FIGHT ALLERGIES WITH FOOD

If pollen is making you miserable, a cure could be waiting in the produce aisle. Eating broccoli sprouts may help you breathe easier, say UCLA researchers. In the study, people who ate 7 ounces of sprouts for 3 days saw up to a 200 percent increase in the production of proteins that make antioxidants in their nasal cells. The scientists believe these antioxidants help fight off the inflammation that causes allergies. Credit the sprouts’ high content of sulforaphane, which triggers the increase, says study coauthor Marc A. Riedel, M.D.

THE FAMILY HEALTH PLAN

If you need more motivation to improve your diet, just think of junior and his sister: Eating regular meals with your kids may make them healthier teenagers. When University of Minnesota researchers tracked the eating habits of a group of 12-year-olds, they found that children who ate with their families 5 days a week were more likely to take in greater amounts of calcium, fiber, and potassium in their late teens. If parents set a precedent of serving healthy foods at family meals while their kids are young, the children are more likely to adopt good eating habits as they grow up, says study author Teri L. Burgess-Champoux, Ph.D. Do frantic schedules keep you and your children apart at dinnertime? Move family meals to the morning, and make breakfast the new dinner.

WHY DENTISTS LOVE DAIRY

You already know that slurping soda will rot your pearly whites, but now a new study shows that drinking milk may actually help prevent tooth decay. University of Iowa researchers soaked teeth in orange juice or diet Sprite, and then doused them in either milk, artificial saliva, or water. Turns out, the teeth exposed to milk had less enamel erosion that he ones immersed in the other two liquids. “The calcium in milk may bind to the acid from the juice and soda, decreasing its effect on enamel erosion,” says study author Sarah Murrell. Who’s going to chase pop with milk? No one. So just skip to the last step: Opt for dairy, not soda.

LOVE YOUR LIVER

Not only will gorging on sugar and starch expand your waistline, but eating too many carbohydrates may harm your liver, too, report Duke University researchers. That’s because excess blood sugar is converted to fat in your liver, where it can accumulate and lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, says study author Eric Westman, M.D. Fortunately, the scientists found that patients who adhered to low-carb diets not only lost weight but reversed their condition in 6 months. You’re most at risk if you have fasting blood glucose greater than 100 milligrams (mg) per deciliter, indicating that your body doesn’t process carbs well.

PUNGENT PROTECTION

Garlic supplements may be almost as good as prescription meds at lowering blood pressure, according to a new Australian study. When the scientists reviewed 11 studies, they determined that people who took between 600 and 900 mg garlic powder daily reduced their systolic blood pressure by 5 points. The researchers believe that a chemical called allicin may be partially responsible for the beneficial effect. Don’t want to take a pill? Drop some extra garlic in your meal. “One clove of raw garlic contains an amount of allicin similar to a supplement’s.” says study author Karin Ried, Ph.D.

TIME TO TAKE STALK

Vegetables are well known for their cancer-fighting potential. Now British researchers have discovered that eating broccoli could shield you from the wrath of diabetes. In a test-tube study, the scientists found that sulforaphane, a chemical derived from cruciferous vegetables, switches on genes that produce enzymes that protect your blood vessels from the damage linked to high levels of blood glucose. The compound also appears to increase levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, which do battle with the free radicals created by raging blood sugar.

FACTS OF LIFE