Whole-grain Foods Linked to Lower Blood Pressure

Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture looked at the effect of whole-grain diet on blood pressure.  In general, they found that “increasing whole-grain foods, whether high in soluble or insoluble fiber, can reduce blood pressure and may help control weight.” Click here for the Reuters Health summary.

Add comment September 13th, 2006

We Are Not Eating Our Veggies

Not that we need research to tell us this, but there’s still research results that show Americans do not consume anywhere near the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association says just 40% of the population meets this standard, and among some groups it is much lower (teenage boys get less than 1% of the recommended amounts).

It sounds like a ton of food to think of 5 cups of fruits and veggies (the goal ranges from 2 to 6 cups depending on the person), but when you break that down into servings and actually look at the amounts, it’s really doable. Most people think a serving is a cup, for example, but it can be as little as what fits comfortably in your cupped hand.

The H3I email newsletter this month promotes the National 5 a Day Month–take a look at that article–you can sign up for the online HealthBeat newsletter if you need to (it’s helpful, useful, harmless).

Add comment September 13th, 2006