Healthy Heart

Need fresh motivation to lace up those walking shoes? A study of 1.44 million adults reports that physical activity is associated with lower risk of 13 types of cancer, including three of the four most common - breast, colon and lung cancer.

If you think food that tastes good can't possibly be good for you, or if you feel guilty about enjoying a meal, it might be time to hit the reset button on your attitudes toward eating and nutrition. While it's smart to pay attention to what's in your food, todays culture of information clutter can make it difficult to sort out facts from fads. Once you start worrying about what you need to avoid at every meal, food can morph from enjoyment to enemy.

Only 1 in 16 Americans manages all five healthy lifestyle factors considered most important to warding off chronic disease, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you need more motivation to substitute an apple or a pear for that bag of chips or indulgent dessert, a new Chinese study might help you reach for the fruit bowl or bag of berries in the freezer. In the most comprehensive such research to date, following a half-million people for seven years, greater fruit consumption was associated with lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

If you're worried about high blood pressure, a new systematic review of scientific evidence has good news: Changing your diet really can make a difference. Not surprisingly, the most effective diet for reducing hypertension was one designed specifically for that purpose - the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan. But other interventions, including cutting salt and calories, also were associated with blood-pressure benefits.

Q. I keep reading about the health benefits of spicy peppers, but I can't eat spicy foods. Is there any way I can get these benefits without eating hot peppers?

Here's another reason besides blood pressure to hold the salt: New Australian research says salt causes you to eat more food and consume more calories. Researchers tested four different combinations of macaroni and sauce on 48 volunteers, mixing high- and low-salt choices with high- and low-fat.

Worried about drinking enough water? Our Special Report on hydration in the June newsletter should help. And there's also this update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published just after we went to press: Most Americans are getting roughly enough fluids, though only about a third comes in the healthiest form of plain water.

Two recent studies suggest egg lovers aren't at higher risk of type 2 diabetes or coronary artery disease. In a new meta-analysis, egg consumption was largely unrelated to risk of type 2 diabetes. And in a population study, egg consumption was not associated with increased incidence of coronary artery disease among men, even those with a genetic risk factor.

Every cell in your body needs water to function. Water transports nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, and carries away waste materials. Water makes up most of your body, ranging from about 75% of body weight in infancy to 55% of body weight at older ages. Your brain and heart are almost three-quarters water, your muscles and kidneys are almost 80% water, and even your bones are about 30% water.