How vitamin B12 can help prevent memory loss as you age

Did you know vitamin B12 is critical for brain function? When you don’t have enough of this essential vitamin -- found in foods such as beef, fish and dairy products -- you may start to experience mental decline, such as memory issues or depression.

What type of salt should you be sprinkling?

All salt is not created equal — though yes, it’s all of the earth! According to the Culinary Institute of America, all types of salt are 40 percent sodium (Na) and 60 percent chloride (Cl). Table salt comes in the form of granular cubes, and most of the table salt you buy in the U.S. is iodized to prevent goiters (enlargement of the thyroid). There were a lot of goiters in America before scientists figured out what to do.

Is that dairy habit helping or harming your heart health?

Vegetable fats are better than dairy fats, and dairy fats are better than meat fats, a recent Harvard study suggests. What prompted the study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was the ongoing debate between the role of dairy fat and risk for cardiovascular diseases (like heart disease and stroke).

Portions vs. servings: What’s the difference?

Trying to eat right can be difficult! You try to “watch your portions” and make healthy choices. But sometimes enjoying one portion of something actually includes several servings. That’s because a portion and a serving are not the same thing.

The strange way chicken owners are getting salmonella

When you were a kid, did your mom warn you about the dangers of salmonella in raw eggs? Whenever you’d bake together, you still had to sneak that spoonful of cookie dough though, right? Now as an adult, you remember the warnings, and wash your hands with vigilance after handling raw chicken meat or raw eggs. But salmonella can still happen -- sometimes in unexpected ways.

It's pumpkin season! With all its nutrients, here's why you should make it a staple year round

You carve them. You paint them. But how often do you eat them? Yes, we’re talking about fall’s favorite gourd, the pumpkin! Though they certainly make bright and festive decorations, their health benefits are even better.

The silent assault on Robin Williams’ brain

Susan Schneider Williams, widow of actor Robin Williams, discussed her husband’s dementia due to Lewy body disease in a letter published in the journal Neurology. What exactly is Lewy body disease? How did he get it? And could it have been prevented?

Sugar industry made fat the scapegoat for heart disease decades ago

In the 1960s, the sugar industry funded Harvard research that downplayed the risks of sugar and emphasized the dangers of fat, according to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco, published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Around this time, studies were coming out, linking sugar with risk factors for heart disease, like high cholesterol and triglycerides, the researchers said. So instead of letting sugar take the heat, they made dietary fat the patsy.

What you should know before reaching for the calcium supplements

Calcium supplements are pretty popular, but they may not be helping your health like you think they are. Many people take them for their bones, but research shows “the more the merrier” just isn’t the case with calcium. Taking in excess calcium (more than you need) in the form of supplements or food won’t make your bones less likely to break. Plus, calcium supplements may cause bloating, constipation, interference with medications, and particularly in men, greater heart attack risk (due to vascular calcification).

5 reasons you need the health benefits of omega 3s

We hear a lot about healthy fats and how good they are for our bodies. In fact, they’re a mainstay of the praised Mediterranean diet, with staples like olive oil, whole grains and avocado. One of the reasons the Mediterranean diet is often recommended is due to the healthy omega-3 and omega-6 ratio, with more omega-3s in the diet than omega-6s. The typical Western diet gets plenty of omega-6s, but not enough omega-3s, and this can cause inflammation and disease.

Omega-3s: What’s the difference between DHA and EPA?

Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their brain and heart health benefits, but then you see terms like DHA and EPA thrown around in the same sentence. These types of omega-3s each serve unique functions. So what is the difference between DHA and EPA?

Your quick guide to eating clean (don’t get groceries without this)

“Eating clean” is something you hear a lot. But what does it mean for food to be “clean”? And what’s “dirty” about food that isn’t so-called “clean”? Clean eating is all about eating more whole, nutritious, fresh foods -- as nature intended. Clean foods are unprocessed, or minimally processed, and are in their most natural, organic form, free of pesticides, GMOs, added sugar, unhealthy fats, preservatives, color additives, binders, stabilizers and emulsifiers. So if you've ever tried to eat clean or want to, here's a quick cheat sheet.