If you wind up in the emergency room with a minor injury, the likelihood you will be prescribed unnecessary opioids may depend on where the hospital is located, new research suggests. For example, such prescriptions were much less likely to be offered in hospitals in Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and North Dakota, while…  read on >

A study of more than 3,500 French psoriasis patients found that the healthier their diet, the less severe their symptoms. Specifically, the closer an individual adhered to the nutritious “Mediterranean” diet, the less onerous their psoriasis became. This was true regardless of whether or not the patient was obese, the French researchers noted. The Mediterranean…  read on >

There’s no shortage of good diet advice, but the following tips have scientific research to support them. For starters, take the advice to never go shopping hungry one step further by eating a piece of fruit before you go. Researchers found this encouraged people to buy 25 percent more produce. It’s always a good idea…  read on >

Whole grains are an important part of a balanced diet and can help reduce your risk of developing some chronic diseases. Grains are a source of fiber, several B vitamins, and minerals such as iron, magnesium and selenium, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says. The agency mentions these possible advantages to adding more grains to…  read on >

Fiber — derived from plant-based foods — has a number of health benefits including aiding digestion, helping you feel fuller longer and helping to curb overeating, the American Academy of Family Physicians says. Depending on your age and gender, you should get between 21 grams and 38 grams of fiber daily. Here are the academy’s…  read on >

If you feel less than satisfied on a restricted-calorie diet, a protein boost just might be the answer. According to numerous studies, a diet with more protein than the typical 15 percent of calories will leave you feeling fuller and help conserve muscle as you lose fat. While high-protein diets typically get about 40 percent…  read on >

Antioxidants are substances in food that may delay or prevent some types of cell damage. Fruit and vegetables are prime sources of antioxidants, which include vitamin C, selenium and beta-carotene, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) says. While antioxidants haven’t been shown definitively to prevent disease, studies have shown that people who eat more…  read on >

Gluten-free foods are one of the latest nutritional trends, with many parents assuming foods with a gluten-free label are healthier than foods with gluten. But new research says that’s just not true, unless your child truly must avoid gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley and rye — due to celiac disease or other…  read on >

Chemicals used to preserve, package and enhance food can harm children’s health, a leading pediatricians’ group says. A growing mound of scientific evidence has linked these chemicals to changes in children’s hormone systems, which can alter their normal development and increase their risk of childhood obesity, the new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement…  read on >

The average American gets more than 200 calories a day from sugary drinks, Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health says. That’s more than four times the average amount in 1965. The thirst for sugary drinks is contributing to the diabetes and obesity epidemics, the school says. Here are its suggestions for getting less…  read on >