KTK-Nutrition

Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee or two to start their day?    I often get asked, “Is coffee good for one’s health?”    What does the research show?      My sister sent me an article describing the latest health benefit of drinking coffee. What are the health benefits of drinking coffee? Johns Hopkins notes  9 reasons  coffee is good for you.  What are some of the benefits? Coffee is loaded with healthful antioxidants .  These may lower inflammation and help protect against several diseases. Coffee lowers one’s risk of getting type 2 diabetes . Coffee lowers one’s risk of heart failure.   Enjoy those 2 cups of coffee a day as it makes your heart stronger. Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease .  Coffee drinking is good for your liver .  How?  Coffee drinking promotes good liver enzymes. Coffee drinking reduces your risk of colon cancer  – a condition now...

Colon cancer was always a concern for people over the age of 50.    But now, it is becoming increasingly more common for people under the age of 50 to be diagnosed with colon cancer.    While colon cancer has been declining for older adults, since 1990 colorectal cancer has been increasing in younger adults (under 50) with rates increasing 2% a year.   What is the incidence of colon cancer in younger adults? Among those younger than 55 years of age, the proportion of cases increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.  Although the  overall rate  dropped by 1% each year from 2012 to 2021, the drop was mostly in older adults, those 65 and older.    Why is the incidence of colon cancer increasing in younger adults? Research is investigating the  reasons  but factors being explored are diet, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and even changes in the gut microbiome, the bacteria in your gut.  (See:   Healthie...

According to  WebMD , “there are over 100 different emulsifiers that can be added to foods”.  In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates what emulsifiers can safely be added to foods and list these on the list of  G enerally  R ecognized  A s  S afe or the GRAS list.  Some common  emulsifiers  on this list include:           Lecithin may be used in mayonnaise, creams and some sauces           Mono- and diglycerides           Monosodium phosphate derivatives           Glycerol monostearate           Carrageenan           Xanthan gum           Guar gum           Gum Arabic           Polysorbates like polysorbate 80 What foods may have emulsifiers? Many processed foods have emulsifiers.  ...

This week at the gym, a few people were saying how they or a relative were recovering from some illness, colds, flu or other illnesses that got them run-down and not feeling good.    Are there immunity boosting foods that will help you fight off infections?    As we get   older , our immune system is weaker and we are more likely to get sick.    For those over 65, respiratory infections and in particular pneumonia, are leading causes of death.  What foods can you add to your diet to boost your immune system? Citrus Fruits Citrus fruits are a great way to add some important nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid to one’s day.  (See:  How does vitamin C keep you healthy? )   Citrus fruits  include oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, clementines, and mandarins.  Vitamin C is known for helping to strengthen one’s immune system.  Besides vitamin C, citrus fruits add important antioxidants that have ant...

Years ago, a deficiency of  iodine  was common in many parts of the US.   Then Iodized salt became available and that solved the problem.  Now, however, pregnant women, and others may have low levels of iodine, and some doctors are reporting kids with iodine deficiency.  What is iodine and why do we need it? Iodine is a  mineral  our body needs for many functions and one our bodies can’t make but we can get it from foods we eat.    Our thyroids need iodine for our metabolism helping our bodies turn the food we eat into the energy we need every day.  Iodine also helps our thyroid  regulate  our:           Body temperature           Brain development and mental activity           Breathing           Heart Health           Digestion During  pregnancy  and after the bab...

Most kitchens are well stocked with Teflon pans or other nonstick pots and pans.    Most cooks love these pans as cooking with less oil and cleaning up is so much easier.    But now some states are banning Teflon and other nonstick pots and pans.    Why?   What is Teflon, a nonstick coating, used on pots and pans?  The kitchn  states, “Teflon is a brand name for the chemical coating PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) that is used to make cookware nonstick.”    Teflon has been around for a long  time .  Dr. Roy J. Plunkett, working for Dupont’s Jackson Laboratory, discovered Teflon by accident on April 6, 1938.   The first nonstick cooking pans were invented years later in 1954 in France.  The U.S. had the first nonstick cookware in 1961.  The “first commercially available Teflon coated frying pan” was the  Happy Pan  in 1957.  Why are some states banning Teflon a...