Your health: Are bacteria friend or foe?

Bugs in the system

Here's a not-so-savory news flash: There are more bacterial cells living in our bodies than human cells. The Washington Post reports that researchers are learning how the balance of these bugs affects our health, but reaping the benefits of bacteria is not quite as simple as eating probiotic yogurt.

That's the gist of “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown” in Endeavors, a magazine published by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The article is broken into five vignettes about what UNC researchers are finding about bacteria's role in ailments such as Crohn's disease, colon cancer and cystic fibrosis. The lowdown on yogurt is that a lot of commercial probiotics don't contain the same species found in our guts, but if the beneficial bacteria happen to fight the disease, it could be of use.

Power up

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 issued a recent call for us to eat more heart-healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthful fats, fiber and fish. But which of these are the best of all? The new “Power Foods” cookbook ($25, 2010) from Martha Stewart's Whole Living magazine promotes 38 foods, from apricots and avocados to walnuts and wild Alaskan salmon.

Alexandra Postman, editor-in-chief of Whole Living, says that she and the book's other editors singled out these 38 “power foods” for providing the best mix of nutrients. They wanted to help consumers decide, “If I'm going to eat a leafy green, which one delivers the biggest bang?” she said. Spinach and kale make the cut.

Also helpful to those trying to follow the new dietary guidelines' call for reducing sodium in our diets (1,500 mg per day) are the book's guides to using healthful oils, herbs and spices to add flavor without salt.

Try a massage ball

These aren't new, but they are an alternative to the increasingly popular foam rollers. A set of 10 or 12, ranging in size from golf ball to bowling ball, allows for a thorough self-massage, especially in hard-to-reach places where rollers are ineffective, says Maggie Wong, who teaches their use at Yoga Plus in Bethesda, Md., and sells them.

“Many people would like to have a massage daily, but it is both expensive and time-consuming,” she said. “The balls are a healthy, affordable alternative.”