Fats

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…

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.

As a reader of this newsletter, youre already aware that consumption of red meat has been linked to increased risk of heart disease and colorectal cancer. So youre exercising portion control and trying to eat more lean poultry and fish. But sometimes, well, beef is whats for dinner.

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

A new study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, adds to the evidence that the health dividends of boosting your walnut intake could also include reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

To reduce risk of cognitive decline, consume more omega-3s and unsaturated oils, fewer foods high in saturated fat.

A new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What you need to know about Americas favorite seafood.

Corn occupies a unique position in the American dietary landscape. Its a grain, a vegetable, a snack and ce-real ingredient, an ethnic-food mainstay, a source of cooking oil, a cherished treat of summer and early fall, and even a sweetener (not to mention a fuel source).