Aphrodisiacs have been used by every culture from the ancient Persians to the Aztecs to boost sexual desire. But do these supposed love potions really work?
Food & Drink
Energy Drinks May Harm Health, Especially for Children
Energy drinks are a staple among college students and club kids, and they’re even becoming ubiquitous in many American households. But a new report, published Monday by the journal Pediatrics, suggests that energy drinks may be …
Diet Soda May Lead to Stroke Risk? Really?
When you grab a diet soda instead of the full-sugar version, you might think you’re making the healthy choice — and you are, at least when it comes to your weight. But according to a new study, people who drink diet soda …
The Updated Egg: Less Cholesterol, But Is It a ‘Healthy’ Food?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday that in its routine reevaluations of the nutritional content of foods, it discovered that domestic chicken eggs — which hadn’t been looked at since 2002 — has had …
Obesity: The First Lady Takes on the NRA (No, Not That NRA)
Of all the safe, healthy, can’t-we-all-get-along causes First Lady Michelle Obama could have made her focus, you’d think childhood obesity would be an easy one.
To Quench Your Thirst, Reach for Tea Instead of Water
Thirsty? You might want to consider a steaming cup of tea. In a survey of existing research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the authors report that not only does tea rehydrate and quench your thirst as …
Is PepsiCo Getting in the Health Food Game?
What if major food corporations used their formidable resources for good? Good nutrition, that is. That’s the driving principle behind PepsiCo’s new New Haven–based research laboratory.
Why Chocoholics Should Hug the Nearest Geneticist
The cacao tree, which grows the fruit that turns into chocolate, is one of the oldest cultivated trees on the planet. Over 3,000 years ago, the Mayans domesticated what is thought to be the highest quality variety, Theobroma cacao.
Study: Caffeine Doesn’t Make Children’s Bed-Wetting Worse
It’s certainly not news that children are drinking more soda today than they ever have. That also means they’re consuming much more caffeine, whether from carbonated beverages or sports drinks. Which might also mean that more …
Mom and Consumer Group Sue McDonald’s For Luring Kids with Happy Meal Toys
In conjunction with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Monet Parham, a 41-year-old mother of two, filed a class action against McDonald’s on Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court, claiming that the fast …
Study: Kids Eat Less Sugar If They’re Allowed to Sweeten their Own Cereal
Last year, I wrote about a study that showed cereal companies market the cereals with the sugariest nutritional profiles to kids, essentially encouraging children to choose Froot Loops over, say, Cheerios.
Consumer Reports Warns Pregnant Women Against Canned Tuna
Pregnant women and children have long been warned that they should be wary of eating certain kinds of seafood because of the risk of mercury contamination.
Alcoholic Whipped Cream: Another Binge Drink in a Can?
Four Loko is so last season. There’s a new faddish booze-infused product whipping up interest from public-health experts: alcoholic whipped cream.