Healthy Heart

Some people view coffee as a guilty pleasure. But, research suggests drinking coffee may actually have some health benefits. That evidence includes two new, large observational studies of diverse populations published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Both found drinking coffee was associated with a modestly (less than 20%) reduced risk of dying from various conditions, compared to not drinking coffee.

It's common to develop significantly stiffer arteries and high blood pressure as we age past our 50s. Healthy lifestyle factors may go a long way toward slowing this process. A new study published in Hypertension suggests healthy vascular (blood vessel) aging may be possible even in people 70 years and older.

Many people are pressed for time (and sometimes energy) when it comes to putting dinner on the table. But, sometimes we make it harder than it needs to be. You'll be ready to whip up a quick meal any day of the week if you stock your kitchen with minimally-prepped, nutritious ingredients (think: frozen vegetables, precooked brown rice and frozen fish fillets) and simple ideas for quick-fix dishes.

Q. I recently lost my sense of taste. I can taste spices somewhat. Can you tell me if and how I can get back my sense of taste?

Q. I've been drinking soy milk daily for years. Since it contains phytoestrogens, I wonder if it puts me at higher risk of developing breast cancer?

The FDA has announced that it is extending the date by which manufacturers must implement changes to the Nutrition Facts label. The original deadline was July 2018 (or July 2019 for small companies).

Eating fried potatoes (such as French fries, potato chips and hash browns) two or more times a week was associated with twice the risk of dying prematurely, compared to eating fried spuds no more than once a month, showed a new observational study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

A new observational study in the Journal of Hepatology suggests regularly drinking coffee or herbal tea may help protect against liver fibrosis (hardening due to scar tissue). That's assessed by measuring liver stiffness with a scan.

A dog may provide the nudge you need to be more physically active as you get older, suggests a new study in BioMed Central Public Health.

Newer subscribers to Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter may not know that this award-winning newsletter got its start with Stanley N. Gershoff, PhD, (1924-2017) at the helm. He developed the newsletter (originally called Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter) in 1983 and edited it until 2000. There's much more we have to thank him for in the field of nutrition though.