The untimely death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has prompted dozens of researchers to theorize about the cause. Currently, Dr. Jan V. Hirschmann is betting on trichinosis, poisoning from undercooked pork chops. Mozart wrote to his wife 44 days prior to his death exalting the little cutlets he was about to consume. The incubation period for the disease fits, as did classic symptoms of fever, rash, limb pain, and swelling.

Vegetarians Rewarded with Lower Insurance Rates

In June, Animal Friends Insurance in the United Kingdom began offering its vegetarian clients a 25 percent discount on their life insurance rates. The husband-and-wife team who instituted the policy change cites a large Oxford University study that found a vegetarian diet can reduce the risk for a variety of cancers by 40 percent. Previously, the only lifestyle factor to affect term insurance rates was smoking habits.

Fighting the Fast-Food Influx

In response to the invasion of hamburgers, chicken "nuggets," and other fast-foods, Italian gourmets gathered for a one-day conference at the prestigious Academy of Italian Cooking to discuss how to preserve the country's culinary traditions.

Attendees said an increasing demand for licenses to open fast-food restaurants could mean trouble for children who become hooked on unhealthy foods, a trend that has caused record-setting obesity levels in the United States. "We are here to defend the civility of our dinner table," they said.

NUTRITION KNOCK-OUT

How does middleweight boxing champion Keith Holmes prepare for a fight? He spends hours at the gym, then side-steps meat, dairy products, and processed foods. The strict vegan eats fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, supplemented with beans, rice, and tofu when the next match draws near. Some of his regular menu items include vegan French toast with maple syrup, scrambled tofu, vegetable rice, okra, stewed tomatoes, and corn muffins.

Give Spinach a Chance

Researchers at the University of Arkansas attempted to trick student participants into eating better by having spinach instead of iceberg lettuce, which greatly boosts levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, and lutein, a nutrient that protects eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration. Taste testers found the spinach perfectly appetizing, and only a couple mentioned that the lettuce "looked very green." Just one thing: They used it to top burgers and tacos.

Vegan Alert!

More than 8,000 cases of Jungle Jammers Animal Cookies were plucked from grocery shelves in a dozen states because the milk and eggs they contain were not listed on the label. Although no illnesses were reported, many people are severely allergic to these ingredients.

Maybe They Should Go Vegan Instead

In Amsterdam, statues of Saint Anthony are flying off the shelves, bought by anxious Dutch farmers who fear the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Born in 251 A.D., this patron saint of farmers and cattle is believed to protect against livestock plagues.

You Say Tomato, I Say Lyc-o-mato®

Tomatoes, rich in lycopene and other phytonutrients, have proven their worth as potent disease fighters. But why eat the real thing when you can swallow Lyc-O-Mato®? Patients who took daily 250-milligram doses of the new pill (the equivalent of two tomatoes) for eight weeks substantially cut their systolic blood pressure.

In case you missed it, a vegan diet, rich in all varieties of vegetables, fruits (including tomatoes), grains, and beans, is also highly effective in bringing down blood pressure, body weight, and cholesterol levels.

Lyc-O-Mato® is a registered trademark of LycoRed Natural Products, Ltd., Israel.

Ireland's Expanding Economy Goes Straight to the Hips

A decade-long economic boom has put the Irish in a league with other well-to-do nations, but as more discretionary income is spent on food, drink, and cigarettes, and less time is spent on physical activity, obesity levels have increased 67 percent.

Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance

MAGNIFYING GLASS PHOTO © 2001, PHOTODISC, INC. /
ILLUSTRATIONS: DOUG HALL, PCRM