No More Than 2-3 Cups Per Day… Using current research on the over-consumption of caffeine as a guide, Dr. Laura Juliano, co-author of “Caffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda,” recommends healthy adults limit caffeine consumption to no more than two to three cups of coffee per day (about 400 mg/day) and pregnant…

Four Ways to Reduce Sugar in Your Diet! Here are four tips from the American Heart Association for reducing your added sugar intake: 1) Try putting less sugar on foods like cereals or in beverages like tea and coffee. When you’re used to it, try cutting back even more. 2) Buy fresh fruits or fruits…

Daily Multivitamin May Reduce Cataract Risk in Men. After reviewing roughly 15 years of data concerning 12,641 male doctors, researchers found that men who took a daily multivitamin were 9% less likely to be diagnosed with a cataract. While 9% may seem small, applied to a large population, this finding could have a substantial impact…

Possible Test for Obesity Predisposition. A study of 2,258 10-year olds in the United Kingdom found that children with a genetic propensity towards obesity also had lower satiety responsiveness. This finding could be used to identify children who may be at risk for being overweight or obese and teach them techniques to feel fuller while…

The Mediterranean Diet and Firefighters. The Mediterranean diet is rich in fish, nuts, vegetables, and fruits and previous studies have linked it to a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. However, these studies tend to focus on an older population, patients with existing health problems, and people who live in Mediterranean countries.…

Avocado Please. According to a new study, participants who ate half of a fresh avocado with lunch were 40% less hungry three hours later and 28% less hungry five hours later. Most of the fat content in avocados is monounsaturated fat and studies have shown that regularly consuming this type of fat can reduce levels…

High-Protein Diet Linked to Kidney Problems! A Spanish study found that rats fed a long-term, high-protein diet (57% of total calories from protein) had a higher risk for developing kidney stones and other renal diseases than rats fed a lower protein diet (13% of total calories from protein). The authors of the study stress that…

Diet Soda Not Helpful for Dieters! A new study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that drinking diet soda may not help dieters lose weight. Using data from the long-term National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers discovered that, even though people who drink diet sodas are drinking…

Vitamin E. A study involving 140 elderly men and women found that those with higher levels of vitamin E in their bodies were less likely to suffer from cognitive decline. Foods rich in vitamin E include spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocados, shrimp, rainbow trout, olive oil, broccoli, and pumpkin. Experimental Gerontology, January 2014

The Essentials. Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are called essential fatty acids because we cannot manufacture them ourselves, meaning they must come from the foods we eat. These fatty acids are named for their carbon-to-carbon double bond on a carbon chain, and only plants are able to make a double bond at the third or sixth…