Nutrition Archive

Add these simple changes to your list of New Year's resolutions.

Diet plays a huge role in the health of your heart. Yet for many people, healthy eating is a challenge. Perhaps the biggest problem is the easy access to cheap, highly processed, unhealthy junk food. But conflicting and confusing nutrition advice from popular books, blogs, and other sources is a close second. And chances are your doctor has neither the time nor the training to give you sound nutrition advice.

"People also think that changing their diet requires a major overhaul," says Dr. JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "But the reality is that a few small changes can go a long way toward improving your eating habits," she says. See "Diet swaps for a healthier heart" for a summary of these suggestions, taken from a piece she coauthored in the Sept. 26, 2017, Journal of the American Medical Association.

Research we're watching

New research supports the old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A study of more than 4,000 middle-aged adults in Spain found that those who ate breakfast were less likely to have artery-clogging plaque (atherosclerosis) than those who avoided a morning meal.

On average, the participants ate just over 2,300 calories per day. Nearly 3% didn't eat breakfast, while about 27% ate a hearty breakfast and nearly 70% ate a skimpier breakfast. Researchers used ultrasound to check their arteries for early evidence of atherosclerosis, as they described in the October 2017 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Research we're watching

You've heard of the Grammys and the Emmys, but how about the MilliGrammys? This satirical award is given by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to the American restaurant foods that give you the biggest dose of sodium in one serving. On Oct. 11, 2017, the organization gave the award for Sodium Content in a Sandwich by a Chain Restaurant to Subway's Footlong Spicy Italian with Provolone and Mayo, with 3,380 milligrams (mg) of sodium, 1,080 mg more sodium than you're supposed to eat in an entire day. Most Sodium in a Single Menu Item went to P.F. Chang's Pad Thai with Shrimp (5,250 mg of sodium), and Chili's restaurant received a Lifetime Achievement Award for a trio of high-salt offerings, including the Beef Bacon Ranch Quesadilla (3,990 mg of sodium), Crispy Fiery Pepper Crispers (6,240 mg), and Texas Dry Rub Ribs (6,260 mg).

CSPI's goal is to raise awareness and get restaurants to curb high sodium levels in their food. To learn more about the awards, visit www.health.harvard.edu/mga.

You need magnesium for many tasks. It's involved in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body. Muscles need this mineral to contract; nerves need it to send and receive messages. It keeps your heart beating steadily and your immune system strong. Most people can get enough magnesium by eating foods such as green leafy vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and fish.

Dr. Bruce Bistrian, chief of clinical nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, says magnesium deficiency in otherwise healthy individuals eating a balanced diet is rare. "The kidney has an extraordinary ability to reduce magnesium loss in urine, and thus achieve magnesium balance on a wide variety of intakes," he explains.

News briefs

Brace yourself for confusion when looking at food labels. The FDA is delaying the launch of its new Nutrition Facts label, which features clearer serving sizes, a new line for added sugars, and the actual amounts of vitamins and minerals (not just percentages of Daily Values). Large food makers were supposed to start using the updated design by July 2018, and smaller companies had until July 2019. Now the FDA is extending the deadlines to January 2020 and January 2021, respectively. The FDA says the extra time will give the agency a chance to lend guidance to manufacturers. But some food makers have already rolled out the new label on their products. This means consumers will see two different types of nutrition labels for years to come, which could be confusing. "Ironically, however, remember that fresh whole foods that don't have a label — especially fruits and vegetables — may be your wisest choice," says registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

On call

 Image: © Svetl/Thinkstock

Q. How can I get my daily requirement for calcium if I am lactose intolerant?

A. We usually associate high-calcium foods with dairy products, like milk, cheese, and yogurt. If you cannot tolerate these foods from a digestive standpoint, you can still meet your calcium requirement by increasing your consumption of certain green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified foods.

Losing the desire to eat can lead to many health problems, but there are ways to make mealtime more inspiring.

Remember when you could eat almost anything, lack of hunger was never an issue, and meals were a high point of your day? But now, perhaps not so much. What has changed?

"It's common for your appetite to diminish as you age, but the problem is that this can keep you from getting enough of the vital nutrients you need and can contribute to poor health," says Vasanti Malik, a nutrition research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Try these strategies to help you fill your social calendar.

 Image: © Mike Watson Images/Thinkstock

In an effort to ward off the loneliness that followed his wife's death, a 94-year-old man in Minnesota decided to install a swimming pool in his back yard for the neighborhood children. His back yard is now a hub of activity in the summer, filled with laughter, splashing children, and their parents and grandparents. And he's no longer alone.

While not everyone would be willing to go to such extreme lengths to make social connections, contact with other people should still be a top priority. Chronic loneliness does more than just make you bored; it can actually harm your health.