Nutrition
Good health starts with a nutritious diet. Whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein; they have an appeal that endures. That's not to say that fads don't come and go, that research doesn't change, that trends don't shift. They do. The following articles offer a highlight of the latest news — and a snapshot of ever-evolving nutrition science.
5:06 PM EDT, June 17, 2013
Bad news on red meat: Eating more is linked to diabetes risk
Nutritionists known for issuing warnings about the health risks of eating red meat reiterated their message this week, confirming a link between red meat consumption and Type 2 diabetes -- and showing, in a new follow-up study, that the association persists over time.
10:00 AM EDT, June 11, 2013
Most public elementary schools don't regulate access to junk food
More than three-quarters of the nation’s public elementary schools face no state or district limits on the sale of sugary drinks, candy or salty snacks, according to a survey.
4:06 PM EDT, June 10, 2013
Low blood sugar in some diabetics boosts dementia risk
For older patients with Type 2 diabetes, an aggressive focus on keeping high blood sugar down increases the risk of driving blood sugar too low — and with that, boosting the likelihood of developing dementia, says a new study.
June 8, 2013
The food journal: A little tech could make it stick
You already know you should keep a food journal if you want to lose weight, right?
7:03 PM EDT, June 4, 2013
Smoke? Fat? Sedentary? Watch out for heart disease, study says
It’s no surprise that someone who has never smoked, who eats a Mediterranean diet and keeps a normal weight and who exercises regularly is healthy. How healthy? Chances of death from all causes is reduced by 80% over eight years. Pretty healthy.
12:14 PM EDT, May 20, 2013
Gluten-free: More new products than ever
A few decades ago, gluten-free products mostly meant rice cakes. Today, the category just won’t quit.
June 3, 2013
Caffeine and kids: A safe mix?
Caffeine-infused waffles and maple syrup are promoted as energizing alternatives to a morning mug of coffee.
4:39 PM EDT, June 4, 2013
Do you need to be a vegetarian to lead a healthy life?
Can a vegetarian diet add years to your life?
June 5, 2013
Study finds nearly half of Americans not drinking enough water
Mary Nisi, of Chicago, exercises regularly, between yoga, Pilates and tennis, but she worries about not drinking enough water.
1:14 AM EDT, May 30, 2013
Worst foods to feed your child
Are fruit snacks as healthy as fruit? Is that can of soda really harming your kid? What should your child eat on a hot dog? Find out these answers and more in this gallery.
2:31 PM EDT, May 29, 2013
Gut microbes again linked to diabetes -- but geography matters
Particular combinations of bacteria in the human digestive system can identify patients who have or are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, scientists reported Wednesday in the online edition of the journal Nature.
6:20 PM EDT, May 22, 2013
Fast food calories are more than you think
Knowledge is power. Or in this case, a healthier meal.
May 29, 2013
More salt in food, but should we take recommended limits with a grain of skepticism?
While many doctors urge patients to curb their sodium intake for better health, the processed food and restaurant industries continue to spike products with large amounts of sodium, according to a recent study.
9:02 PM EDT, May 22, 2013
Do diet changes help ADHD children?
Dylan Jerrell was having a tough time in kindergarten.
May 18, 2013
Gluten-free cake options
Baking has been a challenge for people who maintain a gluten-free diet, especially for people trying to make traditional birthday cakes or re-create a childhood favorite. That's in part because flours made from other ingredients (almonds, chickpeas, rice) don't "behave" in the same manner as flour made from wheat.
May 18, 2013
Going gluten-free more common, but not necessarily easier
For more than 20 years, Kristine Kidd tasted what came her way as the food editor at Bon Appetit magazine. But she never felt great.
4:47 PM EDT, May 7, 2013
Spring is the perfect time to taste the rainbow
Spring showers inspire the growth of a colorful array of fruits and vegetables to decorate your dishes, tempt your taste buds and nourish yourself naturally.
8:49 PM EDT, May 14, 2013
Study casts doubt on some findings about sodium
Are Americans getting mixed messages about how much sodium they should be consuming? Lately, yes, and some of those messages are muddled because studies themselves are muddled, a panel of doctors has concluded.
8:00 AM EDT, May 13, 2013
Could giving newborns formula help with breast-feeding?
A new study suggests that there are situations in which limited formula use might actually help some mothers breast-feed their children for a longer period of time.
4:45 PM EDT, May 10, 2013
What do we spend to preserve nature? $40 billion
Some say that you can’t put a price on precious natural resources. As of this week, you can.
7:54 PM EDT, May 9, 2013
Wrigley holds off on caffeinated gum as FDA reviews caffeine
Less than a week after the FDA announced that it would investigate the safety of added caffeine in U.S. food and beverage products, Wrigley North America put its bid to market a caffeinated gum on hold.
3:08 AM EDT, May 9, 2013
What to consume before, during and after exercise
Have you ever been hungry before you workout or even hungrier after you're done? BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois gives tips on what to eat before, during and after workouts.
7:17 PM EDT, May 8, 2013
Posting calories: 'So yesterday' already?
At chain restaurants across the country, the ink is scarcely dry on new menus posting the calorie counts of food and beverage options. But already, public health experts are debating whether there might be better ways to influence Americans' nutritional choices when they're out and about.
2:01 PM EDT, May 8, 2013
Dietary supplement contained erectile dysfunction drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced the recall of several dietary supplements that contain the undeclared drug tadalafil, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction.
May 9, 2013
Got diet milk?
In the face of troubling childhood obesity rates and what it sees as low milk consumption rates, the dairy industry says it has a solution: Offer kids flavored milk that uses low-calorie artificial sweeteners.
6:53 PM EDT, May 7, 2013
Teens ate 'too many calories' at Subway and McDonald's, study says
Adolescents who went to McDonald’s and Subway in Los Angeles bought about the same number of calories at each, despite Subway's reputation as a healthier place to eat, researchers said.
6:03 PM EDT, May 6, 2013
Grocery shopping on an empty stomach leads to dieting disaster
Attention dieters: If you want to maximize your chances of success, don’t go to the grocery store on an empty stomach.
5:11 PM EDT, May 1, 2013
Addicted to added sugar? It's 13 percent of calories consumed by Americans
Sugar. Honey. Maple syrup. Molasses. High fructose corn syrup. All of these are “added sugars,” and you are probably eating — and drinking — too much of them.
7:21 PM EDT, April 25, 2013
Imported cucumbers sicken 73 people in 18 states with salmonella
More than 70 people in 18 states have fallen ill because of a salmonella outbreak linked to imported Mexican cucumbers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
April 20, 2013
Set a goal but didn't follow through? Tips to resetting habits
OK, you've had nearly a third of the year. Lost that weight? Smoking a thing of the past? Nicer to your husband? If you are like many people, such resolutions have disappeared as completely as the bubbles in your Champagne toast. But you can start again.
3:45 PM EDT, April 15, 2013
Beer's taste, sans alcoholic effect, triggers dopamine in brain
Remember that Jamie Foxx song "Blame It (On the Alcohol)"? If not, perhaps it’s just as well, because scientists say that even the taste of beer (without the intoxicating effects of alcohol) can trigger that flow of striatal dopamine in the brain.
4:07 PM EDT, April 10, 2013
Small dishes mean less food for kids, study says
Everyone who has ever read a diet book knows this tip: Use a smaller plate, and you are likely to put less food on it. Now researchers have found the same is true for children taking food at school lunch.
4:56 PM EDT, April 8, 2013
Red meat and heart disease link: Not all about the fat?
The long-established link between red meat consumption and heart disease may have less to do with the fat in the meat than many have assumed, researchers said Sunday.
1:35 PM EDT, April 8, 2013
The science of a healthful diet explained
Harlan-the-medical-student channeled Harlan-the-chef and wrote "It's Heartly Fare," a guide to healthful eating. His primary advice was simple: "Cut down on saturated fat, sugar and salt."
April 6, 2013
Food as medicine? What to make of the claims
What's a healthful food and what's a healing food? Is there a difference? At least since the mid-19th century, when the Battle Creek Sanitarium opened its doors and people flocked there to follow John Harvey Kellogg's regime of whole grains, nuts and frequent enemas, many Americans have sought food as medicine.
7:52 PM EDT, April 3, 2013
Whole truth about which whole-grain foods are best
"Whole grain" has become a healthy eating buzz phrase, and food companies aren't shy about using it to entice us to buy products. Browse the bread, cereal or chip aisles of your favorite grocery store, and you'll see the upsell.
3:27 PM EDT, April 2, 2013
Possible E. coli contamination spurs Farm Rich products recall
Possible contamination with E. coli has prompted the Rich Products Corp. to voluntarily recall the following products: Farm Rich Mini Quesadillas, Farm Rich Mini Pizza Slices, Farm Rich Philly Cheese Steaks, Farm Rich Mozzarella Bites and Market Day Mozzarella Bites, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
3:54 PM EDT, April 2, 2013
Undisclosed soy prompts recall by Lisy Corp.
The Miami-based Lisy Corp. is recalling some of its seasoning blends because their labels do not list the ingredient soy, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
4:15 PM EDT, March 28, 2013
Kids' menus are not healthy, nutrition group says
Ninety-one percent of thousands of children’s meals at the biggest restaurant chains don’t meet standards set by the National Restaurant Assn.’s own initiative for healthful kids’ meals, a study out Thursday from a nutrition advocacy group says. And nine chains have no meals that meet those standards, the study says.
9:12 PM EDT, March 27, 2013
What one woman gained by giving up diet foods
I was 13 years old when I ate my first diet meal.
9:00 PM EDT, March 27, 2013
Dried fruits pale to fresh
Q: Are dried fruits a healthy choice compared to fresh fruits?
12:28 PM EDT, March 27, 2013
Julie Deardorff: Does a low-fat diet increase triglycerides?
It’s easy to assume that a low-fat diet is the healthy way to go, especially since a diet low in saturated and trans fat was recommended by government agencies back in the 1980s.
9:00 AM EDT, March 27, 2013
Food deserts may not be key in what people eat, study says
There’s no strong evidence of an association between living within walking distance of places to buy food and being overweight or not, researchers said after interviewing nearly 100,000 Californians.
2:36 AM EDT, March 27, 2013
Adding fiber to your food
According to the National Fiber Council, fiber is the go-to item to lower cholesterol, feel full longer, lowers the risk of certain diseases (heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, and certain cancers) and helps with intestinal regularity. Click this photo gallery for food fiber shopping ideas and NFC's infographic to find out more about how fiber works in your body.
3:43 PM EDT, March 26, 2013
Undeclared walnuts prompt recall of coffee cake
Chicago-based Gold Standard Baking has voluntarily recalled Sweet P’s Bake Shop branded Caramel Apple Danish Coffee Cake after discovering that it contained walnuts, but was distributed in packaging that did not state their presence, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
7:34 PM EDT, March 25, 2013
Too many babies start eating solid foods too soon, CDC study says
Four out of 10 mothers surveyed began feeding their infants solid food when they were only 4 months old and their still-developing bodies weren’t able to process it -- and more than half the moms said they had been advised to do so by a medical professional.
March 26, 2013
Prescription for nutrition
Despite a growing consensus that cardiovascular disease is a "food-borne" illness, many physicians are ill-prepared to advise patients on what they should eat to best protect them from heart attack or stroke.
March 26, 2013
Mediterranean diet: A sample menu
A Mediterranean-style diet emphasizes foods traditionally consumed in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Here is a sample day's menu provided by Dr. Stephen Devries, executive director of the Gaples Institute in Deerfield, which promotes the value of nutrition and natural strategies in medical care.
9:15 AM EDT, March 22, 2013
Warning: Excessive tea drinking can be hazardous to your health
You can never be too rich or too thin, perhaps, but you certainly can drink too much tea.
12:13 PM EDT, March 20, 2013
Allergy alert issued for soybean paste, FDA says
Daesang America Inc. is recalling packages of sesame- and garlic-flavored mixed soy bean paste because they may contain undeclared peanuts, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
8:00 AM EDT, March 20, 2013
Genetically engineered tomato mimics good cholesterol
Researchers at UCLA have genetically engineered tomatoes that, when fed to mice, mimic the beneficial qualities of good cholesterol, according to a new study.
4:54 PM EDT, March 19, 2013
Rebates motivate shoppers to buy produce, whole grains, study says
Rand Corp. research released Tuesday shows that offering discounts on healthful foods increases the amounts people eat ¿ and it appears also to reduce how much foods such as cookies and chips they eat too.
5:40 PM EDT, March 18, 2013
FDA issues salmonella warning for ProtiDiet protein bars
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat certain ProtiDiet High Protein Chocolate Dream bars due to possible contamination with salmonella, according to an FDA statement Monday.
10:21 PM EDT, March 18, 2013
Low-fat milk doesn't help toddlers' weight, study says
Giving toddlers skim or 1 percent milk to keep them from growing overweight doesn’t seem to work, according to a study out Monday that gives pause over the common advice to avoid whole milk from age 2.
March 18, 2013
Doubts surface about safety of common food additive, carrageenan
Sara Baker says the light went on in her head after a cup of hot cocoa set off a storm in her stomach.
March 16, 2013
Natural Products Expo lays out the latest, with an emphasis on what's real and what's absent
Consumers say they are too busy to sort through complicated labels and want straightforward products they can trust, according to many of the exhibitors at Natural Products Expo West.
3:12 PM EDT, March 15, 2013
'Sugar-free' baked goods, with sugar? What is a dieter to do?
As if studying product labels to keep tabs on calories, carbs and fat grams wasn't painful enough, now dieters have this to worry about: one bakery's "goodies that taste good without being bad" are actually quite naughty, after all.
8:10 PM EDT, March 13, 2013
A diet miracle?
The miracle berry has been described as a hallucinogen for the tongue. It can make sour things taste sweet. But can it help solve the obesity crisis? Not so fast, experts say.
1:45 PM EST, March 7, 2013
Study finds association between processed meat and disease
Another study has found an association between eating meat and premature death, this time linking the consumption of bacon, sausage and other processed meats with cardiovascular disease and cancer in a study of nearly a half-million Europeans.
5:58 PM EST, March 7, 2013
Meat Institute finds fault with study on red meat consumption
The American Meat Institute has weighed in on a study published this week about eating red meat, and it objects to the study’s methods and conclusions.
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