Stay Active for a Healthy Heart

People in their 70s can likely lower their risk of stroke and heart attack with regular moderate exercise such as walking, according to a Tufts study, which provides some of the first evidence that continuing to exercise as we age really does make a difference.

The cause of nearly a third of all deaths, cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, more than a third of all adults have some form of the disease, including about half of people over age 60.

If You Build It, They Will Come

As the sedan cruises around a Massachusetts town, Mark Fenton juts his arm out of the passenger window like a zealous tourist, snapping seemingly random photos of crosswalks, traffic signs, rollerbladers, trash cans, jay walkers. The car comes to a stop, and Fenton sprints off, jogging down a bike trail to see what it connects to, what businesses are nearby, what drinking fountains and mile markers he can see.

Research Impact: Coconut Oil

A new inter-disciplinary study led by researchers at Tufts University found that coconut oil effectively controlled the overgrowth of a fungal pathogen called Candida albicans (C. albicans) in mice. In humans, high levels of C. albicans in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to bloodstream infections, including invasive candidiasis.

Sustaining Development

Drs. Beatrice Rogers and Jennifer Coates have released the high-level results of a four-country, multi-year study of the sustainability of development gains from several USAID Office of Food for Peace (FFP) development food assistance projects.

The study was funded by FFP and implemented through the Friedman School in partnership with the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III Project (FANTA).

Sasha Chanoff: Changing the Face of Humanitarian Assistance

After years of working with large non-profits and government agencies to help refugees in war-torn parts of Africa, Sasha Chanoff, N04, had seen too many victims of combat and violence who were left behind by resettlement operations. "I wanted to move out beyond what was being done already to try to find new ways of helping people," he said. So Chanoff, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance Program (MAHA), co-founded RefugePoint.

Daily Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Habit Linked to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

A daily sugar-sweetened beverage habit may increase the risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University report today in the Journal of Hepatology.

Farming for Peace

For Major Jessica McCoy, V98, N05, the symbol of peace is not a dove but a chicken. Stationed in Iraq since May 2007, McCoy, an Army veterinarian, is part of a State Department-led reconstruction team whose goal is to help revive Iraq’s domestic poultry industry. If successful, Operation Chicken Run (as the project is affectionately known) will not only improve the quality of the Iraqi diet but also create jobs and promote inter-tribal cooperation, says McCoy.

Cancer and Nutrition

A new study from Friedman's Fang Fang Zhang compared the dietary patterns of cancer survivors to federal guidelines, and found that they often fall short. Published in CANCER this week, and covered by the Los Angeles Times, her findings point to the need for dietary interventions in this vulnerable population. 

New Entry Sustainable Farming Project

New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, an initiative of Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and additional partners, works locally, regionally, and across the country to strengthen local food systems by supporting new farmers. They serve and collaborate with the people, communities, and organizations in Massachusetts, the Northeast, and beyond. 

Sugary Drinks Linked to High Death Tolls Worldwide

Consumption of sugary drinks may lead to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year worldwide, according to research published today in  the journal Circulation and previously presented as an abstract at the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention in 2013.