Health Diaries > Health News > Diet and Nutrition News > February 2006
February 28, 2006
Cocoa May Cut Risk of Dying
Scientists have produced more compelling evidence that cocoa is good for your heart.
Dutch scientists found elderly men who consumed cocoa had lower blood pressure levels, and were less likely to die from cardiovascular problems. (BBC News)
Posted by news editor at 08:01 AM
February 09, 2006
McDonald's Fries Have More Trans Fats Than Expected
McDonald's French fries contain one-third more trans fats than previously thought after the company used a new method to test for the harmful ingredient still widely used in many foods.
The disclosure comes as food companies are implementing new US government rules in force since last month requiring all packaged food labels to specify the level of trans fats in food products. (MSNBC)
Posted by news editor at 11:18 PM
Californians Found to Have High Mercury Levels
Californians who volunteered for a nationwide study of mercury contamination had among the worst levels, with nearly one-third of those tested having concentrations in their tissues that exceeded safe levels.
The study, organized by two national environmental groups, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, does not provide information about Californians in general because the volunteers were not a random sample. (Los Angeles Times)
Posted by news editor at 11:10 PM
Low-fat Diets Do Not Protect Women
Low-fat diets do not protect women against heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer or colon cancer, a major study has found, contradicting what had once been promoted as one of the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle.
The eight-year study of nearly 50,000 middle-age and elderly women -- by far the largest, most definitive test of cutting fat from the diet -- did not find any clear evidence that doing so reduced their risks, undermining more than a decade of advice from many doctors. (Washington Post)
Posted by news editor at 09:55 PM