By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

In a finding sure to re-ignite the debate over the harms of saturated fat, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital published a study Friday suggesting that the kind of fat found in red meat and full-fat dairy products causes the brain to age more rapidly than other kinds of fat. Olive oil, avocado, and other monounsaturated fats appear to slow brain aging. But the study only shows an association and doesn’t prove that dietary fats alter brain function.

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Have you been to Starbucks yet today? Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you may have been tempted to grab a cup of java this morning after hearing the news that drinking coffee may help you live longer. The study, conducted by government researchers and published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, found a very modest association between drinking coffee and a longer lifespan. But don’t change your coffee consumption based on these findings.

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

The DASH diet first gained a name for itself 15 years ago as a successful eating approach that would lower blood pressure, more than just reducing salt intake. And it’s been named the best diet by US News and World Report. Now a new book by DASH diet inventor Dr. Thomas Moore, at Boston University medical school, makes it easy to use the diet for weight loss.