Latest Evidence in Foods
Does Turmeric help improve eyesight? Is Quinoa good for you? Should you be eating more Cacao powder? The internet is full of claims that eating this food or that one will incur special health benefits.
In the Foods section our academics and medical professionals investigate claims like these & provide answers according to the research. Armed with this information you can avoid hype, save money, and help friends and family make wiser decisions when it comes to their health.

22 Studies Show Drinking Kefir Has These Two Health Benefits

Humankind has enjoyed fermented dairy drinks like kefir for centuries. A 2011 review entitled "Kefir and Health: a contemporary perspective" promotes kefir for "antimicrobial activity, better gut health, anticarcinogenic activity, control on serum glucose and...

You’d Have to Eat a Lot of Kimchi to Get Any Health Benefits

A new restaurant specializing in kimchi is about to open in my neighborhood. It is the first of its kind in my little corner of the world. Nestled between a really good Hawaiian health food restaurant and an award-winning Indian restaurant, the obvious question is why...

26 Scientific Studies Show Raw Honey Has Some Health Benefits

Ever wonder why Winnie the Pooh loves honey so much? Is it just a comfort food? Or does honey have actual proven health benefits, too? Honey has been used in the treatment of a wide range of disorders including eye diseases, asthma, cough, sleep disturbances, throat...

What are the Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper? 25 Studies Reviewed

I first came across culinary medicine as a child. We were on a family holiday and befriended a family of Indian descent who had been displaced from their farmland in Uganda by Idi Amin. At selected times during the day, the family would take specific spices and herbs...

Research Suggests Fish Oil Supplements Do Not Have Health Benefits

My wife and I rescued a dog at the beginning of the summer. The best dog, it turns out. And in an effort to improve her already-beautiful black and tan coat, we bought fish oil capsules that can be opened and squeezed onto her food before she eats it. An online...

Does Eating Celery Have Health Benefits? 26 Research Papers Reviewed

In my misspent youth, I foolishly attended a number of super boring networking events. I have clear memories of nibbling celery stalks (or "crudites" as we like to say in Europe) while desperately pretending to feign indifference to other high calorie, delicious,...

The Cabbage Soup Diet Is Easy to Follow but Does It Mean You Should?

What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet? The cabbage soup diet has been around in various forms since the 1980’s. Although it has been called other names, such as the Mayo Clinic Cabbage Soup Diet and the Sacred Heart Hospital Diet, it is not associated in any way with these...

Does Eating Medjool Dates Have Health Benefits? 18 Studies Reviewed

Dates are considered as one of the oldest and most ancient crops in Southwest Asia and Northern Africa. Dates have been cultivated and utilized as an important staple food as far back as 5500-3000 BC [1]. Medjool dates are but one of the hundreds of varieties of...

40 Scientific Studies Show Bacopa Has This One Health Benefit

Although many Americans only know bacopa as a plant found in aquariums, Bacopa monnieri has been used as a medicinal herb in Ayurvedic Medicine for many hundreds of years. It’s been used for a variety of health conditions including memory and brain-related disorders,...

Licorice Root Has Negative Side Effects Rather Than Health Benefits

Dark, sticky, chewy licorice conjures up memories of childhood for many adults. Licorice makes me think of "trick or treating" on cold winter nights, odd-looking licorice, all sorts of candy figures, and tangy, bittersweet sherbets. Licorice has an unusual status in...