May 7, 2000-Milk in Your Mug
If you take your coffee black, you may want to acquire a taste for drinking it with milk.

You're probably already aware that coffees and colas can substantially reduce the amount of calcium that your body can absorb.  But new research indicates that milk essentially offsets the effects of the caffeine, balancing the calcium loss it causes. According to a recent study, two tablespoons of milk per six ounces of coffee will do the trick. Nonfat or low-fat milk delivers the same benefits as whole milk--with a lot less saturated fat.

Consuming 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day can greatly reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
SOURCE:  InteliHealth, ©2000
 

May 14, 2000-Olive Oil And Hypertension
If you want to keep your blood pressure down, pour on the olive oil.  An Italian study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine finds that along with reductions in fat intake, a diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil could help hypertensive patients reduce the amount of blood pressure medications they have to take and, in some cases, could help them get off the medications.  While on the olive oil diet, the subjects were able to reduce their daily dose of blood pressure medication by 48 percent, compared to a 4 percent reduction in drug doses while on the sunflower diet.  And eight patients were able to stop taking blood pressure medication altogether while on the olive oil diet.  The researchers say olive oil may be beneficial for people with hypertension because it contains polyphenols, antioxidant compounds that may help dilate the arteries.
SOURCE:  InteliHealth, ©2000

May 21, 2000-Soothe Cycle Soreness
Love riding your bike but hate the bothersome backache?

Tipping the nose of your bike seat down a bit may eliminate the low back pain that plagues both recreational and racing cyclists--and even people who ride a stationary bike.  According to researchers, almost three-quarters of riders with back pain found that tipping their bike seats down 10 to 15 degrees relieved the incidence and magnitude of their backaches.  Adjusting the bike saddle shifts the angle between your pelvis and your spine to sufficiently ease the strain on the ligaments in your lower back.
SOURCE:  Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Israel, ©2000

May 28, 2000-Attack Arthritis With Antioxidants
How do you help keep your joints ache free and arthritis free? Antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies may be the answer.

Studies have shown that the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables may protect joints--especially the knee joint--from the ravages of osteoarthritis (OA). In particular, the antioxidants lutein and lycopene--both found in tomatoes--have been linked to a lower risk of OA. Other studies have demonstrated that people with high intakes of vitamin C and beta carotene, which can be found in red peppers, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, also had a reduced risk of knee pain and disease progression. Yet another antioxidant, vitamin E, which can be found in olive oil, wheat germ, and nuts, has been shown to ease arthritis pain better than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
SOURCE:  Real Age Health Systems, ©2000