Healthy Aging

Q: If you dont have a family history of breast cancer, do the cardiovascular...

Answer : AJoel B. Mason, MD, Tufts professor of medicine and nutrition and director of the HNRCA Vitamins & Carcinogenesis Laboratory, replies: In general, the increased risk of cancer associated with alcoholic beverages is observed...

People Who Eat More Fish Live Longer

Getting more fish into your diet has never been easier-and the payoff in better health and longevity has never been clearer.

Whats the Right Nutrient Recipe for Your Eyes?

While the evidence for health benefits from most supplements is skimpy at best, extra vitamins for your eyes are a notable exception.

More Veggies, Less Meat Associated with Longevity Lifestyle

Eating more legumes, vegetables and fruits and less meat is associated with lower mortality risk, accord-ing to a new study. But that doesnt mean becoming a vegetarian necessarily means youll live longer, cautions Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D to Prevent Disability?

You already know that vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is important to help your body use calcium for strong bones. But vitamin Ds role in boosting muscles is also emerging in scientific studies, with implications for disability and the capacity to perform daily chores with aging. As the days get shorter and it becomes more difficult for your body to synthesize vitamin D from sun exposure on the skin, you may not be getting enough for long-term healthy aging.

Q: Is frozen yogurt as nutritious as regular yogurt? What happens to live cultures...

Answer : Simin Nikbin Meydani, DVM, PhD, professor of nutrition at the Friedman School and associate director of Tufts Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, responds:

Regular Workouts Reduce Uterus Cancer Risk by 30%

H eres more motivation to get going on a program of regular physical activity: A new National Cancer Institute re- view of 14 prior studies reports that women who regularly exercise reduced their risk of endometrial cancer by about 30%. On the other hand, women who spend more of their day sitting were at greater risk of the can- cer, which affects the lining of the uterus.

Your Muscles: Secrets of Aging Gracefully

Inside Tufts HNRCA Laboratory of Nutrition, Exercise, Physiology and Sarcopenia-on the front lines of the fight against frailty. At 711 Washington Street, in the heart of downtown Boston, you will find the worlds largest research center on nutrition and aging. With over 300 scientists, the Tufts Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) has been advancing the knowledge of human nutrition since 1979

Omega-3s Might Help Protect Against Muscle Loss with Aging

A new National Institutes of Health-funded study holds out the first glimmer of hope that high doses of omega-3 fatty acid supplements might counter the degenerative muscle loss that leads to frailty in the elderly

New Clues to Dietary Defenses Against Vision Loss with Aging

Want to protect your eyes against the leading cause of blindness in older Americans? Eat more fish high in omega-3s. Thats the conclusion of a new study of 38,022 participants in the Womens Health Study, linking regular consumption of fish and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish (DHA and EPA) to reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)