All Nutrition Articles

Diets rich in strawberries, other berries, nuts, and certain spices may lower age-related cognitive declines and the risk of neurodegenerative disease, according to James Joseph, Ph.D., of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Dr. Joseph describes his breakthrough work on the everyday foods that promote brain health during a presentation at Read more...

October is a banner month, and the banner is pink. Besides being Vegetarian Awareness Month, it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and breast cancer support's signature pink ribbons are everywhere. Pink is for girls, presumably, but also for health. It's a glow of vibrancy, a bloom. But not so much if the pink comes from artificial coloring. More appropriate is a naturally pink food that's Read more...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A food industry group is voluntarily halting promotion of its nutrition labeling program after federal regulators said such systems may be misleading consumers, officials with the group said Friday. Industry leaders launched the "Smart Choices" program in August to identify foods that meet certain nutritional standards and then highlight them for consumers with a Read more...

NEW YORK -- At midmorning, the line at Liquiteria is almost out the door. Customers at the bright, cheerful juice bar can't seem to get enough of owner Doug Green's menu of smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices. Some of the drinks are billed as energy builders; others promise to burn fat, boost the immune system or detoxify the lymph system. On the counter, a tabloid photo shows Natalie Read more...

A slice of cake is always a pleasure, but it doesn't have to be a guilty one. When baking cakes, there are a few things you can do to give most recipes a healthy makeover. This pumpkin-cranberry spice cake, for instance, is an indulgent but healthy treat that uses tricks easily applied to other recipes. First, half of the all-purpose flour is replaced with white whole-wheat flour, which Read more...

Everybody talks about the taste of great food. But hardly anyone talks about the tongue and the nose that make the tasting possible. That's a shame. Without them, the wonderful world of cooking and eating would be flavorless, devoid of personality. Luckily, food can be memorable and desirable, even rise to the level of celebration and sensuality. Thanks, of course, to your Read more...

Dark and bitter or milky and sweet ... there's nothing quite like chocolate to make a bad day better. Luckily there are loads of reasons to enjoy the stuff, especially as this is National Chocolate Week. Swedish scientists say people eating chocolate after a heart attack may be less likely to have another one. And the fact that chocolate boosts brain power and lifts depression can Read more...

University of California Davis nutrition researchers are challenging the decades-old conventional wisdom that we should watch our salt. The controversial article, published this week in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, found that humans naturally regulate their sodium intake, rendering government intervention useless. It's a study that has angered nutrition Read more...

NEW YORK -- Alejandra Ramos has lost her appetite for the occasional carnitas burrito from Chipotle, the frozen frappucino from Starbucks and the blueberry muffin from Dunkin' Donuts. And she's not happy about it. "Once they put up the calorie counts, then suddenly I was like, 'I can't eat this, this is a whole day's worth of calories,'" said Ramos, 26, of her Chipotle burrito. At Read more...

Many wheat and dairy-free foods available in supermarkets contain much higher amounts of salt than their standard counterparts, according to a survey carried out by health campaigners. Research into 71 supermarket own-label products from "Free From" ranges, where the products are free from gluten, wheat or dairy, showed more than half had higher salt levels than the standard Read more...

Looking to get dinner on the table fast? Put it on a stick. Cutting meats and vegetables into smaller bits, then threading them onto skewers can dramatically reduce cooking time because there is no thick center for the heat to reach. A pound of chicken breasts left whole will take far longer to cook than the same amount of meat cubed and skewered. The texture of the meat also benefits. Read more...

Most people know that there are many benefits to maintaining a healthy diet. Longer lives, disease prevention and an ideal weight are all results of eating healthy. But how can you know which foods to buy -- let alone which foods to eat? Now it may be easier than ever to decide. Color is the key. If you know what you want to prevent or improve, there is probably a color associated with Read more...

It has been known grapes provide health benefits, but U.S. researchers say they are learning more about exactly how the fruit's chemicals work. The links between grape consumption and prevention of diseases are the subject of a Grape and Health workshop described in a supplement published in the Journal of Nutrition. "Within grapes and grape products, there are chemical classes of Read more...

Instead of overdosing on coffee or jittery energy drinks, here are some fresh foods to help keep your brain in top shape. Spinach and other leafy greens: Green leafy veggies -- spinach, kale, arugula, romaine lettuce and Swiss chard -- are packed with vitamins A, C, calcium, iron and many disease-battling phytochemicals. According to a recent study, men and women who chow down on three Read more...

Cow milk may be the ideal beverage for baby cows, but it just doesn't sit well with some Americans. Dairy allergies, lactose intolerance and an interest in more healthful beverages have all sparked a proliferation of alternative milk products. The new "milks," however, are milk only in name. (Would you buy "soy juice"?) Most come from nuts, seeds, grains and legumes. They Read more...

Organic -- it's a lifestyle and rallying cry for devout environmentalists and alluring to high-end suburban shoppers, yet somehow reminiscent of a barefoot hippie standing ankle-deep in mud. But what does it mean? "Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.... Conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic Read more...

Soup as a main course is a great way to fill up on low-calorie vegetables and liquid, leaving you satisfied without feeling stuffed. Choosing the right soup is the trick. Canned soups can throw a few nutritional curveballs into this healthy eating plan. They're usually loaded with sodium, and creamy soups can pack plenty of unwanted fat. To make your own broth-based soup, be sure to start Read more...

Like water, only better. That's what a host of new low- or no-calorie, electrolyte- and vitamin-enhanced bottled beverages promise. Unless you're an athlete, most are better choices than the traditional calorie-laden sports drinks, said Martin Banschbach, professor of biochemistry at OSU's Center for Health Sciences. Traditional sports drinks contain maltodextrins, a type of sugar Read more...

In the United States, high blood pressure is a big problem. Almost 74 million people -- one of every three adults -- have it, and it occurs significantly more often in African- Americans. Having high blood pressure increases the risk for heart attacks, strokes and various types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. While chronic conditions such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and Read more...

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -- New research suggests that there are important psychological factors to consider when making a food choice. While previous research has shown that foods with natural fiber and protein may be the most physiologically satisfying, a recent four-week cross-over trial conducted by Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD suggests that true satisfaction from food is multi-dimensional, involving Read more...