healthbriefs


CAN CANNED BPA T


hink twice before sipping soda or soup that comes in a can. A recent


Spuds Lower Blood Pressure T


he potato’s rep as a fattening food is getting a much-deserved revi-


sion. In a recent report in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricul- tural and Food Chemistry, scientists note that two small servings of purple potatoes a day reduce blood pressure by about 4 percent—nearly as much as oatmeal—without causing weight gain. The researchers say that decrease may potentially reduce the risk of some forms of heart disease. In the study, 18 volunteers that


were overweight or obese with high blood pressure ate six to eight golf ball-sized purple majesty potatoes, with skins, twice a day for a month. The re- searchers used purple potatoes because the pigment in darker fruits and veg- etables is especially rich in beneficial phytochemicals. They monitored par- ticipants’ blood pressure, both systolic (the first number in a blood pressure reading, such as 120/80) and diastolic, and found that the average diastolic pressure dropped by 4.3 percent, while the systolic pressure decreased by 3.5 percent. None of the volunteers gained weight. Although they aren’t yet certain, the


researchers believe that red- and white- skinned potatoes may offer similar ben- efits. Pass on the butter or sour cream, though, and don’t even consider French fries—the study’s potatoes were cooked without oil.


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study by Harvard School of Public Health researchers discovered people that ate one serving of canned food daily for five days had significantly elevated levels of bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter sometimes found in plastic bottles, that also lines most food and drink cans. Studies have linked high urine levels of BPA to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health conditions. The spike in BPA levels recorded by the Harvard researchers was one of the highest seen in any study.


Source: Journal of the American Medical Association


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