July 16, 2007

DID YOU KNOW that a new study suggests that marinating meats before cooking may help reduce the amount of harmful compounds that are formed during the cooking process? Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study concluded that marinades containing soy sauce or sugar inhibit the development of so-called cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) during cooking. Past studies have linked COP consumption to increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers. The study's authors hypothesized that isoflavone compounds found in soy sauce and other marinades were responsible for the anti-COP effect. Researchers recommended marinades containing 1% soy sauce and 10% sugar for optimal effectiveness. (LifeScript)

Antioxidants in Diet Could Help You Breathe Easier as You Get Older French researchers have found that dietary beta-carotene could help slow the natural decline in lung function with age. Comparing breathing tests in subjects eight years apart, the study discovered that those with the highest blood levels of beta-carotene—a dietary antioxidant—retained over 20% more lung function than those with the lowest beta-carotene levels. Over a 10-year span, researchers noted, the benefit of a specific increase in beta-carotene levels “approximately counteracts the effect of one year of aging.” (Tufts University News Letter)

PAIN is the body's signal that something is seriously amiss. Unlike discomfort, when you experience pain, you must stop exercising and address the cause(s) of the pain. Attempting to work through pain will subject you to the real possibility of either aggravating your existing condition or suffering an injury that could take a long period of time to heal.

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