Category: Food Products

Precautions that people suffering from Nut Allergies must take

| January 4, 2012 | 0 Comments

People, who are allergic to nuts, must avoid eating nuts as reaction to nuts can put their life in danger. Peanut allergy is a lifelong problem and only a few people grow out of this problem.
Even thought manufacturers have improved product labeling, there are some products that may belong to nut family which may not be mentioned in the product labels. Nuts belong to LEGUME family and people who are allergic to nuts must avoid eating foods like lentils, peas, beans, cashews and other food items that are member of the legume family. If you want to eat products that belong to legume family, it is important that you consult your doctor before you introduce them in your diet.
Some people, who are allergic to nuts, may only react to one type of nut while other may react to several types of nuts. Therefore, it is best that you have a nut free diet unless you know what is causing the reaction. At times, foods may get contaminated when touched by other foods that contain nuts. It is in your interest to avoid eating loose foods as it increase the risk of reaction.
To reduce the risk of allergies, it is important that you read the label before you buying a product. If you are unable to identify products that are nut free, you can contact the local store or the manufacturer to check if the product is nut free. If you love eating confectionery products like biscuits and cakes, you can make them at home using corn or sunflower oil.
If you are planning to attend a party or go out with family and friends to a restaurant, it is in your interest to eat safe foods. Make sure the organizer is aware of the foods that you cannot eat. If you are unsure of the products used by the chef, it is best that you eat plain foods like salads and fruits.

Does an egg a day increase the risk of coronary heart disease?

| December 20, 2011 | 0 Comments

There are many people who avoid eating eggs because they believe that eating eggs can increase the risk of heart disease. A recent study done by Harvard researchers have proved that having an egg a day does not affect your heart.

For their study, the researchers studied the impact of eggs the health of about 115,000 men and women. At the end of the research, the researchers concluded that eating an egg a day does not increase the cholesterol levels. Also, researchers did not find any short-term or long-term risk of coronary heart disease in people who ate one egg every day.

The participants of the study included about 790,000 nurses that were aged 34 to 59 and whose medical history was followed for 14 years. The study also included about 36,000 males that included pharmacist, dental assistants and other healthcare professionals.

One of the main causes for problems in the heart is high cholesterol levels in people. The cholesterol increases the fatty deposits in the body that blocks the arteries which can lead to stroke and other heart diseases. To reduce the risk of heart problems, people should not consume more than 300 mgs of cholesterol in a day. Since one large egg has about 213 milligrams of cholesterol, most nutritionists are of the view that people should not have more than 1 or 2 eggs a week. However, researchers at Harvard noted that egg contained several nutrients that helped in reducing the negative effects of cholesterol. Some of the nutrients that an egg contains include amino acids, unsaturated fats and vitamins. Researchers further added that good cholesterol that is present in eggs helps in preventing the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries. Eating egg also helps in reducing the harmful effects of carbohydrate-rich foods that increase the blood sugar levels.