YOU: on a Diet ( 03/01/08 - 05/31/08 )

[jezzie]

A little off topic.

Summer Skin-Saver: Cucumbers!

Fresh, crunchy cucumbers are not only low in calories and high in fiber -- they’re also full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can feed your complexion from inside and out. Here's how:

Refresh and protect. Cucumbers contain vitamin C and caffeic acid, two antioxidants that, when applied to the skin, help fend off wrinkles, sun damage, and more. Vitamin C builds collagen and elastin, protein fibers that give skin its youthful plumpness. "Caffeic acid inhibits cancer cells and protects skin cells exposed to UV radiation," says New York dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD. No wonder many spas offer hydrating face treatments made of crushed cucumber.

Home version for kitchen divas: In a blender, barely puree half a cucumber and 2–3 tablespoons of plain yogurt -- it should be thick, not drippy. Pat all over your face and neck, sit back for about 15 minutes, then rinse, and relish how good your skin feels.

Deflate puffy peepers. Chilled cucumber slices act like delicate mini ice packs, relieving puffy eyes. One reason: Cukes are 90% water, which helps them stay chilly even on hot spots. "Their cold minimizes the swelling by constricting the blood and lymph vessels that bring fluid to the eye area," says Dr. Wechsler.

Get the red out. Cucumbers' natural anti-inflammatories calm and soothe skin reddened by rosacea or sunburn. "Place thin, cold slices on the 'butterfly' region of your face, starting around your nose and spreading out onto your cheeks -- or anywhere there's redness," says Dr. Wechsler.

After a 15-minute lie-down, remove, then apply a light moisturizer. Alternatively, try Peter Thomas Roth's Cucumber Gel Masque, one of those cult beauty products that, even at $45, gets rave reviews from ordinary users.

Pamper every inch. If you're feeling adventurous, try this super skin softener used in Korean bathhouses. Grate a whole cucumber -- including the dark green peel, which is rich in skin-friendly potassium, magnesium, and copper, says Dr. Wechsler. Stir in just enough milk and safflower oil -- two other skin wonders -- to make a thick soup, and warm it in the microwave.

Then, using a loofah, scrub down your whole body with the mixture and shower off (make sure your drain’s got a good strainer). Your skin will feel satiny soft, and your bath and body will smell amazing. There's a reason Kiehl's sells a cucumber essence oil.

[jezzie]

In contrast, there is solid evidence that alcohol in moderation offers some protection against heart disease and ischemic (clot-caused) stroke and that it probably reduces premature deaths in healthy people as well as those with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions.

Although red wine initially looked to be special in this regard, any alcohol-containing beverage — red wine, white wine, beer, cordials, and spirits such as gin or Scotch whisky — offers similar protection.

Alcohol may do this by raising HDL (good) cholesterol, hindering the formation of artery-blocking blood clots, easing inflammation, or by some other as-yet-undiscovered route. The key is moderate drinking. This means no more than two drinks a day for men and one a day for women.

There are better ways than grapes or alcohol to protect your heart. You know the list: exercising, following a healthful diet, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, easing stress.

If you enjoy wine, then savor it. If the rich flavor of grape juice gets your engine running in the morning, bottoms up with a small glass. If you love snacking on grapes, crunch away. These are beverages and foods to enjoy, not heart-protecting medicines to take on some arbitrary schedule.

— Walter C. Willett, M.D.
Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard Heart Letter editorial board member

[jezzie]

Same Workout, New Pants Size

Make your usual workout burn more calories -- without working a stitch harder -- with this simple switch: Do cardio before you strength train.

Doing cardio first -- brisk walking, cycling, swing dancing, whatever -- can help you do your full workout, and thus burn more calories, instead of pooping out halfway (not ’cause you have to poop, but because your legs feel exhausted). And finishing your workout with weights helps boost postworkout metabolism -- the rate at which your body burns calories after you’re done.

The result is an overall higher calorie burn. Plus, muscle burns more calories than fat, upping the total even more.

That said, if you can do only one, do strength training. But don’t make the choice. We don’t. Both of us think physical activity is SO important that we both make it a priority on our schedules.

Also, don’t start obsessing about what you do when. Yes, cardio-first workouts help you get a calorie-burning bonus. But if you’ve only got 20 minutes -- enough for a quickie weight routine -- grab it. ANY kind of exercise burns calories. It’s far more important to get moving than to chew it over so long that you end up doing nothing.

In fact, what’s so gratifying about exercise is that unlike the list of things you need to clean out of your life (Cheetos, excuses), physical activity is something you can add almost as much of as you want. All while watching Raymond reruns. Don’t have a treadmill in front of the TV? Get some dumbbells. Or do sit-ups. Or jumping jacks. Just do something!

[jezzie]

Pre-Breakfast:
2 mugs - two thirds decaf with soy milk
- No I have no bananas, walnuts

Breakfast:
1 egg
old fashioned oatmeal with cinnamon, buckwheat honey
Mineola orange

Pre-Lunch:
almnds, Kashi trail mix bar

Lunch:
Healthy Harvest rotini in Classico hot sauce, parmesan
red bell pepper

Pre-Dinner:
plain yogurt with peach slices added

Dinner
zuchini, summer squash, mushrooms, garlic
can of Kippered Snacks

[jezzie]

Why You Should Slice Fruit Yourself

Presliced fruit sure saves time. But here's what you miss out on when you buy it: vitamin C.

Research shows that presliced fruit may have less vitamin C by the time you eat it than if you'd bought whole fruit and sliced it yourself.

The Whole Picture

Kiwifruit, pineapple, and cantaloupe seem particularly prone to vitamin C loss, according to John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine.

More Ways to Make a Good Thing Better

Why stop with whole fruit when you want to make the most of good foods. Here are more top choices for making a good thing even better.

* Heat your olive oil this way so you don't kill the health benefits.
* Cook broccoli to this temp to help preserve the cancer-fighting sulforaphane.
* Use this green veggie within 4 days of purchase.
* Let this fruit sit on the counter a while before you slice it.
* Think stinky when it comes to picking out this bulb.

***** These questions will be answered in subsequent posts.

RealAge Benefit: Eating 5 servings of fruit a day can make your RealAge 1.4 years younger.

[jezzie]

*All About YOU: How to Heat Your Olive Oil

No doubt about it. Olive oil is one of the healthiest fats around.

But you'll kill the health benefits if you overheat it. It can become rancid and generate toxic chemicals. One solution: Instead of heating the oil in the pan, just spritz some on your veggies, meats, or taters before cooking them.

Tastes Bad, Too

It's fairly easy to overheat both olive oil and cold-pressed canola oil, because they have relatively low smoking points (the point at which they begin to burn). You'll know if you've overheated the oil, because it leads to that burned, charcoal flavor. Yuck.

Different Temps, Different Tastes

Semirefined sesame oil, peanut oil, grape-seed oil, and virgin olive oil may be your best choices for cooking, because they contain mainly unsaturated fat and have relatively high smoking points; all of the oils can be heated in excess of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Extra-virgin olive oil starts to burn at about 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Unrefined canola and sunflower oils are even more delicate, burning at about 225 degrees Fahrenheit. (Read our ultimate guide on good and bad fats.)

Once an oil has been overheated, you end up canceling out the major benefits. But treat the oils right and they'll treat your body right, too.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a low-fat diet -- and eating healthful unsaturated fats when you do eat fat -- can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

[jezzie]

Are You Drowning in Corn Oil?
Find out why too much of this kind of unsaturated fat can put you at risk.
Written by RealAge, Inc., peer-reviewed by Dr. Axel Goetz, January 2005

Have you pushed aside the butter dish and switched to the tubs of trans fat-free margarine? Have you kicked lard to the curb and now brown, sauté, and bake with corn or vegetable oil?

Many of us are resting easy in the knowledge that as long as we eat mostly the good kinds of fat—meaning unsaturated fats—our hearts are probably in the clear, right?

Not so.

Merely switching to unsaturated fats is not the only key to healthful fat consumption. The latest research shows that if you're not paying attention to the kinds of unsaturated fats you choose, or how much you get of certain kinds of unsaturated fats in comparison to others, you may be leaving the door wide open to health hazards on par with killers like heart disease.

The old facts on fats

Some things haven't changed. As with other foods, if you are eating too much fat, regardless of kind, and are not expending a similar number of calories, you're risking weight problems and all of the related health complications.

However, there are many good things fat can do for you. Dietary fat is a necessary part of maintaining energy levels and it provides the body with essential fatty acids that it cannot produce on its own.

Dietary fats aid in nutrient absorption, make foods more palatable, and help you feel sated. They also assist the body in the production of substances that are essential for immune function, tissue repair, and prostaglandin production.

Fat is still part of a healthful diet, so it's important to know what kind of fat you are eating and stick to mostly unsaturated fats.

[jezzie]

** Kid Gloves for Broccoli

Sulforaphane, the cancer-fighting nutrient found in broccoli, needs a tender touch when cooking.

Sulforaphane may help fight cancer by increasing detoxification enzyme activity, and cooking broccoli stimulates production of this powerful nutrient. However, research shows that heating broccoli to over 158 degrees Fahrenheit will decrease levels of sulforaphane, so steam broccoli lightly to about 140 degrees.

Avoid microwaving or boiling broccoli, which can deplete this vegetable of important nutrients. Lightly steaming it to 140 degrees Fahrenheit will produce the most cancer-fighting sulforaphane and also help preserve other nutrients, such as vitamin C, folate, and flavonoids.

However, opposite cooking rules may apply to broccoli sprouts. Although high heat (158 degrees and above) decreases sulforaphane in broccoli, it stimulates sulforaphane production in broccoli sprouts.

Maximizing your nutrients with the right cooking methods is only one small part of healthy living.

To live younger longer and help reduce your cancer risk, don't smoke, eat a diverse diet with a variety of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, get plenty of physical activity, and follow your healthcare provider's advice regarding regular medical screenings.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that includes 5 servings of vegetables per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

[jezzie]

*** The Best Way to Use Your Leafy Greens

Fresh spinach is a nutritional powerhouse, but don't let it linger in the fridge.

The best way to use your leafy greens is during the first 4 days after purchase. After that, the antioxidant and folate levels of spinach plummet, turning it into a wimpier green.

Spinach on Ice

Even at the coldest refrigerator temperatures, researchers found that after 4 days, folate levels in a bag of fresh spinach dropped big time, and the loss escalated with each passing day. Colder temps were better for holding onto carotenoids.

The Power of Fresh

Buying local spinach (at a farmers market or co-op store) may deliver the most nutrients to your table. Grocery-store fresh is a good second choice. Can't plan ahead? Then grab some frozen spinach. Spinach that's frozen and packaged soon after harvesting retains much of its nutritional value.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that includes 5 servings of vegetables per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

[jezzie]

Pizza, Chili, and Your Bones

The best bone foods are calcium-rich milk, cheese, yogurt -- even ice cream, right?

Surprise! Add tomato paste, spinach, bananas, dried apricots, and baked potatoes to the list. Turns out that, just like the rest of you, your bones need fruits and veggies. They're top sources for two other bone-essential minerals -- potassium and magnesium -- as well as some additional protective nutrients. By the way, tomato paste is a good source of both of the minerals and a classic base for pizza sauce and chili.

Although the results haven't really registered yet with grocery shoppers, a series of studies from the 1990s to 2006 has revealed that people with a history of eating lots of fruits and vegetables have healthier bones than people who skimp on their servings of these important foods.

It doesn't matter whether they're teenagers, 30-something females, menopausal women, or adults 60 and up: Fruit-and-veggie eaters have better bones.

POTASSIUM

RealAge Optimum (RAO) for men and women:
3,000 milligrams (mg)
Dried apricot halves -- 1,510 mg per cup
Tomato paste -- 1,340 mg per half cup
Baked potato -- 780 mg
Banana -- 450 mg

MAGNESIUM

RAO for women: 400 mg a day; for men: at least
333 mg
Soybeans -- 80 mg per half cup
Tomato paste -- 75 mg per half cup
Cooked spinach -- 75 mg per half cup
Oatmeal -- 55 mg per cup

RealAge Benefit: Eating 10 servings of tomato paste and tomato products per week can make your RealAge 1 year younger.

[jezzie]

**** Watermelon: Best Not Chilled

Ice-cold watermelon on a steamy summer day really hits the spot. But you'll be best served by keeping it on your counter top until cutting time.

Whole watermelons stored at room temperature deliver more cell-protecting antioxidants (specifically lycopene and beta carotene) than refrigerated or freshly picked melons. Here's why.

A Chilling Effect

After it's picked, watermelon continues to ripen and build up antioxidants. Cold temperatures appear to cut this process short.

So leave your watermelon out, as long as you haven't sliced it. After it's cut, it should be stored in the refrigerator for food-safety reasons.

For an ice-cold treat, chill the fruit right before serving.

RealAge Benefit: Eating 5 servings of fruit a day can make your RealAge 1.4 years younger.

[jezzie]

***** Choose a Sharper, Stronger Onion

When it comes to onions, think stinky.

Bitter, strong, pungent onions tend to have more cancer-fighting compounds than milder, sweeter bulbs. Here are the varieties that recently tested best.

Truly, you'd do well with any kind of onion on your sandwich -- they're not only cancer-fighters but also proven artery protectors.

But a Cornell researcher declared that out of the onion varieties he tested, shallots -- that member of the onion family often described as a cross between onion and garlic -- had the most potential to do good things for people's bodies. The mighty shallot's off-the-charts phenolic content gave this bulb the edge.

Here are the four onion varieties that tested best for antioxidant power:

1. Shallots
2. Western Yellow
3. New York Bold
4. Northern Red

Recipe Corner

Get your love affair with shallots started by trying this Broccoli with Caramelized Shallots recipe from EatingWell.

RealAge Benefit: Getting the right amount of antioxidants through diet or supplements can make your RealAge 6 years younger.

[jezzie]

Broccoli with Caramelized Shallots

Despite the scorn of former presidents and children, broccoli is America's second most popular green vegetable.
Not only does it belong to the cancer-fighting cruciferous family, it is an excellent source of vitamins.

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons walnut pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced shallots, thinly sliced (4-5 large shallots)
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 pounds), cut into florets (5 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Place walnuts in a pie plate and toast in the oven 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. (Add a tablespoon or two of water if the mixture gets too dry.) Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, cook broccoli in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli and add to the shallots in the skillet; toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.

[jezzie]

Make Midnight Munchies Good for You

If we weren't meant to eat late at night, why is there a light inside the refrigerator? Okay, we don’t really believe that, but sometimes you gotta break the good eating rules. What to munch when you’re in the dark and on the prowl? Depends on why you’re awake.

If You're Burning the Midnight Oil

Mainlining coffee to get your PowerPoint project done works if you’re caffeine tolerant (Mike is). But if you’re not (Mehmet avoids the stuff), it could leave you with a world-class case of jitters in the morning, when it's time to run your project by the boss.

A much better choice (even for Mike types): a salad of dark greens, chopped veggies, and a few walnuts. The complex carbs in the veggies give you energy and the walnuts provide omega-3s, which help your brain recover during what sleep you do get.

If You're Just Tossing and Turning

Starchy carbs may help you nod off. Foods that quickly raise your blood sugar also lift blood levels of the amino acid tryptophan, which the brain converts to soothing serotonin.

So try microwaving a small potato, warming up some leftover brown rice, or popping a 100% whole-wheat English muffin into the toaster. Then, wait for the ZZZs. Just remember to turn off the microwave/stove/toaster so you don’t wake up to a fire alarm.

If You're on a Diet, or Just Plain Hungry

Give your rumbling tummy some satisfying protein: a little lean turkey or the protein-rich grain called quinoa (keen-wah) -- it’s kind of like extra-fluffy rice -- or an egg-white omelet. Getting about one-third of your daily calories from lean protein may also help you burn a few extra calories while you sleep.

[Sassay]

I am really thinking about trying this. Do you really lose weight on it and keep it off? Could someone just give a menu w/o certain foods...for example:

Breakfast: cup of high fiber cereal and two pieces of whole grain bread....I don't know it all sounds right in my head but I'm afraid of screwing it up and gaining even more.

[jezzie]

Hi ...

Grain is good on this plan but that's four servings worth in one meal
Cereal with fruit would be better.
I usually have old fashioned oatmeal (steel cut is even better), 1 egg, an orange.

If you read page one it gives most of the basic information.

I'm a big eater.
Unless you are a small eater you would probably not lose weight anywhere near as fast
as on Atkins.
Weight loss is secondary to me these days --- so I don't care how slowly I lose.

Going from low carb to Mediterranean style is a big jump --- so do your homework first.


.

[jezzie]

Pay Attention Better: Drink Tea

Feel a bit scatterbrained now and then? Make yourself a big jug of sun tea.

Not for the caffeine, but for one heck of a potent compound that could fine-tune your focus. It’s theanine.

Your Brain on Theanine

When people in a study consumed theanine (an amino acid) and then performed a challenging mental task that required both looking and listening skills, their brains became quite active. Specifically, the right parietooccipital cortex lit up.

That's a part of the brain's circuit system tied to attention span. So if you feel more alert and focused after
a tea break, it’s no wonder!

Be Like the Brits

More reasons to brew a pot -- or steep a jug -- anytime of year:

* You'll get antioxidants aplenty.
* Tea gives great face. Read about green tea's skin effects.
* Two words: skinny jeans.
* Tea promises younger knees, too.

RealAge Benefit: Getting the right amount of antioxidants through diet or supplements can make your RealAge 6 years younger.

[jezzie]

Get More from Your Olive Oil

No doubt about it. Olive oil has a rep as one of the healthiest fats on the planet. Why? It’s full of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, good fats that increase healthy HDL cholesterol --HDL helps clean out your arteries as it moves through them.

But that’s not all olive oil does. Using it on food may be as good for you as kicking a smoking habit. See, microscopic substances in urine reveal how well your body is defending itself against everyday cancer-causing cell damage.

Think of cell-damagers as shrapnel: too much means your body is taking some serious hits. But in studies, men who eat more olive oil have less shrapnel. In fact, the drop is similar to what smokers get when they quit.

There’s nothing easier than drizzling olive oil over veggies or using it as a dip for bread. (Don’t go crazy, though; even good fats need to be served with a light hand.) But when you’re cooking with olive oil, be careful not to overheat it, which is easy to do because it has a relatively low “smoking point.” That’s when it starts to burn, which kills the benefits and ruins the flavor, shifting it from rich and slightly fruity to something more like burnt charcoal.

Personally, we don’t cook with the best stuff (extra-virgin olive oil), because it starts to burn so fast, at about 320 degrees Fahrenheit. But virgin olive oil can be heated to about 400 degrees before its goodies start going up in smoke. Or try this trick: Instead of heating olive oil in the pan, just spritz some on veggies, fish, or taters before cooking them.

[jezzie]

Secondhand-Smoke Myths Busted

Planning to dodge the risks of secondhand smoke by sitting outside at a wine bar tonight? Surprise: If people are smoking on the patio or sidewalk, the air there is just as bad as it is in the smoking section indoors. Huh?

Yes, secondhand smoke is as bad outside as it is inside, unless you‘re sitting in such a wind tunnel that your napkin has to be tied down and you need a seat belt. Otherwise, a nearby outdoor smoker pollutes your lungs as much as an indoor one.

Next question: Which of these is worse? Spending a few hours in a car with a smoker, windows cracked -- or sitting through a couple of jazz sets in a smoky bar. Answer: The car. Even with the windows open a bit, it’s worse than the smoke-filled bar.

So the next time anyone asks, don’t think twice about saying, “No, PLEASE don’t smoke while I’m around.” Do NOT waffle, because nonsmokers who hang with smokers effectively turn into smokers themselves.

They become as vulnerable to smoke-related damage like wrinkles and erectile dysfunction as fast as real smokers do. Here’s why they -- and you -- get the butt of the smoking deal:

· Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including arsenic, cyanide, and DDT.
· Smokers puff through a filter, but you suck in the pure stuff, which contains twice as much tar and nicotine.
· Not only can secondhand smoke raise your risk of lung, cervical, other cancers, and heart disease, but it can also lower kids’ test scores and even predispose Fido, Mittens, and the ferret to serious illnesses.

· Being exposed to cigarette smoke for 4 or more hours a day can make your RealAge as much as 6.9 years older.

[jezzie]

Could This Salad Make You Stronger?

Sweet red peppers, sunflower seeds, and mango chunks atop a bed of spinach sure make for a yummy salad. But could it make you strong like Popeye, too?

According to research, it very well might. Especially if you're over 65. You see, each of those salad ingredients is rich in vitamin E.

And seniors who get the most E test best on physical tasks, like how fast they can walk or how quickly they can get up out of a chair.

Why Your Body Needs It
The cells of your body can be damaged by certain by-products released during normal, everyday body functions.

But vitamin E helps protect against that damage -- including damage to muscle cells. That may partly explain why not getting enough E puts physical function and strength at risk in seniors.

3 More Reasons to Get Your "E"
E is not just a strength saver. Here’s what else it can do for you -- at any age:

* Boost your brain.
* Protect you from Parkinson's.
* Prevent atherosclerosis from getting worse.

RealAge Benefit: Taking vitamins C and E daily for their antioxidant and antiaging power can make your RealAge up to 1 year younger.

[jezzie]

•Diet Devotion

Worry less about which diet to try and more about whether you can stick with it.

As long as a diet provides healthful and balanced nutrition, the type of diet you choose may not matter much to your long-term goals.

In a study, researchers found that diet adherence was a much more important factor than the kind
of diet people chose when it came to how much weight people lost.

Take stock of your eating preferences and lifestyle when you choose a diet.

Your ability to stay with it long term will depend in part on how easy you find the program to maintain.

Before you revamp your diet, consider the following questions:
Does the program entail cooking or pre-prepared foods? Will you be able to eat out?
Will you eventually feel deprived by the elimination of a food group?

You'll be more likely to stick with a diet that fits easily into your lifestyle and doesn't leave you feeling deprived.

A combination of balanced, nutritious eating habits and regular exercise remains your best defense against weight gain and related chronic diseases.

RealAge Benefit: Maintaining your weight and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

[jezzie]

Bum Knee? Sore Back? Achy Wrist?

Hearing more and more grouching about bad knees and cranky backs from friends and family? So are we.

And it’s not just old hippies who partied hard at Woodstock or silver-haired tennis players doing the complaining. More than half of those with arthritis are under 65. And who knows how many video-game addicts are walking around with inflamed wrists and carpal-tunnel problems who are going to need surgery soon -- heck, Mehmet and I think they’re all preop, and we already have enough business.

With ouchy joints on the rise, pain reliever sales will go up, too. And that can lead to a whole different kind of health problem: accidental overdoses of acetaminophen (Tylenol), which can quickly do in your liver. Liver transplant centers are reporting steady increases in acute liver failure -- nearly half of them due to acetaminophen overdoses.

Considering how many people take this ordinary pain reliever every day, it’s amazing how rare overdoses are. That said, they’re the single most common cause of acute liver failure in the country. And the effects can be fatal: A third of people -- wow, a third -- who develop liver failure die without a liver transplant, which is risky in itself.

It’s big-time surgery with difficult anesthesia challenges. And by the way, those one-in-three statistics don’t include liver patients who die before they get to a transplant center or people who just feel really, really sick but don’t know why.

We’re not trying to scare you off acetaminophen. No way. It’s an excellent pain reliever, which is why it’s the most widely used analgesic in the U.S. But like any drug, prescription or not, you need to use it with care. Here’s how:

· Know your limits. The maximum recommended dose is 4 grams a day. More than that can be toxic. Check the label, and keep tabs on how much you take. Don’t assume all formulas are the same. For instance, each “Arthritis Pain Relief” caplet contains 625 milligrams (mg) of acetaminophen -- not the standard 500 mg in a basic pill.

· Don’t take it daily for long. The label says, “If pain lasts more than 10 days, consult your physician” -- and means it. In one study, half the healthy volunteers who took 4 grams a day for 2 weeks (just 4 extra days) had abnormal liver tests.

That may partly explain why last year the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) urged th