Ask the Experts

Should You Eat the Dark Meat of Fish?

For most people, according to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the benefits of eating fish like salmon rich in omega-3 fatty acids outweigh any risks from contaminants.

Q: For a long time I’ve eaten 1.5 ounces daily of walnuts. Then I...

Answer : Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory, checked on this study...

Q: I enjoyed your Special Report on potassium (March). Coconut water supposedly has only...

Answer : Health & Nutrition Letter editor Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD, replies, There are no downsides to the consumption of coconut water that I am aware of.

Q: Is it true that you can lose weight faster by eliminating wheat from...

Answer : Susan Roberts, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Energy Metabolism Laboratory, responds: There is no evidence that eliminating wheat...

Q: Should Atlantic sardines be avoided in favor of Pacific sardines? If so, why?

Answer : The choice of Pacific over Atlantic sardines comes from concerns about the health of the oceans, rather than the health of consumers.

Q: Before cooking steel-cut oats, I grind them for 30 seconds until they get...

Answer : We checked with our recipe editor, Patsy Jamieson, who replies: When you grind the oats, you retain the fiber and phytonutrients in the oat...

Q: How high should the blood level of vitamin D be? I take 3,500...

Answer : Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of Tufts HNRCA Bone Metabolism Laboratory, answers: Current recommendations are based on the effect of vitamin D ...

Q: I read some years ago that one of the biomarkers of healthy aging...

Answer : Youre recalling the book Biomarkers: The 10 Determinants of Aging You Can Control by Tufts William Evans, PhD, and Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD.

Q: Is it true that heating food in a microwave oven destroys most of...

Answer : In fact, says Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD, editor of the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, the opposite is true...

Q: I keep seeing new products labeled “gluten-free.” I understand this is important for...

Answer : Robert M. Russell, MD, emeritus professor at the Friedman School, replies, "The answer is no."