(cucurbita pepo) Spaghetti squash is a relative of the cucumber and the melon. The squash is botanically classified as a fruit although it is considered a vegetable in cooking. Also known as vegetable spaghetti and noodle squash, spaghetti squash is a variety of winter squash. Spaghetti squash has an oblong shape and averages… Continue Reading
niacin
Niacin/Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
(Vitamin B3) Niacin is known as vitamin B3 because it was the third of the B-complex of water-soluble vitamins to be discovered. Niacin is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fat and as a result, plays a role in energy production. This B-vitamin is involved in DNA repair, is required to synthesize… Continue Reading
Eating a Heart Healthy Diet
To recognize the Go Red Campaign, this month we offer a series of articles to increase your understanding of heart disease. In this article, we review the foods to eat and supplements to take that support heart health. In the companion article, Living a Heart Healthy Lifestyle, we offer tips on how to modify your… Continue Reading
Mushrooms
Although often thought of as a vegetable and prepared like one, mushrooms are actually a fungus, a special type of living organism that has no roots, leaves, flowers or seeds. A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. While mushrooms… Continue Reading
Managing Cholesterol with Medications
The Wellness Center Staff This month, we feature a four-part series on cholesterol to commemorate National Cholesterol Education Month. When changes to diet and lifestyle are not enough to improve cholesterol levels, a medication might be necessary. This fourth article describes the medications that doctors routinely prescribe to modify cholesterol levels. Not all lipid altering… Continue Reading
Promoting Healthy Cholesterol Levels with Supplements
This month, we feature a four-part series on cholesterol to commemorate National Cholesterol Education Month. This third article focuses on the nutritional supplements that promote healthy cholesterol levels. The amount of evidence supporting cholesterol-lowering supplements is varied but the best evidence is for phytosterols, soy protein and niacin (which at high levels is available… Continue Reading