Vegetarian Nutrition Updates by Winston Craig PhD, MPH, RD

Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

Today, we see a renewed interest in the traditional dietary patterns of people of the Mediterranean region. In addition, many health organizations encourage people to adopt the healthy eating habits followed by the Mediterranean coastal regions of Southern Europe, such as southern Italy and Greece.

This article provides a concise review of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Are Honeybee Products Healthy?

Bees are our friends. They pollinate the flowers on our fruit trees and crops and collect nectar to make honey. In addition, various claims have been made for a number of diverse bee products, such as pollen, royal jelly and propolis.

This article looks at these claims and the data behind them.

Touch Therapy

Touch is a very fundamental human need. Children crave it, teenagers want it, and adults thrive on it. The skin is the most sensitive of our organs. It facilitates real communication between individuals.

Read this review of the health benefits of human touch.

Food Additives - Chemical Cuisine

Strange sounding words. Certainly not part of our everyday, normal household conversation. These names appear on the ingredient list on our canned food and food cartons. Polysorbate 60, sodium benzoate, polydextrose, alginate, red 40, BHT, maltodextrin, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite, and many others.

What do these food additives do?

Are they safe? Do they put our health at risk?

Read more!

Winning the Cold War

With the arrival of winter months we usually see an increase of cold and flu symptoms. Over the course of a year, Americans contract about 1 billion colds.

Influenza infection is a leading cause of morbidity, with 20-25 million doctor visits per year. Annually there are about 190 million lost school days due colds and flu. Conventional anti-inflammatory and anti-fever medications, as well as decongestants provide for relief of symptoms. Other modalities have been suggested to boost the immune system or curtail the annoying symptoms associated with colds and flu.

This article is a review of some of the natural remedies for the common cold.

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Sweet, Sweet Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sugarleaf, the sweet herb of Paraguay, or simply stevia, has remarkably sweet leaves. At a time when alternative sweeteners are in strong demand, stevia appears on stage as a big player. This sugar substitute is natural (non-synthetic) and has zero calories.

Not too long ago hidered by health and political controversies, the use of stevia is poised to make an impressive comeback in the US, as Coca-Cola plans to obtain approval to use it by 2009 to sweeten their soft drinks.

Is stevia safe? What are it's health benefits?
Read more!

Spirulina - Is Blue-Green Algae a Superfood?

People have claimed that spirulina can be used to successfully treat various medical conditions, such as asthma, depression, digestive problems, fatigue, HIV infection, hypertension, skin disorders, stress, and attention deficit disorder. In addition, it is supposed to improve the memory, boost immunity, protect the liver, boost energy levels, and detoxify the body.

Is there scientific evidence to support any of these claims?
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Health Benefits of Cumin

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is an ancient spice that grows wild in Israel. Jesus made reference to cumin, dill, and mint, flavoring spices used by the Jews in the first century (Matthew 23:23). Cumin is also mentioned in the Old Testament (Isaiah 28:25). It has always been popular in Middle Eastern dishes, and the oil has been used for perfumes.

Cumin is widely used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine in India for the treatment of dyspepsia and diarrhea. It is an astringent herb that is recognized as an appetite stimulant, and helps control flatulence. Cumin has antispasmodic activity and helps with minor digestive problems. Cumin seeds are noted to be rich in important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, as well as some of the B vitamins.
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Is Organic Food Worth the Price?

Organic food has hit mainstream America. Wal-Mart has introduced its own organic brands. Because of consumer interest, the organic food industry has been growing annually about 20 to 25 percent over the past several years. Organic foods are a step forward in terms of lessening the burden of pollution of planet earth- the pollution of our soil, air and water supply. Why do people choose organic foods? Are they worth the price?
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Vegan Diets: The Pros and Cons

About two to three million adult Americans have chosen to go totally vegetarian and eliminate all animal products from their diet. If one eats only plant foods, are there really any additional health benefits? What about risks?
Read more!