Medical Reports: Fab Foods

WSVN -- We eat and eat, so why not stock up on foods that offer real health benefits?

First up, red yeast rice-- an old favorite in Asian cuisine, but studies show a purified version of the extract may cut the risk of a second fatal heart attack by nearly half.

Dr. David Capuzzi: "The usual, under the best of circumstances is to have a 20, maybe 30 percent, maybe one-third reduction in events."

Eggs can protect your eyes.

Sherri Flynt: "Eggs are not the bad food that we once thought they were."

The yolks contain antioxidants that may reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

A cup of joe can perk you up, but a new study found people who drink coffee on a regular basis are also up to 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

How about honey to help your child's cough?

Dr. Ian Paul: "What we found was the children who took the buckwheat honey had the greatest improvement over the previous night than the other two groups."

In fact, kids who took a spoonful of the dark honey did better than those taking over-the-counter meds, but, keep in mind, kids under one shouldn't have honey.

Got milk? Another study shows chocolate milk is more effective than sports drinks in helping endurance athletes recover.

Emily Rubin: "It's seven times more potassium than Gatorade, and it's got just the same amount of sodium as Gatorade, and they're the two key electrolytes people are always concerned with."

So, before you stock up on expensive meds and specialty drinks, consider these five foods with surprising benefits for your health.

Christine Cruz: "Honey can also be used to calm adults' coughs, and it's worth noting that the red yeast rice preparation researchers tested is a very pure form and not yet available here in the U.S."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Rick Cushman
Media Relations Representative
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 955-2240
Richard.cushman@jefferson.edu