Food Facts

Vitamin K has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk in people by more than 50 percent, according to the December ’10 Bottom Line Health. Most don’t get enough vitamin K, which is found mostly in meats, cheeses and leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin C helps prevent osteoarthritis, according to the November ’10 Better Nutrition. That was the finding of a study of 1,023 people aged 40 and older, conducted at the University of South Florida. Vitamin C helps your body make collagen for the cartilage that keeps bones and joints strong.

Salt appears to increase cancer risk by more than 15 percent if you get too much, according to a 2010 Japanese study. The main type of cancer associated with high-salt intake is the kind that occurs in the stomach.

Fish oil may lower your blood pressure too much if you take it with or around blood pressure medication. According to Health.com, fish oil can increase the effects of blood pressure drugs to an unhealthy degree.

Whey does more than build muscles. According to the December ’10 Better Nutrition, researchers at Washington State University found that it can lower blood pressure if eaten daily. It appears that whey protein improves blood vessel function.

—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com