When you heard about the recent outbreak of infections caused by Salmonella-tainted tomatoes, odds are you were surprised a mere vegetable was at the heart of the scare.But experts and data suggest Americans’ trust in the safety of their fruits and vegetables may be a little misplaced–just one of many misconceptions people have about food safety and food-borne disease.
When it comes to foods that pose safety concerns, Americans tend to worry the most about meat, not fresh produce. In fact, a new national study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that, of a representative national sample of 1,500 adults, 82% identified raw fish or sushi and 80% rare or medium-cooked hamburgers as at least somewhat risky. Only 36% of those surveyed found raw fruits and vegetables to be risky. Read more…
In Depth: Top Food-Safesty Misconceptions
According to Allison Van Dusen
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Tens of millions of Americans have quit smoking cigarettes. The benefits of quitting — no matter what your age — are prodigious. Risks of heart disease and stroke plummet. So does the risk of lung cancer, along with cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, cervix and pancreas. But can the damage from smoking ever be completely undone? Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, explains.
Q: Does your body fully heal after quitting smoking?
A: When you quit smoking, the inflammation in the airways goes down. The little hair-like projections in the airways that we call cilia — which are paralyzed by smoke — begin to work again. So the lungs will get better in weeks to months. Breathing will get better. Exercise capacity will get better. Paradoxically, people find that they cough a little more right after they stop smoking, but that’s natural. That’s the lungs cleaning themselves out. Read more…
According to LAURA BLUE
NEW YORK) — A Filipino teenager who came to New York so doctors could perform surgery to untwist her severely clubbed feet took her first unaided steps Wednesday in pink-and-white sneakers — the first shoes she’s ever worn.
“I’m very happy,” Jingle Luis said with a smile. “It was exciting.”
The 15-year-old girl arrived at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx in May with her mother for surgery and follow-up treatment.
She had never been able to walk on her own because she was born with feet so clubbed they twisted backward and upside down, forcing her to hobble on the tops of her feet with the help of crutches. Read more…
According to VERENA DOBNIK
LUBBOCK, Texas) — A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra — but don’t necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks all night long.
Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation’s top producers of the seedless variety.
Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body’s enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems. Read more…
According to AP/BETSY BLANEY
