Daily News http://www.thirdage.com/news/archive/010326-02.html?std Read Beyond the Food-Scare Headlines By Michael O'Reilly, M.D. ThirdAge Reproductive Health Expert

Today's consumer is raised on a diet of sensational and often inaccurate news stories about dangerous foods. But don't just swallow the headlines -- to provide wholesome and nutritious meals for yourself and your family, you need to digest the whole story.

Mad Cow Disease Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encepalopathy (BSE), has killed several hundred thousand cows and more than 90 people in Europe. The early symptoms are insidious, mimicking mental illness. They often begin years after exposure and end in coma and death.

However, the import of British beef and byproducts was banned in 1988, and there have never been any cases of BSE in the United States. (Anyone who spent more than six months in Britain between 1980 and 1996 continues to be prohibited from giving blood.) According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "It is extremely unlikely that BSE would be a foodborne hazard in this country."

Foot and Mouth Disease This is not the same hand, foot and mouth disease that the neighbor's kid had last fall. Johnny had a mild viral illness that may have included sores on his hands, feet and mouth, for which he probably did not even see the doctor. FMD is also a virus, but it affects only animals.

Mercury in Fish The Food and Drug Administration has warned that women who are pregnant, nursing or of childbearing age, as well as children under the age of 8, should not eat swordfish, shark, king mackerel or tilefish. The jury is still out on tuna. These fish are at the top of the aquatic food chain and subsequently concentrate methyl mercury in their bodies. The mercury comes from air pollution and can cause damage to the developing brain and nervous system. Even if you're not in one of the at-risk groups, you may want to limit your intake of these fish to once or twice a month.

Bioengineered Foods Genetic mutations aren't always bad -- without them, we would never have evolved into who we are today. Genetically engineered foods are strictly controlled and only allowed to be developed if there is a clear benefit and no new chemical ingredients or allergens are introduced. "Unfounded concerns about hypothetical risks are far outweighed by the real benefits that will soon be realized," says Gilbert Ross, M.D., medical director of the American Council on Science and Health.

Still, some researchers advise caution. "We believe that the federal government must strengthen the regulatory system governing genetically engineered microorganisms, plants and animals, so that the risks and benefits can be evaluated carefully, case by case, before they come to market," said Jane Rissler, senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists on CBS' "60 Minutes."

Food Irradiation It's true that exposure to radiation can cause birth defects and cancer. However, irradiated food does not become radioactive and cannot pass radiation on to the consumer. The CDC's position is that "an overwhelming body of scientific evidence demonstrates that irradiation does not harm the nutritional value of food, nor does it make the food unsafe to eat." In fact, food irradiation is the single most effective way to reduce contamination with Salmonella, Trichinella and E.coli, which cause an estimated 60 million illnesses annually.

The List Goes On Remember the margarine controversy, hormones in chickens, or corn feed in taco shells? To sort through all of the conflicting information, try the FDA Web site. You'll find my favorite resource, the "Bad Bug Book," as well as health warnings, recalls and alerts.

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So what foods are good for you? Find out in the Good Foods Glossary. Variety is the spice of life: It's a tired clichι, but one that takes on new meaning when applied to the foods you eat. Many people associate healthy eating with proscriptive diets, the kind that tell you exactly what you can and cannot eat. The list of "good" foods is usually so limited that you're bound to raid the "bad" list sooner or later.

But not only is this way of eating self-defeating; it's also unhealthy. A truly healthy diet is one that encompasses a wide range of delicious and nutritious foods. Fortunately, nature provides enough of these that you need never get bored. More importantly for your health, eating many different types of foods vastly improves the chances that you'll get all the nutrients--both known and yet-to-be-discovered--that your body needs to prevent and fight disease and keep you functioning at your peak.

A • Almonds • Apples • Artichokes • Avocados • Anchovies • Apricots • Asparagus 1. Almonds 2. Chocolate (A Bonus Food) 3. Apples 4. Eggs 5. Yogurt 6. Chili Peppers 7. Avocados 8. Broccoli 9. Corn 10. Bok Choy and Other Cabbages B • Beans/Legumes • Blueberries • Broccoli • Buckwheat • Beets • Bok Choy and Other Cabbages • Brussels Sprouts • Bulgur C • Cantaloupe • Cauliflower • Chicken and Turkey • Chocolate (A Bonus Food) • Collard Greens • Cranberries • Carrots • Celery • Chili Peppers • Cod • Corn D • Dates

E • Eggplant • Eggs F • Fennel • Figs G • Grapefruit • Guavas H

I J K • Kale • Kohlrabi • Kiwis L • Lean Meat • Lettuce • Lemons and Limes

M • Mackerel • Milk • Mushrooms • Mangoes • Millet • Mustard Greens N O • Oats • Onions • Olive Oil • Oranges P • Papayas • Peaches • Pineapples • Prunes • Pumpkin Seeds • Parsnips • Peas • Potatoes • Pumpkin

Q • Quinoa R • Red Peppers • Rice • Red Wine S • Salmon • Sea Vegetables • Spinach • Sunflower Seeds • Sardines • Shellfish • Strawberries • Sweet Potatoes T • Tea • Tomatoes • Turnip and Turnip Greens • Tofu and Other Soy Foods • Tuna

U V W • Walnuts • Wheat Germ • Watercress • Whole-Grains X

Y • Yogurt Z

Sources

Reprinted from Smart Guide to Healing Foods By Katharine Colton; © 1999 by Cader Company Inc. All rights reserved. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Disclaimer: This material is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for a physician's consultation. It is provided with the understanding that neither ThirdAge Media, Inc. nor its contributors are engaged in rendering medical advice or services. You should promptly consult your own physician regarding your specific symptoms or medical condition. ThirdAge Media, Inc., Legal Disclaimer

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Answers

Uh, what's the SHT category?

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Never Mind...

Science, Health & Technology...

Any suggestions for a new abreviation?

:lol

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

THS

HTS

I kinda thought it was eyecatching as SHT, and easy to remember....

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

I like it the way it is. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is vulgarity, you SHTheads. Can use SCI, HLTH or TECH, all goes in same pot. So to speak.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

I had the same question upon first seeing SHT. Seemed appropriate somehow.

There's the category I choose when setting up the thread, for archiving purposes only. And then there's the descriptor I include in the title. No reason for them to be the same from what I can see.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

So SORRY, and I am having problems with keyboard to boot......someone can delete, I won't mind!

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Are your sure that we don't need an [O-SHT] category :)

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Not a bad idea, cos SHT DOES happen.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Do I get to moderate the SHT catagory since I guess it's my baby!!!!!??????? hehehehe

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Good foods for me = 1) on sale or bulk prices

2)Few or no chemical additives

3) Grown or raised locally without growth hormones or pesticides

Naturally, there are few coupons for the stuff that I buy (ever seen a coupon for 20 pounds of potatoes?)

I have thrown away any so-called lists of approved or unapproved foods. The way eggs have gone in and out and back into fashion in my lifetime has caused me to question all dietary recommendations. I have decided that, for me, eating the entire egg, and eating eggs in moderation, is a Good Thing.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Meemur, what I thought I knew about eggs is that chicken egg whites are a nearly perfect protein with respect to the balance of amino acids. I always thought that was an excellent reason to eat them.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

SAR, yes, I would really appreciate your checking all the SHT posts that come in here. And if there are problems, well, just give the authors SHT. Brooks posts a lot in this category, so you would be perfectly justified in saying, "Brooks, what is this SHT? You're fulla SHT." I know this is a SHTload of responsibility but I do hope you won't say you want nothing to do with this SHT. Just do it for SHTs and grins, okay?

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

You all heard it, right from the top!!!! SHT rules!!!!!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

No SHT!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001