Nutrition Archive

Among all the grains, oats appear to be the most effective when it comes to lowering cholesterol. In fact, back in 1997, oatmeal was granted the first food-specific health claim permission by the FDA, based on research showing that soluble fiber from oats lowers the risk of heart disease.

Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, forms a gel in the intestines. This gel traps some of the cholesterol in your body, so it's eliminated as waste instead of entering your arteries. Some evidence also suggests that eating oats helps regulate blood sugar levels and helps you feel full.

The right kind of inflammation is essential to your body's healing system. But chronic inflammation can be a problem.

The saying "too much of a good thing" applies to much of life, but especially to inflammation.

"People think inflammation needs to be stomped out at all times, but it plays an essential role in healing and injury repair to keep your body safe and healthy," says Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, medical editor of Understanding Inflammation from Harvard Health Publishing and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Some inflammation is good. Too much is often bad. The goal is to recognize when inflammation is simply doing its job, and when it can potentially cause problems."

Learn the risks before diving into this experimental eating style.

Intermittent fasting is a popular eating strategy being studied in labs and practiced in kitchens across America. And it's more than a fad. Restricting your calories or mealtimes may have the potential for many benefits, such as weight loss and reduced risk of various diseases. We don't have much evidence, however, about intermittent fasting's effect on the health of older adults.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting restricts when or how much you eat — and sometimes both. There are several approaches.

Look for whole-grain breads with the fewest ingredients possible.

It takes just four ingredients to create bread: flour, yeast, water, and salt. After a little kneading and some time in the oven, they transform into a hearty dietary staple that can add texture to your breakfast or structure to your sandwich. But the type of flour, plus additional ingredients, can make or break bread's nutritional value.

What makes bread healthy?

Healthy bread starts with flour that comes from whole grains, such as whole wheat, oats, brown rice, rye, or barley.

News briefs

As we've reported before, eating or drinking heavily processed foods — like sugary drinks, chicken nuggets, frozen dinners, or sweetened cereals — is associated with an increased risk for weight gain, heart disease, and even early death. Now a large observational study published online Dec. 16, 2019, by JAMA Internal Medicine links the consumption of such "ultraprocessed" food to an increased risk for developing diabetes. Researchers evaluated the questionnaire responses of more than 100,000 diabetes-free people (average age about 43) over six years. People who ate the most ultraprocessed foods (about 22% of their diet) had a higher risk for developing diabetes compared with people who ate the least amount of ultraprocessed foods (about 11% of their diet). The risk for developing diabetes went up 15% for a 10-percentage-point increase in the amount of ultraprocessed food in the diet. The connection held up even after scientists accounted for known risk factors for diabetes, such as weight and physical activity. The takeaway: Skip processed foods in favor of whole foods, including lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.

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In the journals

People with heart disease also have a higher risk of developing cancer, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in November 2019.

Researchers evaluated data from 12,712 people from the Framingham Heart Study who did not have heart disease or cancer at the study's launch. They used a risk estimator that predicts a person's chance for getting heart disease within 10 years.

Ask the doctors

Q. I've heard a lot recently about inflammation being a health risk, but I'm not sure I really understand what it is. Can you explain?

A. When people talk about inflammation, they're actually talking about your immune system's response to a perceived injury or infection. When you're injured, this inflammation is actually a good thing. The area you injured will become red and swell as an army of beneficial white blood cells flow in to fight infection and help you heal. The same response occurs in other parts of your body when you encounter a virus or infection. But sometimes this immune response occurs when it shouldn't. It can be triggered, for example, when you are exposed to toxins, and by other causes such as chronic stress, obesity, and autoimmune disorders. In these cases, instead of moving in, healing the problem, and then returning to normal, the inflammation persists over time. It's thought that this chronic state of inflammation can lead to numerous health problems, including heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer.

As long as the nutrient profile is the same, choosing one or the other is really about preference.

Plant-based milks line the shelves in the refrigerator section of most supermarkets these days: soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, even milk made from rice, oats, or peas. Choosing a plant-based product seems like it would be a healthy option. But is it always? And is it better for you than drinking cow's milk?

We asked Vasanti Malik, adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for some advice on how to choose the best product.

Your salt shaker usually isn't the worst culprit. Instead, check your condiments, sauces, and spice blends, many of which are high in sodium.

For decades, health experts — especially cardiologists — have been telling people to eat less sodium, one of the main components of salt. Most Americans still consume far too much of this mineral, which raises blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

Despite these warnings, the average sodium intake in this country is around 3,200 milligrams (mg) per day. That's about 30% more than is recommended by the federal dietary guidelines, which advise people to limit their daily sodium to 2,300 mg. And it's more than twice the target suggested by the American Heart Association of 1,500 mg per day.

These shiny, reddish or golden-brown seeds are the richest natural source of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that's also found in soybean oil, canola oil, and walnuts. Because our bodies can't make omega-3 fats, we must get them from food. The other main omega-3s, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found mainly in fatty fish. Nutrition experts recommend getting at least one rich source of omega-3 fats daily. So if you don't eat fish, flaxseeds are a good option.

Flaxseeds, which have a slightly nutty taste, contain other healthful nutrients, including protein, fiber, and lignans (plant chemicals with antioxidant effects). Small studies suggest that consuming whole or ground flaxseeds may lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.