Broccoli's stem can be hard to swallow
Q. How much of a broccoli plant should be eaten? I don't like it cooked, so I eat it raw or cut up in a salad. Should I be eating the stem, too?
R.W., Griffin, Ga.
A. The budding florets at the top of the broccoli plant contain the majority of the vitamins and minerals. As you work you way toward the stem, you transition to a food that's more fiber than anything else.
Most people need more fiber in their diets, but eating the uncooked woody stem of broccoli could pose a bit of a challenge. Would you consider steaming the broccoli? Other possibilities are to cut it into thin slices and let it sit in a marinade to pick up some flavor or to grate it and create a broccoli slaw.
Q. I recall that in the past you have stated that alcohol can have positive health effects. Is that why it is present in so many cough medicines, etc.? Please elaborate in your column if possible.
G.E., Arlington Heights
A. I have written in that past that there is evidence of a beneficial health effect from a moderate consumption of alcohol. A moderate intake is considered to be one to two drinks per day. A drink is defined as a 4-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce glass of beer or 1-ounce shot of hard liquor in a mixed drink.
The presence of alcohol in some medications has nothing to do with health effects. The alcohol is there because it's an excellent solvent, and it serves as a vehicle to keep certain types of medications in solution.
Q. Are the health benefits from inexpensive California wines as good for the heart as fine French red wines?
S.C., Lafayette, La.
A. To my knowledge there's been no study that has performed a head-to-head comparison. But research studies on the benefits of wine have come from both sides of the Atlantic. I'd think it safe to assume that the wine made from grapes in both areas would have comparable effects.
An important point not to lose here is the fact that the diet and lifestyle carries more weight in determining one's state of health than any possible contribution alcohol might make.