Recent research suggests that a fiber-rich diet may prevent and/or relieve various health conditions. Fiber is not a panacea, however. Dietary Fiber, a new Special Report from the American Council on Science and Health, summarizes current scientific knowledge about the health effects of this complex food component.

A large number of substances that occur naturally in foods are carcinogenic (cancer-causing) when evaluated by the criteria scientists customarily use to assess the cancer-causing potential of synthetic substances. Other carcinogens are produced by cooking and by the actions of microorganisms. These natural carcinogens are more numerous, more widespread and in some cases more potent than synthetic carcinogens in food.

Adapted from "The New Skinny on Snack Foods," by Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan, in Priorities for Long Life and Good Health, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1996.
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The role of diet in the development of cancer has been the focus of much scientific research during the past decade. Researchers now know that high intakes of certain naturally occurring dietary chemicals increase our risk of cancer. Such chemicals include benzo(a)pyrene (found in charcoal-broiled meat), aflatoxin (found in peanuts), and certain hydrazines (found in edible mushrooms). But scientists studying the chemical makeup of the human diet have also identified some naturally occurring anticancer chemicals. One looks especially promising.
Conjugate Bliss?

Although most nutrition authorities recommend diets high in carbohydrates, some recent, bestselling books push diets very low in carbohydrate and high in protein and/or fat. In Protein Power Drs. Mary and Michael Eades advance a high-protein, very-low-carbohydrate diet. Another author, Dr. Robert Atkins, has developed a new version of his own very-low-carbohydrate diet. Atkins claims that a metabolic state called ketosis an abnormal condition characterized by an excess of metabolic intermediates (by-products) called "ketone bodies" is the key to losing weight.

I can imagine why Van Gogh cut off his ear. About ten years ago some infernal, multilegged creature crawled deep into my ear. The itch was extreme torture even though it wasn't a pain. I poured water into the ear to flush the critter out. When that failed, I poked at the ear with various utensils not a smart approach, but the tickling was driving me mad. I was about to crack when an ant scurried out. Why do we itch? Why does a small patch of eczema or the bite of a puny mosquito cause so much discomfort? And what's the best way to soothe an itch?

It's only natural for consumers to assume that "natural" food products are the most wholesome, but this is often not true. Case in point: Unpasteurized apple juice made by Odwalla, Inc., recently caused an outbreak of about 65 cases of poisoning from the bacterium E. coli O157:H7 in several Western states (29 of which cases the Centers for Disease Control confirmed, according to a Reuter report). E.

Eggs are a vital part of a balanced and varied diet, the American Council on Science and Health concluded in a report released today.
"When most people hear the word 'eggs,' they immediately think 'cholesterol' and 'bad,' says Dr. Ruth Kava, ACSH's director of nutrition. "In fact," she continues, "although egg yolks are high in cholesterol, eggs also provide essential nutrients, including protein, riboflavin, folate and vitamins B12, D and E."

Consumers may be endangering their health by consuming excessive doses of "all-natural" dietary supplements, swallowing untested and unregulated herbs, vitamins and other dietary supplements, warned scientists from the American Council on Science and Health today. ACSH called for an end to the current legal double standard that requires warnings on standard prescription and non-prescription drugs while exempting makers of dietary supplements from revealing the possible health hazards of their products.