....how markedly ideas about food’s healthfulness have changed over the years. Chemical preservatives went from being triumphs of modern science to poisons. Whole milk has swung back and forth like a pendulum. Yoghurt experienced boom, bust and revival. Margarine went from “heart-healthy” to artery-clogging. And now we are told that salt, historically regarded as absolutely essential to human existence, is swinging the grim reaper’s scythe.

And then there’s the story of fat...

Additional insights into the health implications of trans fats were recently released by a global team of scientists who studied the differences between naturally occurring and industrial trans fats.

Most Americans (52 percent) have concluded that figuring out their income taxes is easier than knowing what they should and shouldn’t eat to be healthier, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2012 Food & Health Survey.

While consumer concerns about fats appears to be waning, the percentage of Americans blaming sugars for their expanding waistlines has almost doubled since last year, according to new research.

America is home of the “supersize”, drink and food portions that to non-Americans defy any sense of what is normal or appropriate. Recent research suggests that many people may subconsciously buy giant packages and servings because doing so makes them feel more important.

Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets - like the Atkins diet - have been popular among dieters for years. For just as long, experts have worried that such diets might be harmful to the kidneys. A study appearing in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) looks into these safety concerns and has found that this popular weight-loss strategy unharmful for the kidneys of obese individuals without kidney disease.

Bananas have long been a favourite source of energy for endurance and recreational athletes. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and other nutrients, and are easy for cyclists, runners or hikers to carry. A new US study shows they're better than sports beverages.

Researchers at the University of California at Davis are teaming up with a herd of goats to attack the world’s second leading cause of childhood death. The target: diarrhoea. The weapon: goat’s milk.