Your health: Perk up
Coffee cure-all?
In case you needed one, here's another possible reason to have that cup of coffee in the morning: Men who regularly drink coffee appear to be less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, especially the most lethal kind, according to new research, says The Washington Post.
Lorelei Mucci of the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues analyzed data collected from 47,911 U.S. men. As part of the study, the men reported their coffee consumption every four years between 1986 and 2008. During that period, 5,035 cases of prostate cancer were reported, including 642 fatal cases.
The men who consumed the most coffee, which was defined as six or more cups every day, were nearly 20 percent less likely to develop any form of prostate cancer, the researchers reported in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
But the heavy coffee drinkers were also 60 percent less likely to be diagnosed with a lethal prostate tumor. Those who drank between one and three cups a day were 30 percent less likely to develop a lethal case.
The risk was cut regardless of whether the men drank decaffeinated or regular coffee, the researchers reported.
Skim milk magic
If you were inventing a perfect food, it might look something like skim milk. Packed with calcium, protein, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A and D, it has no saturated fat and contains 90 calories per cup. The benefits include:
• Your health. Milk consumption is associated with bone health in children and adolescents, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Among adults, drinking milk may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes and may help lower blood pressure.
• It's cheap. A gallon of milk costs about $4.39 and provides 16 one-cup servings, for 27 cents per serving.
Other dairy sources
One way to meet your daily dairy needs is to have a cup of skim milk with every meal. If that's too boring, try these ways to add milk products to your diet, from Dee Sandquist, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
• Make a cheese quesadilla with a corn or whole-wheat tortilla and reduced-fat cheese.
• Snack on a reduced-fat mozzarella stick.
• Blend plain yogurt and frozen berries for a treat “with the consistency of ice cream.”
• Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in dips and salad dressings.
• Instead of a juice box, pack an individual-serving carton of skim milk for your child's lunch.
• Use reduced-fat buttermilk or yogurt in baked goods and pancakes.
• Use milk instead of water when making hot chocolate or heating canned soup. With the soup, though, heat it slowly to keep milk from curdling.