Why you should take the latest sodium study with a huge grain of salt A new study would have you believe that low-salt diets raise your risk of dying from heart disease—a surprising finding, and one that’s sure to grab headlines worldwide. The only problem is that the study’s conclusions are most certainly wrong. Continue reading
Nutrition News
New U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2010: Progress, Not Perfection
The long-awaited new U.S. dietary guidelines are a step in the right direction, but they don’t go quite far enough to spell out what Americans need to do to stay healthy—not a surprise, some critics say, given the strong influence of the food industry on U.S. food policy. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released […] Continue reading
Walmart plans healthier foods at lower prices
Walmart, the largest retailer in the U.S., has pledged to cut the trans fat, salt, and sugar from thousands of its grocery products by 2015 in the U.S.—and to cut prices on produce and other healthy foods. Continue reading
Move over potatoes, make room for healthier school lunch
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come under fire from politicians and potato lobbyists over its proposal to cut back on French fries and potatoes in school lunch and offer broccoli and other vegetables instead. Yet its plan is based on sound science—and could help turn around this country’s obesity and diabetes epidemics. Continue reading
Comment on the IOM Vitamin D and Calcium Recommendations
For Adult Bone Health, Too Low on Vitamin D—and Too Generous on Calcium By Heike Bischoff-Ferrari and Walter Willett Vitamin D and Bone Health Most evidence on vitamin D and calcium is available for bone health. Thus the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel released on November 30, 2010 (1) are largely based […] Continue reading
It’s time for the salt feud to fade
One of the longest-running feuds in modern nutrition science revolves around a simple question: Will reducing salt intake save lives? Continue reading
The Long Road to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
If a baker’s dozen of nutrition experts has its way, Americans will soon be eating more foods that deliver healthful nutrients and fewer foods chock full of empty calories and salt, exercising more, and maintaining healthy weights. Even nutrition experts can dream, can’t they? The final report of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee was […] Continue reading
2010 Healthy Cup lecture and award presentation to Sen. Tom Harkin
It may come as a surprise to many people that the comprehensive national health care reform bill signed into law in March contains a substantial piece on prevention and public health, including incentives to prevent chronic disease. The senior leader responsible for that section, Senator Tom Harkin from Iowa, is a long-time health and wellness […] Continue reading
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life
In Savor (HarperCollins), renowned spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh and Harvard nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung combine timeless Buddhist wisdom with nutrition science to deliver a new and insightful perspective on how people can end their struggles with weight for good. Continue reading
Food rating systems: A not-so-smart choice
When rushing through the supermarket, who has time to pore over Nutrition Facts labels and compare ingredient lists? That’s why more than a dozen rating systems have been established to help shoppers identify healthful products. (1) Some, like the Guiding Stars program in Hannaford supermarkets, put rating information on food shelf tags below various products. […] Continue reading