health benefits

A new study from the University of Copenhagen found that, in addition to an expected rise in mortality rates among people with low levels of vitamin D in their blood, individuals with elevated levels of the vitamin were also shown to have higher death rates. The research was the largest of its kind and looked at the blood of nearly 250,000 people. The surprising results suggest there are limits to the amount of vitamin D a person should be consuming, despite its many health benefits. Vitamin D is said to help prevent depression, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and is also essential in helping calcium reach our bones. More here. Read more »

Speaking at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, Joe Vinson, Ph.D., said popcorn actually has more of the antioxidants called polyphenols than fruits and vegetables, due to the fact that it is only four percent water and many fruits and vegetables are diluted because they are nearly 90 percent water. Vinson said popcorn may be the perfect snack food because it is 100 percent unprocessed whole grain and one serving contains more than 70 percent of the recommended daily intake of grains. But though research has shown popcorn to have health benefits, the way it’s prepared determines, ultimately, how healthy it is. Popcorn cooked in butter, oils, sugar, and salt is high in fat and calories and will not provide the same nutritional value. Read more »

Though vitamin D has been linked to numerous health benefits, including everything from prevention of bone fractures to staving off the common cold, new research reviews published in the Annals of Internal Medicine say there is little evidence behind some of those claims. The reviews found, for example, that vitamin D alone was not sufficient protection against bone fractures, though when combined with extra calcium there was more evidence that it helped prevent broken bones in the elderly. The reviews also found, with respect to cancer, that the vitamin may have a positive effect in lowering risk of colon cancer but there was less evidence that it would protect against other forms of cancer. Read more »

Kristi Keck (CNN) -- President Obama's decision to grant some benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees is seen by some as his attempt to extend an olive branch to the gay and lesbian community, but critics say it's "too little, too late."  "It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture, but a disappointment," said Richard Kim, a senior editor at The Nation magazine. The memorandum Obama signed Wednesday is not expected to grant health and retirement benefits to same-sex partners, as that is prohibited under the Defense of Marriage Act. "It will absolutely be seen as something good -- but I think, for example, it not including full health insurance -- that is going to put a real microscope on that question. You know, why not?" Kim said, adding that the memo applies only to federal employees, so most people will not be affected by it. Charles Moran, the spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans, said the lack of full benefits in Thursday's memorandum shows a lack of commitment to the gay community.