You may be familiar with the “superfood” known as mangosteen. Read along as EN examines this ancient fruit and determines if the health hype meets the evidence. Overview. Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand, and India. However, it wasn’t until 2007 … Read More
The Folklore. Sweet potato or yam? Most likely, it’s a sweet potato. The most common varieties of sweet potato in the U.S. have smooth orange or red skin, orange flesh, and a sweet flavor. Yams, which are rare in American grocery stores, have rough brown skin, starchy white flesh, and … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Beet, or beetroot, supplements are gaining quite a following for a number of apparent health benefits, including increased energy, improved physical performance, and reductions in blood pressure. Because they’re made from beets, the colorful root vegetables rich in nutrients and powerful health-promoting plant compounds, beet supplements may be a desirable … Read More
As cold season gets into full swing, conversations over how to avoid becoming sick are a dime a dozen. Those dimes are adding up to big profit for vitamin and dietary supplement manufacturers. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements estimates that Americans spent approximately $55.7 billion dollars … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Greens powders have long been a fixture on supplement shelves. With a little help from social media, their popularity has exploded. The market for greens powders is estimated to reach nearly $400 million in the US—that’s double its value since 2018! A lot of us are giving them a try, … Read More
To understand what antioxidants do, you have to start with a little molecule called a free radical. Free radicals are naturally made in your body when your cells make energy from foods you eat and when you use energy during exercise. Free radicals can also occur when your cells are … Read More
Gummy vitamins come in different flavors. They are easy to chew and swallow. They taste good. The label says they have the same vitamins as pill vitamins, so what could go wrong? Gummy vitamins taste better because they are basically gummy candies with vitamins added. The ingredients include gelatin, corn … Read More
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, iron deficiency anemia affects from 4 to 5 million Americans. It is most common in children and women. Worldwide, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency. [1] Iron is essential for health because it is needed to form proteins called hemoglobin … Read More
It would be great if there was an over-the-counter supplement that would boost your immune system enough to prevent a cold or the flu. Unfortunately, according to Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health, there are no proven benefits to supplements for the immune system. In fact, the whole idea of boosting … Read More
Oatmeal has been a popular choice for a healthy breakfast in America for over 150 years, but our busy schedules these days often prevent us from preparing it in the traditional way. Food manufacturers addressed the issue in the 1960s by introducing instant oatmeal, which cut the cooking time to … Read More
