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Q. My dad milked a herd of registered Guernsey cows (butterfat content 5.5% to 6%) his whole adult life, and we always drank lots of milk. My mother put butter and cream in every vegetable dish just to use it up.
After Mom died and Dad sold the herd, I would visit him and find quarts of half-and-half in his fridge. He drank just one cup of coffee a day, so he must have been putting the half-and-half on everything. He died (of pneumonia) at age 100. Sure, he was an “n of one.” All the same, this makes me think that consuming fat in food might not be a big problem.
A. Thank you for sharing your dad’s story. For decades, the American Heart Association has warned against full-fat dairy products. But the foundation for that policy is starting to crumble.
An analysis of nine studies in the JMA Journal (April 28, 2025) concluded: “The findings indicate that a reduction in saturated fats cannot be recommended at present to prevent cardiovascular diseases and mortality.” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced early in 2026 that “Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fat.”
Now, a new study from Norway suggests that a low-carb, high-saturated-fat diet can lower triglycerides and raise “good” HDL cholesterol (eBioMedicine, November 2026). Although LDL cholesterol rose modestly over two years, these particles were larger and less dangerous.
To learn more about many other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, you may wish to read our “eGuide to Cholesterol Control & Heart Health.” This online resource can be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Q. A year ago, I noticed that whenever I ate treats that I baked flavored with regular cinnamon, I would have nosebleeds. The more cinnamon I put in the baked goods, the heavier the bleed.
Once I stopped eating cinnamon, the nosebleeds stopped too. I guess this made sense due to the coumarin content. As a precaution, I threw out my cinnamon spice and bought Ceylon cinnamon. I have yet to try it, but I sure miss my gingerbread and spice cakes.
A. Thanks for sharing your intriguing experience. Cinnamon has been associated with bleeding in at least one case report (International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, June 2022). However, bleeding is an unusual reaction to eating cinnamon-flavored gingerbread, and coumarin might not be the main culprit. Other compounds found in cassia cinnamon (the usual kitchen spice) can interfere with blood coagulation (Journal of Medicinal Food, October 2010).
Ceylon cinnamon has much less coumarin, but we don’t know how much of the other components it could have. You will probably want to continue being prudent with respect to cinnamon in your baked goods.
Q. Can a handful of almonds help with heartburn?
A. We have not seen any research on almonds against heartburn. Nevertheless, many readers have reported success with this tactic.
Sheri shared this story: “I eat 10 raw almonds when I feel heartburn coming on, usually an hour before I go to bed. I don’t get acid reflux anymore and eating almonds gets rid of heartburn instantly! This trick doesn’t work for everyone, though. It doesn’t work for my sister.”
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”