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C an metabolic syndrome be reversed by eating right? A new study says the answer is yes. Metabolic syndrome is an increasingly common term covering a complex of conditions, including central obesity (high waist-hip ratio), high blood pressure, unhealthy blood cholesterol levels and insulin resistance. Together, this cluster of risk factors sharply increases the danger of developing heart disease and diabetes. According to the American Heart Association, more than 50 million Americans suffer from metabolic syndrome.

I f youre tempted to try an Atkins-style diet, go easy on the steak and bacon. A new analysis of data on nearly 130,000 men and women over more than two decades reports that low-carb diets relying more on meat for fat and protein were associated with a 23% increased risk of death. On the other hand, low-carb diets with higher intakes of vegetables and fruit were associated with a lower risk of dying.

What are heart patients to make of two new clinical trials of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil? In one study, patients with early heart failure showed signifcant improve- ments on several markers of cardiovascular health when taking omega-3 supplements, compared to a placebo. But a Dutch clinical trial of heart-attack survivors failed to find any protection against second heart attacks from margarine enriched with omega-3s.

Supplemental doses of B vitamins were found to slow the progress of dementia in a new British clinical trial, again raising hopes that they may prove to be a defense against Alzheimers disease.

If youre taking selenium supplements in hopes of benefiting from the minerals antioxidant properties and promise of cancer protection, a new study may cause you to rethink. In an analysis of data from a British national nutrition survey, people with the highest selenium levels also had higher levels of unhealthy cholesterol.

Vitamin Ds important role in bone health, already linked to protection against osteoporosis, may extend to joints and prevention of the most common form of arthritis. A new study reports that men with insufficient vitamin D levels were twice as likely to have hip osteoarthritis as those with normal vitamin D.

You know you should eat more fish. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings a week, especially fish high in hearthealthy omega-3 fats. But fresh fish can be expensive and spoils quickly. Maybe its time to rediscover canned fish.

After age 70, a few extra pounds may not be so bad. New Australian research adds to the evidence suggesting that the rules about weight and health are different for older people- and that Body Mass Index (BMI) isnt a perfect tool. The study of 9,240 men and women ages 70 to 75 found that being overweight was associated with a 13% lower risk of mortality from all causes. Normal-weight and obese participants had a similar, slightly higher risk of death from all causes.

Anew meta-analysis suggests that the connections between saturated fat intake, blood cholesterol and heart disease may be more complicated than scientists have thought. Previous studies have demonstrated that saturated fat can raise blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol, and high LDL is a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke. So it seems logical that saturated fat consumption would likewise be linked to heart disease. But the review of 21 studies totaling 347,747 people failed to find a significant association between saturated fat intake and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke or cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Can you trust the calorie counts on chain-restaurant menus and frozen supermarket meals? Tufts research - ers tested 29 restaurant dishes and 10 frozen dinners-all supposed to be among the lower-calorie choices at Boston-area eateries and groceries-and found the numbers often varied widely from reality. The restaurant selections averaged 18% more calories than claimed, while the frozen alternatives to eating out averaged 8% extra calories.