Women who ate foods recommended by a well-known diet for reducing high blood pressure had a lower risk of heart disease and stroke than women whose diets were normal, a new study has found.

Women who adhered to the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which is high in fruits and vegetables and low in animal protein, significantly lowered their risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, according to a study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine

Ottawa residents are joining the global bandwagon towards healthier living by increasing their intake of organic grown produce. The increased appetite by Ottawans for organic food was matched by a corresponding rise in the number of organic farms across Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, by 2006, the country had 3,555 farms that raised certified organic produce made up mainly of grain, oilseeds and hay. It was a 60 percent improvement from only 2,230 organic farms in 2001. Another 640 farms are making the shift to organic growing, while almost 12,000 already harvest organic food, mostly meat products, but do not have certifications

Researchers have concluded that men and women typically have different tastes in food with men favoring meat and poultry while women tend to prefer fruits and vegetables.

The study is based on the behavior of 14,000 adult men and women surveyed from May 2006 to April 2007 for the Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet). The aim of the study was to determine their eating habits, including high risk foods such as undercooked meat and eggs

A recent study discovered that a vegan diet - no meat, no dairy, and no gluten -- significantly decreases the risk of heart ailments, alleviating the risk for those with rheumatoid arthritis, whose arteries are blocked by the disease.

Scientists from the Karolinska Institute derived their study from an experiment that involved 58 patients divided into two groups: the vegan diet group and the non-vegan diet group

Hundreds of retailers and restaurants in southern California tied to shipments of recalled beef from the Westland-Hallmark Meat Packing Company were included in a partial list of effected outlets compiled by the California Department of Public Health.

About 143 million pounds of beef from Chino, California-based meat packing company was recalled; the largest beef recall in history. The company was cited after a videotape obtained by the Humane Society was released that showed sick cows beaten and prodded into a slaughterhouse