Protect Your Oil Reserves

• Olive oil stored in plastic containers might not stand the test of time.  When Argentine researchers analyzed how well glass, tin, and plastic olive-oil containers sealed out air, they found that glass and tin were best at preventing oxidation, a process that turns oil rancid.  Storage location matters, too: Olive oil that was exposed to greater amounts of light showed far more signs of oxidation than olive oil that was kept in a dark place, such as a cupboard.

Cereal Killers

• Regularly eating the wrong kind of cereal could double your risk of heart disease.  That’s why Australian researchers determined when they reviewed 53 studies on cereal grain intake and cardiovascular health.  While the scientists confirmed that downing cereal made with 100 percent whole grains proved beneficial to heart health, they came to the opposite conclusion for products that used refined grains.  The reason: Highly processed grains tend to raise blood levels of insulin and C-reactive protein, while reducing HDL (good) cholesterol.  These factors all work to raise your risk of heart disease, says study author Peter Clifton, Ph.D.  Choose a cereal such as Post Original Shredded Wheat, which not only is 100 percent whole wheat, but also contains 0 grams of sugar-an ingredient that may counteract the heart health benefits of whole grains.

Watch Your Mouth

• An orange a day may keep the oncologist away.  Harvard researchers found that eating citrus fruit helps prevent oral cancer.  When scientists tracked the diets of 42,000 men for 16 years, they found that consuming one orange or half a grapefruit-equivalent to 6 ounces of either juice-a day lowered the risk of developing the disease by up to 40 percent.  “Vitamin C has many antioxidant changes,” says study author Nancy Maserejian, Sc.D.  “However, it remains unclear whether the preventive actions we observed were due to vitamin C itself, or if other components of citrus fruits were at work.”  Read Vitamin C supplements may not offer the same benefits.

The Top 10 Herbs and Spices

• Want to know how to stock the healthiest spice rack?  Italian researchers tested several popular herbs and spices for their content of disease-fighting antioxidants, and then ranked them.  Although little-used saffron and bay leaf top the list, the scientists found that you can hardly do better than good ol’ black pepper.  Here’s how the rest stacked up.

Antioxidant Capacity (millimoles per kilogram)

Saffron-53

Bay Leaf-47.9

Rosemary-44

Paprika-40

Black Pepper-37

Oregano-30.7

Thyme-30.5

Sage-23.4

Basil-21.8

Mint-8.8