Diet and nutrition Archive

The new Nutrition Facts labels will list “added sugars” in a serving of food. Until the labels appear, one should look for sugars such as dextrose and sucrose on a label’s list of ingredients.

Stick to fresh foods, and fill your salt allotment from healthy sources like whole-grain breads.

 Image: Michael Carroll Photography

As we reported in August 2016, the FDA is encouraging the food industry to cut back on added sodium in commercially processed and prepared food. It's a good reminder for all of us that too much salt in the diet is risky for health. How much is too much? "It's controversial, although I don't think anyone is in favor of unlimited salt intake," says Dr. Randall Zusman, a cardiologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Salt risks

Common sources of sodium

A healthy diet is the best way to make sure you're getting enough of this essential element.

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Magnesium probably isn't a mineral that comes to mind when you think about heart health. But a recent report showing that magnesium supplements may modestly lower blood pressure may have left some people wondering if they should head to Whole Foods to buy a bottle of magnesium pills.

"That's what I'm worried about," says cardiologist Dr. Elliott Antman, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The reason? There's far stronger evidence that consuming less sodium will help improve your blood pressure. "I don't want people to think they can stop paying attention to how much salt they're eating if they're taking a magnesium supplement," he says.

People who follow a “social-business” eating pattern (marked by frequent snacking and restaurant meals featuring meat, sugary drinks, and alcohol) may be more likely to develop early signs of heart disease than people with healthier diets. 

Although theoretically multivitamins and chocolate might reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, proof is lacking. A new randomized trial called COSMOS will test whether multivitamin pills and cocoa pills have health benefits.

Soups with healthy ingredients help boost your nutrition. But watch out for extra salt, sugar, fat, and calories.

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A bowl of soup is comforting and convenient. Make a big batch at home, and you'll have enough for extra meals. Stick to healthy ingredients, and it's an easy way to increase your intake of vegetables, protein, fiber, or even fruit. Maybe that's behind the popularity of soups, which are increasingly showing up as gourmet restaurant fare; in soup "bars" offering rotating varieties; at tiny take-out windows; and in grocery stores.

But this simple soul food has hidden risks. "You must be careful about the ingredients and what you pair with it," says registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Therapy, exercises, and changes in eating habits will help keep you safe.

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It used to be so easy to munch a handful of nuts: chew, swallow, enjoy. Now, you avoid them or make sure there's a glass of water nearby when you eat nuts or any other foods that seem to get stuck in your throat. "It's normal to have some age-related changes with swallowing or occasional difficulty swallowing. What's not normal is when food or liquids get into the lungs regularly," says Semra Koymen, a speech-language pathologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Causes and symptoms

Treatment

It appears that eating more saturated and trans fats is associated with earlier death, while eating more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats is associated with longer life.

Updates that may benefit heart health include details on added sugars and more accurate serving sizes.

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The information on the Nutrition Facts label—that small box of nutrition-related data on the back of all food packages—has stayed pretty much the same since its introduction back in 1993. But earlier this year, the FDA approved a number of revisions to the panel. The changes reflect the evolving scientific evidence on the connections between diet and chronic illness—particularly obesity and heart disease.

The updated labels won't be mandatory for nearly two years, but the agency provided a preview (see "The new label: What's different?"). These changes may benefit consumers not only by helping them choose more nutritious foods, but also by driving the food industry to make products healthier, says Dr. Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Many of the changes are relevant for people concerned about heart disease—especially the new data on added sugars.

People who eat more plant-based proteins from beans, nuts, and grains may have a lower risk of dying from heart disease or any cause, compared with people who eat more animal-based proteins such as meat or eggs.