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If you grew up thinking of nuts as a not-very-good-for-you indulgence, theres a growing pile of evidence that should change your mind about these healthy foods. For a long time, consumers thought that coffee raises blood pressure, eggs cause heart disease, chocolate is an unhealthy treat, and nuts make you fat, says Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory. However, such conclusions were often based on very little science and several mistaken assumptions. The latest news in nuts rehabilitation comes from two studies spotlighting the heart-health benefits of almonds and peanuts.

Surveys have shown that a large majority of Americans are confident in the safety, quality and effectiveness of products marketed as dietary supplements (a term derived from a 1994 law that questionably grouped drug-type herbal and botanical extracts with essential vitamins and minerals). So many were shocked at the recent news that four out of five popular herbal remedies sold at some of the nations leading retailers didnt contain any of the promised ingredients. The investigation by the New York State attorney generals office charged GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart with selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous products and demanded the products be yanked from store shelves.

With the domestic blueberry season about to begin, theres no better time to celebrate the bountiful health benefits of Americans second-favorite berry (after strawberries). New research has linked blueberry consumption to better blood pressure, and Tufts scientists continue to explore how blueberries protect the brain. More than three-dozen current clinical trials are testing blueberries possible benefits for vision, gout protection, arterial function, blood sugar and more.

Concerns about carcinogens in roasted nuts centers on acrylamide, a compound formed when certain plant foods are cooked at temperatures above 250 degrees, especially by frying, baking, broiling or roasting for long cooking times. Cooking causes a chemical reaction between sugars in the food and an amino acid called asparagine, which in turn forms acrylamide. Among the foods most noted for producing acrylamide are potatoes, leading to concerns about French fries and potato chips.

Take a look in your pantry. Do you see whole-grain pasta? Does the label on your bread say 100% whole wheat? (Are you sure? Dont be fooled by terms like multigrain.) Is your breakfast cereal made with whole grains?We are very fortunate these days-for almost any type of baked product there is a whole-grain option that one can choose in place of the refined-grain option, says Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory. Just be careful; dont try to judge whether something is made from whole grain by its color. It is important to read the label the first time, just to make certain. Some light-colored products are made with white whole grains and some dark-colored products are not and just appear so because caramel or other coloring was added.

If youre looking for motivation to get up off the couch, the results of a large new European study may be just what you need to lace up those walking shoes. Even a moderate amount of exercise-the equivalent of a daily brisk 20-minute walk-was associated with significant reductions in mortality risk. Physical activity contributed to longevity independently of weight loss, and the biggest potential benefits were seen simply by going from completely sedentary to moderately inactive.

Q. Is it safest to avoid grilling foods because of increased risk of colon cancer?

French-fries and potato-chip fans concerned about cancer risk from fried potatoes may have hope on the horizon. Idaho-based J.R. Simplot Co. has received USDA regulatory approval for a genetically modified potato that produces less acrylamide when fried. Thats the naturally occurring chemical linked to concerns about increased cancer risk from fried-potato consumption. The Innate potato, which comes in Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet and Atlantic varieties, also resists bruising, a potential money-saver for growers and processors.

Despite a drumbeat of bad press for aspartame, the US Food and Drug Administration says theres no new credible scientific evidence to change the agencys position that the zero-calorie sweetener is safe for the general population. The FDA recently rejected two citizen petitions calling for an aspartame ban. The agency noted it had analyzed 195 reports of supposed aspartame-related side effects over a 10-year span and did not identify any causal link between aspartame consumption and the reported adverse events or an established mechanism that would explain how aspartame is associated with the reported adverse events.

Nutrition is not a science of breakthroughs, explains Tufts professor Jeanne Goldberg, PhD, founder and director of the Friedman Schools Nutrition Communication Program, which trains professionals to explain research findings in ways that the public can understand. Nutrition research often moves the needle only a little bit at a time. Its evolution, not revolution, she says.