ZERO TO 20

Microwaves pose burn injury risk to children

Microwave ovens pose a serious safety hazard to young children, a new study of scald burn injuries published in the Pediatrics indicates. Hot foods or liquids from microwave ovens were the fourth leading cause of scald injuries in children under 5 years old, a review of records from the University of Chicago Burn Center shows. It can be difficult to keep young children away from kitchen hazards, especially if an adult is alone at home and trying to cook dinner. Parents should keep a child well away from the stove if the child must be in the kitchen while food preparation is under way. For example, by seating younger children on a high chair or setting up a safe play area.

20 TO 50

Eating dark chocolate may keep heart healthy

Eating dark chocolate regularly may help lower levels of inflammation, which is strongly associated with heart and blood vessel disease, states Italian researchers in the Journal of Nutrition. The presence of inflammation was determined by measuring levels C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker for coronary artery disease. The range of CRP levels seen in the dark chocolate consuming group corresponds to a “mild” risk of cardiovascular disease, while CRP levels in the non-consumers would be associated with “moderate” risk. The benefits were seen when people ate up to one 20-gram serving of dark chocolate every 3 days, but eating more chocolate wasn’t more beneficial; in fact, effects on CRP levels “tended to disappear” at higher consumption levels.

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