Healthy Kitchen

by Nicci Micco

It Builds Bone

Just 1 cup of milk provides 30 percent of the daily value of calcium, a mineral that helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth. To get that amount of calcium from other foods you'd have to eat more than 7 cups of raw broccoli, for example. Calcium is critical to the formation of bones in children and teenagers and becomes equally important to rebuild the bone mass that we lose as we age.

It's the #1 Source of Vitamin D

Scientists are discovering that vitamin D is not only important for proper calcium absorption, but also may improve immunity, reduce risks for some cancers, diabetes and multiple sclerosis, and promote better blood pressure. According to new research presented at the annual Experimental Biology meeting in April 2010, milk provides nearly 43 percent of the vitamin D we get through our diets, making it the number one source. Fortification of milk began in the 1930s to prevent rickets, a disease characterized by soft, deformed bones. Today, all commercial milk sold in the United States is fortified with vitamin D. This is not necessarily true for other dairy products.

It Helps Keep Muscles Strong

One cup of milk provides 16 percent of the daily value for protein, which builds and repairs muscles. In fact, several small studies (partially funded by the dairy industry) found that chocolate milk might help athletes refuel as well as or better than popular sports drinks. Chocolate milk contains the mix of protein and carbohydrate the body needs to recover its energy supplies after an intense workout.

It Helps Keep Your Weight in Check

Several observational studies show that people who consume more dairy products weigh less and have less body fat than those who consume less. Milk seems to satisfy our hunger better than other drinks -- perhaps due to its protein, suggests a study published in 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In that study, people who drank skim milk felt fuller and ate less at their next meal than people who drank a fruit drink. If you are concerned about weight gain, choose low-fat or nonfat milk instead of whole milk, which can have as much as 8 grams of fat per serving.

by Caroline H. Gottesman

When you want to lower your blood pressure, think beyond slashing salt, calories and fat -- and also consider what you can add to your diet. More vegetables, fruits and lean protein, says the Institute of Medicine in a February 2010 report on preventing and controlling high blood pressure. Plus, recent research points to three beverages that also may help to lower blood pressure. Consider drinking more...

Low- or Nonfat Milk

Both supply potassium and calcium, two nutrients that are associated with healthy blood pressure, and are fortified with vitamin D-a vitamin that new research suggests promotes healthy blood pressure. Substituting low-fat dairy -- including milk -- for full-fat versions may also help lower blood pressure, reports a 2009 study in the British Journal of Nutrition. In healthy people, arteries are "elastic": they relax (widen) and constrict (narrow) to keep blood pressure within a normal range. Full-fat dairy contains significant amounts of palmitic acid (much more than low-fat dairy), which can block signals that relax blood vessels, leaving them in a constricted state that may keep blood pressure elevated, explains study author Estefanía Toledo, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Navarra, Spain.

Hibiscus Tea

Drinking hibiscus tea can significantly lower blcooood pressure, particularly when it is slightly elevated, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Nutrition. Diane L. McKay, Ph.D., lead author of the study, believes that anthocyanins and other antioxidants in hibiscus tea may work together to keep blood vessels resistant to damage that causes them to narrow. Many herbal tea blends contain hibiscus, which brews up bright red and delivers a tart flavor. McKay recommends finding one you like and drinking three cups daily. To get the full benefits of the hibiscus, steep for six minutes before drinking hot or cold.

Cranberry Juice

At your next celebration, raise a glass of...cranberry juice? Turns out, cranberry juice has the same blood pressure–lowering effects as red wine, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (The study was partially funded by Ocean Spray.) Both beverages-as well as apple juice and cocoa-boast antioxidants called proanthocyanidins, which inhibit synthesis of a compound called ET-1 that plays a role in constricting blood vessels.

by Emily Sohn

People with gum disease -- which affects up to 50 percent of American adults -- are twice as likely to suffer from heart problems.

As a result, doctors who treat gum disease and doctors who treat heart disease are teaming up with a message: dealing with one can help people avoid the other. Last summer, a major heart journal and a major periodontal journal simultaneously published a consensus paper that outlines the link between the two diseases (inflammation) and urges both types of doctors to look at the body as a whole rather than a set of unrelated parts.

"The theory is if you have a certain amount of inflammation, something is going to break down somewhere [whether it's your heart, your gums or something else]," says David Cochran, D.D.S., past president of the American Academy of Periodontology and a professor at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio.

Studies show that regular exercise and stress reduction can have anti-inflammatory effects. Besides exercising and, of course, getting regular dental checkups, choosing certain foods may also help you protect both your gums and your heart:

Raisins

You might think that because raisins are sweet and sticky, they're not good for your oral health. But research has shown that antioxidants in raisins fight the growth of a type of bacteria that can cause inflammation and gum disease.

Green tea

Scientists reported in 2009 that Japanese men who drank a daily cup of green tea significantly lowered their risk of developing gum disease -- the more the tea, the lower the risk. The researchers believe antioxidants called catechins in green tea are the key. Catechins hamper the body's inflammatory response to the bacteria that cause gum disease.

Whole grains

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who ate four or more servings of whole grains a day reduced their risk of periodontal disease by 23 percent. Compared to refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice), whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice) are digested more slowly, causing a steadier rise in blood glucose, says study author Anwar Merchant, D.M.D., Sc.D., an epidemiologist at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. Avoiding spikes in blood sugar tempers the body's production of inflammatory proteins -- and lowers the risk of both gum and heart disease.