Current Events in September 2024

“Eat your veggies!” "Yes, mom, but which one -- broccoli, asparagus, green beans, carrots, or (yuck) brussel sprouts?"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that none of those are even in the Top 10 when it comes to the foods that can reduce chronic disease risk the best. None.

In a new study, the agency went behind the leaf of 47 fruits and vegetables and found that – despite traditional thinking that any veggie or fruit is good – not all meet the prevention mark they wanted to hit.

The CDC calls these “powerhouse” foods – foods that have a lot of good stuff for your body, like vitamins and minerals, but they don't have a lot of calories.

If you’re trying to lose weight or eat more of what can benefit you the most – or looking for vegetables and fruits that could also double as part of the MIND diet – here’s some data you can use to reframe your eating habits.

The losers

At the bottom of the list were some surprises like oranges and grapefruits and these 8 others:

The okay, but not great

In the middle were 14 fruits and vegetables that you probably think would actually have a higher score.

The big winners

The vegetable/fruit that hit a walk-off homer was something you’ve probably never bought – watercress. 

Watercress falls into the same category – cruciferous vegetables – that broccoli, kale, Chinese cabbage, arugula, and Brussels sprouts do.

Nutritionists love watercress for the amount of energy — or calories — its nutrient density provides.

“A nutrient density score is essentially a numeric value given to rate how nutritious certain foods are,” says Dana Ellis Hunnes, Ph.D., a senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

Hunnes adds that the more nutrient-dense a food is, the more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it has per calorie per gram, 

Watercress has another secret. It contains diindolylmethane (DIM) and sulforaphane, two compounds which researchers have linked to a lower risk of cancer. Then, there’s vitamin K, an unheralded superhero of sorts which  helps your blood clot properly when you get a cut, keeps your bones Schwarzenegger-strong, and some studies go as far as concluding that vitamin K could help you stay sharp and your arteries clean. 

The only thing that watercress possibly fails in is fiber. While it contains fiber, it only has about a fifth of what a cup of cooked broccoli has. 

So, is there a pill or drink that gives you all of the good stuff?

Short of setting up a tent in the produce aisle at Whole Foods, how can someone get the best of these foods in the easiest fashion possible?

There’s not a single pill, but you could probably find a dozen different ones and take all of those. When it comes to powders, a lot of protein mixes load themselves up with bits and pieces of most of these, but to what degree? 

Then, there’s V8. When William Gilbert Peacock concocted V8 juice back in 1933, his idea was to give people an easy, drinkable way to get the benefits of vegetables in their diet. Building on a base of tomato juice, Peacock added in seven other vegetables that he thought would accomplish his goal and, given the CDC’s study, he was pretty close.

Of its seven vegetables, V8 has five that are in the Top 10. The only misses are carrots – still in the mid-range – and celery, which either didn’t make the grade or wasn’t studied.

Cinnamon is a favorite spice around the holidays, but this year consumers should be mindful of what increasingly comes with that spicy flavor – unhealthy levels of lead.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued eight recalls for cinnamon products since June 1 because of lead content. The most recent came in recent days when Asli Fine Foods issued a recall for Asli Cinnamon Powder because it has the potential to be contaminated with lead. 

The issue began to gain attention in late 2023 when the FDA issued an advisory to parents and caregivers not to buy WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches because the company recalled the product for having too much lead. In the months that followed several children were treated for lead poisoning. 

There have been 519 cases in 44 states of lead poisoning linked to the food as of March 22, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In spite of all the attention, cinnamon with elevated lead levels is still out there. Consumer Reports this month released a lab analysis showing that most of the 36 cinnamon products it tested had concerning amounts of lead.

So, how in the world does lead get into ground cinnamon? According to food safety experts, contaminated soil, unsafe food production and sellers mixing lead into spices are the likely culprits.

Three ways lead gets into cinnamon

Most, if not all, of the tainted ground cinnamon came from Ecuador, where the FDA said some sellers may have mixed in lead to increase the cinnamon's value by adding weight and more vibrant color.

“These recent cases may reflect a step up in surveillance,” Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America, told ConsumerAffairs earlier this year. “They may also be an indication, however, that the apple sauce incident was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.”

Lead can also get into root crops like sweet potatoes and fruit like grapes if the soil is contaminated, food safety experts say. Lead can also get into food by coming in contact with other metals, such as aluminum, tin, brass and bronze, which is more of a problem in countries slower to phase out of lead or where it still in pipes and paint.

To ensure food is safe, Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog at the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group, says companies selling in the U.S. should focus on working with trusted partners, distributors and importers.

She adds that domestic and foreign suppliers should test their products voluntarily to meet safety standards.

Millions of American don't have homeowners insurance, exposing them to natural disasters and challenging their ability to build wealth.

One in thirteen, or 7.4%, of U.S. houses lacked homeowners insurance in 2021, according to an analysis by nonprofit Consumer Federation of America of the U.S. Census's most recent American Housing Survey.

That is the equivalent of around 6.1 million homes and at least $1.6 trillion of uninsured property under conservative estimates, CFA said.

“Not only are uninsured families unprotected, but the economic fabric of entire communities is also at risk if significant portions of residents cannot rebuild after a disaster," said Douglas Heller, CFA’s director of insurance.

Foregoing homeowners insurance is often called "going bare," which comes at a time when Americans are struggling to pay steep premiums and get insurance in some states, such as California and Florida, that some insurers are pulling out of.

It is possible even more homeowners are uninsured today after insurance costs have gone up in recent years and living comfortably has grown more expensive due to inflation, but CFA said research into homeowners insurance remains in its infancy because of poor data.

Where Americans don't have homeowners insurance

The disparity in homeowners insurance is on display among 15 of America's biggest cities.

In 2021, the five cities with the highest percentage of uninsured homes were Miami (14.5%), Houston (9.8%), Detroit (9.3%), Riverside (6.3%) and Phoenix (5.8%).

The five cities with the lowest percentage of uninsured homes were Chicago (2.4%), Boston (2.5%), Washington D.C. (3.3%), New York City (3.4%) and Seattle (3.5%).

The percentage of homes with insurance varies considerably by city and state, in large part because of household income, frequency of natural disasters and availability of competitively-priced insurance.

The five states with the highest percentage of uninsured homes were Mississippi (13.5%), New Mexico (13.1%), Louisiana (11.9%), West Virginia (11.3%) and Alaska (11.2%).

The five states with the lowest percentage of uninsured homes were Utah (4.4%), Oregon (4.9%), Maryland (5.1%), New Hampshire (5.1%) and Massachusetts (5.2%).

How can homeowners insurance coverage be improved?

CFA has recommendations for what should be done to address the issue of homeowners insurance:

• More investment: Governments need to grow investments in protecting communities and homes from natural disasters, which could lower what insurers charge.
• More data: Regulators need to collect more specific and timely information on homeowners insurance to understand where the problems are.
• Racial gaps: Homeowners of color are reportedly being denied insurance because of their ethnicity and more research needs to be done under existing Fair Housing Laws to hold insurers accountable.

Tips for lowering homeowner insurance premiums

The Insurance Information Institute has suggestions to lower your homeower insurance bill:

• Shop around: Compare multiple insurers, contact your state insurance department, check consumer guides, speak with insurance agents and use online comparison services to get a good price.
• Raise deductible: Increasing your homeowner insurance deductible, or what you pay towards a loss, from typically $500 to $1,000 can lower the amount you pay in monthly premiums.
• Bundle insurance: Buying both your car and home insurance from the same provider can get you a discount.
• Stay with insurer: Keeping the same insurer for several years can get you a discount as a long-term policyholder.
• Improve disaster resilience: You may be able to save on premiums by adding home upgrades such as storm shutters, reinforcing your roof and buying stronger materials.
• Improve security: Installing burglar alarms, dead-bolt locks, smoke detectors and fire sprinklers can lower your monthly homeowners insurance premiums.