Whole-grain foods are all the rage these days, and for good reason. But do you know what those good reasons happen to be? Chances are you do; reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, lower cholesterol, etc. Nevertheless, there may be some you're not so aware of, such as protecting against asthma, pulmonary disease, and certain digestive disorders.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that whole grains can target harden the body against diseases caused by inflammation, chief among them being those mentioned above. In the study, researchers found that people who regularly ate whole grains lowered their risk of dying from one of these inflammation-related diseases by as much as 35 percent.

Some great whole grain sources include 100 percent whole wheat bread, brown rice, steel cut oats, and 100 percent whole grain breakfast cereal.

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I love berries, which makes it my pleasure to report on any health benefit they so scrumptiously offer.

According to a recent study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating just five ounces of mixed berries a day can lower blood pressure and thin the blood, thus reducing the risk of blood clots and strokes. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are at their peak right now, so why not pick some up and get your dose of potent antioxidants. Woman's Day magazine (July 8, 2008) offers these yummy snack ideas.

• Make a colorful parfait. Spoon alternating layers of fat-free strawberry yogurt and mixed berries into a parfait glass. Top with shaved almonds or chopped walnuts.

• Sweeten iced tea with berry juice. Add a splash of raspberry, black currant, or cranberry juice to a glass of homemade unsweetened iced tea.

• Satisfy a sweet tooth. Drop some raspberries in a bowl and drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

Want more on the benefits of berries. Check out this article.

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When I think interesting and engaging reading material, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition immediately jumps to mind. Nothing gets me going like page after page of almost incomprehensible empirical findings written by some of the most cerebral people on the planet. Okay, fine ... so I don't actually read the journal ... or many of the articles for that matter. I'm more of an abstract guy, probably a carry-over from my Cliff Notes days back in high school.

That all being said, in the course of skimming through a recent edition of this well-respected journal, I happened upon a study on vitamin C that caught my attention. Thanks to the abstract, I learned right away that having higher levels of vitamin C in the bloodstream may help reduce the risk of stroke. Upon further examination of the article itself, I found that this comprehensive study (which included 20,649 British men and women) revealed that people with the highest level of vitamin C had a 42 percent lower risk of stroke than people with the lowest levels.

Even when outside variables -- such as age, sex, smoking, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise habits, etc. -- were controlled for, these findings remained the same. Researchers posit that high vitamin C levels may signal a healthy lifestyle that lowers the risk of stroke, specifically a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

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Dark chocolate offerings have premium shelf placement these days. In fact, I just mailed a pound of dark chocolate to my mother-in-law for her birthday. But with all the chatter of the healthy antioxidants and phytochemicals in the dark stuff, a new study of older adults indicates dark chocolate and cocoa don't necessarily make you any healthier.

Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, healthy older adults were randomly assigned to receive a dark chocolate bar and an 8 oz artificially sweetened cocoa beverage or similar placebos each day for six weeks. Baseline, midpoint and end-of-treatment assessments failed to support predicted beneficial effects on any of the neuropsychological or cardiovascular variables considered by the research.

Even worse, short-term consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa was associated with significantly higher pulse rates at the midpoint and end-of-treatment assessments. Darn!

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