DEAR DOCTOR K: I recently read that fiber doesn’t prevent colorectal cancer. So is a high-fiber diet good for you or not?
DEAR READER: Many claims have been made about the health benefits of fiber. Yet studies have disagreed. With all the back and forth, I can understand why people are confused. And why they sometimes tune out and say, “Call me when you’ve discovered the truth.”
DEAR DOCTOR K: It seems most people now agree that some carbohydrates are good for us. Are there rules of thumb for choosing carbs wisely?
DEAR READER: In yesterday’s column, I ranted about some misinformation we’ve all heard: Fats are bad for you and carbohydrates (“carbs”) are good. That’s just plain wrong. We all need fats and carbs in our diets.
DEAR DOCTOR K: All fats were once considered bad. Now there are good fats and bad fats. How can I tell the difference?
DEAR READER: You’ve asked a great question. For years, you probably heard that fats were bad for you and carbohydrates (“carbs”) were good. That is wrong. We all need both fats and carbs in our diet. There are no proven health benefits, in general, from substituting carbs for fats.
DEAR DOCTOR K: I enjoy eating fish, and I know that doing so can keep me healthier. But how worried should I be about mercury and other pollutants in fish?
DEAR READER: Fish ranks way up there on the list of healthful foods we should be eating. It’s an excellent source of protein, and its healthy oils protect against cardiovascular disease. A diet rich in seafood benefits the brain and the heart. But depending on the species and the water it was harvested from, fish comes with a catch.
DEAR DOCTOR K: I’ve read many times that eating slowly can help a person eat less and lose weight. I’ve tried this approach recently, and I do find it helps keep me satisfied, even when eating smaller portions. What is the mechanism behind this — or is it all in my head?
DEAR READER: It’s true … and it is all in your head (and your gut). Let me explain. Why do we get hungry? And when we eat a meal, why at some point do we feel full? Until recently, we had no idea. We knew that appetite must be lodged in the brain. But how does the brain decide to feel hungry, or to feel full?
DEAR DOCTOR K: I know how to eat healthily. But as with other things in my life, getting organized enough to eat that way every day has been a challenge. Do you have any tips?
DEAR READER: You’ve hit on a fundamental problem with successfully making healthy changes. Knowing what the healthy choices are is just the first step. If you aren’t organized enough to put those choices into practice, you won’t reap the health benefits.
DEAR DOCTOR K: I have two daughters, ages 8 and 12. They both claim they’re “too old” to drink milk. How can I make sure they get enough calcium?
DEAR READER: You’re right to be concerned. Unfortunately, many children don’t get enough calcium, and they need it to build strong bones and teeth. As your kids grow, they are also growing the bones they will have for the rest of their lives. How strong those bones are by the time they become adults will strongly affect their risk for developing thin bones (osteoporosis) later in life, which can lead to fractures. Most of the bone growth occurs in the teenage years, but getting enough calcium is important for younger kids, too.
DEAR DOCTOR K: My 12-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son are both overweight. What can I do to help my kids get back to a healthier weight?
DEAR READER: Some of my patients seem to think that it doesn’t matter how much their pre-teen and teenage kids eat, so long as the kids keep growing normally. And by “growing” they’re thinking about height, not width. They think that you don’t need to watch what you eat until you become an adult. Why? Because that’s when the diseases associated with obesity — heart attacks, strokes, diabetes — hit you.
DEAR DOCTOR K: I know I should be eating fish regularly, but I don’t like fish. Is it OK to eat shellfish instead?
DEAR READER: Eating fish several times a week is good for your heart, and may also be good for your brain. Fish has plenty of protein and omega-3 fats (“good” fats). While this has not been absolutely proven, most nutritional scientists believe that it is the omega-3 fats in fish that make them heart-healthy.
DEAR DOCTOR K: I try to eat a balanced diet but don’t always succeed. Should I take a single vitamin supplement? How about a multivitamin?
DEAR READER: This apparently simple question is tough to answer. Here’s why. In the past 200 years, doctors discovered several diseases that were caused by severe deficiencies of particular vitamins. An example is scurvy, a disease that was caused by lack of vitamin C.
Dr. Anthony Komaroff is a practicing physician, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Editor in Chief of Harvard Health Publications. Learn more »
Harvard Health Publications is the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, providing the general public with authoritative, trustworthy, and accessible health information. Learn more »
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