Healthy Eating

Q: Are the shortenings that boast no trans fat really any better for you...

Answer : Yes, shortenings actually have gotten better...

Q: Since its dangerous to heat cooking oils beyond their smoke point, is it...

Answer : Lynne M. Ausman, ScD, a professor in the Friedman School and scientist in Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, explains...

Q: Does powdered garlic have any nutritional value?

Answer : Lynne M. Ausman, DSc, director of the Biochemical & Molecular Nutrition Program at Tufts Friedman School, says most powdered spices...

Q: Does one need to eat mostly organic foods in order to have a...

Answer : Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, replies: The majority of research findings indicate the nutrient content of organic and conventionally grown plants is similar.

Q: Are organic meats safer in regard to foodborne diseases such as salmonella?

Answer : When it comes to livestock, the USDA organic seal verifies that producers met animal health and welfare standards...

Q: Do I lose any of the whole-grain benefits by using quick (10- minute)...

Answer : Quick-cooking brown rice has been precooked (parboiled), so its ready in about a quarter the time as regular brown rice.

Q: Im low in iron and, since my cholesterol is also very low, my...

Answer : Its true, as a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded, that meat is apparently the best food in terms of nutritive iron value, not only for its high iron absorbability...

Q: I was interested in your report (September 2011) that the polyphenols in cranberry...

Answer : Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory, answers...

Q: Ive read that eating more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a...

Answer : Lynne M. Ausman, DSc, RD, a scientist in Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, says the serving sizes used in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate program are a good benchmark.

Q: I eat whole-wheat bread and pasta, but I also eat a lot of...

Answer : Melissa Page, a dietetic intern at Tufts Frances Stern Nutrition Center, dug into this question for us: A product is considered whole grain if it includes all the naturally occurring parts of the grain seed-the endosperm...