General Nutrition

Food-Borne Illnesses Cost Billions

Pathogens in meat and poultry cost the US economy more than any other sources of food-borne illnesses, according to a new study, and the top 10 most damaging pathogens take an annual toll of $8.1 billion

Learning to Love Lentils

Break out beyond beans with our complete guide to these little nutrition standouts. Lentils are the dried seeds of a type of legume. They have long been valued for the healthy vegetable protein they provide, as well as their fiber, folate, iron and potassium content. There are a number of different types of lentils, each with slightly different cooking characteristics, and myriad ways to use them

Do You Need More Vitamin B12?

If youre 50 or older, Uncle Sam says yes. Heres why and how best to get it. When the latest federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released earlier this year with the recommendation that people age 50 and older should get extra vitamin B12 through fortified foods or supplements, one expert commented, Its not very difficult to anticipate the sudden spate of fortified with vitamin B12 as recommended in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines messaging that will populate the fronts of boxes and bags. Before the hype hits the grocery stores

Surprising Findings Challenge Thinking on Salt and Health

In a sure-to-be-controversial new study, Belgian researchers have challenged the conventional wisdom that cutting back on salt reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure and dying from cardiovascular causes

How to Make MyPlate Your Plate

Goodbye food pyramid, hello plate-with a side order of science-based dietary advice. After nearly two decades, the familiar if sometimes confusing food pyramid has gone the way of the pharaohs, replaced by a new official icon to remind Americans how to eat right: MyPlate. In unveiling the symbol along with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and US Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, First Lady Michelle Obama said, When it comes to eating, whats more simple than a plate?

Mediterranean-Style Diet Counters Metabolic Syndrome

Score another one for the Mediterranean-style diet, a pattern of eating characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil, along with more fish and less meat

No Link Between Folic Acid Supplements and Colorectal Cancer

A new American Cancer Society study concludes that theres no evidence folic acid from fortified foods or supplements increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Earlier research, including a 2007 Tufts study

Are You Eating Enough Fruit?

Most of us like fruit-but still dont get enough. Heres how to pick the fiber, potassium, vitamin C, antioxidants and other low-hanging benefits of fruit. With the unveiling of MyPlate choosemyplate.gov, the USDAs replacement for the food pyramid

Apples Top Pesticide Dirty Dozen

Unless youre buying organic fruit, an apple a day may mean a serving of pesticides

Snacks Add Up to a 4th Meal

Confirming the increasing role of snacks in the US diet, research presented at the recent Institute of Food Technologists Expo