A-Z Guide to the Year in Medicine

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fish oil

FISH OIL The good news about omega-3s--the fatty acids in oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and mackerel--continued to accumulate. One report suggested that 2 g of fish-oil supplements taken every day could help protect against heart attacks in the elderly and improve overall heart health in the rest of us in as little as three weeks. But there was bad news too. Another study found that heart patients with implantable defibrillators risk increased heart-rhythm abnormalities if they take too much omega-3.

FOOD PYRAMID The USDA's old food pyramid--with its diminishing stacks of carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, protein, sweets and fats--may have been a license to overeat, as one expert called it, but at least it was comprehensible. The new pyramid, unveiled in April after long consultation with the food industry, is neither clear nor a call for moderation. To find out what those vertical color bars mean--and to build a customized food plan to fit your age, sex and level of physical activity--you have to visit the website mypyramid.gov