health food or a following a vegetarian diet will help them live longer.

In the new study, 4,336 men and 6,435 women recruited from health food shops and vegetarian societies in the UK had half the death rate as the rest of the population in a 17-year period.

The study was designed to determine if eating wholemeal bread (an indicator of a high-fibre diet) or a vegetarian diet could decrease risk of heart disease, and indeed daily consumption of whole-meal bread reduced mortality by 12 percent.

However, once the researchers took fruit and vegetable intake into consideration, the foods eclipsed the importance of the bread consumption, according to the report in this week's British Medical Journal.

"Daily consumption of fresh fruit was associated with a significant reduction in mortality from ischemic heart disease (24 percent), cerebrovascular disease (32 percent), and all causes of death combined (21 percent),'' wrote lead study author Dr. Timothy Key, a research scientist at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, England.

The results are consistent with a host of other studies showing the benefits of a fruit and vegetable-rich diet.

*** Reducing the risk of cancer can be achieved by putting red meat in its place -- that is, as a side dish, not the main course. And avoiding alcohol, exercising 30 minutes almost every day, and eating your fruits and vegetables can help as well, according to a tough new set of guidelines from the American Cancer Society.

"The major thrust is to recommend that people make the majority of what they are eating fruits, vegetables, and grains and that high-fat items such as meat become a side dish, sort of an accessory rather than cornerstone of the meal,'' said Dr. Michael Thun, director of analytic epidemiology at the American Cancer Society.

*** The media got a preview of the much-heralded, long-debated Fat Free Pringles a couple of weeks ago. Made with Olean, Procter & Gamble's controversial fat replacer, the samples of chips arrived sporting a flashy press kit asking, "Can You Get Amazing Taste With No Fat?'' The answer is yes. These chips -- available in original, barbecue and sour cream and onion flavors -- taste good. In fact, they taste like any other good quality potato chips.

These chips, which have the expected crunchy texture and saltiness of regular potato chips, have half the calories (70 per ounce) and no fat.

Edibles *** Baby food manufacturers keep trying to extend their market beyond babyhood.

The latest endeavour along that line is sauces from Gerber. They are designed for older babies to eat over rice or pasta, with the family, before they're ready for adult-seasoned sauces.

Available in several varieties, including garden vegetables with chicken, the sauces come in two-serving 6-ounce jars. I guess that means Mom and Dad had better eat pasta and rice a couple of times in short order, or half the jar will be wasted.

*** CountryCharm is the name of a new line of ice creams and frozen yoghurts from Dean's. Many varieties are offered; I chose the chocolate frozen yoghurt, which was creamy, chocolaty and delicious.

One taster thought the frozen treat had a discernible yoghurt aftertaste; another thought it tasted like ice cream. All agreed it was good.

Meijer carries the line -- $2.99 for a half-gallon of yogurt, $3.49 for the ice cream.

*** Adolph's, the meat tenderiser company, has introduced dry marinade mixes called For The Grill. Fajita, mesquite, cracked pepper with lemon, and hickory barbecue are the available flavours. The dry mixes, which must be mixed with water (and oil, if desired) work in just 15 minutes.