The Buzz about Nightshades

Claims that some common vegetables are actually harmful and aggravate arthritis are unfounded.

Vegetables from plants in the Solanaceae family (also called nightshades) have been getting a bad rap. Peppers, tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplants, and their botanical cousins are accused of harboring harmful compounds that aggravate arthritis pain and inflammation. Understanding what’s behind these assertions may help ease concerns.

Don’t Fear “Anti-nutrients”

Current science does not support concerns that certain natural compounds meaningfully reduce the nutritional value of plant foods.

There are natural compounds found in many healthy foods—including leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains—that have been thought to potentially decrease the nutritional value of these foods. Sometimes called “anti-nutrients,” these compounds may bind with specific vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients, limiting their absorption by the body.

How Diet Impacts Bone Health

Preventing osteoporosis through diet is about more than just calcium intake.

Healthy bone is a balancing act. Our bodies continually remove older bone and replace it with new. As adults, if we lose bone at too fast a rate, replace it at too slow a rate, or both, the result is osteoporosis—weak, porous bones that fracture easily.

What’s So Special About Cruciferous Vegetables?

This family of vegetables contains unique health-promoting compounds.

You may be surprised to learn that kale and broccoli are cousins. They are part of the Brassica family, also known as cruciferous vegetables because their flower petals form the shape of a cross (cruciferae is Latin for “cross-bearing”).

DRI Update for Sodium and Potassium

An expert committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which included Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Gershoff Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Executive Editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, recently reviewed the scientific evidence in order to update the official U.S. and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for sodium and potassium.

Magnesium and Migraine

The jury is out on whether or not dietary or supplemental magnesium can help prevent or treat debilitating migraine headaches.

The International Headache Society (IHS) defines migraine as a headache disorder with recurrent attacks (at least five) that last from 4 to 72 hours, are associated with nausea and/or sensitivity to light and sound, and also have at least two of four other characteristics including: pain that is of moderate or severe intensity; throbbing or pulsing; affects only one side of the head; or is worsened by routine activity such as walking. According to the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study, migraine is a major cause of disability worldwide.

Cracked Wheat with Golden Raisins and Pistachios