HEALTHY WHITE: Oktober 2009

Not unexpectedly, the news media embraced and eagerly reported the latest revelation about the health benefits of red wine. The study, published in the online journal PLoS One this week, hinted that resveratrol, an antioxidant compound found in the skins and seeds of wine grapes, can boost cardiovascular health and slow aging in mice at lower doses than previously thought. Earlier studies have suggested that resveratrol helped mice run farther, stay slender, and stave off diabetes and cancer.

This buzz about red wine reminds me of the media’s enthusiastic coverage of dark chocolate's effects. Several studies have suggested the antioxidant flavanols in dark chocolate can improve blood vessel function and reduce blood pressure.

Any story about red wine or dark chocolate, especially one that gives people an excuse to indulge, is going to be well-received. As I write this, the New York Times article on the recent red wine study has been hovering near the top of the newspaper’s list of most popular online stories.

But as we swash down red wine and gobble bon bons, we may be inclined to forget that, along with all those antioxidants comes a good dose of alcohol and saturated fat. Excessive alcohol consumption (more than two daily drinks for men or more than one daily for women) can lead to liver disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And recent studies suggest that one or two drinks a day may increase the risk of breast cancer.

And don’t forget the caveats associated with some of these studies. In most of the resveratrol studies (a notable exception being the recent PLoS study) mice were given massive quantities of compound. A human would have to guzzle at least several bottles of red wine a day to obtain a similar amount. And to reap the benefits of cocoa, you have to eat dark chocolate (preferably containing 70 percent cocoa), which tends to be bitter. With creamier chocolate the milk binds to the antioxidant compounds, making them unavailable to the body.

Finally, it is worth noting that the recent red wine study was partially financed by the Swiss DSM Nutritional Products, “the world's leading supplier of vitamins, carotenoids and other fine chemicals to the feed, food, pharmaceutical and personal care industries,” according to the company’s website. Similarly, several studies on cocoa flavanols have been funded by Mars Inc., the maker of chocolate products. So while it's tempting to toast to the promising results from these studies, the bottom line is more bittersweet.

By Coco Ballantyne
Photo by miss karen

Providing information or promoting drugs?

On 12 September, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials released finalized recommendations for drug makers that wish to provide medical literature to doctors about unapproved uses of their products. It's no small matter, since over 20% of US prescriptions are written for ‘off-label uses’.

Earlier guidelines required companies to commit to submitting an application to the FDA for the unapproved use before sharing peer-reviewed journal articles or reference publications about it. However, the new recommendations permit sales representatives to share data about uses that companies don't plan to submit for FDA review.

Additionally, the finalized version of the new guidelines does not require that drug companies provide peer-reviewed materials that reach different conclusions about the unapproved use.

The revised policy recommends that that peer-reviewed materials given to doctors are not “marked, highlighted, summarized, or characterized by the [company] in any way”. Such actions could be considered ‘off-label promotion’ of drugs, which is what US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly did when it used catchy slogans to persuade doctors to prescribe the antipsychotic Zyprexa for unauthorized use in elderly patients (Lilly pleaded guilty to violating US law on 15 January). This practice is still illegal. However, I doubt the relaxed guidelines will help companies provide an unbiased view of their drug’s safety and clinical effectiveness—something that certain companies apparently need help with.

Photo by zimpenfish

Pediatric placebos

When I was a small child, I had an earache, so I asked my dad for a Band Aid. The source of my discomfort was an inner ear infection, so antibiotics would have been more on the mark—but a Band Aid seemed better than nothing. The placebo effect is powerful.

As reported in the New York Times this week, there is now a placebo pill designed for children that you can buy. The product is called Obecalp (placebo spelled backwards) and available online for $5.95 a bottle. Each cherry-flavored chewable Obecalp tablet is essentially a lump of sugar in a medicinal disguise. “Invented by a mommy,” says the website advertisement, featuring a headshot of the product’s inventor, a mother of three from Severna Park, Maryland. The implication is that, if a mom came up with the idea, then it must be okay to give fake meds to your children.

But how will mom (or dad) explain the situation when their children discover that the magical tablets they received for headaches, stomachaches and sore throats were always a hoax? The use of placebos sends an uncertain message to children. They will eventually know that their parents deceived them. Moreover, there is something unnerving about looking to pills for the answer to every ailment. There are other ways to comfort children. In some cases they simply need a dose of attention to feel better. Perceived physical ailments may also be a sign of emotional or mental distress that a sugar tablet cannot fix.

Doctors admit to prescribing placebos, according to a study published earlier this year in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Researchers at the University of Chicago surveyed 466 physicians from three Chicago-area medical schools and found that nearly half of all respondents had used placebos in their clinical practice. One of their most common reasons for doing so: “to calm patients.” Something is wrong with a medical system in which patients need pills and injections to feel tranquil and reassured that they have received adequate care. It’s hard to imagine that adding more pills to the market, even if they are fakes, will help change this culture.

Posted on behalf of Coco Ballantyne

Image by Fillmore Photography via Flickr

Kamis, 29 Oktober 2009

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

What do you do when you need a quick meal, have veggie dogs leftover from camping, but the only mustard is the fancy balsamic garlic mustard you picked up in at the New England Maple Museum in Vermont? (Oh, we’ll visit there again, CHG campers, don’t you worry.)

If you’re me, you wonder if you could make your own mustard out the beaucoup yellow powder taking over your spice cabinet. (Then you eat the veggie dog with the fancy mustard.) But it got me investigatin’.

I read up on mustard making at Mother Earth News, a blog called Montana Jones, and the trusty How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook by Mark Bittman.

Turns out, you get pretty weak mustard from just adding water and vinegar to commercial mustard powder. But with only a touch more effort, you can get some sinus-clearingly fantastic mustard with yellow and brown mustard seeds.

Chow simplifies the mustard seed situation better than anyone, but here’s a quick breakdown:

Yellow mustard seeds can vary in color from brownish yellow to white. Yellow mustard seeds are best known and most readily available to Americans.
Brown mustard seeds are dark brown or black and easily found in spice shops and Indian groceries.
Black mustard seeds also range from dark brown to black but are smaller, more pungent than the other two varieties, and primarily used in Indian cooking. Black mustard seeds will also confuse your enemies!

The making is simple: soak the mustard seeds in the water, vinegar, spice mix for a few hours to overnight, puree, and TADA! Mustard. The nuances are only slightly more complicated.

Mustard loses its power over time. If it’s too strong at first, let it sit a while—a few hours up to a week—before you serve. Store your homemade mustard in glass, ceramic, or even plastic containers. Mustard will ingest a metal container. Mmm….ore-y. Fresh ingredients will affect shelf life, but homemade mustard will keep for a couple of months or longer.

Whether you use a blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle, Mark Bittman warns you will not get commercial smoothness with home equipment. He’s right, as far as I can tell, but I like mine with a coarse texture.

I made two batches and let them sit overnight: one just straight-up the MB way, though I used garlic powder instead of fresh, and one with horseradish. Both were explosivo when I zapped them in the morning before work but had mellowed to perfection by lunchtime. My tofu sandwich rocked my socks.

Once you have the basic recipe down, you can be creative and experiment with spices and sweeteners. Soon you’ll be making your own fancy mustard and selling them at museums all across the northeast.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might always like:

~~~

Spicier Brown Mustard
Yields 8 oz, or approximately 24 teaspoons
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
NOTE: Alas, Leigh’s camera perished in Lake George last week. This placeholder photo comes from Cookthink. It's a nice site, and you should visit there.

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Generous pinch of salt

Horseradish Mustard
Yields 8 oz, or approximately 24 teaspoons

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2-inch cube of fresh horseradish, chopped
Generous pinch of salt

Instructions are the same for each recipe.

1) Combine ingredients in a glass or ceramic container with a lid. Plastic is okay, but metal is a no-no.

2) Let stand overnight or at least 2–3 hours.

3) Puree in a blender or food processor until the desired consistency is reached. (I tried one batch in each and found the blender to have a slight edge on smoothness.) Add a drizzle of water to keep the blades whirling.

4) Pour back into glass container and let it mellow for a day or so.

5) Serve on your favorite sandwich or veggie dog and know spicy mustard.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
9.2 calories, 0.5g fat, 0.3g fiber, $0.02

Calculations (for horseradish version)
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds: 104 calories, 6g fat, 4g fiber, $.19
2 tbsp brown mustard seeds: 104 calories, 6g fat, 4g fiber, $.19
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar: 12.5 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.04
1/2” cube of horseradish: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.07
[1/2 tsp garlic powder: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02]
generous pinch of salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
TOTALS: 220 calories,12g fat, 8g fiber, $.51
PER SERVING (TOTALS/24): 9.2 calories, .5g fat, .3g fiber, $.02

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard

Yellow mustard seeds can vary in color from brownish yellow to white. Yellow mustard seeds are best known and most readily available to Americans.
Brown mustard seeds are dark brown or black and easily found in spice shops and Indian groceries.
Black mustard seeds also range from dark brown to black but are smaller, more pungent than the other two varieties, and primarily used in Indian cooking. Black mustard seeds will also confuse your enemies!

Breast Implants - Breast Augmentation - Breast Enlargement - Consumer Guide

A breast implant is a prosthesis used to alter the size and shape of a woman's breasts (known as breast augmentation, breast enlargement, mammoplasty enlargement, augmentation mammoplasty or the common slang term boob job) for cosmetic reasons, to reconstruct the breast (e.g. after a mastectomy or to correct congenital chest wall deformities), or as an aspect of male-to-female sex reassignment surgery. Pectoral implants are a related device used in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures of the male chest wall. A breast tissue expander is a temporary breast implant used during staged breast reconstruction procedures.

There are two primary types of breast implants: saline-filled and silicone-gel-filled implants. Saline implants have a silicone elastomer shell filled with sterile saline liquid. Silicone gel implants have a silicone shell filled with a viscous silicone gel. Several alternative types of breast implants had been developed, such as polypropylene string or soy oil, but these are no longer manufactured.

Procedure

The surgical procedure for breast augmentation takes approximately one to two hours. Variations in the procedure include the incision type, implant material, and implant pocket placement.

Incision types

Breast implants for augmentation may be placed via various types of incisions:

* Inframammary - an incision is placed below the breast in the infra-mammary fold (IMF). This incision is the most common approach and affords maximum access for precise dissection and placement of an implant. It is often the preferred technique for silicone gel implants due to the longer incisions required. This method can leave slightly more visible scars in smaller breasts which don't drape over the IMF. In addition, the scar may heal thicker.

* Periareolar - an incision is placed along the areolar border. This incision provides an optimal approach when adjustments to the IMF position or mastopexy (breast lift) procedures are planned. The incision is generally placed around the inferior half, or the medial half of the areola's circumference. Silicone gel implants can be difficult to place via this incision due to the length of incision required (~ 5 cm) for access. As the scars from this method occur on the edge of the areola, they are often less visible than scars from inframammary incisions in women with lighter areolar pigment. There is a higher incidence of capsular contracture with this technique.

* Transaxillary - an incision is placed in the armpit and the dissection tunnels medially. This approach allows implants to be placed with no visible scars on the breast and is more likely to consistently achieve symmetry of the inferior implant position. Revisions of transaxillary-placed implants may require inframammary or periareolar incisions (but not always). Transaxillary procedures can be performed with or without an endoscope.

* Transumbilical (TUBA) - a less common technique where an incision is placed in the navel and dissection tunnels superiorly. This approach enables implants to be placed with no visible scars on the breast, but makes appropriate dissection and implant placement more difficult. In that regard, it is pertinent that a published medical journal report analyzed a consecutive series of more than 1300 TUBA cases done by a single surgeon over a 15 year span, with no instance of incorrect implant placement. Transumbilical procedures are performed bluntly, with or without an endoscope (tiny lighted video camera) to assist dissection. This technique is not appropriate for placing silicone gel implants due to potential damage of the implant shell if attempting insertion through the small 2 cm incision in the navel, and as those implants are pre-filled they cannot be passed through that incision.

* Transabdominoplasty (TABA) - procedure similar to TUBA, where the implants are tunneled up from the abdomen into bluntly dissected pockets while a patient is simultaneously undergoing an abdominoplasty procedure.

* Areolar Vertical Approach (AVA) - the technique created by Dr. Lejour and developed by Dr. Van Thienen, is a very similar approach to the periareolar as the insicion is the same, but leaves a more extended submuscular pocket for the Silicon Gel Implants, through the transglandular sectione to the top pectoral fascia. The cavity is drained after being washed with Saline solution before the implants are placed. This technique developed in Argentina was proved to have excelent results even after numerous long term surgeries.

Types of implants

Saline implants

Saline-filled breast implants were first manufactured in France in 1964, introduced by Arion with the goal of being surgically placed via smaller incisions. Current saline devices are manufactured with thicker, room temperature vulcanized (RTV) shells than earlier generations of devices. These shells are made of a silicone elastomer and the implants are filled with salt water (saline) after the implant is placed in the body. Since the implants are empty when they are surgically inserted, the scar is smaller than is necessary for silicone gel breast implants (which are filled with silicone before the surgery is performed). A single manufacturer (Poly Implant Prosthesis, France) produced a model of pre-filled saline implants which has been reported to have higher failure rates in vivo.

Saline-filled implants were most common implant used in the United States during the 1990s due to restrictions that existed on silicone implants, but were rarely used in other countries. Good to excellent results may be obtained, but as compared to silicone gel implants, saline implants are more likely to cause cosmetic problems such as rippling, wrinkling, and to be noticeable to the eye or the touch. Particularly for women with very little breast tissue, or for post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, silicone gel implants are considered as superior. In patients with more breast tissue in whom submuscular implant placement is used, saline implants can look very similar to silicone gel.

Silicone gel implants

Thomas Cronin and Frank Gerow, two Houston, Texas, plastic surgeons, developed the first silicone breast prosthesis with the Dow Corning Corporation in 1961. The first woman was implanted in 1962. Silicone implants are generally described in terms of five generations which segregate common characteristics of manufacturing techniques.

Implant pocket placement

The placement of implants is described in relation to the pectoralis major muscle.

* Subglandular- implant between the breast tissue and the pectoralis muscle. This position closely resembles the plane of normal breast tissue and is felt by many to achieve the most aesthetic results. The subglandular position in patients with thin soft-tissue coverage is more likely to show ripples or wrinkles of the underlying implant. Capsular contracture rates may also be slightly higher with this approach.

* Subfascial - the implant is placed in the subglandular position, but underneath the fascia of the pectoralis muscle. The benefits of this technique are debated, but proponents believe the fascial layer of tissue may help with coverage and sustaining positioning of the implant.

* Subpectoral ("dual plane") - the implant is placed underneath the pectoralis major muscle after releasing the inferior muscular attachments. As a result, the implant is partially beneath the pectoralis in the upper pole, while the lower half of the implant is in the subglandular plane. This is the most common technique in North America and achieves maximal upper implant coverage while allowing expansion of the lower pole. Animation or movement of the implants in the sub pectoral plane can be excessive to some patients.

* Submuscular - the implant is placed below the pectoralis without release of the inferior origin of the muscle. Total muscular coverage may be achieved by releasing the lateral chest wall muscles (serratus and/or pectoralis minor) and sewn to the pectoralis major. This technique is most commonly used for maximal coverage of implants used in breast reconstruction.

Source :
- Wikipedia

Rabu, 28 Oktober 2009

10 Modern Food Myths, Busted

Salt helps water boil faster. An avocado pit will keep guacamole from browning. Soda will eat through basically anything, Alien-style.

We’ll hear hundreds of food myths in our lifetime. Some, thank Snopes, will be inarguably disproved, while others will remain as persistent as head colds, altering both what we eat and how we cook. And still more myths will be made up as we go along, as technology develops and kitchens change with the times.

Today, we’re focusing on a few of those newer myths; modern-day legends spawned by newspapers, TV shows, and those accursed enemies of truth, e-mail forwards. Will açai berries speed up weight loss? Does microwaving plastic cause cancer? Are bananas really going the way of the dodo bird? We'll explore and answer these questions and more, once and for all.

When you’re done perusing the myths themselves, head on over to the comment section to continue the discussion. Do you agree with these verdicts? What are the most outrageous food myths you’ve ever heard? Which ones would you like answered, in addition to these? Do tell.

Disclaimer: Many of these myths deal with health and diet issues, so I took special care to cite reputable resources. However, I’m not a medical professional, and nothing should be taken as expert advice. If you have any questions about the following, please consult your doctor.

1) AÇAI BERRIES: MADE OF MAGIC?
Myth: Açai berries will help you lose weight.
Ruling: False.
Why: You know those internet ads? The ones with pictures of generic-looking women claiming to have dropped 30 pounds in 30 days? Click on them, and many will take you to websites promoting açai berries. While the berries aren’t bad for you, there’s very little scientific data to back up those outrageous dietary claims. Açai have no more antioxidants than several more common fruits and vegetables, and won’t aid in weight loss more than any other berry. P.S. Oprah does not endorse acai berries.
Instead: If you’re concerned about antioxidants, try packing more blueberries, plums, kale, spinach, and strawberries into your meals. However, know that antioxidants aren’t particularly well researched yet, and that adding more produce to your diet will always promote better nutrition.

2) THE “MADE WITH” CLAUSE
Myth: If a food is “made with” healthy ingredients, it is healthy.
Ruling: False.
Why: Something “Made with real pineapple!” or “Made with organic ingredients!” isn’t necessarily comprised 100% of that component. Take this Wal-Mart grape drink for example, which claims to be “made with real fruit juice!” Concentrated grape juice is only the third listed ingredient, behind water and high fructose corn syrup. “Made with” in this case, as in many others, is attached only to sell the product.
Instead: A whole food will almost always be healthier than its more processed counterpart. (Meaning: if you want something with fruit in it, eat a piece of fruit.) However, if you find a product you think you might like, read the ingredient list. It’ll give you all the information you need.

3) THE FIVE-SECOND RULE
Myth: Drop food on the floor? No worries. If you eat it within five seconds of letting it fall, you’re good to go.
Ruling: Sadly, false.
Why: So famous it scored its own episode of Seinfeld, this cousin to the hallowed Five-Minute Rule claims that edibles can’t be contaminated by floor/ground germs if it’s snatched up fast enough. Alas and alack, it ain’t so. According to the New York Times, “Quick retrieval does mean fewer bacteria, but it’s no guarantee of safety.”
Instead: If it can be washed, wash it! If not … do you have a dog?

4) INFUSED WATER: HYPE2O?
Myth: Water infused with vitamins or supplements is healthier than regular water.
Ruling: Usually false.
Why: Health claims made on infused water labels are almost never medically substantiated, and frequently, the drinks contain almost as many calories as soda. Even creators admit, “It’s 100 percent marketing.”
Instead: If you’re in a rush and in the mood for something flavorful, try seltzers or bottled drinks with minimal added sugar and short ingredient lists. Or, y’know, pack a thermos of tap water. It’s healthy, plentiful, and free.

5) BABY CARROTS = DEATH STICKS?
Myth: Baby carrots are treated with deadly chlorine, making them deadly orange spears of death. You can tell by the deadly white film that appears on their death-causing surfaces as they age.
Ruling: True, then false.
Why: This has been a popular e-mail forward the last year, so we’ll go straight to Snopes for the debunkification: baby carrots are just larger carrots cut up. And they can, in fact, be treated with chlorine. But so are lots of other ready-to-eat vegetables, and they’re all washed before being shipped to stores. The white stuff you see on older baby carrots (middle-aged carrots?) is merely their cut surfaces drying out.
Instead: If you’re still worried, buy full-sized carrots and cut them down yourself. It’s cheaper anyway.

6) DOES MICROWAVING PLASTIC CAUSE CANCER?
Myth: Microwaving plastic causes cancer.
Ruling: Largely false.
Why: If the plastic is meant specifically for use in a microwave, there should be no problem. This comes straight from the American Cancer Society: “[The FDA] does say substances used to make plastics can leach into foods. But the agency has found the levels expected to migrate into foods to be well within the margin of safety based on information available to the agency. As for dioxin, the FDA says it has seen no evidence that plastic containers or films contain dioxins and knows of no reason why they would.”
Instead: While I wouldn’t nuke a container unintended for the microwave (like a peanut butter jar or hummus tub), go ahead and use the other stuff. Still unconvinced? Try a glass microwaveable dish or bowl.

7) THE BIGGEST LOSER WEIGHT LOSS PROMISE
Myth: “If I can do this, anyone can!”
Ruling: Well…
Why: I love The Biggest Loser, largely for its central message: if the contestants can drop 5, 10, or even 15 pounds each week, us Joe Sixpacks can, too. And to a certain extent, it’s true; with the correct exercise regimen and diet, many people will lose weight over time. However (and here’s the catch), it’s highly unlikely it will be at Biggest Loser pace. BL participants shed quickly - maybe too quickly - for three reasons: first, the ranch is a closed culture. Family, friends, work, and other daily responsibilities aren’t around for distraction. Second, the BLs are in the gym eight hours a day, have their food closely monitored by the show, and receive multiple forms of psychological support. And finally, most are very large to begin with, which means they’ll lose more from week to week anyway. A 410-pound man can drop 22 pounds in a week. A 130-pound woman should not, unless she’s giving birth.
Instead: Keep watching! It’s a good show. But when it comes to your personal approach, keep in mind that moderation is everything.

8) TASTI D-LITE: GUILT FREE ICE CREAM?
Myth: A cardboard cup of Tasti D-Lite vanilla dessert contains only 40 calories.
Ruling: False.
Why: Back in 2002, the New York Times discovered it was actually between 140 and 225 calories. (Other flavors held even more.) The dessert was made differently in each store and serving sizes varied, explaining the discrepancy. As a result, Tasti had to tone down its ad campaign, and now lists all the real nutritional numbers on its website. CremaLita, a competitor, had similar false advertising issues.
Instead: Eat small portions of real ice cream, and maybe scale back on the Skinny Cow. Weight Watchers isn’t too happy with them right now.

9) ARE BANANAS DYING OUT?
Myth: In ten years, there will be no bananas.
Ruling: Well, maybe.
Why: In 2005, Popular Science published a piece about the potential extinction of the Cavendish banana, the varietal Americans have come to know and love/slip on in random parking lots. Writer Dan Koeppel argued the Cavendish is particularly susceptible to fungus, which would eventually wipe it out. While this may occur, it’s not expected for quite awhile. In that time, scientists could find another banana resistant to disease, as they did 50 years ago, when the Gros Michel banana was replaced by the Cavendish in supermarkets. Beyond that, a fungus presumably wouldn’t affect other kinds of bananas, of which there are dozens.
Instead: Eat apples?

10) CAN COUPONS MAKE YOU MONEY?
Myth: If you use coupons the right way, supermarkets will owe you cash.
Ruling: Sometimes true.
Why: We’ve all seen folks like Frugal Coupon Mom on Oprah or Today. They’re the people who go grocery shopping, hand the checkout girl a few slips of paper, and come back with $25 or five free bags of groceries. And while there’s no doubt this is possible, it’s almost entirely dependent on location and time. Geographically speaking, if there’s no nearby supermarket with double or triple coupon days, you’re at an automatic disadvantage. Time-wise, you have to be prepared to devote several hours a week to couponing, making it the equivalent of a part-time job. Again, this is entirely possible, and even preferable for some families, but for most, those kind of savings simply aren’t feasible.
Instead: Shop wisely. Make a list. Buy loss leaders. Purchase food in-season. Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket. Use coupons judiciously.

And for kicks, an extra special bonus!

11) E-MAIL FORWARDS: A SCOURGE ON HUMANITY
Myth: Everything you’ve ever read in an e-mail forward.
Ruling: Varies, but largely false.
Why: When it comes to a food forward, take it with a grain of salt. Even if it looks truthy. Even if someone writes, “I checked Snopes, and this is 100% correct!” Even if the Pope sends one to you. Because odds are 99 to 1 that it’s untrue, or at least grossly misrepresented. Onions will not protect against swine flu, Korean soup producers are not soliciting American animal shelters for ingredients, and McDonalds shakes ARE made with dairy products. (Apologies to the lactose-intolerant.)
Instead: If you want information on food or are sufficiently frightened by the contents of a forward, check Snopes or Google the matter. And speaking for all your friends and family, don’t pass on any any e-mail without verifying its accuracy first. That’s how “White House Won’t Allow Christmas Ornaments” rumors get started. (*Hits head on table*)

And that's it. Folks, the comment section is open. Or, for more fun food myths, check out some of these guys:

Cracked: 7 Food Myths the Internet Thinks Are True (Rated PG for language)
New York Times: Food, Glorious Food Myths
AOL: Your Mom Was Wrong! 20 Food Myths.

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If you liked this article, you might also dig:

(Photos courtesy of InjuryBoard.com [bellies], Flickr member terry_tu [baby carrots], and Wikimedia Commons [banana].)

10 Modern Food Myths, Busted

Cracked: 7 Food Myths the Internet Thinks Are True (Rated PG for language)
New York Times: Food, Glorious Food Myths
AOL: Your Mom Was Wrong! 20 Food Myths.

~~~

If you liked this article, you might also dig:

(Photos courtesy of InjuryBoard.com [bellies], Flickr member terry_tu [baby carrots], and Wikimedia Commons [banana].)

HEALTHY WHITE

Jumat, 30 Oktober 2009

European Society of anti-aging Medicine

The wine glass looks half full

Providing information or promoting drugs?

Pediatric placebos

Top 10 Links of the Week: 10/23/09 – 10/29/09

Top 10 Links of the Week: 10/23/09 – 10/29/09

Kamis, 29 Oktober 2009

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard

Breast Implants - Breast Augmentation - Breast Enlargement - Consumer Guide

Rabu, 28 Oktober 2009

10 Modern Food Myths, Busted

10 Modern Food Myths, Busted