Healthy Eating Archive

A heart-healthy dietary pattern emphasizes minimally processed vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans. Learn how you can adopt a heart-healthy eating style to boost your cardiovascular health.

According to a 2023 study, people who consumed 25% or more of their daily calories from added sugars had an 88% higher risk of developing kidney stones compared with those who kept their added sugar intake to less than 5% of their daily calories.

Many common wellness myths contain a grain of truth but are misleading over all. One wellness myth holds that being thin equates to being healthy, but people who are think can still be unhealthy. Another myth posits that detoxes and cleanses can help people be healthier, but these products don't help and can even be dangerous for some people. Another myth is that eating before bedtime leads to weight gain, but food choice matters more than timing.

"Regular" bowel movements can mean something different for each person. Some people have a bowel movement once or twice daily; for others, it's once or twice weekly. People should see a doctor if they notice a dramatic change in bowel habits or other symptoms, including fatigue, pain, unintended weight loss, bloody stool, or a change in stool consistency. People can promote digestion by maintaining a toileting schedule, heeding their body's signals, and using a toilet stool.

A 2023 study of about 110,000 people in the United Kingdom suggested that those who most adhered to a Mediterranean lifestyle had a 28% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 29% lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause, compared with those who least adhered to the lifestyle.

Following a plant-based eating pattern and cutting back on highly processed foods can help promote a more diverse, healthier microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome may decrease inflammation that promotes heart disease. Most fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are good sources of prebiotic fiber, which is broken down by gut bacteria to create short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids are linked to lower inflammation and reductions in other heart disease risk factors.

Too much saturated fat tends to raise levels of harmful LDL cholesterol, but limited amounts are not a problem. Eating mostly whole or minimally processed foods can help achieve that goal.

Type 2 diabetes is a major cause of vision loss and blindness, kidney failure requiring dialysis, heart attacks, strokes, amputations, infections, and even early death. Research suggests that a healthy lifestyle can prevent diabetes from occurring in the first place, and even reverse its progress.

American adults consume an average of 77 grams (almost 20 teaspoons) of sugar per day. A little extra sugar may seem harmless, but the amounts can add up and, over time, contribute to a variety of health issues, like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Avoiding high-sugar foods by reading labels and cutting out sugar-sweetened beverages are the best ways to lower intake of added sugar.

The typical American diet isn't very healthy, and dietary shortfalls are more pronounced among people living in lower-income neighborhoods. A study analyzing data from produce prescription programs suggests that improving access to fresh vegetables and fruits may improve heart health.