Your Health

By Janice M. Horowitz

GOOD NEWS

RAS-MATAZZ You may enjoy raspberries with pancakes, but how about eating them with, well, everything? A study of lab rats suggests that consuming 2 cups of black raspberries daily may help ward off esophageal cancer. The berries contain certain compounds, like anthocyanins, and minerals and vitamins that are anticarcinogenic. If that many raspberries are hard to swallow, try mixing them with strawberries, another berry with a bang.

SAY YES TO STRESS? Stress may not always be the killer it's cracked up to be. Researchers find that deadlines, public speaking and other stressful challenges can--when they are met and conquered--trigger the production of immunoglobulins, a type of protein that strengthens the immune system. On the other hand, stress you can't do anything about, like the anxiety caused by continual replays of the World Trade Center attack, diminishes immunoglobulin production and weakens the immune system.

BAD NEWS

BAR NONE No one pretends those pricey little nutrition bars are as good for you as, say, a platter of vegetables. But at least we know what's in them, right? Not necessarily. A consumer group finds that 60% of nutrition bars have more sugar, fat or carbohydrates than their labels reveal. Not all labels lie: the group gives passing marks to Luna, Gatorade Energy and Balance bars.

--By Janice M. Horowitz

Sources: Good News--Cancer Research; Psychophysiology. Bad News--ConsumerLab.com