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4A – Daily News – Monday, February 28, 2011 Vitality & health (MCT) — Humans, perhaps Americans in particular, tend to share a certain creed that goes something like this: If one is good, two are bet- ter. That's fine when it comes to dollars in the collection plate or hours spent volunteering, but not so with certain research-has-shown items consumed in the name of health. Think nuts, red wine, dark chocolate, coffee. Nuts, for instance, once thought to be merely delicious and fattening, are — well, delicious and fattening. They've also been shown to be full of all sorts of such good things as omega-3 fatty acids. Thus dietitians recommend an ounce of them (especially wal- nuts and almonds) sev- eral times a week for health benefits. Doesn't it stand to reason that if one ounce is recommended a few times a week, two ounces every day would be better? In a word, and a very firm one at that: No, says Linda Michalsky, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "A handful of nuts is good, but just a handful. Palm-size. A small Treat yourself, in moderation negative effects," says Smith, assistant director of the school's Student Wellness Center. "What has us concerned are studies coming out about things like red wine. They tell you a glass a night is healthy. But we Americans are so into, 'If one is good, 14 are better.'" Justification, she says, is as close as the Internet. "If you want to hear that drinking that amount is good, you can find it. In this country, it's our mentality. We want quick fixes, we want miracle cures, and we want them right now." MCT photo A five-ounce glass of red wine offers resveratrol, which helps lower triglycerides and can increase levels of HDL (the good cholesterol). Recommended amount: no more than a glass a day for women, two for men. woman's palm's size, not the whole Planters jar." Too many nuts equal too much fat and too many calories. Unless, of course, you're com- pensating by cutting back on something else, which is not very likely. "I'm a chocoholic," says Michalsky, a regis- tered dietitian who holds a doctorate in nutritional sciences. "I make the choice between putting butter on a sandwich or having chocolate later on. But too much dark chocolate won't be good for any- body. It's moderation. I've been preaching moderation for decades. It all comes down to a general balanced diet." Her moderation soap- box is shared by fellow experts, including Amanda Smith of the University of Texas at Dallas. "Overconsumption of anything can lead to Thus, someone who hears that drinking a glass of red wine will give health benefits could easily think, "I want two weeks' worth today so I can see the results quicker." Someone who reads that coffee can help pre- vent Alzheimer's dis- ease might up their intake of drinks that include coffee, which usually come with a high-calorie price tag. A health-conscious person could take "dark chocolate has healthy flavonoids" to mean a candy-bar buffet. Good health isn't something you reach and then are set for life. It's a journey. Regarding the stud- ies, Michalsky offers this caveat: "Most of the pure studies are saying that doing this or that may have a beneficial effect," she says. "They're not saying you should go out and do it. Coffee isn't bad for you in certain amounts, or alcohol if you're already drinking it." Remember these when deciding what to eat or not to eat: No one thing can make you healthy. "Variety gives you a wider variation of nutri- ents, some we haven't even discovered yet," Michalsky says. Portion sizes count. "You could get fat on oatmeal, peanut butter and grilled chicken," says Amy Goodson of Texas Health Fort Worth Hospital. "Excess calo- ries, whether you eat chocolate or whole- wheat pasta, can add weight." Think it through. "Caffeine is addic- tive. Consuming too much increases your heart rate," Smith says. "Yes, wine has cancer- fighting agents. But if you drink too much, you need to worry about alcohol dependency. People just think of the good parts, not 'how can this affect me negative- ly?'" Take small steps. "At least have some- thing healthy in your diet," Michalsky says. "What's the best thing to do? Everything in mod- eration." Study: Farm-raised kids less prone to asthma (MCT) — Children raised on farms don't suffer from asthma as much as their city- and suburb- dwelling counterparts, according to a paper pub- lished online Wednesday in the New England Jour- nal of Medicine. But it's not necessarily because of the fresh air, full sun and hard work, researchers say — it's because of the germs. Scientists had known that many of the things associated with farm life — unpasteurized milk, exposure to animals such as cows and pigs, and hay — helped kids grow up with stronger constitutions, perhaps because they were being exposed to harm- less, even beneficial, bacteria along the way. To test this hypothesis, the researchers analyzed samples of house dust to look at the microbes with- in. They showed that children on farms, where the bacteria population is far more diverse, were 30 percent to 50 percent less likely to have asthma than children who didn't live on farms. The wider the range of microbes in the houses, the less likely it was that the children would suffer from asthma. Also, those who lived on farms were much less likely to have atopy — an umbrella term for certain types of hyperallergic sensitivity, including hay fever, asthma and eczema. But the drop in atopy was linked to a certain group of bacteria, not to the range of microbes. Among the possible explanations for the find- ings: that the beneficial bacteria that live around farms could be staving off some of the harmful bac- teria that exacerbate asthma. Health News? e-mail: clerk@redbluff- dailynews.com or Fax: 527-9251 fitness Nutrition Quiz: Good-for-you foods (MCT) — Magazines love lists and foodies love to rank favorites. So now, even highfalutin' scholar- ly journals like Food Technology are joining the ranks. It recently pub- lished "14 foods that deliver research-docu- mented benefits to health." Take our quiz based on the list. 1. Barley made the list because clinical trials have shown it lowers what? a) Inflammation b) Cholesterol c) Ulcer symptoms 2. Black raspberries have been shown to pre- vent what in mice? a) Intestinal tumors b) Irritable bowel syn- drome c) Gingivitis 3. Pistachios, accord- ing to a recent study, have been found to reduce Source: Institute of Food Technologists what? a) Kidney stones b) Shingles c) Inflammation 4. According to a 2010 study, what nutrient in pecans may provide neu- rological protection by delaying the progression of motor neuron degener- ation? a) Niacin b) Vitamin B12 c) Vitamin E 5. People who con- sumed two servings of canned tomato products daily experienced a sig- nificant decrease in what? a) Blood pressure b) Cholesterol c) Inflammation ANSWERS: 1: b; 2: a; 3: c; 4: c; 5: a