Ask the Experts

Q: My husband, whos been on medication for early Alzheimers, went to the emergency...

Answer : You should never stop taking any medication without checking with your own physician. As for coconut oil, its touted as a source of caprylic acid, which the body breaks down...

Q: Since its dangerous to heat cooking oils beyond their smoke point, is it...

Answer : Lynne M. Ausman, ScD, a professor in the Friedman School and scientist in Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, explains...

Q: Does powdered garlic have any nutritional value?

Answer : Lynne M. Ausman, DSc, director of the Biochemical & Molecular Nutrition Program at Tufts Friedman School, says most powdered spices...

Q: Does one need to eat mostly organic foods in order to have a...

Answer : Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, replies: The majority of research findings indicate the nutrient content of organic and conventionally grown plants is similar.

Q: Are organic meats safer in regard to foodborne diseases such as salmonella?

Answer : When it comes to livestock, the USDA organic seal verifies that producers met animal health and welfare standards...

Q: Does magnesium help the body absorb calcium from the diet?

Answer : Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of Tufts HNRCA Bone Metabolism Laboratory, says, Im not aware of any evidence...

Q: Do I lose any of the whole-grain benefits by using quick (10- minute)...

Answer : Quick-cooking brown rice has been precooked (parboiled), so its ready in about a quarter the time as regular brown rice.

Q: As a vegetarian, can I get enough omega-3 from walnuts, flax seed, canola...

Answer : The omega-3 fatty acids found in plant foods (ALA) have their own health benefits, but they are not the same as the omega-3s found in fish...

Q: How important is it to get calcium periodically throughout the day, rather than...

Answer : Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of Tufts HNRCA Bone Metabolism Laboratory, responds...

Q: Im low in iron and, since my cholesterol is also very low, my...

Answer : Its true, as a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded, that meat is apparently the best food in terms of nutritive iron value, not only for its high iron absorbability...