Polyphenols

• Red wine may supercharge the health benefits of good omega-3 fats. Subjects who drank one glass of red wine had higher omega-3 levels regardless of how much fish they ate, suggesting that the polyphenols in wine improve the metabolism of omega-3s.

• Mushrooms keep you healthy. One medium portobello gives you 21 percent of the RDA of selenium and as much potassium as a banana. Incidentally, selenium has been shown to increase natural killer cells that target cancer cells.

• Krill oil—from the tiny shrimplike sea creatures—has more potent omega-3 fatty acids than fish oil. It appears that krill oil reduces LDL better than fish oil and is also more effective at lowering blood sugar.

• Vitamin B12 can help cure canker sores on the mouth. In one study, 1,000 micrograms is all it took to eliminate the sores in 75 percent of the participants.

• Salt, or sodium chloride, deficiency appears to trigger depression in animals. That could also apply to humans. Of course, too much salt can cause you to hold water and blur muscle definition, which is also depressing.

—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com