Food for Thought

Earth

Bottled Water for All?

U.S. households are water hogs. On average, each man, woman, and child uses an average of 100 gallons of tap water per day. What faucet did this water come from? In some Wisconsin homes, that could be an important question if a proposed change to the plumbing code goes into effect. PhotoDisc In fact, the […]

Health & Medicine

Mushrooming Concerns

For chefs who savor the flavor of fresh, organic ingredients, what could be better than cooking just-picked mushrooms for dinner? Tricholoma flavovirens–sometimes known in the United States and elsewhere as Tricholoma equestre. Its common name: Man on Horseback. Fred Steven That attitude appears to have gotten a few French gourmands in trouble–big trouble, according to […]

Health & Medicine

Heard about Choline?

This week, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce its authorization of food-labeling claims for choline. It marks the first nutrient to be approved for such claims under the FDA Modernization Act of 1997. Central Soya Central Soya Although choline is hardly a household name, its low visibility doesn’t reflect its importance. This […]

Health & Medicine

Germ-Fighting Germs

Plants and animals arent the only things that get sick. Even pathogenic microbes can succumb to infections. Federal plant pathologists are now looking to capitalize on that phenomenon as a strategy to fight off food poisoning. R. Savidge Though nature seals most fruits and vegetables in germ-resistant peels and rinds, once those outer barriers are […]

Health & Medicine

Drink Those Antioxidants

Mention antioxidants and most people will immediately think of vitamins–typically C and E–usually in the form of mega-dose capsules available at the local drug store. However, a new study finds that many common beverages also deliver a healthy antioxidant serving. R. Savidge These beverages may give some protection against the ravages of oxidizing chemicals that […]

Health & Medicine

A Brew for Teeth—and the Rest of You

Globally, in terms of its popularity as a drink, tea ranks second only to water. While most people began sipping this brew for its taste and its ability to sooth the palate, researchers have recently turned up a variety of reasons to reinforce tea-quaffing habits. The newest: It slows the growth of germs that lead […]

Health & Medicine

Tofu May Get the Lead Out

Lead, a toxic heavy metal, can show up in the most unexpected places. For instance, several recent studies documented a worrisome tainting of calcium supplements. Just last month, some Mexican lollipops were recalled from U.S. stores upon a finding that their wrappers had leached lead into the candy. And recently, this column recounted the perils […]

Earth

Allergic to computing?

Over the years, many studies have linked skin rashes in some people to working long hours at personal computers. A Swedish study now finds a possible explanation: Certain computer monitors emit a chemical that can cause allergic reactions. Three years ago, while analyzing pollution in samples of outdoor air, Conny Östman and his colleagues at […]

Health & Medicine

Dietary protection against sunburn (with recipe)

Nothing tastes more like summer, to this inveterate gardener, than a home-grown, vine-ripened tomato. As a child, on a sweltering August afternoon, I used to swipe one from our garden to nibble slowly in the backyard. Or Id share a bright red Beefsteak with mom. Slathered with mayonnaise and nestled on a bed of lettuce […]

Earth

A dietary cost of our appetite for gold

This Mothers Day, many moms will find their brood and mates proffering glittering booty: sparkling necklaces, earrings, bracelets, brooches, and rings fashioned in whole or in part of gold. There may also be gilded plates, glasses, and grandmas favorite–fragile, matched sets of hand-painted tea cups and saucers. As women admire these tokens of their loved […]

Earth

Beware bathtub wines

Heres a healthy tip for home vintners: Save the bathtub for cleaning your body–not for storing crushed grapes. Bob Savidge A 66-year-old Australian man paid a high price for his habit of periodically tapping a pair of bathtubs for winemaking: periodic bouts of intense abdominal pain, constipation, and mood swings for more than 2 years. […]

Health & Medicine

Germ-killing plastic wrap

Biodegradable plastic that releases germ killers provides an example of what’s known as active packaging, and scientists report progress toward taking this concept to market. Paul Dawson and his colleagues at Clemson (S.C.) University are fashioning plastics from proteins found in corn, soy, and wheat. While these biodegradable polymers are being heated or compressed to […]