Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence is a strong indicator for present and future cardiovascular, metabolic, skeletal and mental health. To aid in the development of screening protocols that could help identify young people most in need of improved fitness, researchers from the HELENA project have derived age and sex specific normative values for physical fitness in European adolescents.

Will caffeinated drinks make you dehydrated? Should you limit egg consumption or avoid cooking vegetables? Can eating certain nutrients at certain times of the day help you lose weight? Fact is not always easy to distinguish from fiction.

Emerging research suggests some saturated fats carry out important functions in the body. However, this does not counteract the advice that people should reduce saturated fat consumption.

The beneficial effects of consuming omega-3 fatty acids are well publicised, but omega-6 fatty acids feature far less in the news. So what are fatty acids and why is it important that we get the balance right?

Cholesterol often gets a bad press and, in a way, that is right because a high level of bad cholesterol in your blood is a major risk factor for heart disease. A healthy balanced lifestyle and diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease, but cholesterol also plays a vital role in keeping the body healthy.

There has been much interest in the role of selenium in recent years. As intakes have drifted downwards in Europe, concern has been expressed that marginal deficiencies may be putting us at greater risk of developing chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. But is this the case and what should be done about it?

Salt is the common name we use for sodium chloride (NaCl). Salt is essential for life and for good health. High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and stroke. It is related to high sodium and low potassium intakes, but can recommendations to reduce our salt intakes make a difference?

Dietary guidelines say that we should eat fat in moderation and include lots of fruit, vegetables and grains in our meals. The recent results of the largest ever dietary intervention trial did not demonstrate a beneficial effect of such recommendations on the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Or did it? In reality, the interpretation of this milestone study needs nuanced careful interpretation.

For nearly 50 years it has been known that plant sterols and stanols, also called phytosterols and phytostanols, lower blood cholesterol levels by partly blocking absorption of cholesterol in the gut. Now, they are widely available in a range of food products for those who want to lower their cholesterol levels.

Syndrome X – it sounds like a scary disease associated with aliens and science-fiction movies however, this disorder is affecting more and more Europeans. Syndrome X, also known as the metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance syndrome, has been linked to rising levels of obesity and declines in the levels of physical activity.

Many factors are responsible for high blood pressure and one frequently mentioned in this context is salt. Is there a connection?