New research from Princeton University suggests that it is. In a study published online last week in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, scientists tested the effects of both regular table sugar and high fructose corn syrup on lab rats. They found that rats with high fructose corn syrup in their diet gained more weight than those with regular table sugar—and identical calorie intake. In fact, one of the study authors noted to News At Princeton that not only were the rats gaining weight with the high fructose corn syrup—the were also "demonstrating characteristics of obesity...In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and diabetes." The Princeton scientists plan to further investigate whether there's a link between excessive intake of high fructose corn syrup and the diseases associated with obesity.

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Looks like a lot of people don’t. Seventy-five percent of people believe hair loss is a result of stress, according to a recent study conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Rogaine. In fact, that’s more of a myth than the truth. So what are the real causes? The most common ones are crash dieting, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, childbirth, high fevers, general anesthesia, endocrine disorders, and thyroid disease. Plus, doctors have linked many cases of excessive shedding to taking certain medications—statins, blood pressure drugs, Accutane, the antidepressants Prozac and Zoloft—as well as to stopping or switching birth control pills.

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We keep hearing reports about new proof of the benefits of vitamin D. (The latest: how it may help the immune system.) So to get the lowdown, we asked Walter Willett, who's the head of nutrition at Harvard University and who headed the Nurses' Health Study (which has spanned over a two-decade period and includes over 130,000 nurses), to shed some light.

What is the biggest news about vitamin D that relates to women in their 20s and 30s?
"The most important finding is that it's required by almost every organ in the body. Evidence shows that vitamin D can reduce the risk of many common viral infections, such as tuberculosis, and it plays a role in muscle strength and preventing osteoperosis and fractures. There's also strong evidence that low levels of vitamin D are related to high risks of cancer."

What do you recommend as far as supplements?
"Even if the sun was safe, achieving the sufficient amount from it would be nearly impossible. There's a lot of work going on to identify the dose that would be adequate for everybody, but a healthy 20- to 30-year-old should take about 1,000 IU's a day. For people who are never in the sun, 3,000 or 4,000 IU's would be optimal."

Are there any risks—anyone who shouldn't take vitamin D supplements?
"Someone with hypoparathyroidism or a disease called sarcoidosis, which produces high calcium levels."

Are there more studies you'd like to see?
"More studies for breast cancer would be helpful because there's some evidence that vitamin D could reduce the rates. There is also a lot of evidence showing that low vitamin D levels may play a role in causing multiple sclerosis."

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