Is coffee a health elixir or an addictive toxin?  The evidence goes both ways. But a study from Rutgers University now casts another vote for the health benefits of coffee.  It finds that in addition to drinking that morning cup, you may even want to bathe in some coffee as a way of preventing harmful sun damage or skin cancer.

The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, supports the theory that caffeine guards against certain skin cancers at the molecular level by inhibiting a protein enzyme in the skin known as ATR. Based on lab experiments on mice, scientists think caffeine applied directly to the skin might help prevent damaging UV light from causing skin cancer.

Because coffee contains antioxidants (and is probably the greatest source of antioxidants in the standard American diet), it was previously associated with reduced cancer risk. Prior research indicated that mice fed caffeinated water and exposed to UVB radiation (which damaged the DNA in their skin cells) were able to kill off a greater percentage of their badly damaged cells and reduce the risk of cells becoming cancerous.

Women face a dilemma when it comes to alcohol.  Some studies find benefits, some find risks. 

One study from the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital finds that women in midlife who drink one alcoholic beverage per day of any kind may be healthier as they get older than women who do not drink at all.

But more is not better because those drinking one a day are also healthier than those who consume more than two drinks a day, or those who consume four drinks or more at one time.

The study suggests that in women, regular, moderate alcohol consumption during middle age (average age 58 years) is related to good overall health in those who live to 70 years and beyond. "Good overall health" is defined as having no major chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes, and no major cognitive and physical impairment, or mental health limitations. The authors call this "successful aging."

The researchers found that women who drank 5-15 grams of alcohol per day (between a 1/3 and 1 drink per day) had about a 20% higher chance of good overall health when older compared to non-drinkers. Furthermore, women who drank alcohol regularly had a better chance of good overall health when older than occasional drinkers.  Compared to women who didn't drink at all, women who drank five to seven days a week had almost 50% greater chance of good overall health when older.

Great news for potato lovers: they may be a health food after all. Although many people now think of potatoes as fattening, starchy and one of those white foods to avoid, research shows that just a couple of servings a day reduces blood pressure almost as much as oatmeal  - without causing weight gain.

But don't get carried away. The potatoes in the study were not fried or served with ketchup or sour cream and bacon bits. They were instead cooked without oil in a microwave oven. Some might argue that potatoes aren't even edible like that.   

The research was done on a group of overweight people with high blood pressure and the results were presented at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Joe Vinson, Ph.D. of the University of Scranton headed the research and is hoping to remake the potato's sad nutritional image.  He points out that most people think of potatoes as fattening, high-carb, and basically empty calories.  That's why more than any other vegetable, they've been abandoned by many health conscious people.  But Vinson points out that when prepared without frying or fat, one potato has only 110 calories and dozens of healthful phytochemicals and vitamins.

Ask anyone to name the one food that is best for building strong bones and you will, of course, hear overwhelmingly that it is milk. But not so fast - when it comes to improving bone health in postmenopausal women — and people of all ages for that matter — one researcher says prunes are a superstar for preventing fractures and osteoporosis.

Bahram H. Arjmandi, a Florida State professor and chairman of the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, tested 100 postmenopausal women over a 12-month period. One group of 55 women was instructed to consume 100 grams of dried plums (about 10 prunes) each day, while the second control group of 45 women was told to consume 100 grams of dried apples. All of the study's participants also received daily doses of calcium (500 milligrams) and vitamin D (400 international units).

The results of the study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that the women eating prunes had significantly higher bone mineral density in the ulna (one of two long bones in the forearm) and spine, compared to the dried apple group. Arjmandi attributes the effect in part to the ability of prunes to suppress the rate of bone resorption, or the breakdown of bone, which tends to exceed the rate of new bone growth as people age.

Arjmandi recommends eating up to 10 prunes a day.  After years of comparing them to other fruits including figs, dates, strawberries and raisins, he says prunes are exceptional in their effect on bone mineral density.  That's not a surprising statement considering that his research was funded in part by the California Dried Plum Board.  But is it really true?   

The real bone magic in prunes is their high concentration of polyphenols.  These are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce bone loss.  And prunes are a good source of boron and copper, two trace minerals important in the formation of bones.

Are toys, pacifiers and even shampoo driving the epidemic of childhood obesity? 

Researchers from the Children's Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between a class of chemical substances known as "phthalates" and obesity in young children.

Phthalates are man-made chemicals that disrupt your endocrine system because they mimic the body's natural hormones. They are commonly used in building materials like plastic flooring and wall coverings, food processing materials and medical devices. They are also found in many personal-care products such as shampoos, nail polish, deodorants, fragrances, hair gels, mousses, hairsprays, and hand and body lotions.  Children's toys and some pacifiers are known to contain phthalates which help soften the plastics used in the manufacturing. 

You've heard the saying "Life is short.  Eat dessert first."  Do you know anyone who always wants to order dessert first when out to dinner...just in case? Perhaps you are that person.

Take it one step further.  Instead of just eating dessert before dinner, why not eat it before lunch? How about chocolate cake at breakfast?

If that sounds like a diet disaster, think again. Research from Tel Aviv University presented at a meeting of the Endocrine Society finds that eating dessert as part of a balanced 600 calorie breakfast can help you lose weight and keep it off for the long haul.

Olive oil has been a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet for thousands of years and is well known as a heart healthy fat. A study published online in Neurology now suggests that consuming olive oil may also help prevent strokes in older people.

The research was conducted in France at the University of Bordeaux and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in Bordeaux.  The researchers were so excited by their results that they suggested a new set of dietary recommendations to prevent stroke in people 65 and older.  Stroke is very common in older people and they believe olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it.

Parsley is well known for decorating a plate, freshening your breath and getting stuck in your teeth.  But did you know that it is also a cancer crusader?  Research shows this tiny green may stop the growth of breast cancer tumors associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy.

The use of synthetic progestins as part of hormone replacement therapy has been clearly linked to an increase in breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.  

In a study published in Cancer Prevention Research scientists exposed rats to apigenin, a common flavonoid found in parsley, other plants, fruits and nuts.  The rats on apigenin developed fewer tumors and experienced significant delays in tumor formation compared to those that were not exposed to apigenin.

The finding is significant for the six to ten million women in the U.S. who use synthetic hormone replacement therapies.  The authors noted that certain hormones used in synthetic HRT accelerate breast tumor development.  The study exposed rats to one of the chemical progestins used in the most common HRTs prescribed in the United States -- medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA).  MPA progestin is known to be the same synthetic hormone that accelerates breast tumor development.

Omega 3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil pills have become a popular supplement for their heart health benefits.  But fish oil is also good for your head.  Research shows that omega 3 fatty acids may be beneficial for treating serious mood disorders, stress, and even alcohol abuse.

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine conducted a multi-year study which showed conclusive behavioral and molecular benefits when omega 3 fatty acids were given to mice with bipolar disorder. The fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is one of the main active ingredients in fish oil, "normalized their behavior," according to Alexander B. Niculescu, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and the lead author of the study.

The study which was reported in the journal Translational Psychiatry, found that mice with characteristic bipolar symptoms including being depressed and, when subjected to stress, becoming manic, responded well to the DHA in fish oil.

Recent news from the American Heart Association claims that 1 of every 10 Americans dies from eating too much salt.  But is it true?  Health organizations and groups with political agendas are ignoring a growing body of research finding that less salt does not equal a longer life and in fact can have some dire consequences.

The AHA news was based on a Harvard study using computer modeling to also estimate that 2.3 million people worldwide died of too much salt in 2010.  The study recommended that dietary sodium be cut to 1,000 milligrams per day – less even than AHA guidelines. 

But casting doubt on the recommendations to lower sodium in your diet, the respected Cochrane Collaboration in 2011 found that moderate reductions in the amount of salt people eat doesn't reduce their likelihood of dying or experiencing cardiovascular disease.