Nutrition Archive

Summertime offers a great variety of fresh vegetables. Making vegetables the focus of a meal has many health benefits, and anyone can take advantage of this by preparing them in simple yet delicious ways.

One in three Americans takes a daily multivitamin even though research shows this doesn't provide any meaningful health benefits for most people. And because of the way supplements are regulated, some supplements make claims that have no evidence behind them.

Nutrient deficiencies are uncommon with a broad and varied diet. But aging, hormonal factors, or diet can leave women short of four key vitamins and minerals: vitamin D, iron, vitamin B₁₂, and calcium. Various tests can reveal nutrient deficiencies, including blood panels. Vitamin D and fish oil supplements may help prevent autoimmune diseases. Multivitamins are usually unnecessary, except in cases where age, pregnancy, digestive challenges, or certain medications interfere with the ability to get adequate nutrition.

Vitamin B₆ helps with the body’s enzyme reactions, immune system health, brain chemicals, and more, but it doesn’t get a lot of attention. The body can’t synthesize it, so people need to get it from food, and a recent study found that a surprisingly high percentage of people may be deficient in vitamin B₆.

A study compared eating a serving of French fries every day for a month to eating a serving of almonds with the same number of calories, and found that levels of some health markers were similar between the two groups — but those numbers don’t tell the full story.

When thinking about nutrition, some people think that all fats are bad, but this is not true. Fats are important to a healthy eating plan; the important thing is knowing the right kinds to use, and this is easier when preparing food at home than when eating in restaurants.

Avocados are abundant in healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients that boost heart health. A long-term study has found that people who eat avocado regularly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, which leads to heart attacks and strokes.

It’s now understood that many factors influence a person’s ability to lose weight —not just burning more calories than are taken in. A new study supports the idea that people using sleep hygiene tips to get sufficient sleep consume fewer calories than people who are sleep-deprived.

It’s possible to overeat and not even realize it until you’ve finished a meal and doing so does not mean you have an eating problem or disorder. Mindfulness exercises can help you slow down and enjoy eating, making it easier to avoid overeating.

Claims that vitamin D supplements are beneficial to health are common, but many of these supposed benefits remain unproven. A recent study looked at data from over 25,000 people in an attempt to determine if taking vitamin D regularly might help prevent autoimmune disease.