diet

From Paleo to vegan to raw, nutrition gurus package their advice as sound science. But peel the studies away and you'll find timeless myths and superstitions of religion.

The caveman way of eating came in near the bottom of a list of 35 diets ranked by medical and nutrition experts. The winners? The Mediterranean-like DASH and the plant-centric Ornish eating plan.

Gladiators guzzled a drink made from plant ash to help their bodies recover after a hard day of sword fighting, according to Roman accounts. New tests of old bones back up that idea.

A new study finds that women who followed a Mediterranean style of eating in their 50s were about 40 percent more likely to reach the later decades without developing chronic diseases and memory or physical problems, compared to women who didn't eat as well.

The idea of intermittent mini-fasting seems to be gaining traction. The appeal: Dieters have to restrict calories for only two days a week. Research suggests this approach is more effective than trying to cut back on calories 24/7.

Many people turn to superfit models for weight-loss inspiration. There's growing evidence that this is a mistake. New research from the Netherlands explores whether repeated exposure to images of skinny models helps or hinders dieters.