The media has been full of stories this week about a recent determination by the World Health Organization: That processed meats such as bacon, sausage and ham increase the risk of developing colon cancer. [Read more…]
The body of evidence on meat and cancer
October 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Tea: It’s good for you!
October 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Here at EBL, we’ve covered the health benefits of coffee pretty extensively. (Surprise: It’s really good for you!) But — although it’s hard for this coffee-drinker to believe — there are some people who prefer tea. And in some parts of the world, tea is the primary beverage. But is tea as healthy for you? [Read more…]
Weight-control: The size of your plate matters!
September 24, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Here at EBL, we’ve written regularly about the data available on obesity for two reasons. First, obesity is a major health problem in the U.S. affecting millions of adults and children. Second, there is a lot of new evidence on innovative approaches to tackling this health problem. [Read more…]
Eight glasses of water a day? No way!
September 8, 2015 By Leave a Comment
If you’re at all interested in fitness or nutrition, you’ve no doubt heard about the importance of drinking eight glasses of water a day. Popular media and even many medical professionals tell us that drinking 64 ounces of water each day is essential for our skin, weight loss, kidney function and more. [Read more…]
Evidence-based canning: Preserve your summer bounty
July 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment
My family belongs to a Community-Support Agriculture farm, which means we get a big box of fresh veggies from a local farm each week. In addition, we like to pick blueberries, tomatoes and raspberries locally. Put together, it means we need to find a way to preserve all of this local fresh food for the winter months. [Read more…]
The health benefits of chocolate, redux
July 6, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Chocoholics rejoice!
The evidence is growing even stronger that regularly eating chocolate is good for your health. A new study and systematic review published in the journal Heart confirmed previous evidence: habitual chocolate eaters have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes compared to people who don’t eat chocolate.
Can you wash pesticides off your fruits and vegetables?
May 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Here at EBL, we love hearing from readers who have comments or questions about the evidence. Recently, a commenter on our post about organic food asked whether washing conventional produce reduces the amount of pesticides consumed compared to eating organic fruits and vegetables. [Read more…]
Evidence-based dieting
April 16, 2015 By 1 Comment
Here at EBL, we’ve written a lot about the health problems associated with obesity in the U.S. The good news is that an estimated 45 million Americans go on diets each year to lose excess weight. But many weight-loss programs are never evaluated in scientific studies, leading participants to spend time, energy and money on programs that are not evidence-based. [Read more…]
Looking back at the evidence: Low-fat diets
February 16, 2015 By 1 Comment
In the 1970s, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the United States. A group of U.S. Senators wanted to do something about it.
After a series of hearings, Congress voted to enact the first set of Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 1977. Essentially, the guidelines recommended that Americans reduce their intake of saturated fat found in eggs, milk, meats and cheese, and replace those calories with carbohydrates. [Read more…]
Recess before lunch to improve eating habits?
January 30, 2015 By 2 Comments
When my son started kindergarten last year, I was astonished at how little of his lunch he actually ate. I would pack a nutritious meal displayed in a cute, compartmentalized tray, and often he only took a small bite of each item I packed. [Read more…]
The evidence on sugar
January 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment
If you pay any attention to advice about healthy eating, you’ve heard that you should avoid added sugar as often as possible. Now a team of health scientists from the University of California, San Francisco has launched a new web site that provides scientific evidence about sugar and its impact on health. [Read more…]
Evidence-based health: Lose those extra pounds now
January 5, 2015 By 1 Comment
Christmas cookies are my worst dietary weakness. If they’re in the house, I can’t help but munch on them. So I’m coming back from a lovely holiday break at least a few pounds heavier than before. [Read more…]
