Eating For Health

Watch commercials on TV and you will see one advertisement after another for supplements.   Supplements for brain health, to alleviate pain, to promote better memory, better sleep.   People take supplements for heart health, strong muscles, strong bones, and many other reasons.   But what supplements work and what supplements not only do not work but may even be harmful?   Are there really supplements that can support healthy aging?   Consumer Reports has a great article , “7 Anti-Aging Supplements to Try” in their September 2024 magazine.   The article notes as we age, our bodies change and some of us may be on restrictive diets. *Certain health conditions may prevent or reduce some nutrients from being absorbed, like vitamin B12. *As we age, we may eat less, taking in less nutrients than we may need. *Ability to make new bones slows but we still need calcium and vitamin D. Food is the best way to get the nutrients we need.   The article not...

Growing up every kid and many adults enjoyed a glass of real dairy milk at every meal.   Then plant-based milks started to come on the market and many people switched to these milks thinking they were healthier.   Are they?   Teaching nutrition I often talked about the nutritional differences of real milk versus the fake plant-based milks.   Some students asked what “real milk” was.   Real milk is dairy – milk from a cow.   Plant-based milks can be made from almonds, oats, or soy.   Which is healthier?   Real dairy milk or plant-based milks?   Which milk does the United States Department of Agriculture count as a serving of milk?   Consumer Reports has a great article Which Milk Should You Drink?   that answers many of these questions.     Should you drink cow’s milk?   Good news for nutritionists is that 79% of 2,121 US adults polled are still buying cow’s milk.   Unfortunately, people are drinking less re...