Cancer

If we played a word association game and I said “vegetable,” chances are your response wouldn’t be “artichoke.” That’s a pity because the beautiful globes are not only glamorous but delicious and very healthy as well. Once you get to know artichokes and discover how easy they are to prepare, you might just wonder how you ever got along without them.

In a world of expensive medical diagnostic tests, there’s a free and convenient way to gain insight into your digestive (and possibly overall) health — paying attention to the frequency, size, consistency, and color of your poop. If your poop wouldn’t currently win any “best in show” awards, certain diet and lifestyle changes could make a world of difference — and give you healthier and more pleasurable bowel movements.

Research has shown that a colorful diet is a great way to boost your health and vitality. But how can you be sure that you’re getting all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body needs to thrive? In this article, we’ll look at the whole spectrum of rainbow nutrition to show how adding color to your plate could add years to your life (and life to your years!). There’s also a shareable rainbow foods infographic that can help you choose a diversity of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Berries are berry delicious — and they also have stunning health benefits, from helping to prevent cancer to protecting your brain from dementia. Just make sure that you aren’t subverting their inherent goodness by drowning them in sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. In this article, we’ll look at how to love berries in ways that love you back.

For decades, some health influencers have waged what’s practically amounted to a PR campaign against soy products. Because soy contains phytoestrogens, which are structurally very similar to the estrogen produced by the human body, these influencers argue that soy is a dangerous food that can cause cancer and other diseases by upsetting our natural hormonal balance. Recent research, however, increasingly shows that phytoestrogens may actually be good for you. So what’s the truth about phytoestrogens? What foods, in addition to soy, contain them? And should you include or avoid them in a balanced, healthy diet?

Pineapples can be a delicious part of a health-promoting diet. They’re sweet, flavorful, and versatile, and they contain a powerful enzyme that’s attracted the interest of the nutritional sciences. But are there ethical or environmental downsides to the “King of Fruits”?

Sesame seeds have gone from bun-decorating garnish to culinary stardom, as the Asian and Middle Eastern cultures that feature them have gone global. But are they good for you? And what can you do with them, aside from putting them on burger or sushi rolls? In this article, we’ll say “open sesame” to a cave of seed-based goodness.

Cabbage is an underappreciated vegetable with a reputation for a strong smell and a pedestrian taste. Which is a pity because cabbage has a lot to offer in terms of health, nutrition, and flavor. Plus, there are plenty of delicious ways to prepare cabbage for maximal enjoyment.

Vitamin E is one of the antioxidant heroes of our diet, helping to support immunity, fight free radicals, and possibly prevent heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. But does that mean you should take vitamin E supplements, or try to get vitamin E largely from your diet? And what are the best food sources of this powerhouse nutrient?

Nitrates and nitrites are in some of the healthiest and unhealthiest foods around. So what’s the deal? Are nitrates bad? Should we avoid nitrates and nitrites whenever possible? Does the source matter? This article summarizes what you need to know to get the good out of these compounds while avoiding the bad.

GMOs — or genetically modified organisms — are a lightning-rod issue. For some, GMO crops represent the height of human ingenuity, and anyone who says otherwise is a science denier. For others, GMOs represent an unprecedented and irreversible experiment on the entirety of life on earth, as we place the power to create life into the hands of transnational corporations whose agenda is monopolistic control of the global food supply. But what is a GMO, where are they found, and how concerned should you be?

The word malnutrition is most often used to describe diets that are deficient in calories or essential nutrients. Chances are you’ve heard it used in that context — associated with starvation and extreme poverty. But that is only one side of malnutrition…