Conscious Choice: Good-For-You Grilling

July 2008 | Healthy Living :: Body Talk

Good-For-You Grilling

By Elizabeth Barker

Before you fire up the grill on Fourth of July, grab some rosemary from the spice rack. Adding the antioxidant-rich herb to your burgers can help cut back on cancer-causing compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs), research from Kansas State University shows.

Formed when meat is cooked, HCA levels tend to rise as temperature and cooking time for meat increases. But since rosemary is packed with free-radical-fighting compounds, it can help block HCAs from developing during heating, says researcher J. Scott Smith.

To keep rosemary from overpowering your burgers, Smith suggests sprinkling a small amount on the surface. Past studies from Smith’s research team show that marinating meats in basil, mint, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano and thyme can also help knock out HCAs.

Antioxidants Are Anti-Alzheimer’s

Loading up on luteolin — an antioxidant available in beets, brussel sprouts and cabbage — might lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, finds a new study from the University of South Florida and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In tests on mice, scientists discovered luteolin reduced levels of amyloid-beta, a key component of the brain plaques known to signal Alzheimer’s disease. Diosmin — a compound found in citrus and grapefruit — had similar effects on amyloid-beta, according to the study’s authors. Shown to protect against ovarian cancer in previous research, luteolin is also found in spinach, hot peppers, celery, thyme, parsley, mint and cauliflower.

Stressed-out Moms= Asthma-prone Kids?

Children of stressed-out moms may be more likely to end up with asthma or allergies, according to a recent report from Harvard Medical School. Researchers studied 387 infants, sizing up their mothers’ stress levels and at-home exposure to dust-mite allergens during pregnancy. They detected a higher immune response among infants whose mothers experienced more stress while pregnant, even when those moms were exposed to relatively low levels of dust mites. The findings suggest maternal stress may amplify the impact of dust exposure and alter babies’ immune response at birth.

“This further supports the notion that stress can be thought of as a social pollutant that, when ‘breathed’ into the body, may influence the body’s immune response similar to the effects of physical pollutants like allergens, thus adding to their effects,” states researcher Rosalind J. Wright, M.D.

Kick Canker Sores to the Curb

Cursed with a canker sore? A little licorice could bring relief. A new study from the journal General Dentistry shows that adhesive patches laced with licorice-root extract may help reduce canker sore size. Often triggered by food allergies and hormonal changes, canker sores can also be healed by boosting your vitamin C intake, notes American Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Eric Z. Shapira, DDS.

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