General Nutrition

With some 50 million Americans afflicted by arthritis, chances are that even if you dont suffer from the disease, your spouse or someone else close to you does. But theres hope for this painful condition. Arthritis patients have a range of medications available, and today most know the benefits of exercise for improving their condition. While once arthritis sufferers were told rest is best, research at Tufts and elsewhere has shown that strength training in particular can help prevent and reduce arthritis symptoms.

A. Adela Hruby, PhD, MS, MPH, who recently completed an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship at Tufts Friedman School, responds: According to the USDA Nutrient Database, per gram, both raw spinach and frozen spinach (unprepared or prepared by boiling and draining), contain around the same amount of magnesium (about 75-82 milligrams per 100 grams of spinach). However, if you go by a typical serving of one cup, rather than by weight, then frozen spinach, because its…

A. Lisa Massini, a dietetic intern at Tufts Frances Stern Nutrition Center, answers: Whole-grain pasta is naturally darker than white refined pasta due to the bran (the hard, fibrous outer layer of a grain) that it contains. This color difference is not due to added colors. Whole-grain pasta contains a significantly larger amount of fiber than white pasta (6 grams per serving versus 2 grams serving). It is also richer in iron and magnesium; however,…

A. Our source for this information was the National Library of Medicines MedlinePlus, which explains: Warfarin (Coumadin) is used to slow blood clotting. There are several reports showing that taking glucosamine hydrochloride with or without chondroitin increases the effect of warfarin (Coumadin) on blood clotting. This can cause bruising and bleeding that can be serious. Dont take glucosamine hydrochloride if you are taking warfarin (Coumadin).…

A. Erika Hval, a dietetic intern at Tufts Frances Stern Nutrition Center, answers: The prickly pear cactus, sometimes referred to as the cactus pear (Optunia spp.), has been touted for a variety of health-related benefits from treating diabetes to alleviating alcohol-induced hangover symptoms. Found in Mediterranean and subtropical African and American zones, cactus pear plants are characterized by flattened stems (cladodes) and brightly colored, sweet-tasting fruits. In general, the stems supply high amounts of pectin…

No wonder we think about eating when the calendar turns to the holiday season. Even the songs about the holidays are filled with references to food and drink: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, figgy pudding, wassail, latkes, candy canes. We go over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house in a song that ends, Hurrah for the pumpkin pie! When grandma gets run over by a reindeer in another song, its because shes been drinking too much eggnog.

As a reader of this newsletter, you know that the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a wide range of health benefits. Most recently, weve reported on findings from the Spanish PREDIMED study linking such a diet to reduced risk of heart disease (June 2013) and cognitive decline (August 2013). Other studies have suggested preventive benefits against certain cancers, diabetes, Parkinsons disease and depression. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends the Mediterranean diet as one…

Nuts are among the oldest human foods, with records of eating pistachios dating back to the Stone Age. You might describe the Stone Age as the time of discovery of the first trail mix, says Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory. Prehistoric nomads mixed ground almonds and pistachios with chopped dates, sesame oil and breadcrumbs. Its also interesting that almonds were found in Tutankhamens tomb in Egypt.

With the US drought predicted to cause food-price increases of up to 5% next year, it might be time to take a harder look at whats in your grocery cart-especially those items that arent really groceries, such as pricey dietary supplements. Nutrition experts agree that its best for generally healthy people to obtain the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need from food, not pills.

You may not have to go heavy on the cocoa to boost your brain. Previously, a special cocoa high in flavanols was shown to positively affect cognitive function in older adults with early memory decline. But now a new study conducted in older adults with hypertension and/or diabetes has found that drinking just two cups a day of cocoa for a month was associated with significant improvements in cognitive function and blood flow in the brain.