Tip of the day: Have a healthy holiday

Want to make holiday classics healthier? Try using reduced-fat cheese, mayonnaise, milk, and sour cream; these can go in all the casseroles you make during the holidays. If you like sausage stuffing, turkey or chicken sausage is an excellent compromise. Reduced-sodium fat-free broths are also a good bet, and are excellent in gravy. For dessert, you don't need to offer brownies and cookies and pie. Try a sorbet and fruit platter instead. Or do a fruit plate with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and some almonds, which looks beautiful too.

Read more suggestions on holiday eating without the guilt from the Food Network's Robin Miller, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Traditional treatments work well for IBS

Sometimes the old ones really are the best.

If you've suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, you'll know how uncomfortable it can be. So a new study that suggests simple, traditional treatments really can work is good news.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can give you painful stomach cramps, cause bloating, and either constipation or diarrhea. This can make it hard to get on with everyday life. It happens because the muscles of the intestine don't work as they should.

In recent years, a number of new drugs for IBS have been launched, but some have had serious side effects. So researchers decided to go back to basics and look again at research for older, more traditional treatments. They looked at studies on peppermint oil capsules, fiber supplements and anti-spasmodic drugs. Anti-spasmodic drugs relax the wall of your bowels.

They found some good evidence that these simple treatments can provide relief. Peppermint oil capsules seemed to work especially well, with 3 in 4 people having improved symptoms. You can buy peppermint oil capsules from health food stores and drug stores.

Tip of the day: Cinnamon for diabetes

Consuming about one-half teaspoon of cinnamon a day for 40 days reduced blood levels of both glucose and triglycerides, a potentially artery-clogging fat, by about 25 percent in adults with type 2 diabetes, a USDA clinical trial found. Cinnamon also cut "bad" LDL cholesterol by nearly 20 percent. And the benefits persisted for up to three weeks after people stopped taking it.

Read more on disease-fighting spices, and take a look at our Natural Medicine Ratings (subscribers only) for more herbal—and spicy—remedies.

Teen tattoos: Easy to get, easier to regret

My friend's daughter, Becky (not her real name), is a radiant, outgoing high school senior who is planning to go to nursing school like her mom. Over the years I've watched her grow into a strikingly beautiful young woman with a flair for style and fashion. So when she recently traded in her braces for nasal piercings and a tattoo, I was taken aback.

But perhaps it should have come as no surprise. Tattoos have gone mainstream. Recent data suggest that more than one-third of adults in the U.S. under the age of 35 and about one-quarter of those ages 18 to 50 now sport at least one tattoo.

State and local authorities oversee tattoo practices, which vary across the country. There is no standard regulation for training or licensing, no requirements for inspection, record-keeping, informed consent, or oversight for compliance and complications.

Although most states including New York have laws prohibiting minors from getting tattoos, Becky, at 17, was easily able to get her tattoo at a New York City studio, no questions asked. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene does not license tattoo parlors, but it does license tattooists after they pass a three-hour infection control course that costs $25. While this seems surprisingly limited to me, the potential for infection is not. Blood spatter can contaminate tattoo inks, which are often sold in bulk containers, and taint tattooing equipment, which may be difficult to sterilize. Sterile, single-use inks are available, but are not universally used.

Sloppy infection control practices have been linked to outbreaks of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections among tattoo recipients. And tattoos are estimated to account for more than twice as many hepatitis C infections when compared to injection drug use. Other infections, including HIV, can also be contracted through tattooing.

Tip of the day: Will a lower dose do?

Even if you can't eliminate a blood pressure- or cholesterol-lowering drug, you can often get by with a lower dose. Consider low doses especially if you're older, female, thin, or small; have had prior drug reactions; or respond strongly to caffeine or alcohol, which may indicate greater drug sensitivity. If you try a low dose, be sure your doctor checks whether the drug is working and possibly increases the dose if it's not.

Read more talking to your doctor about medications, and on talking to your doctor to save on your medications.

Shopping for a turkey? Here’s how to read the labels

If you're buying a holiday turkey this year, the first thing that comes to mind is probably size. But you might also want to choose your turkey based on how it was raised or processed, among other factors. Let these labels be your guide. You'll find them on turkeys at your local grocer, farmers' market, or online.

Organic. To qualify for this label, food must be produced without most conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and without antibiotics, growth hormones, genetic engineering, or irradiation. Organic animals must have access to the outdoors and must eat organic feed free of animal byproducts.

Free-range. This label suggests that an animal has spent a good portion of its life outdoors. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture's rule for the label's use on poultry is merely that outdoor access be made available for "an undetermined period each day." That means if a coop door was open for just 5 minutes a day, regardless of whether the birds went outside, the product could legally be labeled "free-range."

No hormones administered. This claim is meaningless because hormones are prohibited in poultry production. So any label on a turkey that makes this claim is only telling you what's already the case by federal law.

No antibiotics administered. This means what it says, so when used truthfully, has meaning. Although the USDA is accountable for proper use of the claim, there is no verification system in place.

Q&A: High-fructose corn syrup vs. white sugar

Is high-fructose corn syrup better or worse for you than regular white sugar? —S.H., Nipomo,Calif.

Probably neither. The two sweeteners are almost identical chemically, both about half fructose and half glucose. Manufacturers began substituting high-fructose corn syrup for white sugar in the 1970s, mainly in beverages and processed sweets, because it costs less and helps extend a product's shelf life. While high-fructose corn syrup has been implicated in a rise in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health problems, there's no clear evidence that it increases their risk more than regular sugar does. Instead, the association may simply reflect the fact that we consume so much of it. Limit consumption of foods with added sugar. Sweeteners of any kind (except blackstrap molasses, which contains some calcium, iron, and other nutrients) provide empty calories and show up in foods that aren't very nutritious to begin with.

Read more on the whole truth about high-fructose corn syrup, and see our recent report on cereals for kids and our cereal Ratings (subscribers only).

Watch the caffeine if you're pregnant

Whether it's a short, bitter shot of espresso or a comforting, milky latte, there's no denying that, when most people think of caffeine, they think of coffee. But it turns out that women who are pregnant or thinking of having a baby may be better off cutting back on coffee, along with other foods and drinks that contain caffeine.

In a new study, researchers looked at more than 2,000 pregnant women in Britain. They found that women who were getting more than 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day (equivalent to two small cups of coffee) were more likely to give birth to an underweight baby.

Some doctors already advise women to go easy on the coffee while pregnant. But in this study, most of the caffeine women consumed came from other sources. About 62 percent was from tea, with 14 percent coming from coffee, and 12 percent from cola. Chocolate accounted for 8 percent of women's caffeine intake, with smaller amounts coming from hot chocolate and energy drinks.

The British are famously fond of tea, so American women's diets are likely to be different. Even so, the results show that keeping a lid on your caffeine intake means being careful about more than just coffee. It's made more difficult by the fact that not all products that contain caffeine will say so on the label.

Tip of the day: Make sure your goose...err, turkey is cooked

It's turkey time and it goes without saying that an undercooked bird could put a damper on your holiday—and make you and your family sick. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your turkey gets hot enough to kill harmful bacteria: It should read 165°F for the innermost part of the thigh and for stuffing cooked in the turkey. Two top picks from our recent tests are the Polder THM-360 and the Taylor Weekend Warrior 806.

Read more on how to avoid food poisoning, and check out our interview with Food Network host Robin Miller on holiday eating without the guilt.

Tip of the day: Flu shot fears

Thinking of skipping the flu shot because you're worried about the side effects? Flu-shot side effects are uncommon and usually mild, including soreness or redness at the injection site, aches, and mild fever. A small number of people do have a more serious allergic reaction to the shot. And research suggests that roughly 1 out of every 1 million people vaccinated might develop Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder. But the shot's protection against illness, hospitalization, and death far outweighs the risk. Still, if you've had Guillain-Barre syndrome, avoid the spray vaccine and discuss with your doctor whether to get a shot. Finally, there is no convincing evidence linking the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal with autism or other health problems. However, if you're concerned, ask for a preservative-free vaccine, such as Fluzone.

Read the top excuses for skipping the flu shot, take our quiz to test your flu smarts, and take a look at our Treatment Ratings (subscribers only) for flu remedies. 

Handle contact lenses with care

If, like me, you're a contact lens wearer, you'll know how hard it can be to comply with all the advice from your optometrist. If you remove your lenses when you go swimming, you can't see the end of the pool. When you run out of saline solution—well, how bad can it be to use tap water to rinse your lenses instead?

Actually, it can be pretty bad. You risk a painful eye infection called amoebic keratitis, which can damage your sight if it isn't picked up and treated quickly. Cases of amoebic keratitis are increasing worldwide, probably because of the increase in people wearing contact lenses. It's caused by a microscopic bug called Acanthamoeba, which lives in soil and water, including swimming pools and tap water. Usually, it causes no problems. But if it contaminates your contact lens, it can infect your eyes.

A new study looked at the contact lens cases of 153 people in Tenerife, a Spanish island. Disturbingly, 66 in every 100 cases were contaminated with types of Acanthamoeba that can cause infection. The people most at risk were those wearing lenses designed to be worn for a month or longer. Daily disposable lenses were not a problem.

Tip of the day: Thinking of switching health plans?

It's open enrollment period for many, and you may be among those considering switching health plans, whether to save on drugs costs, or simply because you're not happy with your coverage. If you're on Medicare Part D, you may have even more reasons to shop around, including rising premiums, the "doughnut hole," and changes in the drugs your plan will cover. Find out whether or not you should switch plans and check out our recommendations on dealing with the doughnut hole.

Tip of the day: Healthy eating on the cheap

Preparing healthy meals for your family on a tight budget is no easy task. One practical way to save is to try to avoid packaged stuff and start from scratch. Learn to cook from scratch with unprocessed meats, produce, and grains. Brew your own tea and mix in fruit juice instead of buying bottled flavored teas from the refrigerator case.

Take a look at our staff's list of ways to eat healthfully for less, and give us your suggestions!

Heart-attack prevention: Statins aren’t for everybody

I started getting phone calls from my patients almost as soon as the headlines starting appearing last week. All the media were trumpeting the results of a new study showing that rosuvastatin (Crestor), a powerful cholesterol-lowering statin drug, slashed the risk of heart attack and stroke even in people with normal—that’s right, normal—cholesterol levels who also had high blood levels of a substance called C-reactive protein. CRP rises when the arteries are inflamed, and, as we’ve previously reported, growing research has linked such inflammation with an increased risk of heart attack. All of those callers wanted to know the same thing: Should they start taking the drug?

Here’s my answer to that and two related questions.

Should I immediately start taking a statin?
Probably not, at least based on this study. The trial, released on Nov. 9 by the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at some 18,000 people with an LDL (bad) cholesterol level less than 130 milligrams per deciliter and a CRP level over 2 mg per liter. Half got Crestor and half got a placebo. After about two years the study was halted because there were 44 percent fewer cardiovascular events in one group than in the other. The winner turned out to be the group that took Crestor.

Sounds impressive, right? Well, maybe not very. That’s because cardiovascular disease is relatively uncommon in the group of people enrolled in the study. So the absolute reduction in the rate of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death went from about 2 per 100 patients in the placebo group to 1 per 100 in the treatment group. At that rate, 120 people would have to be treated for nearly two years to prevent one event. A benefit, yes, but is it one that’s worth the treatment’s costs?

Making smart Medicare Part D choices

Seniors reeling from the financial crisis and looking to pare living expenses should take a fresh look at their prescription medicines and Medicare Part D plan. Significant savings are possible and the timing is right: The 2009 open enrollment season for Medicare Part D (the prescription drug benefit) began Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 31.   

Our analysis has found that seniors can save from hundreds to thousands of dollars a year–and possibly keep themselves out of the infamous benefit gap known as the doughnut hole–by switching to lower-cost medicines (such as generics) and carefully picking a Part D plan.

The Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs team looked at more than 250 Part D plans in six cities (by ZIP code) using Medicare’s “plan finder” tool. Our study found that enrollees who take medicines in 2009 for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and arthritis (a not-all-that-uncommon mix of medical conditions for those over age 65 or so) could save in the neighborhood of $5,000 a year by switching to effective alternative nonbrand drugs. (Actual savings depend on where you live, your Part D plan, and the specific drugs you take, as well as your doctor’s judgment that you can, indeed, make the switches.)

Part D enrollees with just one chronic condition can also shave their out-of-pocket costs. Our analysis found, for example, that a senior with type 2 diabetes in Phoenix could save from $497 (lowest-cost plan) to $737 (highest-cost plan) if he or she was taking the brand-name drug Januvia, but switched instead to metformin, a generic drug. Likewise, a senior with arthritis in Atlanta who was taking just one drug–the brand-name drug Celebrex–but switched to ibuprofen, another generic drug, could save from $555 to more than $1,500, depending on his or her choice of plans.