Tuesday, September 30, 2008 Daily Tips

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Tuesday, September 30, 2008 Daily Tips

Why You Need Zinc Want to encourage healing, boost your immune system, and help protect against vision loss? Then consider zinc. This mineral plays an important role in cell production, including creating new skin cells, but how much you take is important - moderate doses of zinc can enhance immunity, while high doses can actually depress it and should be avoided. In general, Dr. Weil recommends supplementing with 15 mg of zinc daily for most of us - or up to 30 mg daily if you follow a vegetarian diet, or simply don�t eat many foods of animal origin (vegetables and fruits provide very little zinc).

The best plant sources of zinc are legumes (dried beans, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, lentils, and peas), soy products and whole grains. Red meat and cooked oysters are good animal sources. Some dairy products and foods high in calcium can decrease zinc absorption, while protein-rich foods can enhance it.

Because copper can be depleted when taking zinc supplements, Dr. Weil recommends a multivitamin supplement like the one available in his Vitamin Advisor that includes both zinc and copper, taken with a meal to avoid stomach upset.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03035/Why-You-Need-Zinc.html====================Is Rice Bran Oil Healthy?What do you think about rice bran oil? It was recommended to me by a nutritionist for its health benefits and its high smoke temperature, but I never see it mentioned except on the websites that sell it.

Rice bran oil is extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice. It has a mild taste and is popular in Asian cuisine because of its suitability for high-temperature cooking methods such as deep-frying and stir-frying. It is said to be the secret of good tempura.

Rice bran oil is mostly monounsaturated - a tablespoon contains 7 grams of monounsaturated fat, three of saturated fat and five of polyunsaturated fat. In comparison, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil contains 11 grams of monounsaturated fat, two grams of saturated fat and one gram of polyunsaturated fat. Rice bran oil also contains components of vitamin E that may benefit health.

A study from the University of Rochester in New York showed that isolated vitamin fractions in rice bran oil may be useful for cholesterol control, although most of the evidence for this comes from studies in lab animals. In one of these studies, total cholesterol dropped by 42 percent in lab rats fed a concentrated fraction of vitamin E called tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) extracted from rice bran oil. The animals' LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels dropped as much as 62 percent after their diets were supplemented with TRF. The study was published in the May, 2005, issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Earlier studies by the same research team showed that TRF boosts the activity of liver enzymes that clear toxic substances from the liver and reduces or stabilizes liver tumors. The group concluded that long-term use of tocotrienol might reduce overall cancer risk.

This research might support supplementing with tocotrienols, but I haven't seen much research on rice bran oil's contribution to human health. For household use, it doesn't measure up to olive oil in terms of monounsaturated fat. Its higher smoke point would make it more suitable for high temperature cooking, which I recommend you keep to a minimum in any case.

Weil, M.D.http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400459/Is-Rice-Bran-Oil-Healthy.html====================Moving Kitty, Part 2: Travel Tips -- CatAge Tip of the Week

Read the online version here.http://ramailer.realage.com/ct/click?q=83-U~IXQYJilZ1Qj7h_HE11ZCwW

Continuing from last week's tip, some more info on helping your cat through a change of address:

If driving . . .

Outfit a large carrier or crate with food, water, bed, and litter box for the car ride. Never open the car door at rest stops unless your kitty is secured in a carrier or on a harness and leash.

If flying . . .

Ask the airline if the cargo hold will be pressurized and temperature controlled. (This is a matter of life or death!) Otherwise, see if your cat can fly with you in the passenger cabin. Don't fly your cat if she has a heart condition or other serious illness.

CatAge Quick Tip Does your cat have hairballs? Learn about the signs at CatAge.com. http://ramailer.realage.com/ct/click?q=01-9oCDI2jfgqUSjlwAHl0Z4rpU