More facts and news about nutrition

Study after study has found that the sweetener is safe. But there remain a few skeptics.

Fat was once the devil. Now more nutritionists are pointing accusingly at sugar and refined grains.

Here is expert advice on how many and what kinds of carbs you should be eating each day.

Milk and eggs have earned their place in the American diet because they’re good sources of calcium and protein, respectively.

Conventional wisdom tells us that you can truly feed your head. But can what’s on your plate really affect how you feel or think?

They have more antioxidants and vitamin C than their conventional counterparts, a study says. But they come up short by other measures — potassium and phosphorus, for example.

In my junior high home ec class, I liked the emphasis on precision we were taught: Use a butter knife to level off the dry ingredients in a measuring cup, and never pour salt into a measuring spoon over a bowl of already waiting ingredients.

I have always loved helping people achieve their fitness goals, whatever they may be.

Stephanie Jacobson has cut down on sodium, doesn’t miss the greasy burgers and fries, and has taken up running.

This 29-year-old has bad eating habits that need to be broken before they lead to serious health problems.

Stephanie Jacobson eats a smattering of whole grains and vegetables, and she’s cut back on sodas and coffee. But fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and foods with calcium need to be added to her daily diet.

Here’s a healthful recipe for chicken with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes over penne, with a side dish of zucchini, both developed by registered dietitian Ruth Frechman (we haven’t tested them ourselves): 2-3 boneless chicken breasts 1/2 bag fresh spinach 1/2 to 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes 3 tablespoons cornstarch 8 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup white wine 2 small zucchini 1/2 cup fresh or frozen onions 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or jarred garlic Penne pasta (enough for 2-3 servings) Salt and pepper Boil water in a large pan and add the pasta.

The calorie count was fine, but fruit and vegetables were getting short shrift.

You see the word more and more, but what does it say about what it’s on? Here are tips for fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat, cosmetics, processed foods and cotton and coffee.

Eating habits, physical activity, access to parks, ethnicity, poverty and TV watching all play a role in the epidemic, as do many other factors.

Those elusive numbers can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

A calorie is . . . A unit of energy.

Results haven’t been unanimous, but a good deal of research suggests that healthy doses of potassium can help lower your blood pressure.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, an eight-week clinical trial, reported in 1997, that tested the effects of three diets on 459 adults.

Transcript: Susan Bowerman of UCLA’s Center for Human Nutrition took readers’ questions in a live chat Wednesday, May 9.

Transcript: Susan Bowerman of UCLA’s Center for Human Nutrition took readers’ questions in a live chat Monday, June 11.