MoSt PeoPle know that eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, but there’s another white granule you need to watch out for: sugar. A study of more than 2,600 people found that those who
drank the most sugar-sweetened beverages had higher blood pressure
than those who drank the least. In fact, adding just one extra sugary
drink per day was associated with an increase in systolic blood
pressure (the top number) of 1. 6 mm Hg. The researchers also looked
at diet (sugar-free) soda and saw no link between it and blood pressure.
Source: Hypertension, published online Feb. 28, 2011
Sweet
Spot
Veg Power
• Eating a vegetarian or vegan diet
may help stave off type 2 diabetes,
a study found. Researchers assessed
the diets of over 40,000 Seventh-day
Adventists—adherents of a religion that
encourages vegetarianism—who at the
start of the study were free of diabetes.
two years later, fewer vegetarians or
Da i l Y
valUe
the nutrition-label term
shows what percentage of
the recommended daily
amount of a certain
nutrient is in one
serving of food. it is based
on a 2,000-calorie diet for
healthy adults—your daily
calorie and nutrient needs
may be higher or lower.
vegans had developed diabetes than
meat eaters, independent of weight
change. In addition, the authors said
that following a vegan diet helped
African Americans reduce their usually
higher risk of developing diabetes.
Source: Nutrition, Metabolism, &
Cardiovascular Diseases, published
online Oct. 7, 2011
What Label?
• Food labels are intended to help shoppers pick healthful food, yet most people
don’t bother to read them. When scientists tracked the eye movements of 200
people participating in a simulated grocery-shopping trip, they learned that
most skipped the nutrition facts—even those who reported reading them often.
thirty-three percent said they always viewed calorie-count information, but
only 9 percent actually did in the study. Still fewer—only 1 percent—looked at
all the facts on nearly all labels, including trans fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate
content, and serving size. the bottom line: Paying attention to the nutrition
facts while shopping can help you bring home more healthful foods.
Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, november 2011
