This and That

-  Food manufacturers introduced more than 900 different products with reduced sugar claims in 2004.  In 1999, only 36 such products were introduced.

- In the 1990’s, the average American gained 10 pounds. Airlines spent an extra $275 million on fuel in 2000 to carry passengers’ extra pounds.

- Diet soda can damage your teeth as much as sugared soft drinks, according to University of Maryland research.   Acids used as flavoring agents are the culprit.

- The safest car color is silver, according to a report from researches in New Zealand.  They found that occupants of silver cars had about half the risk of serious injury from crashes compared to white, blue, red or yellow cars – even taking into consideration factors such as age and sex of the driver, alcohol consumption, time of day and weather. The riskiest car colors were brown and black, presumably because they are more difficult to see.

- If you microwave broccoli, it is best to use as little water as possible – a couple of tablespoon should do. If you use too much, it is as if the broccoli was boiled and nutrients will leech into the water. 

-  The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee varies a great deal, depending on how and where it is made.  A typical 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 100 milligrams of caffeine, but a 16-ounce “grande” of drip coffee at many high-end coffee shops has as much as 400 milligrams. 

- For every additional hour a day spent in the car, the risk of obesity increases 6 percent, according to a study of more than 10,000 Atlanta-area residents.

- A survey questioning more than 31,000 Americans about alternative medicine practices found that 8 percent do mediation and 5 percent, yoga.

-In case of a power outage, most refrigerated foods will be safe for four hours – if you do not open the door of the fridge.

- On the average, a two-year college degree adds about $5,800 to a person’s average annual earnings. A four-year degree adds $17,600 and a graduate degree adds $34,700 on average. Not finishing high school subtracts about $8,800 from annual average earnings.

- Tomatoes add more than color to your plate. They may help prevent digestive tract cancers according to a study conducted in Italy. Subjects who ate the most tomatoes had a lower risk of cancer of the stomach and colon.

 - Weeding your garden burns almost as many calories as playing golf for the same length of time.