Healthy Eating

Can foods, beverages or dietary supplements really increase your mental energy? Scientists at the Life Sciences Research Organization (LSRO) recently reported the results of a review of the scientific evidence for such claims regarding ginkgo biloba, ginseng, glucose and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. They defined mental energy as consisting of mood (transient feelings about the presence of fatigue or energy), motivation (determination and enthusiasm) and cognition (sustained attention and vigilance)

Consumers know that whole grains are good for you-but after that, knowledge tends to give way to confusion, according to a new General Mills study of 1,010 US adults. More than half of those surveyed said they specifically shop for whole-grain products

Americas farmers have built a better egg-and theyre hoping the payoff isnt just chicken feed. According to new research from the US Department of Agricultures Agriculture Research Service, todays eggs have less cholesterol and more vitamin D than they did just a few years ago.To update nutritional data last calculated in 2002, the USDA sent samples of large eggs from 12 locations nationwide to a laboratory for testing. The eggs averaged 186 milligrams of dietary cholesterol, down 14% from 212 milligrams in 2002. And a typical large egg, yolk plus white, now delivers about 41 IU of vitamin D-up 64% from the last measurement of just 18 IU

Long the object of jokes, prunes may now have the last laugh. New research demonstrates that prunes (dried plums) are more effective than psyllium fiber in combating constipation

It will soon be harder to ignore the caloric carnage of that fast-food burger, fries and shake youre ordering. A new FDA proposal, an outgrowth of last years health overhaul, will mandate calorie counts on menus at 280,000 establishments nationwide

If you had any doubt that whole grains are hot, count up the number of products sporting the black-and-gold Whole Grain Stamp. That total recently passed the 5,000 milestone

A long, leisurely meal may not discourage snacking, despite increased satiety and lower levels of hormones associated with hunger. The availability of sweet and salty snacks, Dutch researchers report, seems to override the bodys internal messages to stop eating

In a rare bit of good news for red-meat lovers, a study of nearly a half-million people from 10 European countries has found no link between eating red or processed meat and risk of bladder cancer

The evidence keeps percolating that coffee might have benefits beyond just helping you wake up in the morning. The latest such finding, from a large Swedish study, links coffee drinking to a reduced risk of stroke in women

Fad diets have touted using the glycemic index (GI)-a measure of how quickly a food boosts blood sugar-as a magic bullet for targeting weight loss. But science keeps finding that the facts are more complicated