cholesterol

Butter or margarine: Which spread is better for you? Our Healthy Skeptic gets to the bottom of this debate.

Did you know the term "extra light" on an olive oil bottle has nothing to do with fat or calories? Find out what it means and other interesting facts about olive oil.

Here's some health news that is sure to horrify parents of sugar-loving kids: Teens who consumed the highest levels of added sugar (mostly from sugary drinks and processed foods) were found to have worse cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those who consumed the least. That's according to a new study published in the Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The findings could spell heart trouble down the road.
 
"This is the first study to assess the association of added sugars and the indicators of heart disease risk in adolescents," said study author Jean Welsh, MPH, PhD, R.N "The concern is long-term exposure would place them at risk for heart disease later in adulthood."
 
Welsh, a post-doctoral fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) of 2,157 teenagers (ages 12 to 18) and found the average daily consumption of added sugars was 119 grams (28.3 tsp or 476 calories), accounting for 21.4 percent of their total energy. (The teens' average daily consumption was roughly four times the American Heart Association's recommended upper limit for added sugars, which is between 100 to 150 calories, depending on energy requirements, age and gender.)
 
Those teens who consumed the highest amounts of added sugar—where added sugar made up 30 percent of the day's calories—had lower good cholesterol (HDL), and higher bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides than those who consumed the least (less than 10 percent of total calories).

The study also found that overweight or obese teens with the highest levels of added sugar intake had increased signs of insulin resistance, often a precursor to diabetes.
 
Welsh said she was surprised to see deteriorating lipid levels in teens, even though experimental studies have shown the same effect in adults. "It is incredible that we did see this in kids."
 
Welsh is not sure what causes lipid levels to deteriorate. One theory, she said, is that when people consume high levels of fructose, which is metabolized by the liver, it is more easily converted into fatty acids which raises triglyceride levels. "If that mechanism is what happens, then it makes sense," she says. "But no one had ever shown it, so we were surprised."
 
She warned that more studies are needed since this was a cross-sectional study— essentially a snapshot in time— and not a longitudinal study. For example, can exercise mitigate the effect? Do lipid levels go back to normal if added sugar is cut? Will the shift in cholesterol levels result in cardiovascular disease in the future?
 
It could be a while before those questions are answered. In the mean time, Welsh, a mother of four, has some suggestions.

"The first thing we as parents can do is to help kids be aware of how much sugar they are consuming, and make them aware that there may be health consequences down the line, like obesity. Educates the kids about this and help them to know how to make better choices; teach them how to read nutritional labels."

How often should you have your cholesterol checked? What should your ideal LDL cholesterol level be? Take our Everwell Challenge and get the answers.

Getting stuffed on a big, greasy burger has never been easier. Big burgers are everywhere—and by big, I mean gargantuan-sized creations of beef and bun bursting with layers of fatty patties, bacon, cheese and all the trimmings. What's a nutrition-minded burger lover to do?

Happily there's a middle ground. "You don't need a half pound of beef," says registered dietitian Betsy Hornick, co-author of the Healthy Beef Cookbook. "Three to four ounces should be your goal."

Restaurant menus often list the uncooked weight: A half-pound burger is 6 ounces cooked, and a quarter-pound burger is 3 ounces cooked weight.

Beef gets a bad rap because it's high in cholesterol and saturated fat. If you're building your own burger, you can reduce the amount of both by choosing leaner beef. A 3-ounce burger made from 85 percent lean beef has around 13 g of total fat, 5 g of saturated fat. (For a 2,000-calorie diet, the American Heart Association recommends you consume only 16 g of saturated fat a day.

But the nutrition news isn't all bad for hamburgers. Beef can be a great source of protein as well as important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorous and choline, Hornick says.

And even the type of saturated fat in beef—called stearic acid—may not affect blood cholesterol, according to recent research. "We've learned that stearic acid has more a neutral effect on cholesterol," she says.

Here's some other ways to make your burger healthier:

Cook burgers on a grill instead of a griddle.
An open grill allows excess fat to drip off. "I recommend that half-inch thick patties be grilled over medium hot coals for 11 to 13 minutes to medium doneness until no longer pink in the center and juices show no pink color," Hornick says. "Turn just once so the burgers stay juicy."

Choose a healthier bun.
More restaurants are offering whole grain burger buns which are higher in fiber and add a few more nutrients. "Avoid burgers on croissants or huge overpowering buns. New, thinner sandwich bread-style burger buns and pita bread can be a good lower calorie choice, too."

Be choosey about cheese.
Each slice of cheese adds about 100 calories. If you must have cheese, Hornick suggests using a small amount of highly flavored cheeses such as aged cheddar, pepper jack or blue cheese crumbles.

Watch the extras.
Loading on the bacon, pork belly, fried eggs, pancetta, mayo and mayo-based sauces can add hundred of extra calories—and lots of fat—to a burger.

Accessorize smartly.
Mustards are marvelous with beef and very low in calories. Mushrooms and onions add great flavor to beef, but ask for them grilled instead of sautéed in butter. If you're making them at home, cook them in heart-healthy olive oil.

Ask to 'super size' the lettuce, tomato, raw onion, pickle and other fresh veggie garnish on your burger to boost nutrient content, add crunch, flavor with very few calories.

Hornick says the burger is a tasty vehicle for getting folks to eat more vegetables, "How about sliced zucchini or eggplant on your burger? Grilled vegetables are awesome on burgers or served on the side."

Travel the world.
Burgers may be an American comfort food, but more restaurant menus are offering an international take with Mexican, Italian, Greek and Asian flavor ideas. "It opens peoples imagination with all of these different toppings and sauces and there's a lot of great ones such as a Mediterranean burger with hummus," Hornick says.

"I like the Indian inspired cucumber and yogurt raita on a grilled burger or you can go tropical with grilled pineapple or a mango and black bean salsa on burgers."

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If you're like me, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about what you're going to eat. Here's some food for thought: The right foods can improve your concentration, fend off dementia, boost your energy and even help you remember things.

While most nutrition studies focus on hearts, bones and waistlines, there's a growing field of research around food and how it affects our brains. So, whether you're choosing breakfast foods to keep you alert during an early morning business meeting or want an afternoon snack idea to boost concentration powers, here's a round up of food news to feed your mind.

Get your folate
Found in orange juice, green vegetables, cantaloupe and whole grain foods including those enriched with folic acid such as breads, cereals, pasta and rice. Shown to improve alertness in adults, the B vitamin folate may be key in forming the brain's memory cells. (It's also critical in early pregnancy to prevent spinal cord birth defects.) Research shows that high blood folate levels help keep homocysteine levels in check. That's a good thing because high homocysteine levels are associated with increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. So, grabbing an orange juice and whole grain bagel may be a time saving "no-brainer" breakfast on the go but it's really good for your brain.

Feed your brain cells choline
Found in egg yolks, peanuts, soybeans and flaxseeds the nutrient choline helps support the brain's messenger service, called neurotransmitters. It's also linked to new memory cell production. But, according to Boston based nutrition consultant and registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward, who presented findings at the American Dietetic Association's 2008 Food and Nutrition Conference in Chicago, "It's a nutrient that's frequently under-consumed by those who need it most." Fewer than 10 percent of older children, men and women get the recommended amount of choline, Ward says. One egg, which contains 125 milligrams of choline, can help close the gap.

Add more antioxidants
If you're having trouble remembering or thinking clearly, toss a handful of blueberries in your yogurt for breakfast or order a spinach salad for lunch. Both contain high levels of antioxidants which may help protect cognitive function by fighting oxidative stress in our brains, according to nutrition research from Tufts University.

Take a sip of tea
Facing a big meeting or need to focus? Try a cup of tea. Tea contains an amino acid called theanine that helps calm us down so we can concentrate better and focus on the task at hand. Theanine is found in green, black and oolong teas.

Stay hydrated
If your brain feels a bit fuzzy or you feel irritable, you might just be thirsty. Dehydration can make you feel listless, lethargic and contribute to concentration problems. Maybe you don't need more caffeine to plow through the rest of the afternoon. Make sure to drink water throughout the day. The water in fresh fruit and vegetable snacks help hydrate, too.

Brain foods for kids
Children also need brain food. Breakfasts based on high-sugar food, in particular, can be a problem. High-sugar foods set kids up for a midmorning energy crash--just when they're likely to be in the middle of the more demanding classes, like math or reading.

Ideal breakfasts offer protein and complex carbs, which are digested more slowly. Such breakfasts not only keep kids' energy levels stable all morning, but also improve motor coordination, says Steven Zeisel, MD, a researcher at Duke University. Feed them a bowl of oatmeal. Researchers believe the high fiber, whole grain digests slowly, providing kids with a steady stream of energy.

And make sure they get the right amount of iron and zinc. Iron deficiency is the most common type of nutritional shortfall in American children, and the number one nutrition disorder in the world. And poor performance at school could be a symptom.

Even a minor deficiency can cause a decline in cognitive functioning, says Mary J. Kretsch, PhD, a researcher at the USDA-ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, CA. Primarily, it seems to affect kids' ability to pay attention.

Lean beef is one of the best absorbed sources of iron there is. The amount of meat consumed matters less than you think. Kretsch says that adding even as little as 1 ounce of beef per day has been shown to make a big difference in the body's ability to absorb iron from other sources.

An added brain bonus: Beef packs plenty of zinc, and even minor zinc deficiencies have been shown to impair memory.

Eggs have gotten a bad rap for being high in cholesterol. But can they be part of a heart healthy diet? Our Healthy Skeptic is on the case.

With all the stories about eggs in the news, you probably know the basics for avoiding salmonella poisoning: Don't eat runny eggs, wash utensils and counter tops after use, and avoid the billion or so eggs the Food and Drug Administration has recalled.

But that's not the complete story for playing it safe around eggs. Here are seven things you might not know about cooking eggs safely:

• Cook casseroles and other dishes containing eggs to 160 degrees. Use a food thermometer to be sure.

• Eat hard-cooked eggs within one week of cooking

• If you refrigerate quiches or soufflés, reheat them to 165 degrees before serving.

• Divide hot egg dishes into shallow containers before refrigerating.

• Bake meringue-topped pies at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

• Use a cooked egg-milk mixture or pasteurized egg produces for homemade ice cream (or choose a recipe that doesn't use eggs).

• For recipes that call for raw eggs, heat the eggs in one of the recipe's other liquid ingredients to 160 degrees before adding them.

For more on egg safety, visit the FDA's consumer egg safety site.

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Heavy seafood sauces can easily drown a heart-healthy fish dish in extra calories and fat. Here's a tasty and healthy avocado-based from Registered Dietitian Liz Weiss.

Want to make this at home? Download the recipe now. (PDF)

We all know that a good laugh can help you feel better. But can humor also improve your health?

The late Norman Cousins thought so. When the writer and editor was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in the 1970's, his self-prescribed treatment included humorous TV shows and films, which he credited for helping him recover. He called laughter "internal jogging."

Three decades later, there's new research that may support Cousins' belief. In a study of 20 diabetic patients, half of whom were exposed to humor as part of their treatment, those in the laughter group had higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and fewer signs of inflammation in their blood vessels (a possible risk for heart disease) than those not exposed to humor.

To be sure, a study with only 20 subjects is far from conclusive, and it has yet to be published. Still, it follows other research suggesting that laughter may help increase blood flow, reduce levels of stress hormones, and enhance immune function.

By itself, laughter therapy won't cure cancer or keep you from getting sick. But it certainly can't hurt. At the very least, it may make your pursuit of better health more enjoyable. Watch, for example, how some yoga practitioners are incorporating laugher into their routines.

One physician, Dr. Brad Nieder, has gone so far as to become a stand-up comedian. If further research corroborates that, as the Bible says, a "merry heart doeth good like a medicine," then the good doctor may indeed be on to something by keeping people in stitches.

After recovering from a heart attack, cardiologist Christopher Leet learned firsthand the connection between heart disease and depression.

Dietitian Carolyn O’Neil comes to the defense of a high-powered attorney whose eating habits have become a real liability. The verdict: A healthy diet to fit even the busiest schedule.

Is dark chocolate just an indulgence -- or actually good for you? Dr. Bruce Dan looks at the surprising health benefits of this delicious treat.