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Food-Borne Illnesses Still a Threat, Despite New Food-Safety Law
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2011 Comment (1)Ten years ago, while training to be a family doctor, I spent several months admitting sick children to a hospital's pediatric ward. We were almost always treating toddlers for severe dehydration—the result of vomiting and diarrhea. Most of them had picked up a highly contagious bug called rotavirus from contaminated food, feces, or other children. It was easy to spot them, with their sunken eyes and parched skin. They looked desperately thirsty, but were too ill to drink. Unfortunately, the only treatment for most food-borne illnesses was—and still is— fluid replacement and time.
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For Realistic Advice on Healthy Eating, Federal Dietary Guidelines Fall Short
Tweet Share on Facebook February 10, 2011 Comment (4)Quick: How many milligrams of sodium did you eat during the Super Bowl?
If your big game buffet was anything like mine (hot dogs, buffalo wings, fries, and cole slaw), you probably blew through your day’s allowance of sodium in a single meal, according to the most recent edition of the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These comprehensive guidelines for healthy eating, which are updated every five years to reflect the latest scientific data, advise that healthy adults and children ages 2 and older consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Adults over 50, or those with high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease, should consume less than 1,500 mg. Unfortunately, only 1 in 7 of us currently meets those targets; the average American consumes 3,400 mg of sodium per day.
