Heart Disease

I am going to be in a 100-mile bike race in July and have heard that some caffeine may help me last longer and go faster. Is that true? If so, how much caffeine should I take? Sports researchers have studied the positive effects of small amounts of caffeine on athletes by reducing fatigue. Caffeine-containing...

I am concerned about caffeine consumption during pregnancy . I would like to know how much caffeine is in chocolate products such as plain dark chocolate, chocolate ice cream and chocolate milk? Is there caffeine in other less obvious food items? Also, what is a safe amount of caffeine during pregnancy? Is there a...

My blood pressure (systolic) is rising surprisingly (usually 130 or less, now up to 145 over the last month or so). We have changed our diet to lots of pasta, (controlling the calories) and less (very much less) meat. This is not a healthy move, just cooking from a great cookbook which has the...

I have been hearing a lot about how dangerous trans fat is, but with no explanation of what it is. Is it the same as hydrogenated fat? Polyunsaturated oils that are hydrogenated can contain some trans fat, but it depends on the hydrogenation process that was used. Trans fat results when healthy polyunsaturated oil (soybean)...

We are updating our information on diet and have the following information on our web page. We would very much appreciate your reviewing this information for accuracy. We would also like to add a link from our site to yours. Beverages containing alcohol are converted into fat and are high in calories. People with diabetes...

We were wondering several things. We are concerned about the health risks of caffeine and wonder if you could tell us how the caffeine content of soda, chocolate and decaf compares to coffee (how many milligrams of caffeine for one serving of each?) Also, we have heard caffeine depletes calcium content. is this true?...

Thank you for responding so quickly. The answers to some of your questions: I do notice the swelling when my hands are down at my side. No the swelling does not occur while I am sleeping it usually occurs around 7:00 P.M. or 8:00 P.M.. I don't like Asian foods and I do...

I eat a balanced diet except I concentrate on the fat content. If it's available in non-fat such as milk or cheese, that's what I buy and eat. My fat intake is typically between 5 and 10% of my calories. I do weight train and do cardio workouts three times a week. Is my...

I recently had a cholesterol blood test performed and I wanted to ask a few questions. First of all, my results: Total cholesterol 187 milligrams per deciliter Triglycerides 360 milligrams per deciliter HDL cholesterol 29 milligrams per deciliter LDL cholesterol 86 milligrams per deciliter I understand that my total cholesterol below 200 is okay, HDL...

I have an avocado tree. I've heard avocados are fatty, so limit myself to a half one per day. Recently I read they are a good source of protein, so I would eat more if it made sense. Considering the pros and cons, just what would be a sensible, regular use of avocados in...