Scientists at Rutgers University have found that turmeric, the spice used in Indian curries, can prevent the spread of prostate cancer in mice. The inhibitory effect on prostate cancer cells injected into mice was even more pronounced when the scientists combined the turmeric with phenethyl isothiocyanate, a compound found naturally in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. The vegetable compounds also have a pronounced inhibitory effect on prostate cancer by themselves.

Preventing Macular Degeneration

Eating foods that are rich in beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc can reduce your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by more than a third, according to a recent study from the Netherlands. The newly published results of an eight-year study of 4,000 people aged 55 and over found those who had an above-median intake of the four nutrients in foods lowered their risk of developing AMD by 35 percent, while those who had a below-median intake had a 20 percent greater risk of developing the debilitating eye disease.

Previously, researchers had shown that people who already have macular degeneration can significantly slow its progress by taking supplements of those four nutrients in doses as high as 13 times the recommended daily allowance.

Taking Chocolate to Heart

Flavonols found in chocolate have the ability to relax blood vessels and improve circulation, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis. In a double-blind study volunteers drank a specially prepared cocoa drink containing high or low concentrations of cocoa flavonols (epicatechin). Only those who drank the flavonol-rich drink showed blood vessel relaxation. Subjects drinking a noncocoa drink to which epicatechin had been added also had improved blood flow.

Epicatechin, also found in tea and wine, has been directly linked to nitric oxide, a substance that signals muscles in the walls of blood vessels to relax, increasing blood flow.

A Food Shopping Guide

A new book, What to Eat, by award-winning nutrition writer Marion Nestle, helps shoppers determine what's healthy and what's not at the supermarket. A few of the often-asked questions she tackles are: Is yogurt really good for you? Is bottled water worth the price? Does organic produce have higher nutritional value than conventional produce?

One question she answers: Are supermarkets intentionally designed to cause you to buy certain types of products? Definitely.

What to Eat by Marion Nestle, North Point Press, New York, 2006, $30.