Skip to main content

Healthy Eating Archive

Articles

Nitrates in food and medicine: What's the story?

Nitrates are found in both leafy greens and processed meats. But it’s unclear how much these molecules matter compared with other components of those foods, as dietary nitrate levels have no proven link to heart disease risk.

What are the risks of an Rh mismatch in a transfusion?

Blood type compatibility matters during transfusions, and an Rh mismatch can create risks that may not appear immediately.

What does a killed virus mean in a vaccine?

Vaccines can contain different forms of viruses, and the choice may affect how your immune system responds and which vaccine is right for you.

Oxalates, lectins, and phytates: Do these plant compounds sabotage your health?

“Anti-nutrients” like oxalates, lectins, and phytates are found in leafy greens, beans, and grains. They can slightly reduce absorption of some minerals, but aren’t reasons for most people to avoid these healthy foods. Food preparation and meal planning can help minimize such effects.

MIND diet: Eating for better brain health

The MIND diet combines Mediterranean and DASH diet principles with an added emphasis on brain-healthy foods like leafy greens, whole grains, and fish. Linked in some studies with slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk, it’s a flexible eating pattern with benefits at any age.

When is treatment needed for high uric acid?

High uric acid doesn’t always mean daily treatment. Several factors, including gout symptoms and kidney health, can help guide the next step.

What should you know about atrial fibrillation without heart disease?

A new heart rhythm diagnosis can be unsettling, even when other tests look normal. Find out what to discuss with your doctor next.

What to eat on the DASH diet

The DASH plan is one of the world’s leading heart-healthy diets. While it limits salt, sugar, saturated fat, and alcohol, it doesn’t have to be bland. With some flavor creativity and changes in shopping and meal planning, it can soon become second nature.

Men might be more likely than women to rely on their doctors when making health care decisions

A 2026 analysis indicated that among adults ages 50 and older, men were more inclined than women to rely on medical professionals when making health care decisions and less likely to put quality of life ahead of simply living longer.

Body odor: How it changes — and how to improve it

Every person smells a little different, due to genetics, hygiene habits, and the skin’s microbiome (the microbes that naturally live on the skin), but body odor occurs when someone’s scent becomes foul. It is most noticeable when people are sweating, but body odor changes sometimes signal certain health conditions.

Free Healthbeat Signup

Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!

Sign Up
Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE 32-page gift worth $29.95.

PLUS, don’t miss out on your 25% off promo code.

Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle—You’ll discover powerful, research- backed strategies for health longevity drawn from Harvard Medical School experts—ways to eat for a longer life, build strength and flexibility to stay independent, protect your bones, heart, and brain as you age, and even cultivate the habits linked with “super-agers” who stay sharp and active well into their 80s and 90s—all delivered to your email box FREE.

Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.

Plus, get a FREE copy of Living Longer, Living Well!.

Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.

Plus, get a FREE copy of Living Longer, Living Well.