“Mixed up about nutrition?”

 

Just clip and save these life-saving basics: the 10 most important research findings.

 

IF A MOUNTAIN of nutritional advice has gotten you down, don’t give up.  Half of all premature deaths are due to lifestyle choices, including what we eat.  Here are the 10 most important things you can do to improve your diet, boost your health and live longer, based on overwhelming research by top scientists.

 

·         Use olive oil.  People who eat lots of olive oil have better cholesterol and blood pressure; have less heart disease, cancer and arthritis; and live longest!  New research even finds that diets rich in olive oil help prevent wrinkles.  Best: extra virgin.

 

·         Eat whole grains.  To reduce your odds of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and premature death, eat whole grains.  Examples: oatmeal, shredded wheat, whole-grain bread, brown rice, popcorn, bulgur wheat.  Unlike refined grains, whole grains deliver loads of fiber, antioxidants, anti-cancer agents, cholesterol reducers and clot blockers, plus essential minerals.

 

·         Eat fatty fish.  It’s not just any fish, but specifically fatty fish (fresh or canned salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel), that boosts health.  Only these high-fat fish have lots of omega-3 oils that keep arteries clear, hearts in rhythm, and the brain and joints functioning well.  In new research, eating fatty fish once a week slashed fatal heart attach risk 44%.

 

·         Eat nuts.  A daily ounce of tree nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds) or peanuts can cut your risk of heart disease up to 50%.  A new study shows that a very high-fiber vegetable-grain diet, including 2.3 ounces of nuts daily, lowered bad LDL cholesterol 30% in a week!  The diet worked as well as “statin” drugs such as Lipitor and Mevacor.  Eating nuts also increases longevity, according to other research.

 

·         Drink tea.  Real brewed tea (from bags or loose tea) has amazing power to help discourage stroke, heart attack, cancer and neurological damage.  Black and green tea are about equal in overall antioxidant protection.  But green tea possesses EGCG, a unique anti-cancer agent and brain cell protector.  To extract the most antioxidants, brew tea five minutes.  Instant, bottled and herbal teas don’t work; they lack antioxidants.

 

·         Eat more fruits and vegetables.  Plant foods are the best antidote to virtually all chronic ailments: high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, stroke, wrinkles, obesity, age-related mental decline.  Example: In new research, a daily cup of blueberries improved reaction time in a test group.  Fruits and vegetables are rich cocktails of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.  Best bets are berries, citrus fruits and deeply colored greens.  Eat at least five servings a day.

 

·         Eat good carbohydrates.  Bad carbs spike blood sugar and insulin; good ones (“low glycemic index” foods) do not.  Low insulin is a secret to longevity, research shows.  Eating good carbs (dried beans, lentils, peanuts, yogurt, oatmeal, cherries, prunes) can help prevent colon cancer, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and poor memory.

 

·         Restrict meat, animal fat, trans fats and sodium.  All can wreck your body.  Red meat, especially fried (as in bacon), is linked to colon cancer.  Saturated fat in whole milk, butter, cheese, sausage, steak and poultry clogs arteries; so do the trans fatty acids in many margarines, processed snacks and baked goods such as doughnuts (“partially hydrogenated” on the label indicates trans fats).  Excess salt can shorten your life and bring on heart disease even if your blood pressure is good.

 

·         Eat less.  “Cutting portion sizes in half would do more to improve Americans’ health than anything,” one expert quipped.  Compelling research shows obesity is a major cause of disease and premature death.  Processing more calories accelerates aging, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.  Drastically trimming calories is the only reliable way known to increase the life span of animals.

 

* Take a multivitamin-mineral supplement.  A lack of micronutrients-such as folic acid, niacin, zinc and vitamins B-12, B-6, C and E – damages DNA the same way radiation and chemicals do, setting the stage for cancer.  Correcting even minor deficiencies can boost immunity, curb chronic diseases and perhaps prolong life.

 

USA Weekend, July 27-29, 2001