Ask the Experts

Water bottle

Q. Does the amount of deuterium in drinking water matter to one’s health?

A. Judith C. Thalheimer, RD, LDN, managing editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, answers: “Deuterium is a naturally-occurring isotope of hydrogen. Most hydrogen atoms...

Q. I have a normal BMI, I eat right, and I stay quite active...

A. Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSC, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory and executive editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, answers: “A large waist...
Colon

Q. I have been told I shouldn’t eat nuts because of my diverticulosis. Is...

A. Alicia Romano, MS, RD, a dietitian at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center, answers: “Nuts are healthy foods that are good choices to incorporate...

Q. Should I buy white peaches/nectarines, or yellow? Are purple and yellow carrots a...

A. Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, a professor at the Friedman School and an expert on dietary bioactive components, answers: “The color of a plant food...

Nutrition Lessons from a Global Pandemic:

Here at Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter we strive to provide you with the latest, science-based health and nutrition information to help contribute to...
Peppermint Oil

Q. Can peppermint oil help my irritable bowel syndrome?

A. Judith C. Thalheimer, RD, LDN, managing editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, answers: While a handful of small studies suggested that peppermint...
macronutrients

Q. Is it true that percentage intake of macronutrients (protein, CHO, fat) should be...

A. Lauren McAvoy, a dietetic intern at Tufts Medical Center, answers: “While there are claims that individuals with different body types metabolize nutrients differently,...
Food Expiration

Q. Do I need to throw out food as soon as the printed expiration...

A. Judith C. Thalheimer, RDN, LDN, managing editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, answers: “Those ‘sell by’ and ‘best by’ dates on packages...

Q. I have decided to follow a vegan diet. Do I need to take...

A. Claire Cheng, a dietetic intern at the Tufts University Frances Stern Nutrition Center answers: “A vegan diet can be nutritious, environmentally friendly, and...

Q. When buying a salad dressing, pasta sauce, or any other product, is it...

A. Hannah Cai, a dietetic intern at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center, answers. “It is important to limit sodium and added sugar intake for...