Health & Diet News

May 4, 2023 — Packaged foods for children that have popular characters on the box are probably less healthy than options that don’t have dazzling labels, a new Canadian study indicates.

April 18, 2023 — A local “soda tax” launched in Oakland, CA, appears to have cut down on the consumption of sugary drinks.

April 14, 2023 — Lifting weights may be the best way to improve quality of life for older adults, even if they’ve never held a dumbbell in their life.

April 6, 2023 — A new compilation of nearly all research to date on the health impacts of sugar offers dozens of reasons to cut back now.

April 3, 2023 — A new study shows light to moderate drinking doesn’t provide any health benefits, despite the widespread belief that having a glass or two of alcohol can be good for a person’s health.

March 28, 2023 — The FDA wants to start allowing salt substitutes to be used in staple foods like cheese, milk, and bread.

March 22, 2023 — A second company has gotten a “no questions” letter from U.S. regulators saying its version of lab-grown chicken is safe to eat.

March 15, 2023 — Three-quarters of non-organic produce sold in the United States comes with potentially poisonous chemicals, the Environmental Working Group says in its latest ranking of the “best and worst” fruits and vegetables for pesticide exposure. Blueberries and green beans joined the group's “Dirty Dozen” list -- the 12 non-organic, or conventionally grown, fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides.

March 7, 2023 — While having genes for disease will increase your risk by 30% to 40%, having a bad lifestyle for disease will increase your risk by 300% to 400%.

February 14, 2023 — Consumer Reports announced they'd tested 28 different dark chocolate bars -- and found lead and cadmium in every one of them.

February 6, 2023 — Dozens of brands of prepared foods are being recalled due to possible contamination with the dangerous bacteria listeria. The products were sold at a wide variety of locations, including retail stores, on trains, and in vending machines.

February 3, 2023 — A recent study shows that people who picked up community gardening were able to improve their physical and mental health. Is it time to change our approach, and expand the path to finding a healthy lifestyle that's right for you?

January 31, 2023 — Food addiction may be more common among older adults than addiction to alcohol or tobacco, according to a new study.

January 20, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has amended its rules to increase oversight and enforcement of the production and sale of organic products in an effort to reduce “organic fraud.”

January 19, 2023 — While researchers dig deeper into how much water we should have, people should take cues from their bodies.

January 13, 2023 — A study found that eating at least one-fifth of total daily calories from fast food can increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a potentially life-threatening condition.

January 3, 2023 — FDA officials are concerned about the safety of legalized cannabis products and may recommend regulating them later this year.

January 3, 2023 — This year, U.S. News & World Report ranked 24 diets in several categories to help people find a plan that meets their goals. Two new categories were added: Best Diets for Bone & Joint Health and Best Family-Friendly Diets.

November 23, 2022 — From the moment you walk into the massive kitchen at Northern Westchester Hospital, you quickly realize that bland, processed food isn’t on the menu for patients at this hospital that’s part of the largest health care system in New York state.

November 17, 2022 — Move over, plant-based meat. The FDA on Wednesday paved the way for the first lab-grown meat product to get closer to grocery store shelves.

November 14, 2022 — The food supply has more added sugar and sweetener than many of us realize. While there's no sugarcoating the reality that our bodies crave sweets, we don't need as much as we're getting.

November 7, 2022 — A new study of how highly processed foods affect health found that the consumption of foods like sodas, ice cream, and hotdogs contributed to about 57,000 premature deaths in Brazil in 2019.

October 12, 2022 — Three-quarters of the largest grocery chains in the U.S. are failing to limit the use of antibiotics in their house-brand fresh meat, thus contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance.

October 5, 2022 — New research suggests there may be optimal times during the day for eating and fasting.

October 3, 2022 — Produced from a single animal cell, cultivated meat is hailed as a slaughter-free way to feed more people without the environmental harm – and it can be made healthier. But is it too good to be true?

September 27, 2022 — Drinking ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee has benefits for the heart and should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle, researchers say.

September 23, 2022 — The U.K. company developing the new purple fruit has passed a first test with U.S. regulators, demonstrating that genetic changes to the tomatoes do not expose the plants to a greater risk for pest damage.

September 19, 2022 — Several recent studies have suggested that drinking several cups of tea per day could lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

September 15, 2022 — Many brands of fruit leathers, a popular children’s snack, have detectable levels of pesticides, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization aiming to improve human health and the environment. Many dried fruit snacks also have detectable pesticide levels.

September 9, 2022 — In many countries, fried mealworms are eaten as a crunchy snack. Scientists don't think this will catch on in the U.S., so they are testing an insect seasoning and healthy alternative to salt and pepper.

September 7, 2022 — Nutrition advocates and food industry groups are debating whether an additional label should be placed on the front of packaged foods to more clearly show the fat, sugar, and salt content.

September 2, 2022 — Flooding has overwhelmed the aging water system in Jackson, MS, knocking out or dirtying the drinking water for 150,000 residents of the capital city, causing public schools to switch to remote learning and forcing some businesses to scramble.

August 30, 2022 — Drinking tea, even at higher levels and even in areas where black tea is favored, is associated with a reduced risk of death overall and from CVD, ischemic heart disease, and stroke.

August 25, 2022 — Each sugar substitute "significantly and distinctly" altered stool and microorganisms in the mouth, and two of the sweeteners (saccharin and sucralose) significantly impacted sugar tolerance, the researchers report.

August 16, 2022 — King’s Hawaiian has issued a cautionary recall of pretzel buns and bites after one of its suppliers recalled an ingredient used in them. The King’s Hawaiian products are Pretzel Slider Buns, Pretzel Hamburger Buns and Pretzel Bites, the FDA says.

August 16, 2022 — More than 5,700 cases of Capri Sun Wild Cherry drinks are being recalled due to potential contamination with a cleaning solution, according to a recall notice from Kraft Heinz.

August 16, 2022 — Home Run Inn is recalling some 13,000 pounds of frozen pizzas after customers said they found metal in it.

August 12, 2022 — Greater consumption of fruits and vegetables seen in college students who set goals related to eating.

July 20, 2022 — Candy giant Mars Inc., promising the experience of tasting the rainbow, is under fire for ingredient in its popular candy.

July 18, 2022 — The world’s largest sandwich chain is facing another controversy: whether the tuna fish it uses is truly 100% tuna.

July 11, 2022 — Avocados are a rich source of fiber and healthy fat but eating one a day for 6 months did not shrink waist size or belly fat, according to the findings of a new study.

July 7, 2022 — Although studies in the past have shown that low blood sugar levels make people more impulsive, angry and aggressive, there has been little solid evidence that this translates to real life settings.

July 1, 2022 — With the U.S. inflation rate at 8% in May, Americans are estimated to spend about $6.9 billion on food for July Fourth. So how can Americans avoid overbuying and over-preparing this holiday season?

June 29, 2022 — Tufts University researchers say new findings may someday advance personalized nutrition, improving diet and reducing the risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

June 21, 2022 — Only about 1 in 4 adults consume foods full of microbes that can help promote a healthy immune system, warn researchers who quantified the number of microorganisms per gram in common foods.

June 20, 2022 — Americans in the survey also expressed their love of other veggies, including carrots, potatoes, asparagus, and corn, with corn getting 37% more popular from 2021.

June 16, 2022 — Molson Coors has pulled several sizes of its Coors Light and Keystone Light beers from some stores after consumers reported a strange texture.

May 16, 2022 — Mars Wrigley Confectionery has announced a voluntary recall of certain varieties of Skittles, Starburst, and Life Savers gummies because there might be “a very thin metal strand embedded in the gummies or loose in the bag.”

March 6, 2018 — Food manufacturers are being set targets to cut calories in some of the most popular family foods.