Keep healthy fatty acid ratios with N.D. seed oil

Although most people think first of fish oil when omega-3’s are mentioned, the oils from seeds grown in North Dakota are rich sources of ALA, which is an essential fat for humans. Even the meat from animals, especially those allowed to graze on range grass, is a significant source of ALA. (more ...)

Soybean - A versatile plant food worth splurging on

Soy is an annual plant that has been a major source of dietary protein in Asian countries for thousands of years. Soybeans are high in nutritional value as a nonanimal source of eight essential amino acids, which makes them a complete plant protein. (more ...)

Have the winter blues? Think Mediterranean

It’s been cold enough, recently, to think about warmer climes. Consider the Mediterranean. At least, consider the “Mediterranean diet.” If you don’t know about the Mediterranean diet, you should. It’s a matter of heart health. (more ...)

Some foods provide benefits beyond basic nutrition

The tenet “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” espoused by Hippocrates nearly 2,500 years ago, is receiving renewed interest. (more ...)

Vitamin D: What is enough?

It seems that news about the health benefits of vitamin D is reported daily. Studies are reporting that vitamin D reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis, to name just a few. (more ...)

Milk can do wonders for an exercised body

Milk as an exercise recovery drink?

That’s what I was questioning when my youngest daughter said she started drinking milk after strenuous exercise. She read about this on the Internet, and having run track in college, she never tried milk as a recovery drink, only sports drinks. (more ...)

Connecting the dots: Obestiy to osteoporosis

Obesity and osteoporosis are public health problems.

Obesity is a condition where excessive fat accumulates to a state that poses risks to health - it is largely due to an imbalance of calorie consumption and expenditure. The problem is growing in prevalence among all age groups, especially people in rural areas where income is below average.

Osteoporosis is a disease condition in which bones become spongy and are easily broken. With aging, and changes in lifestyle, more bone structure is broken down than is rebuilt. Many factors can contribute to osteoporosis development, such as reduced physical activity, decreased ability to absorb nutrients, increased use of medications such as glucocorticoids and a sudden decline in the female hormone, estrogen, in menopausal women. (more ...)

Low-Fat Chocolate Milk - The New Sports Drink?

Every four years, sports enthusiasts watch the Olympic Games and seek to learn the secrets of the champion performances. During the Summer Games in 2004, a sports reporter noted that Michael Phelps, winner of six gold medals in swimming, was seen drinking a milk-based beverage between races. This apparent link between Phelps' world-class performances and milk has launched exciting research to determine the benefits of milk, most recently low-fat chocolate milk, as a recovery beverage for serious athletes as well as for people who regularly exercise to promote health. (more ...)

Mitochondria: Mediators between diet and disease

Why do we eat? This seems like a simple question. But when I asked several people, I received a variety of answers: “To nourish my body” or “because I’m hungry” and some far-out answers loosely related to the cosmos and our place in the universe. (more ...)

Nutrition tames a killer

Inflammation is the redness, heat, swelling and pain that occurs when the body is killing invading organisms or removing damaged tissue while healing wounds.

The inflammatory response is a blessing when needed for a short time to overcome a mild infection or injury. The inflammatory response can be a curse if it is not properly controlled or switched on when not needed because it can damage healthy parts of the body. A long-term or chronic, low-grade inflammatory response can lead to heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes and mental problems. An unneeded inflammatory response can be caused by a number of things including key nutrient deficiencies, obesity and even lack of sleep. (more ...)

Evidence continues to mount for omega-3s

It’s hard to miss all the buzz about omega-3 fatty acids. In the grocery store the other day, I noticed that omega-3 fatty acids have been added to some brands of orange juice. Consumers now also have the choice of buying eggs and peanut butter fortified with omega-3 fatty acids. (more ...)

Healthy weight helps reduce risk of cancer

Overweight and obesity are talked about often in the U.S. Most Americans (83 percent) recognize the link between being overweight and heart diseases and many (57 percent) know about the link between being overweight and diabetes, according to a survey commissioned by the American Cancer Society. But far fewer (8 percent) know there is a connection between being overweight and cancer. (more ...)

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