Coffee

Coffee
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Something this good must be bad for you – or so everyone thought. Experts have blamed coffee for stunted growth, high blood pressure, heart attacks and more. But over the past decade, coffee’s reputation has done a complete turnaround: an analysis of studies published in BMJ last year concludes that people who drink three to four cups per day have lower mortality rates from all causes than those who drink no coffee; regular coffee drinking seems to lower the risk of liver and heart disease. The light isn’t completely green on coffee though: it can be harmful to developing foetuses (so pregnant women should use caution), and it may contribute to osteoporosis.

And it may sound strange, but experts are also touting the health and weight-loss benefits of putting butter in your coffee.

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Salt

Salt
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In the 1970s, a scientist fed an amount of sodium to rats that would be equivalent to about 500 grams in humans (most people eat an average of 3.4 grams per day), reports Scientific American. The rats’ blood pressure went up, and the medical community raised the alarm about salt. But perhaps the concern is misplaced: a 2016 study in the Lancet suggests that current dietary recommendations are overly stringent. Among subjects consuming high amounts of sodium, only those with high blood pressure experienced higher rates of cardiovascular problems. Surprisingly, people who consumed the lowest amounts of sodium – whether or not their blood pressure was high – also experienced more cardiovascular events and deaths.

For more eye-opening information, check out these 35 secrets food manufacturers won’t tell you.

Fat

Fat
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Butter, lard, coconut oil – the fear of saturated fats has fallen since heart experts realised that the trans fats in margarine were actually deadly. But that doesn’t mean saturated fat is off the hook: The New York Times reports that in spite of trendy diet advice (and wishful thinking), saturated fat can still contribute to heart attacks. People who replace saturated fat with olive or canola oil significantly cut their risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you want to know more about trans fat, here’s why it will be banned from all food by the year 2023.

Meat

Meat
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When the World Health Organization announced a few years ago that hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats appear to raise the risk of colon cancer, carnivores panicked. According to the New York Times, though, the risk of eating meat in reasonable amounts is very small – much less than what’s associated with smoking. Still, the connection could be related to the level of consumption: other studies have found that people who eat a lot of red meat have a higher risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, infections and other ailments than those who eat the least.

For more info on the precise findings of the WHO, here’s what was concluded about how much, what kind and even how to prepare the meat.

Carbs

Carbs
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Way back in the early 1990s, Nabisco made hundreds of millions of dollars selling the low-fat, sugar-packed Snackwells line of cookies and crackers to people who had been taught to believe fat was evil. The nutritional pendulum has since swung the other way – popular low-carb diets have followers choosing meat (paleo and Atkins diets) and fat (keto diet) over sugar. Extremes are typically a bad idea: although cutting added sugar (such as that in processed food) from your diet makes sense, most researchers agree that healthy carbohydrates (like those in produce and whole grains) can play an important role in any healthy diet.

Still confused by all those diet fads? Here’s how to tell your keto from your paleo.

Gluten

Gluten
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For people who have a specific condition called coeliac disease, gluten can be very harmful – the protein causes an autoimmune reaction in their gut, which can damage the lining of the intestine. Others who don’t have coeliac disease – but do feel sick after eating food with gluten (primarily found in wheat, rye, and barley) – have what’s known as gluten intolerance or sensitivity. But for most of us, the protein doesn’t appear to be inherently problematic, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Check out these cost-effective and healthy ways to make leading a gluten-free life much easier.

Eating late at night

Eating late at night
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Nutritionists used to say that a calorie is a calorie – no matter when you consume it. New research suggests your body is better equipped to digest meals earlier in the day. The New York Times reports that the pancreas produces more insulin during daylight hours; other enzymes and digestive processes appear to be more active during the day, as well. Recent studies have found that overweight adults who ate a large breakfast, moderate lunch and small dinner scored better on tests of blood sugar, insulin and cardiovascular risk factors compared with those who saved their biggest meal for late in the day.

Here’s why changing WHEN you eat can produce such immediate results.

Vitamin supplements

Vitamin supplements
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Children in developing countries who eat a bland diet can become deficient in nutrients, and that can lead to dangerous – and preventable – conditions. Low vitamin A, for example, can lead to blindness. But people who eat a varied diet that includes many fortified foods really don’t need supplements, according to researchers. Although you should certainly deal with any deficiencies – not enough vitamin D, for example, may raise the risk of some chronic conditions and could be a risk for people who live in areas with harsh winters.

Here’s when medicines can do more harm than good.

Mammograms

Mammograms
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Starting during the 1980s, the American Cancer Society recommended that most women have their breasts x-rayed annually to check for early signs of cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, all this screening ended up finding potentially cancerous lesions at extremely early stages – which many women and doctors credited with saving lives. Further research revealed that many of those lesions would never have progressed to a dangerous stage; studies involving hundreds of thousands of women in the US and Europe found that women who didn’t start early mammograms lived as long as women who did. Because breast cancer treatments – including chemotherapy and surgery – carry their own risks (including an increased likelihood of future cancers), experts now recommend that women discuss with their doctor the best time to start screening: for women with normal risk (no familial or genetic risk factors), the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends waiting until 50 years of age – and stopping at 74.

Prostate cancer tests

Prostate cancer tests
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Similarly, in the 1990s, health experts recommended that men get an annual blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), high levels of which can indicate cancer of the prostate gland. But as researchers realised that other less-dangerous conditions – including prostate inflammation and enlargement – could also raise PSA levels, they’ve backed off the recommendation, according to America’s National Cancer Institute.

Here’s what else you need to know about prostate cancer screening.

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