Show “tat Smart” More visit iiTFm online wwwusaweekendc - z W By Jean Carper The latest nutrition nuggets Hot topics to pore over: cold cereal asthma cholesterol calcium and “the other white meat” Qt £- For extra fiber and nutrients add fruit - or nuts to any cereal pw Do any foods raise “good” HDL cholesterol? Gerald Goldberg Bonita Springs Fla It’s unclear how much diet can oer-rid- e individual genetic influences on HDL cholesterol But research shows that eating monounsaturated fat — such as olive oil almonds and avocados — tends to keep HDLs high Studies suggest HDLs can be raised by eating raw onions garlic grape-see- d oil vitamin C pills fatty fish and alcohol (one reason a little alcohol may lessen heart disease) Exercise also boosts HDLs diets usuUnfortunately low-fa- t is which HDLs why some ally depress diets with experts urge higher-fa- t diets olive oil instead of verv low-fa- t Q: Why did you feature shrimp in a recipe when it has more cholesterol than steak? Paul Sewick Harper Woods Mich Research shows cholesterol in food not much of a threat The real danger is saturated fat which raises blood cholesterol and increases blood clotting Shrimp is very low in fat — only 12 grams for 4 ounces 10 percent of calories A porterhouse steak has nearly 19 grams of fat about 70 percent of calories more than half saturated Most experts consider shrimp a good low fat food research shows it can lower cholesterol when substituted for high-fa- t meats is -- What high-fib- er cold cereals do you Q: recommend? Bill Cereals have two types of fiber Tops in insoluble Tiber are high-fibwheat cereals such as All Bran Fiber One 100 Bran shredded wheat and bran Eating more wheat bran might prevent 42000 cases of colon cancer a year says David Klur-fel- d of Wayne State University He calls wheat bran — in cereals bread muffins — the most effective fiber against colon cancer It also fights constipation Rich in soluble fiber found to help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease are oat cereals such as Cheerios and Kellogg's Bran Buds which contains psyllium a soluble fiber A high-fibe- r cereal should contain grams of fiber per serving Also look for cereals low in calories sugar and sodium You can add your own fiber-ric- h fruits and nuts Recommended USA WEEKEND Oct 1 1998 than five 25-3- 0 grams cups of coffee a y day scored no worse on tests than those who drank four or fewer cups a day Other researchers say any potential danger from caffeine can be overcome by getting lots 000-- 1 of calcium 200mg a day bone-densit- Q: What are good foods for Patty asthma? SpaPoto Toms River N J Spicy foods help open air passages enabling asthmatics to breathe better says Irwin Ziment MD lung expert at UCLA Medical Center He recommends hot sauces (Tabasco) cayenne and jalapeno pepper garlic and horseradish Restricting salt may help Recent research finds that a daily dose of 400 milligrams magnesium and vitamin C can relieve asthma symptoms 1 g Q: Could drinking six cups of coffee a day harm the bones? Wyona King Covington Ky 5-- total fiber per day: 10 Chappell Denver Recent Penn State research suggests heavy coffee drinking doesn’t weaken bones Older women who drank more 1 Q: Is pork really “the other white meat" comparable to chicken? John T Harris Rogers Ark Cancer expert John Weisburger at the American Health Foundation says a pork chop can be as lean as skin-fre- e chicken “Although I’m a vegetarian at home” he says “in a restaurant 1 sometimes order a pork chop and cut off the fat” d Jean Carper writes each week on the medical effects of food Next week: How sugar hurts kids’ cholesterol |