November 5, 2000- Vitamin C Helps Prevent Strokes
The long-term, 20-year study of more than 2,000 people found that stroke risk is decreased with increased amounts of vitamin C in the bloodstream. Researchers examined strokes based on the number of days per week the participants ate fruits and vegetables; they found that the more Vitamin C that was consumed, reduced the number of strokes.

The vitamin C reduced the risk for cerebral infarctions, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked, and hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when an artery in the brain bursts. Higher concentrations of vitamin C provided benefits even in patients with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, heavier alcohol consumption, smoking or lower physical activity.
SOURCE: Medical Research Institute of Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Japan, ©2000

November 12, 2000- Fish Eyes
Protect your peepers from unnecessary aging. Set your sights on fish.

Researchers recently discovered that the healthy fats contained in fish may reduce your risk of getting age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older adults. In fact, study participants who consumed fish 1 to 3 times per month were half as likely to develop the disease compared to the participants who ate fish less often.
SOURCE: Real Age Health Information Systems, ©2000

November 19, 2000- Peas, Please
This Thursday during the big dinner, don't pass on the peas--these green gems deliver one of the highest doses of folate found in the garden.

In fact, peas contain 2 times more folate--a B vitamin that may help prevent heart disease--than is found in raw spinach. And bite for bite, peas rival spinach as a source of lutein, an antioxidant that may help protect against the eye disease macular degeneration. Peas also have more fiber than cooked broccoli and are an excellent source of vitamin C.
SOURCE: Real Age Health Information Systems, ©2000

November 26, 2000- Eat Your Heart Out
Once the turkey and trimmings are put away, don't let heartburn get you down. Raise your head and roll over.

If heartburn worsens when you try to sleep, try propping yourself up with pillows. Or, place thick books under the legs of the bed frame to lift the head of the mattress. The elevation will help quell the pain. If that doesn't work, try sleeping on your left side; this will help keep stomach acid from flowing back up the esophagus.
SOURCE: University of Michigan, ©2000