A new special report from Consumer Reports Health gives advice on how to get the most from breakfast every day, plus what to order when eating out at these fast food restaurants: Au Bon Pain, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Denny’s, Dunkin Donuts, Hardee’s, Jack In The Box, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Subway.

Profile of a Breakfast:

What to Include:
Protein: Aim for about 12 grams from lean sources such as eggs or an egg substitute (about 6 grams per large egg or egg equivalent), low-fat cottage cheese (14 grams per half cup) or yogurt (13 grams per cup), skim milk (about 8 grams per cup), or soy bacon or sausage (about 3 to 6 grams per ounce).
Carbohydrates:  Choose complex ones such as whole-grain bread or cereal, fruit, and vegetables.
Heart-healthy fat: Good sources include canola or olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish, like salmon.

What to Avoid:
Bad fats: Keep saturated fat to a minimum by steering clear of full-fat meat and dairy products. Avoid trans fat, found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Sugar:  Women should get no more than 6.5 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar daily; men, no more than 9.5 teaspoons (38 grams).  Some cereals have more than that in a single serving.

A full copy of this report is available on request.

HELP FOR HEPATITIS C 

An estimated 4 million people in the United States are infected with hepatitis C, a virus that attacks the liver and can lead to liver damage and death. Medications called pegylated interferons can help eliminate the virus from the body, but they are very expensive, costing between $15,000 and $30,000 for a course of treatment.

A new Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs report analyzed the evidence for the two available pegylated interferons—peginterferon alfa-2b (PegIntron) and peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys)—and found that while neither has been shown to be clearly more effective or safe, there is a considerable difference in price. PegIntron could save you hundreds to thousands of dollars over Pegasys, depending on the dose and length of treatment.

The hepatitis C virus is transmitted by exposure to blood and other bodily fluids from an infected person, most commonly by sharing needles used for injecting illicit drugs, such as heroin. It can also be transmitted sexually, by contaminated needles used for tattoos and piercings, mother to child during birth, and by accidental needlesticks occurring in healthcare workers.

SAMe FOR DEPRESSION

In September, Consumer Reports published an article on Dangerous Supplements identifying S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) as one of 11 supplements worth considering for certain conditions, including major depression. Now a small but rigorous clinical trial published in the August issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry adds to that support, suggesting that when antidepressant drugs alone don’t work, adding SAMe under your doctor’s supervision might help.

The researchers called the results "preliminary," and said that follow-up studies need to confirm their findings before SAMe is added to the "antidepressant treatment armamentarium." And the therapy can be expensive: A month’s supply of the doses used in the trial—800 milligrams twice a day—could cost about $145, and it’s unlikely to be covered by insurance. Finally, SAMe has been linked to a number of side effects and drug interactions, including with certain antidepressants. So talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting SAMe—or any other supplement.