Food & Diet, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 31, 2017

Highly Caffeinated 'Death Wish' Coffee Recalled Over Botulism Hazard

A company that claims to make one of the strongest coffees in the world is recalling some of its products because they could pose a risk of serious illness. On Tuesday (Sept. 19), Death Wish Coffee Co., which brands itself as the world's strongest coffee, said it was recalling all...

Jul 31, 2017

How One Bodybuilder Died from Drinking Too Many Protein Shakes

A 25-year-old woman in Australia died after consuming too much protein, in the form of protein powder shakes, supplements and protein-packed foods, the New York Post reported yesterday. The woman, a bodybuilder named Meegan Hefford, was found unconscious in her apartment and was taken to the hospital. Hefford was declared...

Jun 30, 2017

Eat Better, Live Longer? Small Food Changes Make a Difference

Need an incentive to eat healthier? A new study suggests that people who make even small tweaks in their diet to make it healthier over time may live longer. Researchers found that a 20-percentile increase in people's diet-quality scores was linked with an 8 to 17 percent reduction in a...

Apr 30, 2017

Weight-Loss Procedure Makes Stomach into 'Accordion' Without Surgery

CHICAGO — A new, nonsurgical weight-loss procedure — which involves inserting a tube down a patient's throat and suturing the stomach — is safe and effective, a new study finds. During the procedure, which is called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, doctors insert a long tube down a patient's esophagus to the...

Apr 30, 2017

Can Patients with Celiac Disease Eat Oats?

CHICAGO — For people with celiac disease, the rule is clear: no gluten. That means avoiding all foods made with wheat, barley and rye. But what about oats? Although oats are not thought to cause an immune reaction in patients with celiac disease, they're often contaminated with gluten from other...

Jan 31, 2017

Climate Change Is Transforming the World's Food Supply

ATLANTA — Climate change is poised to affect the world's food supply in three key ways, experts say. There will be impacts on the quantity, quality and location of the food we produce, said Dr. Sam Myers, a medical doctor and senior research scientist studying environmental health at the Harvard...

Jan 31, 2017

Are Any Fad Diets Actually Healthy? What the Research Shows

With so many diet fads around these days, how do you know which ones are actually good for you? In a new review of studies covering about 40 years, researchers attempted to dispel the hype surrounding some popular diet trends and to outline what experts really know about a heart-healthy...

Sep 30, 2018

How Bad Is Bacon for You, Really?

It's a debate that plays out in everyone's head during a weekend brunch: Should I be eating this much bacon? Researchers have been diving into the question, too, specifically as it relates to cancer. The question once again jumped to the forefront of people's minds with the recent release of...

Aug 31, 2018

Chemicals in Consumer Products May Promote Weight Gain. But There's an Easy Fix.

For those who have a hard time losing weight, there's some good and bad news. The bad news is that common chemicals in the environment may play a role in weight gain, a new study suggests. The good news? Diet and exercise may counteract these obesity-promoting effects, according to the...

Jun 30, 2018

Do Spicy Snacks Really Cause Gallbladder Problems?

A Tennessee teen needed gallbladder surgery after consuming large amounts of spicy snacks, according to news reports. But could spicy snacks really have caused her gallbladder problems? The 17-year-old, Rene Craighead, estimated she was eating about four bags of hot snacks a week, like Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Takis, according...

Jan 31, 2018

How Much Salt Do You Need to Survive?

Salt: It's 40 percent sodium, 60 percent chlorine and 100 percent delicious. The constantly-debated question: How much salt do you actually need to be healthy? On one hand, your body needs the nutrients in salt to survive — particularly sodium. Sodium is the most important extracellular electrolyte, Dr. Paul Whelton,...

Nov 30, 2019

The Fascinating History of Crisco, the Famous Tub of 'Lard'

Perhaps you'll unearth a can of Crisco for the holiday baking season. If so, you'll be one of millions of Americans who have, for generations, used it to make cookies, cakes, pie crusts and more. But for all Crisco's popularity, what exactly is that thick, white substance in the can?...

Oct 31, 2019

Here's What Sugar Does to Your Brain

We love sweet treats. But too much sugar in our diets can lead to weight gain and obesity, Type 2 diabetes and dental decay. We know we shouldn't be eating candy, ice cream, cookies, cakes and drinking sugary sodas, but sometimes they are so hard to resist. It's as if...

Oct 31, 2019

Is it Safe to Eat Roadkill?

Each year, vehicles kill hundreds of thousands of animals on roads in the U.S, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. That number could actually be much higher because not all accidents involving animals may be reported. Rather than seeing those animals spoil and go to waste...

Sep 30, 2019

Should You Eat Red Meat?

Another diet study, another controversy and the public is left wondering what to make of it. This time it's a series of studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine by an international group of researchers concluding people need not reduce their consumption of red and processed meat. Over the past...