And the Best Diet Is...

Diet giant now emphasizes unprocessed foods

(USER SUBMITTED) - Weight Watchers has totally overhauled its legendary points system to reflect changing perceptions about how the body processes food, the first change since its inception in 1997, the New York Times is reporting. Fruits, veggies, and whole foods are generally good, meaning points free, while processed foods should be eaten less. More»

Brown rice lowers risk of developing disease; more study needed

(NEWSER) - People who frequently eat white rice are at greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who eat less than one serving a month. But rice isn't all bad: Eating the brown variety lowers the likelihood of developing the disease, new research shows. Replacing white rice serving-for-serving with brown rice lowers diabetes risk by 16%, and substituting whole grains—unprocessed grains such as wheat, oats, and barley as well as brown rice—cuts the risk by a whopping 36%. More»

They won't help your waistline or your teeth

(NEWSER) - A growing number of Americans are turning to sugar-free cookies, soda, gum, and candy to help them lose weight. But unless you're diabetic, sugar-free sweets are probably a bad dietary move, the LA Times reports. Here are some of the reasons why:

• In most cases, the calorie difference is negligible: While two regular Oreos have 107 calories, two fat-free Oreos have 100.

88-year-old woman was eating 2 to 3 pounds of raw cabbage daily

(NEWSER) - An 88-year-old woman who took "eat your vegetables" a little too seriously wound up in the hospital after several months on a diet that included 2 to 3 pounds of raw bok choy per day. The patient was attempting to treat her diabetes, but she consumed so much of an enzyme present in the raw cabbage—cooking renders it harmless—that she developed a thyroid condition known as a myxedema coma. More»

Small amount of dark chocolate daily lowers heart attack, stroke risk

(NEWSER) - Eating small amounts of chocolate may lower your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, according to new research out today. In a study of 19,000 middle-aged subjects, German scientists noted lower blood pressure in those who ate the most chocolate, accompanied by a 39% lower risk of heart attack and stroke compared to those who ate the least. More»