Increasing intakes of magnesium to at least 327 mg per day may reduce men’s risk of colon cancer by 52 percent, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Of the 87,117 people that the study followed for eight years, 689 men and 440 women were diagnosed with colon cancer after the eight years. Men had an average intake of 284 mg magnesium and women took 279 mg magnesium per day. Upping magnesium intake decreased the risk of colon cancer for men, while women’s risk remained the same.

Researchers say additional studies must be conducted before the findings are confirmed.

Regardless, past research has shown magnesium has other benefits.

How can you get more magnesium? Dietary sources include green vegetables, nuts, peas and beans, soy products and whole grains. Considering obtaining more magnesium through supplements? Consider these tips.

You eat to feed your hunger. You eat to feed your health. But how often do you eat to feed your skin? Your Skin, Younger by Alan C. Logan, ND; Mark G. Rubin, MD; and Phillip M. Levy, MD, offers key tips for obtaining a clear complexion, including the best foods to protect your skin from UV rays, natural signs of aging, sugar, and more. Some foods like antioxidant-rich kale and green tea came as no surprise. But others such as cocoa and coffee are boosting their reputations in the beauty world. Try revising your skin diet with these top ingredients. more

Miles-per-gallon is all the rage, and now the U.S. government is applying a similar scale for identifying and tracking the energy efficiency of homes, according to an article on the USA Today Web site.

According to the article, DOE is developing options with the Environmental Protection Agency, the White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“We want to motivate people to do retrofits cost-effective to them,” said Kathleen Logan, the Department of Energy’s deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency in the article.

This tracking system, called the Energy Performance Score (EPS), incorporates a home’s size, heating and cooling systems, lighting, and appliances in an overall score. Other factors, such as the home’s air leakage, are also included.

So even if you drive around town in a Prius, are you coming home and parking it in a glorified Hummer? Find out this fall when the program launches.

Or that he’s vegetarian? After the 2005 World Championships, Miller bought Turtle Ridge Farm and started growing organic crops such as corn, tomatoes, and artichokes. Morgan Bast of Delicious Living’s sister publication, Natural Foods Merchandizer, reports:

Farming came naturally to the gold medal-winning skier, as his family grew their own organic produce on 450 acres in a home without electricity or running water. … Turtle Ridge Farm, is run without the use of pesticides or artificial chemicals because “that’s the way to do it,” Miller says. A vegetarian, Miller explains that “it seems like the normal thing, as opposed to something special.”

Miller is also heads up the Turtle Ridge Foundation, funded by Stonyfield Organic and outdoor industry companies such as Nike, which supports “environmental initiatives and youth athletic opportunities.”

Bode is among a growing movement of eco- and diet-conscious athletes. OrganicAthlete got its start when bike enthusiast Bradley Saul began the OrganicAthlete newsletter after being doused with pesticides from a crop duster while on a ride near Tuscon, Arizona. The foundation that grew from that supports athletes across the U.S. and marries the “founding precepts of organic agriculture with an Olympic spirit. The organic movement was founded to preserve ecological integrity, establish equitable food systems, and grow wholesome, nutritious food. The fundamental aims of the Olympic spirit are to find the joy in effort, the educational value of a good example, and respect for universal ethical principles.”

It may be, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Obesity, which linked multivitamins to lower body weight, body mass index, and fat mass. In the study of 96 obese Chinese women between the ages of 18 and 55, women who took a multivitamin and mineral supplement lost on average of 7.9 lbs of body weight. They also experienced a drop in LDL (”bad”) cholesterol an increase in HDL (”good”) cholesterol. To learn more about choosing the right multi, check out What should be in my multi? and read up on diet-specific vitamins.

I have been trying to drink tea, preferably green tea, at some point every day. But on an early morning when variable factors aren’t going your way (think lost lids, weak burner, time crunch!), heating up some water and throwing in a tea bag, a once simple task, somehow morphs into an unmanageable feat. It was on one of these tumultuous days that serene looking products from a company called Sencha Naturals whispered to me at my desk. At first I was confused. Green tea? Where? I saw no tea bag, no loose leafs. I had yet to scald myself with a hasty sip or spill half of the beverage on my week’s to-do list. I soon realized the company makes these little green tea mints and bars that pack the same nutritional punch as a mug of green tea and have a fantastic, clean flavor. more

Reading labels has become a critical skill when we’re looking for safe and effective personal care. Now Colorado senators want to alleviate some of the pressure on the consumer by banning the use of potentially carcinogenic ingredients in personal care products. If passed, the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act would prohibit the sale and distribution of personal care products that contain harmful ingredients (using lists from organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency) and fine manufacturers up to $10,000. The hearing will be held next week but not without tremendous opposition from the Personal Care Products Council; its representatives say that any personal care product that meets FDA standards should remain on the market. Stay tuned for updates.

With all the news lately on efforts to decrease salt intake in America, this morning the New York Times reports a backlash of sorts from experts who claim that it might not be possible to induce people to eat less salt — and even if they do, it might not make that much of a health difference after all. As the article says, “The estimates about all the lives to be saved are just extrapolations based on the presumed benefits of lower blood pressure.” more

There are times, often when you’re experiencing stress or anxiety, when it seems your skin has a psyche of its own. But clearing your mind may be the first step to clearing your complexion, according to Ted A. Grossbart, Ph.D., assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and author of SKIN DEEP: A Mind/Body Program for Healthy Skin. Here, he offers some holistic tips for ”listening to your skin.” more

Recently I tried a sample of Essensia 2007 orange muscat dessert wine from Slow Food Madera, California, member Quady Winery. Available throughout the U.S. and online, it’s a surprisingly refreshing (not cloying) supersweet wine that would be perfect with dark chocolate-almond truffles; serve both at the end of your Valentine’s Day dinner and you’ll look like a romantic genius.