Lead study author Jennifer Nettleton, Ph.D. says the amino acids, calcium, and magnesium in milk may be the reasons milk is helpful in keeping the kidneys healthy. Low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese will offer you  the same nutrients if you’re not a big milk drinker.

A 2008 study from the Baylor College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School found that omega-3s in fish oil can help reduce inflammation by improving the body’s immunity response. Researchers found that blood vessels can form small lesions inside our bodies, and the “normal healing process is for these lesions to become inflamed, for the inflammation to cool down, and then for the lesions to heal.” But sometimes the lesion never heals because the inflammation never “cools down.”

Although the scientists concluded that aspirin is effective in reducing inflammation, they also found that omega-3s in fish oil and some vegetable sources are similarly effective.

To help prevent inflammation in your body over a long-term basis, take a fish oil supplment and include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet every day that you can.

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente Northern California published a new study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. They found that eating a diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables could significantly reduce your risk of getting cancer in your esophagus.

With over 900 participants in the study, the researchers measured intakes of vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene.  About one third of participants had a precursor to esophageal cancer (called Barrett’s esophagus), another third had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which causes the precursor, and the other third had neither condition.

The Kaiser researchers concluded that “antioxidant intake was inversely associated with the risk of developing Barrett’s oesophagus and that the effects appear to come mainly from dietary sources, rather than from supplemental sources.”

These findings provide more proof that fruits and vegetables are powerful disease fighters. Some produce with the highest antioxidant levels are berries (all kinds), apples, kale, spinach, and Brussels sprout.