Nutrition/ Malnutrition

$There is no evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplementation by otherwise healthy postmenopausal women prevents fractures, according to a new recommendation from a US advisory group. Image: Denise Bush/iStockphoto.com$

Consensus Builds Against Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation for Postmenopausal Women

By Bridget M. Kuehn on February 25, 2013

It may be time for many postmenopausal women to put down the calcium and vitamin D supplement bottles for good, as the latest in a string of influential health care organizations has recommended against the use of such supplements to… Read More ›

A study from England that tracked the health of vegetarians vs nonvegetarians found that eating a vegetarian diet was associated with lower risks for heart disease hospitalizations and deaths. (Image: nullplus/iStockphoto.com)

Eating a Vegetarian Diet May Reduce the Risk of Developing Heart Disease

By Mike Mitka on January 30, 2013

Mom’s admonishment to “Eat your veggies” appears to be sound advice, at least with respect to reducing risk of heart disease. Researchers from the University of Oxford in England found that compared with people who eat meat and fish, vegetarians… Read More ›

John M. Jakicic, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues found a stepped-care weightloss program helped patients lose weight at a lower cost than conventional weightloss programs. (Image: University of Pittsburgh).

Author Insight: Stepped-Care Weight Loss Program a Less Costly Way to Help Patients Lose Pounds

By Bridget M. Kuehn on June 26, 2012

Patients who participated in a stepped-care weight loss program lost nearly as much weight while spending only half as much as those in an intensive weight loss program, according to a study published in JAMA today. Many successful weight loss… Read More ›

Mandatory folic acid supplementation in cereal and other grain products in the United States may have helped reduce the incidence of certain childhood cancers, a new study suggests. (Image: iStockphoto.com/Peter Blottman)

Folic Acid Supplementation Linked to Lower Rates of Some Childhood Cancers

By Bridget M. Kuehn on May 21, 2012

The incidence of 2 rare types of childhood cancers decreased after the United States began to require manufacturers to add folic acid to cereal and other grain products, according to a study published today in the journal Pediatrics. But the… Read More ›

A review from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found most dairy-related disease outbreaks come from consuming nonpasteurized milk products. (Image: Eric Isselée)

CDC: Raw Milk the Cause of Most Dairy-Related Disease Outbreaks

By Mike Mitka on February 22, 2012

Proponents of unpasteurized (raw) milk often tout it as being natural, tasting better, and providing protection against asthma and seasonal allergies. They usually downplay its health risks, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not. Total… Read More ›

Drinking 4 or more cups of coffee each day may reduce a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer, a new study suggests. (Image: kyoshino/iStockphoto.com)

Robust Coffee Consumption Associated With Reduced Endometrial Cancer Risk

By Bridget M. Kuehn on November 22, 2011

More good news for coffee lovers: drinking 4 or more cups of coffee a day compared with drinking less than 1 cup per day is associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer in women, according to a results study… Read More ›

Daniel R. Taber, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his colleagues found that policies banning the sale of sugary beverages in schools have had only limited success at reducing middle school students consumption of these products. (Image: Christie’s Photographic Studios)

Bans on Sugary Drinks in Schools Have Little Impact on Consumption

By Bridget M. Kuehn on November 7, 2011

State bans on the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools may reduce access to such drinks during school hours, but they have little effect on overall consumption of such products, according to a study published online today in the Archives… Read More ›

voluntary guideline to limit marketing of unhealthy foods to children may be in jeopardy. (Image: Maartje van Caspel/iStockphoto.com)

Food Fight Over Marketing to Kids

By Bridget M. Kuehn on October 12, 2011

Proposed limits on advertising of unhealthy food items directly to children were harshly criticized at a Congressional hearing today. The proposed limits were part of a set of nutritional standards for foods marketed directly to children, drafted at the behest… Read More ›

A study by Stephanie E. Chiuve, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues found an association between a healthy lifestyle and reduced risk of sudden cardiac death in women.

Author Insights: Healthy Lifestyle May Reduce Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in Women

By Mike Mitka on July 5, 2011

An article appearing today in JAMA suggests that maintaining a healthy lifestyle—not smoking, exercising regularly, maintaining a low body weight, and eating a Mediterranean-style diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, fish, and moderate alcohol consumption—may substantially reduce… Read More ›

A dinner plate divided into recommended food groups replaces the food pyramid as the federally approved symbol of what constitutes a healthful diet. (Image: USDA)

New Nutritional Icon Steps up to the Plate

By Mike Mitka on June 2, 2011

To help consumers make healthier food choices, the federal government has abandoned the much-criticized food pyramid and replaced it with a dinner plate divided into recommended food groups. MyPlate is intended to be an easy-to-understand visual cue to remind individuals… Read More ›

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