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Only around 12 percent of U.S. adults consume the recommended one-and-a-half to two cups of fruit a day. Trying something new is a fun...

Activated Charcoal . . . Oatmeal vs. Oat Bran Q: A friend is encouraging me to take activated charcoal capsules. Is this a good idea?...

Although we may think of cranber-ries only at Thanksgiving time-as that perfectly formed cylindrical sauce from a can-these red gems have lots more to offer on both the culinary and nutritional fronts. Cranberries can now be found fresh, dried, canned or as juice in supermarkets everywhere. Supplements even tout the health benefits of cranberries in a convenient pill form.

Hows that again? You may need more folate and fish to help prevent hearing loss? Those are the latest findings of the Blue Mountains Hearing Study, which suggest ways nutrition might protect against the most common sensory disorder in the United States, affecting more than 36 million Americans.

Americans eat some 20 pounds of pasta per person every year, but until recently it was almost all made from wheat with most of the nutritional value stripped away. Indeed, for people watching their carbohydrates- such as those with diabetes or at risk for it-a plate of pasta was a temptation to be avoided.

The herbal treatment ginkgo biloba struck out in another major test, this time of its purported ability to prevent heart attacks and strokes. But researchers were surprised by a possible benefit of ginkgo in preventing peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Like a ray of sunshine in the winterweary produce aisle, oranges not only brighten your grocery cart but might even outshine apples for healthy eating. Despite that familiar keeps the doctor away adage, the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI, see the May 2009 Healthletter) rates oranges every bit as high as apples. Oranges are a tasty source of fiber and vitamin C, and science keeps finding new ways they benefit your body.

To get the most omega-3 heart-health benefits, Tufts expert advises, eat fish instead of relying on pills.

Youve heard over and over-including in the pages of this newsletter-about good HDL cholesterol

Blueberries have earned their reputation as a superfruit in part because of their high content of antioxidant polyphenols. (In fact, of course, theres no such thing as a superfruit-all fruits have some super qualities.) New research put those polyphe-nols to the test against metabolic syndrome, a complex of conditions, including central obesity (high waist-hip ratio), high blood pressure, high serum cholesterol and insulin resistance, that increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.