Children and teenagers -- mostly girls -- need zinc, a mineral important for maintaining healthy immune systems and healthy skin and for preventing colds and infections. Yet half of all teenage girls have zinc deficiencies.

Red meat is the most effective way of channeling zinc into the body. Perhaps these young girls are eating red meat less than two times per week -- a practice research shows can contribute to zinc deficiencies.

Iron is vital for good health. Menstruating women need it. The elderly need it. Pregnant women need it. And children need it too. But many lack healthy levels of iron.

Red meat contains a lot of iron. And while iron also comes from vegetable sources, meat contains more iron than most foods and is best utilized by the body in this form.

Red meat also contains B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, selenium -- and protein, critical for muscle and organ health. Protein from red meat is complete, meaning it contains all the amino acids the body cannot make on its own. Protein helps the body repair and renew.

There is definitely a good side to eating red meat. There is also a bad side.

Red meat has been linked to incidences of bowel cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, high cholesterol, clogged arteries, and food poisoning.

Experts say the controversy surrounding red meat comes down to the type of meat we are eating -- and how we are eating it.

There are three official red meats -- pork, lamb, and beef. Pork is the leanest, lamb is the fattiest, and beef is the most nutritious. Red meat is typically high in saturated fats and bad cholesterol. But lean beef is fairly healthy -- if it's not treated with hormones and is truly free from excess fat. The more white you see, the more fat you get.

So here is the trick for all meat-eaters out there -- choose lean meats, seek nutritious cuts of meat, avoid hormone-treated products, steer clear of processed meats (these include more additives and fats than simple cuts of pork, lamb, and beef), read labels carefully, make meat just one component of a balanced diet, and brace yourself for more research and study and discussion that will undoubtedly conclude that meat is good for us. And bad for us too.

The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron.

Brown rice is an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium. For people worried about colon cancer risk, brown rice is a concentrated source of the fiber needed to minimize the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells, and is a very good source of selenium, a trace mineral that has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer. Eating brown rice instead of white rice is also better for people at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Vicki's Brown Rice Pudding
1 cup brown Rice
1/2 cup Rice Syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Cook rice until soft. Drain and let chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. After chilling put rice into a large mixing bowl and fluff with a fork. Stir in both syrups.  Sprinkle spices around on top of rice and then mix it up well. Then add the yogurt, raisins and almonds. This is a creamy delight that is healthier than white rice pudding and does not use sugar but is still satisfying to the sweet tooth.

After two days of meeting to discuss the safety and effectiveness of multivitamin and minerals supplements, MVMs, a 13-member independent panel of experts in the fields of food science and human nutrition, biostatistics, biochemistry, toxicology, geriatric medicine, family medicine, pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology, cancer prevention, epidemiology, disease prevention and health promotion, and consumer protection made the following observations and recommendations.

The National Foundation for Cancer Research, NFCR, features a new cancer prevention recipe each month. This month is Tuna Salad with Olives, Oranges, and Bell Peppers. Salads are a quick and easy way of getting fresh health-supportive nutrients needed to help prevent cancers. This salad provides nine cancer prevention micronutrients; folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, niacin, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and selenium. According to NFCR, up to 20 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in all of these nutrients. When choosing salad ingredients, purchase organic produce whenever possible. Visit here for the recipe.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center researchers have announced study findings that suggest a higher intake of selenium may reduce the risk of advanced colorectal cancer. Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts. The antioxidant properties of selenium prevents cellular damage from free radicals. Free radicals contribute to the development of cancer. Brazil nuts and tuna have the highest levels of selenium.

According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, observational studies indicate that death from cancer, including lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, is lower among people with higher blood levels or intake of selenium. In addition, the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer is significantly higher in areas of the United States with low soil selenium content. Selenium may also prevent or slow tumor growth. Certain breakdown products of selenium are believed to prevent tumor growth by enhancing immune cell activity and suppressing development of blood vessels to the tumor.