Gradual increases in dietary calcium intake above the first quintile in a large female cohort are not associated with further reductions in fracture risk or osteoporosis, according to the results of a prospective longitudinal cohort study reported in the May 24 issue of the BMJ.

“It is problematic to make recommendations regarding calcium intake based on the results from clinical trials and previous cohort studies,” write Eva Warensjö, from Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, and colleagues. “Meta-analyses of randomised trials found that supplemental calcium gave modest or no reduction in risk of fracture. Both the habitual dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D status may affect the outcome and are rarely accounted for in the design of calcium supplementation trials.”

The goal of the study was to evaluate associations between long-term dietary calcium intake and the risk for any type of fractures, hip fractures, and osteoporosis. The study cohort consisted of 5022 women who participated in a subcohort of the Swedish Mammography Cohort of 61,433 women in Sweden who were born between 1914 and 1948. This population-based cohort was established in 1987, and participants were followed up for 19 years for primary outcomes of incident fractures of any type and hip fractures, which were identified from registry data.

A secondary outcome in the subcohort was osteoporosis diagnosed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Repeated food frequency questionnaires allowed determination of dietary consumption.

Of 14,738 women (24%) who had a first fracture of any type during follow-up, 3871 (6%) had a first hip fracture. Osteoporosis was diagnosed in 1012 (20%) of the subcohort. For dietary calcium, the risk patterns were nonlinear. In the lowest quintile of calcium intake, the crude rate of a first fracture of any type was 17.2/1000 person-years at risk vs 14.0/1000 person-years at risk in the third quintile, yielding a multivariable adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 – 1.25). For a first hip fracture, the HR was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.17 – 1.43), and the odds ratio for osteoporosis was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.09 – 2.00).

The fracture rate in the first calcium quintile was more pronounced with a low vitamin D intake. Although the highest quintile of calcium intake did not further lower the risk for fractures of any type, or the risk for osteoporosis, it was associated with a higher rate of hip fracture (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06 – 1.32).

“Gradual increases in dietary calcium intake above the first quintile in our female population were not associated with further reductions in fracture risk or osteoporosis,” the study authors write.

Limitations of this study include possible residual confounding; limitations inherent in dietary assessment methods; observational design, precluding conclusions regarding causality; and lack of generalizability to other people of different ethnic origins or to men.

“Dietary calcium intakes below approximately 700 mg per day in women were associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, any fracture, and of osteoporosis,” the study authors conclude. “The highest reported calcium intake did not further reduce the risk of fractures of any type, or of osteoporosis, but was associated with a higher rate of hip fracture.”

Reference:

• www.medscape.org
• The Swedish Research Council

Chicken-lovers should be aware of a few facts:

1. White meat chicken (the breast) is the leanest part.
2. Dark meat chicken has more fat than white meat, but the fat content is still moderate.
3. The skin of all fowl – including duck, goose, and turkey – contains the lion’s share of its fat. Part with the skin if you will, or eat only some of it.
4. New chicken-raising techniques have caused a sharp increase in the fat content of chicken. But most of the extra fat occurs as “pads” under the skin. These can be removed easily.

Fish Gets First Prize

Fish is the real winner when it comes to fat. Most type have very little fat. Some of the lowest-fat fish are:

• Abalone
• Black sea bass
• C o d
• Flounder
• Haddock
• Halibut, Atlantic or Pacific
• Pollock
• Rock fish
• Sole

Even many shellfish contain little fat – despite their reputation for outstanding flavor.This is more evidence that fat and flavor do not always go hand in hand.

Among the low-fat shellfish are such favorites as clams, oysters, crab, lobster, and scallops. Shrimp are also low in fat, but they have a higher count of dietary cholesterol than other shellfish. The role of dietary cholesterol in heart disease is well established. It is still too soon to say whether it plays a role in cancer. However, concerning the cholesterol matter,  I suggest you to examine the health benefit of cholesterol by visiting another post: Protect yourself against cancer with your foods.

A few fish do bear the label of “fatty.” But this means “fatty when compared to other fish,” rather than when compared to other foods. The fattier fish fish include the following:

• Anchovies
• Herring
• Mackerel
• Red or Chinook salmon
• Sable fish
• Sardines
• Whitefish

These fish have about as much fat as the average cut of red meat.

However, not all kind of fish and seafood are good for you, believe me. You should have knowledge to select which seafood are good for your health and which ones are bad; certain fish may cause allergies. Therefore, please read the useful article regarding this matter:

• Find The Right Seafood for Your Health



Is Canned Fish Healthy?

There is one more category of fish: the canned ones that are often the most reasonably priced. When packed in water, the fat content of  chunk light tuna is low. The oil-packed version is rich in fat.

Albacore tuna presents a problem for fat-watchers. The albacore tuna caught by U.S. fishermen usually is not low in fat, but imported albacore is. Therefore, check the label in hope of finding what type of albacore is waiting inside

Pink salmon has a moderate fat content – less than red salmon. Chub salmon also has a moderate fat content. Favor pink and  chub salmon over cans labeled “red, King, sockeye, or chinook salmon.”

Canned mackerel, herring, and sardines have more fat than tuna or pink salmon. And the oil that is often added makes the fat content higher still. If you wish, you may cut down on these fattier varieties. Or try to find brands that don’t contain added oil.

If you are fish lover, find the story concerning the principal health benefits of fish by visiting my post titled:

• Fish: Source of Protein and Omega-3



It is obvious that dietary fiber has significant role in keeping your optimum health and, furthermore, has ability to prevent you from cancer.  The question is: can we estimate the content of fiber in our foods?

If you want to estimate your dietary fiber intake, consult the following charts in which divide fiber into the two basic types: insoluble and soluble.

Insoluble Fiber Content of Foods

Unless otherwise indicated, all values for vegetables and pasta reflect fiber content of the cooked product. Values determined by High Carbohydrate and Fiber Research Foundation, Lexington, Kentucky.

Soluble Fiber Content of Foods

# Bran: Note that other wheat products such as whole wheat or white bread, pasta, and graham crackers are insignificant sources of soluble fiber. Brown and white rice also contain very little soluble fiber.

Unless otherwise indicated, all values for vegetables and pasta reflect fiber content of the cooked product. Values determined by High Carbohydrate and Fiber Research Foundation, Lexington, Kentucky.

For deeper information related to dietary fiber, visit:

• Dietary Fiber Prevents You from Cancer.

(This part is continuation of the previous article)

The soluble forms of fiber have value in control of blood cholesterol and blood sugar. Fruits, vegetables, beans, and oat bran are good sources of these forms of fiber.

The soluble fibers don’t lower blood cholesterol nearly as much as the cholesterol’s sources raise it. But a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has a mild cholesterol-lowering effect, thanks to the fiber. Lower blood cholesterol, of course, means lower rates of heart disease.

These soluble forms of fiber have also revolutionized the treatment of diabetes. New research has shown that a high-fiber diet helps diabetics control their blood sugar better than the diets used in the past. Their insulin requirements often drop on a high-fiber diet. Changes in insulin doses should be made only on a doctor’s instructions.

Fiber’s ability to keep the blood sugar under control may very well help people who do not have diabetes. A low-fiber meal can cause the blood sugar level to rise quickly, then drop abruptly. Headaches, hunger, and irritability can set in as a result.

But fiber can guard against these symptoms by preventing sharp swings in the blood sugar level.

How to Estimate Fiber Content?

If you want to estimate your fiber intake, consult the chart that follow. This chart gives the total fiber content of foods.

Total Fiber Content of Foods

(Soluble and Insoluble Fiber)

Unless otherwise indicated, all values for vegetables reflect fiber content of the cooked product. Analyzes of fiber content by James W. Anderson, High Carbohydrate and Fiber Research Foundation, Lexington, Kentucky.

Find the next powerful charts in the following article:

• Estimate Your Fiber Intake

( continuation of the previous article )

Scientists believe that we may be able to adapt to high-fiber diets. But this is not known for sure. It is speculation based on a handful of studies.

The effect of fiber on minerals varies among the different types. Here is what scientists think based on current knowledge:

• Iron nutrition probably won’t be affected by eating more fiber.
• Fiber probably will decrease absorption of zinc and copper.
• If zinc and copper intake is good, the decrease in absorption probably will not create any problems.

Whole grains contain more zinc and copper than refined grains, so this may offset any loss of these minerals resulting from the fiber. But until we know this for a fact, I feel it’s best to take a moderate rather than extreme approach to the fiber content of your diet.

Another Mineral-Robber

Fiber is not the only substances in whole grain foods that can bind to minerals. Whole grains also contain phytic acid, which can also tie up minerals. Nutritionists also refer to phytic acid as phytate.

Fortunately, we now know that yeast can destroy phytate. This means that it should not be a problem in whole grain breads made with yeast. Nutritionists believe that phytate is rarely a problem, except among people eating enormous amounts of unleavened bread. Few, if any, of us eat such a diet.

Fighting Fat with Fiber

If you’re weight watcher, you probably remember the ‘starch blockers’ that came out in 1982. The too-good-to-be true claims were just that. The pills landed more than two dozen people in the hospital. The FDA had its hands full getting the stuff off the market.

Well, fiber may be the only starch blocker that doesn’t make us sick.

Nutritionists have long known that fiber blocks the absorption of some of the calories in food. It not only blocks the calories from carbohydrates; it takes on protein, fat, and carbohydrate  pretty much equally. Studies show that people absorb 1% to 3% fewer calories when eating a high-fiber diet.

Sound like a fantasy? It is not. Most of us gain weight slowly, at the rate of an extra pound or two per year. For a woman needing 100 calories a day, a 1% fall in calories absorbed would mean a loss of two pounds per year. A 3% reduction in calories absorbed translates into 6 fewer pounds per year.

There’s only one catch. These findings come from short-term studies. No one knows whether the body will adapt to a high-fiber diet so that eventually just as many calories are absorbed.

Fiber researchers have reported getting complaints from their subject about the “large” quantity of food they were asked to eat. Little did the subjects realize that the high-fiber diets contained no more calories than low-fiber diet.

This is a clue that fiber creates a feeling of fullness. Nutritionists have long suspected that it does. In the stomach, fiber swells with water. This may help curb hunger.

Some scientists also believe that high-fiber foods help with weight control because they take longer to chew.

One thing is for sure: a high-fiber diet based on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is likely to be nutritionally sound. That is more than can be said for so many of the “miracle” weight-loss diets that come along every year.

More Benefits of Fiber

Fiber is now known to benefit the following conditions:

1. Diverticulosis and diverticulitis
2. High blood cholesterol
3. Diabetes
4. It may also help prevent tooth decay!

Let’s take a closer look at these findings.

Diverticulosis is a common condition among older people. It refers to outpouchings of the intestines. Food can get caught in these pockets. Often the result is inflammation and pain.

Doctors used to treat this problem with a low-fiber diet. But much to their surprise, they have learned that a high-fiber diet usually gives much better results. In general, patients are asked to add wheat bran to their diets.

Dental researchers believe that whole grain foods may play a role in preventing tooth decay. Studies show that something in whole grains may protect the teeth from decay-producing acids in the mouth. The bacteria in the mouth produce these acids.

( The Next Fiber’s Benefit and How to Estimate Fiber Content )

(The previous story of fiber)

Of course, there are whole grain foods other than those that we think of as cereals.

Here are some ideas for whole grain foods that go well with lunch and dinner or make good snacks:

1. for lunch : whole wheat or rye bread
2. for dinner : brown rice, millet, bulghur wheat (as in tabouli)
3. for snacks : graham crackers, rye wafers, or whole wheat crackers

All of these foods are moderate sources of insoluble fiber.

A Matter of Milling

You may be surprised to see brown rice and whole wheat bread described as only moderate sources of fiber. These foods contain less fiber than is commonly believed.

Brown rice, for example, has only a moderately higher fiber content than white rice. The difference amounts to about 1.5 grams per half cup of cooked rice.

Whole wheat bread has more fiber than brown rice, yet less than many people assume. It is a moderate source of fiber, but not one of the highest. In general, coarse wheat products have more fiber than breads.

There is another reason why coarse forms of wheat, such as bran and shredded wheat, are better source of fiber than foods such as whole wheat bread. The beneficial effects of these fiber-containing foods is partly due to the bulk they create in the digestive system.

Grinding wheat into flour reduces its ability to create bulk in the digestive tract. A finely ground source of fiber – such as whole wheat bread – does not give as much bulk as bran.

Because of this, foods made from whole grain flour do not have as much laxative power as bran and other coarse forms of wheat. It is possible that foods made from finely ground whole grains also have less value in preventing cancer.

Baking with Fiber

Baking with whole wheat flour instead of white is another way to boost your fiber intake. In yeast breads, making this substitution poses no problem.

But baking cakes and cookies with whole wheat flour increases the amount of fat needed for good texture. Cakes and cookies made with whole wheat flour require about one and one-half to twice as much fat as those made with white flour. And some people find their heavy texture unappealing.

One way to solve this problem id to use half white flour, and half whole wheat flour when baking. This should hold down the amount of fat needed.

If you are interested in the extra minerals in whole grain flour, rather than its small amount of fiber, there is another option. Use a quarter of a cup of wheat germ and three-quarters of a cup of white flour for each cup of flour in a recipe. You’ll get roughly the same nutrients as in whole wheat flour, with the exception of its fiber.

The Economical Guide to be Healthy

One thing is for sure: following the recommendation to eat whole grains is not going to break your budget. Many whole grain foods are reasonably priced.

I have computed the cost of getting a gram of fiber from an assortment of common foods. Here is what I learned:

1. Unprocessed bran is the cheapest source of fiber. Each gram costs less than a penny.
2. The bran-only cereals such as All-Bran and 100% Bran also provide a gram of fiber for only a penny.
3. Store-brand whole wheat and rye bread give a gram of fiber for just over a penny.

If you like unprocessed bran, it may actually be a better buy at a health food store, where it is sometimes sold in bulk rather than in fancy packages. My own taste buds prefer bran muffins baked with the bran-only cereals. But I have included some recipes for my family using the unprocessed bran because it is a little less expensive.

Individually packed instant oats and a few cereals are expensive ways to get whole grain nutrition. But most of the cereals are reasonably priced, and boxed oats are a good value.

More Foods with Fiber

Fiber comes in other foods, too. As I said earlier, the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer made recommendations only for whole grains. But I would like to mention some other sources of fiber that have the bulk-producing ability of the whole grains.

Among beans, fruits, and vegetables, the best sources of insoluble fiber are:

• Kidney beans and white beans
• Peas
• Blackberries
• Parsnips

I have learned to use peas in both hot and cold recipes for my family; I add them to meat dishes and stews as well as to salads. I have also found that for a change of pace, beans make a nice salad.

The following foods have less insoluble fiber than the above foods. But they still have respectable amounts:

• Apples, pears, plums, and strawberries
• Lima, pinto, or green beans
• Broccoli and brussels sprouts
• Potatoes (white)
• Summer squash, tomatoes, and zucchini

Animal foods, fats, and oils contain no fiber. Only plant foods have it.

How Much Is Enough?

It makes good sense to eat more whole grain foods and more fibers. As mentioned earlier, a fiber intake of 30 to 40 grams has been proposed by several experts.

This does not mean that all the grains in your diet must be whole grains, or that every fruit and vegetable you choose must rate high of fiber.

My suggestion is to make about half the grains in your diet whole grains. I am not with those who despise any grain food made from refined grains.

True, refined grain foods contain less of certain minerals than whole grain foods. And they have less fiber, though in some cases (such as brown versus white rice or whole wheat pasta versus white pasta), the differences are small.

But this is not to say that foods made with white flour are worthless. They provide respectable levels of protein, iron, and certain vitamins. And they are low in fat and cholesterol and often low in sodium.

In short, there is something good to be said for both whole grain and refined grain foods. A reasonable balance between the two is a moderate, sensible approach.

Can Fiber Cause Trouble?

There is one reason not to go all out when it comes to fiber. Though it has its good points, fiber has not been given a clean bill of health just yet.

Nutritionists have known for decades that fiber can bind to minerals in food, preventing the body from absorbing them. All forms of fiber have this ability.

( The Next Health Benefits of Fiber )

For decades, nutritionists viewed fiber as all but worthless. It did not even qualify as a nutrient, because its absence didn’t cause the deficiency disease that result when diets are inadequate in protein, vitamins, or minerals.

As far as nutritionists could see, fiber served no useful purpose other than to prevent constipation.

But during the past decades, fiber has come into its own. It is now the focus of intense research. It is now known that fiber plays a role in regulation of blood cholesterol and blood sugar. Fiber may even help with weight control.

And, yes, it is likely that fiber can help to prevent cancer. Diet institutions and foundations in almost every country surround the world, such as the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer in In the U.S., has advised us to eat whole grain foods every day. These foods are usually a good source of fiber. How about processed grains? Grains that have been refined – such as white flour – contain only little fiber.

The Fiber Fan Club

The Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer was not the first to recommend more fiber-containing foods. In the 1980, the USDA issued new dietary guidelines. Then, USDA recommends eating “foods with adequate starch and fiber.” This was quite a change for the USDA. For 25 years before, its food guides made no distinction between refined grains and whole grains; both were considered about equal in nutritional value.

And back in 1977, when the National Cancer Institute issued its advice to the public, it advocated eating more fiber, too.

We averagely eat about 20 grams of fiber per day. Several scientists have recommended increasing fiber intake to a level of 30 to 40 grams a day.

Fiber: What It is

Fiber is a general term. It refers to an assortment of substances in food that are not digested in the small intestine. With one exception, all forms of fiber are carbohydrates. They are a type of carbohydrate that human cannot digest.

All of the following are classified as dietary fiber:

1) Cellulose, which is abundant in wheat bran

2) Hemicellulose, another form found in whole grain foods

3) Lignin, found in grains, fruits, and vegetables

4) Pectins, which are common in fruits and vegetables

5) Gums and mucilages, often found in beans, oats, fruits, and vegetables.

The Two Basic Types of Fiber

Actually, you don’t have to know each form of fiber and where it occurs. For the most part, it is only necessary to think of two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

As their label implies, the soluble fibers are those that dissolve in water. Pectins, gums, and mucilages fall into the soluble category.

Insoluble fibers are those that do not dissolve in water. Cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin are insoluble fibers.

Both soluble and insoluble forms of fiber play important roles in preventive medicine. Current research suggests, however, that only the insoluble fibers help to prevent cancer.

The insoluble fibers create bulk in the digestive tract. The more bulk there is, the less room for harmful chemicals that might cause cancer. The soluble fibers do not give bulk, but they do have other virtues. We’ll talk about them later.

The best source of the bulk-producing insoluble fibers is whole grain foods – especially bran.

Studies worldwide link whole grain foods to lower risk of colon cancer. Studies on animals back up these results. In animals, wheat bran has more often than not shown an ability to help protect against colon cancer.

A few studies with humans have also tied vegetables to low rates of colon cancer. The fiber in vegetables has rarely been tested in animals, however, so it is hard to pass judgment on foods other than whole grains.

It is no surprise, then, that the Committee on Diet,Nutrition, and Cancer limited its advice on fiber to whole grain foods.

The Recommendation and How to Meet It

None of the recommendations from the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer are as simple as the one for fiber: “Eat………whole grain foods daily”.

In providing fiber, no whole grain food comes close to wheat bran. Half a cup of 100% whole bran cereal has about 3 times as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.

You don’t have to eat bran directly to add it to your diet, though starting the day with a bran cereal is not a bad idea. You can replace a small amount of flour used in baking with bran. Because bran is so rich in fiber, even a small amount counts. As a general rule, try replacing about one-third of the flour in a recipe with an equal amount of bran.

When baking with bran cereal, it is best to let the cereal soften in liquid before baking. Try to combine the cereal with a liquid ingredient in the recipe.

Be Creative with Cereals

Shredded wheat is another excellent source of wheat fiber. Many people find the “spoon-size” shredded wheat more pleasing than the large biscuits. There are dozens of ways to enjoy shredded wheat:

• Use the spoon-size biscuits with dips.
• Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin and substitute for some of the flour used in baking.
• Use spoon-size biscuits with soups and salads instead of croutons. You may want to saute them first in a small amount of butter for about five minutes.
• Substitute spoon-size shredded wheat for rice when serving a meat or vegetable sauce that is normally-served over rice. The liquid in the sauce will soften the cereal.

Some of the “chex” cereals are also a good source of fiber. Bran Chex has the most fiber of the group. Wheat Chex also provides some fiber; it is made with the whole grain. The corn and rice variaties are made from refined grains. Their fiber content is negligible.

The chex cereals make a good breakfast cereal for those who like crunchy cereal. Shredded wheat tends to soften quickly when milk is added.

Another delicious use of the chex cereals is in party mixes. Mixed with chopped dried fruit and popcorn, this is my choice for a great snack.

Oats are still another versatile whole grain food. Instant oats, quick oats, and old-fashioned oats are all whole grain foods. The difference lies in the way the oats are cut. The instant oats are steamed at the factory. Unlike quick or old-fashioned oats, instant oats contain added sodium

( The Next Health Benefits of Fiber )

If you are nutrition-minded, you probably try not to lose nutrients in cooking.

With vitamin A, you don’t have to worry. It is tough stuff; pretty much indifferent to water, heat, and even long periods of storage. Vitamin A doesn’t dissolve in water, so it doesn’t leach into water used in cooking.

But vitamin C is very sensitive. Heat, light, and oxygen can do it in. In fact, some loss of the vitamin C in food just cannot be prevented.

With a little effort, though, losses of the vitamin can be kept to a minimum. Here are the rules:

1. The sooner fresh foods can be used, the better. Vitamin C breaks down during storage.
2. Try not to chop these foods finely all the time. The fewer pieces a food is cut into, the lower its exposure to oxygen, which destroys vitamin C.
3. The vitamin C in cabbage, cantaloupe, squashes, and strawberries is especially unstable. The sooner they are eaten after cutting, the better.
4. When using water to cook foods rich in vitamin C, boil the water first. Then add the food and cover the pot tightly. This cuts down on the oxygen coming in contact with the food.
5. Cook vitamin C-containing foods in as little water as possible. The vitamin can leach into the cooking water. Steaming in a basket or pressure-cooking is better, because less liquid will come into contact with the food.
6. If you do cook these foods in water, use the cooking water to make a sauce or save it for stock. This way, you won’t pour vitamin C down the drain.
7. Keep cooking time to a minimum. The longer the food is cooked, the more vitamin C will lose.

It is not always possible, of course, to follow these rules, but when it is, do so. The vitamin will also hold up better if not heavily exposed to light.

About Frozen Foods

All of this talk about losing vitamin C must make you wonder if any of it is left in processed foods. The answer is: it depends.

In some cases, the ability of the food industry to preserve the vitamin C in food is no less than amazing. In other instances, though,  it seems that processors are not trying hard enough.

My favorite example is frozen orange juice concentrate. It contains hardly a milligram less vitamin C than the oranges that it hails from. The juice processors have perfected their trade so well that it is almost an art.

Many other frozen foods do lose some vitamin C during the trip from field to supermarket. But their fresh counterparts are likely to do so, too, during storage and cooking. So, though fresh, raw vegetables usually have the most vitamin C, once cooked, their C content may be on a par with that of frozen foods.

If you observe the rules on preserving the vitamin C in foods, your fresh, cooked vegetables may retain more vitamin C than frozen ones.

Is There Vitamin C in That Can?

For canned fruits and vegetables, the story is not so good. Canned foods often have less vitamin C than frozen or fresh foods. The vitamin C leaches into the water used in packing.

So even though a canned food might have a lower cost per pound than the fresh or frozen version of the same item, it is not necessarily the best buy. If the canned version has only half as much vitamin C as the frozen, for instance, it actually can cost more to get 20 mg of vitamin C from it.

I do not want to imply that canned foods have no nutritional value. Nor do I mean to say that canned foods should never be used. But nutritionally, frozen foods are often a better buy. When in season, fresh foods are often a better buy, too. And fresh or frozen foods usually have less salt – a big plus.

You almost always can depend on fresh, uncooked foods for vitamin C (provided that the food is a source of the vitamin). When you eat fresh, raw foods, you don’t have to give a thought to losses that occur during cooking.

Remember: the vitamin C that remains in frozen or fresh foods can be destroyed by too much exposure to heat, light, and large amounts of cooking liquid. But a little effort can go a long way toward preventing unnecessary losses of this important vitamin.

I suggest you to find other valuable stories concerning vitamin C and cancer as follows:

• Vitamin C and Cancer
• Vitamin C, Cancer, and Kidney Stones
• Vitamin C, Cancer, and Kidney Stones, Part II, and
• Protect Yourself Against Cancer with your Daily Foods

The RDA for vitamin C is 60 mg a day for adults. By the way, 60 mg of pure vitamin C crystals would measure only a fraction of a teaspoon.

The scientists who set the RDA, however, did not take the evidence on vitamin C and cancer into account.

Here is some more specific advice. Nutritionists have always recommended four or more servings a day of fruits and vegetables. I think at least two, and preferably three, should be foods supplying moderate to high amounts of vitamin C. I try to eat a food rich in vitamin C at every meal.

It is not hard. I can hardly start the day without my orange juice. So that is my first suggestion. Grapefruit juice is also a fine choice.

Here are some other tips that work for me:

• Top cereal with sliced peaches, bananas, or other foods that are good sources of vitamin C.
• Eat salads often, using deep green lettuce, green pepper, and tomato as ingredients.
• Add sliced peaches to chicken salad.
• Serve luncheon salads inside of fresh green peppers.
• Serve fruit for dessert. If the family objects, make sweets that include fruit. It is simple enough to top cakes or ice milk with sliced bananas, berries, peaches, or other fruit.

If you are wondering what qualifies as a serving, here are some guidelines. For juices, three-fourths to one cup is one serving. “Juice” glasses usually hold three-fourths of a cup (6 ounces). Full-size glasses usually hold a full cup (8 ounces).

Nutritionists generally consider three-fourths of a cup of a vegetable as one serving. If that doesn’t mean much to you, take a look at half cup and quarter cup measures to get an idea of what three-fourths of a cup looks like.

For most fruits, such as oranges, bananas, or apples, one whole fruit is one serving. For large fruits such as grapefruit, half of one fruit is one serving. In the case of very large fruits, such as melons, you can consider one cup of the fruit, diced, as one serving.

Vitamin A and C Often Go Hand in Hand

If it seems that eating to prevent cancer is getting complicated, rest assured that it does not have to be.

When it comes to eating more of the fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A and C, you can often get both nutrients from the same foods. There are quite a few foods that are good sources of both of these important nutrients.

You might call them the fruit and vegetable  all-stars. Here is the lineup:

1. Asparagus, broccoli, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes are high in both vitamin A and C.
2. Brussels sprouts, green pepper, and peas are rich in vitamin C and also contain moderate amounts of vitamin A.
3. Apricots, mangoes, mixed vegetables, peaches, romaine lettuce, spinach, and winter squash have medium amounts of vitamin C and high levels of vitamin A.
4. Dark green leafy vegetables, such as kale, collards, and turnip and mustard greens are also rich in vitamin A, with moderate amounts of vitamin C.
5. Corn, green beans, and watermelon have moderate amounts of both vitamin A and C.

One nice aspect of vitamins and cancer is that many of these foods complement each other in cooking. You can mix apricot nectar with orange juice to give a not-too-sweet breakfast beverage. That way you start your day right, with both vitamin A and C.

By the way, I cannot resist pointing out that most of these foods rich in vitamin A and C are pleasantly low in calories, too.

( The Next Story )

But an update is in order. It is not that vitamin C does not do these things. Rather, it does more – much more.

It may very well help to prevent cancer, says the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer (of the U.S.). The panel members were impressed enough with studies of vitamin C and Cancer to advise us to eat foods rich in vitamin C every day.

Scientists have found that cancers of the stomach and esophagus are less common among people who eat diets rich in vitamin C. In fact, year-round access to foods rich in vitamin C may be one explanation for the dramatic fall in stomach cancer rates in the case of the United States.

Stomach cancer was common in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, when some fruits and vegetables were available only seasonally. We now have year round access to these fruits and vegetables, and many are rich in vitamin C. And stomach cancer is no longer common. It does remain a major health problem in some parts of the world.

A few studies also tie vitamin C to lower risk of bladder and colon cancer. But there is not enough research yet to make a firm judgment about vitamin C’s  ability to protect against these two forms of cancer.

How Vitamin C Protects Us

We have a pretty good idea of how vitamin C works to prevent cancer. Substances in food called nitrites can turn into cancer-causing nitrosamines during cooking or digestion. Bacon, of course, has a particularly bad record;  nitrosamines have often been found in it after cooking.

Laboratory scientists know that nitrosamines can be created by letting certain chemicals come in contact with each other. yet when vitamin C is added to the chemical mixture that normally results in nitrosamines, fewer of them form. In some cases, vitamin C has completely blocked the formation of nitrosamines.

Can the same thing happen in our bodies? Studies around the globe suggest that the answer is yes.

In the U.S., a team of  researchers found that the chances of developing cancer of the esophagus went down as the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet went up. Researchers also know that Americans and Western Europeans have fairly low rates of stomach cancer. These countries enjoy access to a variety of fruits and vegetables.

On the other hand, fruit and vegetable intake is low in some of the regions where stomach and esophageal cancer are rampant. Iranians living along the coast of the Caspian Sea, for instance, have alarming rates of esophageal cancer. Researchers sent to find out why noted that fruits and vegetables were almost absent from the diets of these people.

Another Role for Vitamin C

Scientists have known for decades that vitamin C can block the chemical reaction called oxidation. Oxidation is the process that causes food to become rancid. Substances that prevent oxidation are called antioxidants.

Until recently, no one realized that antioxidants might help protect against cancer. But they very well may. Scientists now believe that some chemicals cause cancer only if oxidized. By preventing oxidations, vitamin C may cut down on our exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.

The Recommendation and How to Meet It

“Eat fruits, vegetables…… daily, especially those high in vitamin C,” advises the Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer. This is going to be a popular recommendations. Almost everyone – from babies to adults – likes foods rich in vitamin C.

To follow the committee’s advice, take a look at the following chart. It rates foods as low, medium, or high in this vitamin.
How about animal foods? Animal foods are not listed because the supply less than 10 % of the vitamin C in our diet. Fruits and vegetables are the foods to depend on for this nutrient.

Vitamin C in Fruits and Vegetables

Adapted from the work of Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, National Academy of Sciences, USA, 1989

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