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FACTS ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS, a decrease in bone density that most commonly occurs as people age, can be found at www.osteoporosisflorida.org The Web site is designed to increase public awareness and answer questions about the condition, says Dr. Harris McIlwain, a Tampa rheumatologist and chairman of the Florida Osteoporosis Board. To find out if you are at particular risk, take the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Test, also on the Web site.
A DOCTOR'S VISIT always seems to require providing blood or urine for testing and waiting for lab results. But biologists and engineers want to make lab work simpler, so all you will have to do is spit. In the past 18 months, reports Scientist, a division of the National Institutes of Health has allocated $27-million in grants through 2006 to researchers in a "Salivary Diagnostics Group." Healthcare workers have long known the power of saliva to indicate HIV exposure or drug abuse, and scientists believe it could be used to some day spot cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease. The challenge is to find ways to measure minute levels, perhaps molecular, of proteins, analytes or other substances. A perfect test is still years away, researchers say. And they will have to figure out how to control for mouthwash and what you had for lunch.
PROSTATE CANCER CELLS and their response to a diet that contains isoflavones, found in soy, and lycopene, found naturally in tomatoes, is being tested by researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. Researchers at the Tampa center are participating in national studies to determine if giving men with operable prostate cancer a dietary supplement will affect how their cancer cells grow and divide. Participants will take either isoflavone or lycopene supplements for four to six weeks before surgery, along with a daily multivitamin. Another group of men will take only the vitamin. For more information about participating in the study, phone (813) 903-6889 or (813) 903-4909.
SNACKING DOESN'T HAVE to be a dirty word when it comes to good health and counting calories. The trick is to find foods that ease between-meal hunger and provide a nutrient boost rather than empty calories, says Eating Well magazine, which offers these suggested bites:
-- Whole-grain crackers (Wasa, Ry Krisp) topped with canned sardines packed in olive oil and spritzed with fresh lemon.
-- Hot popcorn tossed with grated Parmesan, a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
-- Slices of hard-cooked egg dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and paprika.
-- Whole almonds, dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, dried cranberries and chopped pitted dates combined in equal amounts; toss in some chocolate chips, for fun.
-- Strawberries or other seasonal fruit dipped in dark chocolate melted in a microwave.
-- Slices of deli turkey spread with honey mustard or mango chutney and wrapped around breadsticks.
-- Cooked baby carrots tossed with toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of thyme and kosher salt.