SA Special Editions

Ever wonder why dessert is served after dinner? The origins of modern Western cooking can be traced to ideas about diet and nutrition that arose during the 17th century

Dietary guides introduced in 1992 and 2005 have led people astray. Some fats are healthy for the heart, and many carbohydrates clearly are not

Three decades of research shows that drinking small to moderate amounts of alcohol has cardiovascular benefits. A thorny issue for physicians is whether to recommend drinking to some patients

Even the meat and potatoes are being reinvented: the meat could come from a test tube, and the potatoes could ward off cholera

More than half the foods in U.S. supermarkets contain genetically modified ingredients. Have they been proved safe for human consumption?

Are genetically modified crops an environmental dream come true or a disaster in the making? Scientists are looking for answers

One day children may get immunized by munching on foods instead of enduring shots. More important, food vaccines might save millions who now die for lack of access to traditional inoculants

Eating less--while maintaining adequate nutrition--is a recipe for longer life in many animals. Might it help humans as well?

In government laboratories and elsewhere, scientists are seeking a drug able to prolong life and youthful vigor. Studies of calorie restriction are showing the way

A handful of genes that control the body's defenses during hard times can also dramatically improve health and prolong life in diverse organisms. Understanding how they work may reveal the keys to extending human life span while banishing diseases of old age

Dissenting researchers accuse government and medical authorities--as well as the media--of misleading the public about the health consequences of rising body weights

Eating disorders cripple--literally--millions of young women, in large part because treatments are not always effective or accessible