General Nutrition

Unhealthy behaviors such as inactivity, poor diet and smoking have long been associated with a wide range of chronic diseases and risk of death. But a new study reveals that such lifestyle factors can also affect older adults' risk of disability and loss of independence.

You can hardly pick up a newspaper these days without reading about the debate over labeling genetically modified (GMO) ingredients in foods. This summer, following the narrow defeat of a GMO-labeling initiative in California, Connecticut and Maine passed labeling legislation that would go into effect if other states follow. On Nov. 5, Washington State voters will decide on a ballot initiative, I-522, The Peoples Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act. The Chipotle food franchise recently started identifying menu items with GMO ingredients on its website, and the Whole Foods grocery chain announced it would require GMO labeling in its stores by 2018.

You already know beans are good for you: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that women consume 1 1/2 cups of beans and other legumes weekly, or 1 cup for ages 51-plus, and that men eat 2 cups a week, 1 1/2 cups after age 50. Moreover, beans and other legumes are the only type of food that the Guidelines promote in two different categories-as part of the Protein Foods Group (along with meats, poultry and fish) and as part of the Vegetable Group, because they are excellent sources of dietary fiber and nutrients such as folate and potassium.

Over and over again, youve read in the pages of this newsletter and elsewhere that eating fish like salmon high in omega-3 fatty acids is good for you. Youve seen countless ads touting the similar benefits of fish-oil pills containing those same omega-3s (EPA and DHA). Now suddenly comes a flurry of headlines suggesting a scary downside to these health-promoting omega-3s, at least for men: High Levels of Fish Oil May Boost Risk for Prostate Cancer, Omega-3 Supplement Taken By Millions Linked To Aggressive Prostate Cancer.

After testing more than 1,300 types of rice and rice products, the US Food and Drug Administration has concluded that arsenic levels in rice pose no immediate health risk to consumers.

The more immersed you are in a TV program or video game, the more youre likely to snack, according to a new study. University of North Carolina researchers tested the snacking behavior of 120 men and women, ages 18-35, while watching different TV programs or playing video games.

Can a food labeled all-natural nonetheless contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients? The answer to that question became even more tangled recently as judges across the country have issued conflicting rulings.

The FDA is planning an online survey of 7,500 adult consumers to test whether fortifying snack foods with vitamins or other nutrients-and boasting about it on packaging-leads people to make unwise choices.

A. Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Gershoff Professorof Nutrition Science and Policy at TuftsFriedman School, answers, To my knowledgethere are no data available on this topic.However, freeze/thawing cycles significantlydecrease the quality of the product. Hence,it is in the producers and purveyors interestto maintain high quality, and thus to avoidtemperature changes. The bottom line is thatproperly stored frozen fruits from other countriesshould be fine.…

A. Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of TuftsHNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory,replies: Though a legume by botanical classification,the nutrient profile of whole peanuts(including the skin) is more similar to tree nutsthan other legumes. For example, peanuts area good source of monounsaturated fat, niacinand vitamin E, and contain fiber, protein andminerals like magnesium and copper. Thoughmore fat calories may be absorbed from peanutbutter than from the matrix of the whole peanut,it too provides these healthful nutrientsexcept the antioxidant…