What’s a secret to possibly preventing heart disease, diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease?

There are many effective strategies for reducing your risk, ranging from getting regular exercise and watching your diet to avoiding cigarettes and controlling your cholesterol.

But another measure has been emerging as a prevention powerhouse, one that is rarely discussed – and still frequently overlooked – by many health-conscious individuals.

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I can’t say the same for egg nog, fruit cake, sugar plums or figgy pudding, but if you indulge a bit this holiday season on dark chocolate, take heart.

Consuming a modest amount of dark chocolate – about one small square of it two or three times a week – is actually good for you, new research indicates.

Scientists had already determined that moderate amounts of dark chocolate have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.

But a new Italian study of thousands of men and women found that it also appears to markedly reduce levels of C-reactive protein – a measure of inflammation in the body that has been tied to heart disease.

“It is enough to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease for one third in women and one fourth in men,” said lead researcher Dr. Romina di Giuseppe in a written statement. “It is undoubtedly a remarkable outcome.”

Eating just a little bit of the bittersweet chocolate significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, researchers found.

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There’s been much ado lately about bisphenol-A, a chemical used in the packaging of some foods and drinks – and found in the bodies of 93 percent of Americans.

While some scientists insist it is impossible to say that BPA is safe, others say there isn’t enough evidence yet to conclude that it’s unsafe.

Among the research studies raising eyebrows – and concerns that consumers may be better off avoiding the substance: a large study published in September, the first to link BPA to heart disease and type 2 diabetes in humans.

Researchers found that the 25 percent of the adult population with the highest BPA levels were more than twice as likely to have heart disease or diabetes as the 25 percent with the lowest BPA levels. High BPA levels were also linked to liver enzyme abnormalities.

“Our study has revealed, for the first time, an association between raised BPA loads and two common diseases in adults,” said David Melzer, one of the study’s authors, in a written statement. “At the moment we can’t be absolutely sure that BPA is the direct cause of the extra cases of heart disease and diabetes: if it is, some cases of these serious conditions could be prevented by reducing BPA exposure.”

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Hot flashes, a common and annoying rite of passage for many women entering menopause, may truly be something to sweat over.

Long seen as a nuisance, an unavoidable quality-of-life issue, hot flashes have been linked to insomnia, irritability and depressed mood, not to mention soaking bedsheets. But now there’s increasing evidence that hot flashes may have medical implications as well.

The habitual flushing and perspiration many women have come to dread may actually be a harbinger – a warning – of heart disease.

A series of studies has helped put some – but not all – of the pieces together on this puzzling physiological phenomenon.

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An apple a day isn’t enough anymore. Now you also need to think fish or flaxseed in your diet to help keep the doctor away. That is why Navigenics has new recommendations to encourage our members to be sure they get enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids aren’t snake oil, promising to cure all ills; rather, they are oils from fish or certain nuts and plants, and researchers have found strong evidence that they have many potential health benefits.

These polyunsaturated fatty acids are found primarily in fish and fish oils, but also in some plant-based oils, such as canola oil or flaxseed oil, and certain leafy green vegetables, including spinach, kale, broccoli and seaweed.  They are essential to human health, but cannot be made by the body. That is why it is so important for people to make sure they get sufficient amounts of them through diet or supplements—and to know how much they need.

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If you consider yourself fairly trim—perhaps a woman who is 5’7’’ and weighs about 135 to 140 pounds, or a man who measures an even 6 feet and weighs 170 pounds—you may think you don’t have to worry about your weight and your health. You may need to think again.

We’ve all been trained to assume that a lower BMI, or Body Mass Index, always equals better health. But recent research from the Mayo Clinic says what really matters is body fat, not weight or BMI. You may appear to be in pretty good shape, but form isn’t always an accurate indicator of body fat. And if you carry a relatively high percentage of body fat – more than 20 percent for men or 30 percent for women—you may still be at increased risk for serious health problems such as diabetes or heart disease. 

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