While acculturation may have a significant impact on the diet of the millions of Hispanics in the country, data from The Multi-Cultural Latino Consumer study indicates the family experience is still what drives most of the Latino food purchases and choices.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released initial findings that show significant variations in disease prevalence and health behaviors among Hispanics.

The findings suggest Hispanics are a diverse group, not only in ancestry, culture, and economic status, but also in the prevalence of several diseases, risk factors, and lifestyle habits.

It can be an uncomfortable thing to tell someone your dietary habits, especially when they aren’t what most would consider healthy. Inaccurate diet reporting isn’t surprising, but it may do more harm than initially realized, particularly for Hispanics.

Obesity can shorten someone’s health span by as many as 8 years, says research released this month in “The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology” journal. When coupled with the complication of type 2 diabetes–one of the most common obesity-related health issues– that number can more than double, decreasing a life span by almost 20 years.

Gone are the days when tea was just the poor man’s alternative to coffee; we now understand that tea has significant health benefits, and the more science investigates traditional herbal tea remedies, the more evidence supports having this beverage in your regular diet.