Before you pour your child a heapin’ bowl of sugary cereal, read this: The Environmental Working Group has just come out with its list of the 10 worst children’s cereals. Your child’s favorite might be on it.

At No. 1 is Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, coming in at 55.6 percent sugar by weight, followed by Post Golden Crisp at 51.9 percent and Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow at 48.3 percent. The list also includes, in descending order of sugar, Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch OOPS! All Berries (yes, that’s really the name), Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch original, Quaker Oats Oh!s, Kellogg’s Smorz, Kellogg’s Apple Jacks and Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries. In last place, a somewhat dubious achievement, is Kellogg’s Froot Loops original at 41.4 percent sugar by weight. [Read more...]

People who eat baked or grilled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.

Cyrus Raji, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre and School of Medicine, said: “This is the first study to establish a direct relationship between fish consumption, brain structure and Alzheimer’s risk.

“The results showed that people who consumed baked or broiled (grilled) fish at least one time per week had better preservation of grey matter volume on MRI in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.”

The findings of the decade-long study, which are to be presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America meeting, centred on 260 healthy individuals. [Read more...]

Eating tinned soup may be associated with increased levels of a chemical that is linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes, a study suggests.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is added to the lining of food and drinks cans to stop rusting and keep food fresh. It is also found in plastic bottles, pizza boxes and dental sealants.

The chemical mimics the effects of oestrogen and some studies suggest it hinders neurological and reproductive development. It is already banned from baby bottles in Europe. [Read more...]

Fruit fight: Kiwi tops apple in blood pressure study

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but three kiwis could lower your blood pressure. A study at the American Heart Association scientific meeting in Orlando has found that eating the fuzzy-skinned fruit with the tart green flesh three times a day was associated with a drop in blood pressure. High blood pressure is considered a risk factor for heart disease, which is still the world’s No. 1 killer.

The eight-week study, led by Mette Svendsen of Oslo University Hospital in Norway, involved 118 subjects with an average age of 55 and mildly high blood pressure.

One group added three kiwis to their daily diet, while the other half added the proverbial apple a day. Kiwis contain lutein, which has antioxidant properties. [Read more...]