Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo

There was a time when my elderly mother (she'd never forgive me if I actually revealed her age, but she had hit 75) started stumbling and falling. We made the rounds of various doctors and finally a neurosurgeon to try to find out why. After running a simple blood test on vitamin B-12, the neurosurgeon found the simple answer — Mom was severely deficit in B-12. In its early stages, B-12 deficiency may have no symptoms at all. But moderate to severe deficiency can cause problems ranging from memory loss, confusion and depression to tingling and weakness in the limbs from nerve impairment.

Since then, Mom has had monthly injections of vitamin B-12 and has ceased from falling.

The amount of vitamin B-12 needed to stay healthy is actually very small — the recommended dietary allowance is 2.4 micrograms a day. It's easy to get that much from food if you eat dairy products, fish, red meats and/or fortified food. But because of decreased absorption in older people, the recommendation for older people is 6 to 15 micrograms daily from food and perhaps supplements.

In older people, even eating red meat and dairy isn't always effective. As we age, our stomachs may not secrete adequate amounts of acids or the enzyme, pepsin, to extract the vitamin from food. Then, in order to be absorbed, the free vitamin must combine with a protein known as intrinsic factor, secreted by the stomach lining. In older people, changes in the digestive tract affect the ability to absorb the vitamin. In addition, many people over 50 don't produce enough stomach acid to adequately absorb B-12.

The bottom line is if you're over 50 and think you may have symptoms, you may want to get it checked. The improvement in my mom has been dramatic — all from a simple vitamin.

Q and A

Q: I keep hearing about a form of soy called edamame. What can I do with it?

A: Edamame (eh-dah-MAH-may) are fresh (not dried) green soybeans. Although smaller than lima beans, they have a buttery, nutty flavor much like baby limas. Sometimes you can get them fresh in the grocery produce section, though usually it's easier to find them in frozen form, often with other frozen vegetables or in a natural foods section. Edamame must be cooked before serving (often by steaming or boiling about 10 minutes), but can be served in or popped out of the pod. Whether served hot or cold, when still in their pods, you put the pod to your lips and pinch, so the beans pop into your mouth. The pod is not eaten.

Purchasing shelled edamame makes it easy to add them to soups, stir-fries, rice or salads. Try using them as an alternative to peas in casseroles; their texture holds up even better, they make small portions very satisfying and they can substitute for all or part of the meat you usually use. In Japan and China, edamame are popular as snacks, usually served still in the pod in one large bowl from which everyone helps themselves. While they look like vegetables, they have the nutritional content of a substitute for meat. A half-cup of cooked beans contains more than 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber and supplies the nutrients and phytochemicals found in all soy foods.

Information courtesty of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Recipe

This recipe for Savory Peach Chicken transforms basic chicken breasts into company-fare dinner with the teriyaki-style sauce. It's from Ellie Krieger's "So Easy."

Savory Peach Chicken

1/4 cup orange juice

2/ tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

4 large firm but ripe peaches, sliced into 1/4-inch slices or two 10-ounce packages frozen peaches

3 cups cooked brown rice

2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

3 cups steamed broccoli spears

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar until the sugar is dissolved. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet, then add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce mixture and peaches; turn the heat up to high and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the peaches soften, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve the chicken over the rice, topped with the sauce and sprinkled with the toasted almonds. Place a few broccoli spears alongside. Serves four.

Per serving: 520 calories, 37 g protein, 62 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 580 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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