Never Sing Harmony With A Snacking Gorilla, The Gut's Effect On Mood, & More Food News

Turns out, bothering a singing gorilla is associated with poor health outcomes. Also, do you believe there are 6 rules of nutrition that everyone can agree upon? The LA Times does. Plus, "all natural" probably doesn't mean what you think it does...and more top food news of the week.

1) Did you know gorillas hum and sing to themselves when they eat? But if you stumble upon a singing, snacking gorilla, please don't attempt to harmonize. Singing is probably a signal for you to leave him alone.

2) This week, FiveThirtyEight ran a series of articles on the microbiome and gut science. This story deals with how microbes in the gut affect our moods. For more articles in this fascinating series, check out the Gut Science collection.

3) A new study says eating potatoes 4 or more times every week may raise the risk for developing hypertension. The reason could be related to the way potatoes cause quick spikes in blood sugar.

4) Chronic inflammation is thought to play a role in cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases. A new study identified polyphenol-rich foods that may help prevent chronic inflammation, including onions, red grapes, turmeric, green tea, and açai berries.

5) When it comes to the "rules of nutrition," everything seems open for argument. The Los Angeles Times, however, suggests there are at least 6 rules of nutrition that we should all be able to agree on.

6) If you think "all natural" means food made without hormones, pesticides, artificial ingredients, or genetically modified organisms, time to guess again. The FDA is finally taking steps to define the term "natural." It's going to be a big task.

7) Sip the smoothie or skip it and eat the fruit and veggies instead? When you blend fruits and veggies up into a smoothie, you're likely to get more sugars and calories. Here's why.

8) Want the "healthiest" weekday breakfast? TIME Health tracked it down -- with an assist from the chair of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. It's a breakfast you can take on the go and that combines quick preparation with satiating satisfaction -- or satisfying satiation, one.

9) Pregnant women who drink diet soda every day may be at increased risk of giving birth to babies who become overweight by their first birthday -- but the babies won't necessarily be born overweight.

10) Take the weekly health quiz from The New York Times.

Miss last week's list? We gotcha.

Follow Me to More Articles & Tips