Q: Is it true that heating food in a microwave oven destroys most of...
Answer : In fact, says Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD, editor of the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, the opposite is true...
Q: I keep seeing new products labeled “gluten-free.” I understand this is important for...
Answer : Robert M. Russell, MD, emeritus professor at the Friedman School, replies, "The answer is no."
Q: Does instant coffee have the same health benefits as brewed coffee (Coffee Drinkers...
Answer : Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory, answers: "All plant food constituents are complicated but perhaps a bit more so for coffee, as how it is prepared can markedly affect its composition...
Q: How many cloves of garlic is acceptable for a person to eat in...
Answer : Garlic can thin the blood (reduce the ability to clot) in a manner similar to aspirin. You should use garlic with caution...
Q: Youve reported on studies that processed meat should be limited. Does canned chicken...
Answer : The jury is still out on the health effects of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite in processed meats...
Q: If youre worried about developing diabetes and keeping blood-sugar levels low, is it...
Answer : Nicola McKeown, PhD, director of Tufts Nutritional Epidemiology Program, answers: "The first goal would be to keep within a healthy weight...
Q: Is the magnesium content of nuts higher or lower if they are raw...
Answer : Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory and an expert on the nutritional value of nuts...
Green Apples VS. Red Apples
When you compare the nutrients in green apples (including Granny Smith) versus red apples (including Red Delicious and Royal Gala), the differences are minimal. They all provide the same amount of fiber and vitamin C. However, the green varieties tend to be slightly lower (about 10%) in both calories and carbohydrates, while the red varieties tend to be higher (about 50%) in beta carotene-presumably due to their color.
Q: Is there any value to drinking cactus juice?
Answer: There may be benefits to consuming cactus- which is, after all, a plant-and people have been eating prickly pear cactus pads and syrup for centuries.
Q: Is there any food value left in the parboiling water used to blanch...
Answer : A Natalie Faella, a dietetic intern at Tufts Frances Stern Nutrition Center, answers: I agree, it does seem like a waste to just toss the water left over after boiling vegetables.