Don’t Like a Healthy Food? Try It Again (and Again)
Dislike healthy foods like legumes (beans)? Maybe you just haven't eaten them enough. "A primary factor that determines whether people like a food or not is their previous exposure to the food - in other words, if it's a regular part of their diet," says Megan McCrory, PhD, a clinical associate professor of nutrition at Boston University and senior author of a new study on the topic in the journal Foods.
Don’t Stop at “5 A Day”
Eating five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is good, but 10 may be even better for your heart, according to a recent analysis of 95 observational studies.
Improving Fitness Could Prolong Life
Getting more physically fit may help reduce risk of dying prematurely. Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, followed 10,854 men and women (average age, 54) who had completed two doctor-ordered exercise stress tests at least 12 months apart.
Fortified Snack Foods Can Be Tricky
You may be unduly swayed to buy packaged snacks when they carry claims about added vitamins, suggests a new study. A total of 5,076 randomly-selected US adults assessed snack food packages online. When a snack had a claim that it was a good source of a vitamin, the people were significantly less likely to check the Nutrition Facts label and were more likely to choose the snack than when the same product lacked the claim.
Boost Potassium for Healthy Blood Pressure
To decrease risk of hypertension, we're commonly advised to limit sodium (salt). Increasing dietary intake of potassium is just as important.
To Eat Better and Save Cash, Cook at Home More Often
Eating healthy and saving money may be easier if you don your apron. In a cross-sectional survey of 437 Seattle households, cooking at home more often was associated with a higher-quality dietary pattern, based on criteria in the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Do Diet Drinks Trigger Sugar Seeking?
Sugar-free sweet drinks might seem like a win-win, but scientists are still figuring out how the body responds to them. Recently, 21 healthy-weight young adults were fed a standardized lunch along with either 12 ounces of a sugar-sweetened beverage or one with the artificial sweetener sucralose, made to look and taste the same.
Omega-3 Fats May Be Good for Your Gums
Eating foods high in omega-3 fats may aid oral health. Scientists reviewed 11 human studies (observational and trials) on omega-3 fat intake and periodontal (gum) disease.
Masked Hypertension: High Blood Pressure Can Hide
Nearly one in eight US adults may have "masked" hypertension, says new research in American Journal of Epidemiology. Thats high blood pressure not found during checkups. It raises risk of stroke and premature death.
Does Excessive Sitting Age You?
Too much sitting and too little exercise may speed biological aging by as much as 8 years, suggests an American Journal of Epidemiology study. A group of 1,481 women (average age, 79) from a nationally-representative sample wore motion sensors for one week.