General Nutrition

Q. I read in your newsletter that plant sources of zinc such as whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds contain phytate, which blocks some of the mineral's absorption. Is there any way to increase the zinc availability from these foods?

Q. Will apple cider vinegar really improve blood pressure?

Plant geneticists at the USDAs Agricultural Research Service may have found ways to prolong the shelf life of fresh-cut peppers and lettuces in supermarkets.

So much for the notion that Americans had hit "peak meat" and are beginning to eat less. After US meat consumption dropped in 2014, led by lower intake of red meat, some industry observers speculated that our taste for meat had topped out.

The longer the time between ordering food and expecting to eat it, the healthier that food tends to be. That's the finding of a trio of Carnegie Mellon University studies published in the Journal of Marketing Research.

Does taxing sugary beverages really help cut consumption? A preliminary study of a tax of one cent per ounce enacted in Berkeley, Calif., in March 2015 suggests the answer is yes.

What foods should you eat to live longer, especially if youre already 65 or older? Previous attempts to tackle that question have often been confounded by other lifestyle and even socio-economic factors that are difficult to untangle from the effects of diet.

Swapping healthy unsaturated fats for carbohydrates or saturated fats may reduce your risk of diabetes, according to a new analysis of 102 randomized trials totaling 4,660 participants.

Poor sleep quality and diet may contribute to the early accumulation of the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new review. Part of the reason may involve cortisol, a hormone manufactured by the body that plays a role in regulating many core functions, including sleep.

Americans are eating a little healthier than they were back in 1999, but the improvements are largest among upper-income households.