A B-Vitamin Bone Builder

By Kelley Herring

Are you getting enough folate to fight osteoporosis? We've long lauded the health benefits of folate. It reduces homocysteine, an amino acid that contributes to heart disease and Alzheimer's. Now, new research from the Hordaland Homocysteine Study (HHS) suggests homocysteine poses yet another health risk: thinning bones in women.

Researchers followed more than 18,000 people for seven years. Those with raised homocysteine levels not only had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and cognitive decline, but also osteoporosis.

The good news is that finding folate in foods is much easier than it used to be. Eat a whole-foods diet rich in dark leafy greens and beans. Try whole-grain cereals fortified with folic acid. And make sure your multivitamin supplies at least 400 mcg of folic acid. You'll help protect your bones, brain, and heart.

The Language Perfectionist: As You Like It

By Don Hauptman

Consider the following sentences, all of which I found in newspaper articles:

• The employees are often from places like Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, Senegal, Grenada, Guyana, and the Ivory Coast.

• [Judy Woodruff] joined CNN in 1993, and was frequently the anchor on breaking news like the 1996 Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

• Greg Garrison, a pioneering television director who worked with stars like Dean Martin, Jack Benny, George Burns, and Lucille Ball in a 40-year career, died on March 25.

A reader might infer from these sentences that the instances cited may not be genuine. Did Greg Garrison really work with those celebrities - or with people "like" them?

Of course, most readers understand that the references are intended to be literal. Nevertheless, I find this common usage grating. Moreover, it's ambiguous and invites deception. Suppose a merchant were to claim, "The jewelry we sell is made of metals like gold and silver."

Alternatives? To eliminate ambiguity, the final example could be revised as follows: "Greg Garrison, a pioneering television director who worked with many stars, including..." Optionally, a list may be concluded with "... among others." And "such as" is usually appropriate in place of "like."

[Ed Note: Don Hauptman, a direct-response copywriter for more than 30 years, may be best known for the space ads he wrote with the classic headline "Speak Spanish Like a Diplomat!" He also writes books and articles on language and wordplay.]

It's Fun to Know: Extreme Temperatures

The next time you find yourself complaining about the weather - that it's too hot or too cold - remember this...

• The hottest temperature recorded (in El Azizia, Libya) was 136 degrees Fahrenheit in 1922.

• The coldest temperature recorded (in Vostok, Antarctica) was minus 129 degrees Fahrenheit in 1983.

• The hottest temperature recorded in the United States was 134 degrees Fahrenheit in California's Death Valley in 1913.

• The coldest temperature recorded in the United States was minus 79.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the Endicott Mountains of northern Alaska.

(Source: LiveScience and Infoplease)

Word to the Wise: Toper

A "toper" (TOH-pur) is a drunkard. The word - from the French for "agreed" - was originally used in proposing a toast.

Example (as used by Isaac Bashevis Singer in Reaches of Heaven): "Although he was no toper, God forbid, he took a glass of aquavit."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2220, 12-08-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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