The United States is in the midst of 2 epidemics, COVID-19 and obesity. “Teaching real nutrition is the strongest way to build community health” and lessen the toll of the coendemics, according to health care advocate Chris Norwood, a panelist at a virtual event hosted by Newswire. People with chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, … Read more
Let’s start with what to eat and the foods to avoid eating. What follows will likely sound familiar to aficionados of a Mediterranean-style diet: a plant-based diet focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and cold-water fish and plants like soybeans and flax seeds that contain omega-3 fatty acids. A Mediterranean-style diet is rich in … Read more
Each additional daily serving of whole fruits lowered the risk by 5 percent, and women who consumed nearly 10 grams of cereal fiber each day were 10 percent less likely to develop diverticulitis than those who ate the least, about 3 grams. A half-cup of Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal, for example, has a whopping 10 grams … Read more
Kombucha is a fermented food, much like cultured yogurt, cheese, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut. Traditionally a carbonated drink with live micro-organisms, kombucha is made by brewing together sugar, black or green tea, liquid from a previous batch and the Scoby, short for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (though its more popular nickname is “mother,” … Read more
This change interested the scientists because Veillonella is one of the few microbes known to metabolize lactate as its preferred fuel. Lactate, a form of lactic acid, is created by working muscles and can cross into the blood and from there, into the gut. When microbes metabolize lactate, they break it down into several substances, … Read more
Q. Eating dark chocolate is encouraged for its health benefits. I’ve been buying chocolate with 75 percent to 90 percent cocoa content. But the label notes a high amount of saturated fat. Is this as harmful as the saturated fat in meat? A. The fat in chocolate is not as harmful as the fat in … Read more
I often have what some may consider an unusual breakfast — soup laden with baby spinach and/or kale and roasted baby carrots, and a salad supper with salmon, tuna, low-fat chicken sausage, beans or chickpeas for protein. An alternate breakfast consists of slices of banana topped with peanut butter. Hummus on whole-wheat bread or crackers … Read more
Attention all consumers seeking to protect brain health: You can save hundreds of dollars a year and enhance the health of your brain and body by ignoring the myriad unproven claims for anti-dementia supplements and instead focusing on a lifestyle long linked to better mental and physical well-being. How many of these purported brain boosters … Read more
Q. What are the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency if left untreated? A. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause neurological and psychiatric problems that “can progress if left untreated, and can lead to irreversible damage,” said Dr. Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program. Fortunately, it can be reversed fairly easily … Read more
Q. What is the evidence that dietary cholesterol or other fat influences serum cholesterol? A. Foods high in cholesterol, like eggs or cheese, can raise blood cholesterol levels, though the effect is relatively modest and varies from person to person. The best evidence available suggests that saturated fat, rather than dietary cholesterol per se, is … Read more