Today's NewsBites

Are those toasted-oat “Os” in your breakfast bowl of cereal really an “unapproved new drug”? That’s what the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says in a warning letter to General Mills, maker of Cheerios. Citing “unauthorized health claims,” the FDA said Cheerios can continue to make its cholesterol-lowering boasts only if General Mills applies for approval of the cereal as a drug. The agency singled out claims both on cereal boxes and the product’s website that Cheerios can “reduce bad cholesterol by an average of 4%“ in six weeks.…

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Areview of the scientific evidence by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) has “busted” a trio of myths about aspartame. According to the ADA’s Evidence Analysis Library, it’s not true that the artificial sweetener causes a “rebound” effect, making you more hungry: “There is good evidence that aspartame does not affect appetite or food intake.”…

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That ticking sound you hear is the medical- care time bomb of obese baby boomers heading for the Medicare rolls. The latest annual rankings by the Trust for America’s Health spotlight the growing (in more ways than one) trend of obesity among the “baby boom” generation: In every state, obesity— defined as a BMI of 30 or above—is more common among the oldest boomers, ages 55 to 64, than among current seniors. Overall, adult obesity rates rose in 23 states and failed to decline anywhere.…

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Survey Results


Due to the economy, have you canceled a membership to a health club or other type of fitness center?


Yes
 23%
60%
No
 75%
60%
I'm planning to
 4%
60%

Current Articles

Nearly a third of people over age 65 suffer a fall every year, with 20% of those spills requiring medical attention. Exercises that target balance and strength, such as Tai Chi, can reduce your risk of a possibly crippling fall, according to a new review of 111 trials totaling 55,303 participants.…

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To safeguard your vision, eat plenty of citrus fruits, leafy greens and cold-water fatty fish like salmon, but cut down on high-glycemic index foods such as sweetened drinks and desserts, candy, potatoes and white bread. That’s the takeaway from the first-ever composite scoring system to rate foods according to their effects on the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among older Americans. Other foods that scored positively included vegetable oils, nuts and whole grains.…

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If you’re concerned about high blood pressure, make sure you get a good night’s sleep. A new study, among the first of its kind to objectively measure sleep duration, reports that for every one-hour reduction in sleep, the risk of hypertension increased 37%. Shorter sleep times were similarly linked with higher blood pressure levels and adverse changes in blood pressure.…

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Ask Tufts Experts

 

I take a multivitamin with my morning cup of tea. Do I need to be worried that the tea might block the absorption of the vitamins?

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In your May issue you illustrated the “radura” sign for food treated by irradiation. A caterer told me all pork is irradiated to prevent trichinosis; that is why it can be served when the meat is still pink inside. However, pork sold in grocery stores does not have this sign on it. Is it true that pork is safe to eat when cooked this way? I was taught to cook pork until it was gray inside.

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Besides being kosher for religious purposes, what’s the difference between kosher salt and other salt?

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Did you know?

High-protein diets make kidneys work harder—an issue for the more than 20 million Americans who have chronic kidney disease but don’t know it.

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Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter

For over 25 years, Tufts Healthletter has brought subscribers trustworthy news and real strategies that can add years of healthy living and vigor to life.
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