Sweet Surprise

According to an article in the March 2012  issue of Good Housekeeping, researchers at the University of Rhode Island recently analyzed maple syrup and found that it contained 54 ployphenols - healthy compounds that may protect against cancer and diabetes.  But read labels:  Only the real deal has these disease fighters.  Products labeled "pancake syrup" are made from corn syrup and other sweeteners and flavored to taste like the stuff from nature's trees.  Also, even if healthier than we thought, maple syrup is still a high-cal sweetener, so drizzle rather than pour.

Also, turning decades of nutrition advice on its head, new research had found that pale produce delivers a big health bonus.  In a 10-year Dutch study of more than 20,000 men and women, those who ate the most white-fleshed fruits and veggies - including apples, pears, cucumbers, bananas, and cauliflower - had 52% lower risk of stroke than participates who selected only more colorful edibles.  Apples and pears were the most common choices in the "white group," leading researchers to speculate that the benefit comes from the plant chemical quercetin in these fruits.