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Healthy Eating Archive

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Dark chocolate may reduce risk of diabetes

A 2024 study observed that people who eat at least five servings of dark chocolate each week were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

New online tool ranks processed foods

A free online database provides nutrition facts, ingredient information, and a score that reflects the level of processing for more than 50,000 products at three major supermarkets.

Macular degeneration: Will a supplement cocktail slow it down?

Doctors are rethinking their recommendations about a supplement used to help slow dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). They're advising people to keep taking the pill even when they reach the late stage of the disease. Previously, the supplement-a cocktail of antioxidant nutrients known as the AREDS2 formula-was believed to slow disease progression only in the beginning and intermediate stages of dry AMD. New evidence suggests the supplement might also slow vision loss in late-stage dry AMD.

More water may equate to more health benefits

A 2024 research review suggested that drinking more water can help people stave off a variety of health problems as well as promote weight loss.

Tips for a high-quality, longer life

We can learn much from people who continue to live productive lives into their 80s and 90s. Doctors in this demographic have a unique perspective as they have the lessons from their decades of medical practice and their personal experiences dealing with Father Time. Here, two Harvard physicians - Dr. Marshall Wolf, 87, and Dr. Mitchell Rabkin, 94 - share lessons they've learned over the decades from their practice and personal life about how they keep their body and mind strong, healthy, and thriving.

Seeding doubt: The truth about cooking oils

Social media sources may share misleading information about canola, soybean, and other seed oils. But these oils, which consist mostly of unsaturated fat, can be a good source of heart-healthy fat when combined with whole, fresh foods rather than in processed foods like crunchy, salty, or sweet snack foods. Consuming unsaturated fat in place of saturated fat (found mainly in animal-based foods) is linked to a lower risk of heart attack and death from heart disease.

More evidence that plant-based diets might ward off heart problems

In a large 2024 study, people who ate more plant-based proteins than animal proteins had the lowest risks of developing cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, compared with those who ate more animal proteins than plant-based proteins.

Boosting share of protein from plants in diet may lower heart disease risk

A 2024 study found that people who follow a diet with a higher ratio of plant-based protein to animal-based protein may have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease compared with individuals who eat a lower plant-to-animal protein ratio.

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