Selcitra

Researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Hormel Institute in the United States have shown that polyphenols- compounds found in green and black tea- can block the cancer-causing effects of ultraviolet light. Conducted on mice, the research could one day lead to the development of topically polyphenols to supplement sunscreens.

The United States government will refashion its Food Guide Pyramid to encourage Americans- two- thirds of whom are overweight or obese- to eat less and exercise more. Developed in 1992, the Food Guide Pyramid offers a general guideline on how much from each of the five major food groups a person should eat per day. The new guide will take into account the fact that most Americans do not exercise regularly.

Coffee Drinking

A Norwegian study suggests that drinking  coffee in moderation, up to five cups a day, can reduce the chances of contracting cardio-vascular diseases, Parkison’s and Alzheimer’s.  The researchers based their findings on data from 27,000 women in United States. Those who drank between one and three cups of coffee daily reduced the risk of contracting cardio-vascular diseases and “inflammatories”  such as Parkison’s and diabetes by between 20 to 25 percent.

The stay also showed coffee accounts for 60 percent of antioxidants in the classical Norwegian diet.  Antioxidants are substances such as vitamins and beta carotene, which attack free radicals, the molecules the body produces naturally that are at the root of many diseases.