Dear Member,

We all know that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day is recommended for good nutrition, but there are even more compelling reasons to make these key foods a significant part of your everyday diet. Several studies have found that certain fruits and vegetables offer important health benefits, lowering cancer risk, helping keep blood sugar levels in the normal range, warding off heart disease and more. In this issue of our newsletter, we bring you the evidence-based information you need about the health benefits of ensuring you’re eating enough vegetables and fruits and which ones may provide the greatest health benefits.

In our technology review, we examine frozen autologous blood storage. This alternative to banking your own blood just prior to surgery or using donated blood has the potential to help improve surgical outcomes and lower the complication rate associated with transfusions.

Finally, we explore the topic of influenza. While we do not yet know what the future holds in terms of the novel H1N1 strain of flu that surfaced this past spring, it’s important not to lose sight of the serious health problems that seasonal influenza can cause, especially for people with other health issues. We provide the details you should know about how the flu is spread, how to best protect yourself and your family and the latest news about H1N1 influenza.

Best Health,
Miles J. Varn, M.D.