Reading a food ingredient list may make you think twice before buying certain items, especially with so many unfamiliar words and ingredients. While you may worry about how some food additives affect your health, there's no need to worry about cellulose gum.

Much of the food consumed in the United States is imported, including an estimated 60 percent of fresh fruits and 80 percent of seafood, according to a March 2011 article in Scientific American. Before January 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration possessed limited authority to impose U.S.

Aspartame and sucralose, sold under the brand name Splenda, are two varieties of commonly used artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners do not contain any calories, but they have a sweetening power far greater than that of sugar. The Food and Drug Administration has approved these sweeteners for consumers.

Night sweats can interfere with your sleep and cause you to wake up feeling cold and wet in the middle of the night. In some cases, eating something sweetened with sugar could either increase or decrease your risk for night sweats, but in most cases it isn't likely to have any effect.

Along with ground round and ground sirloin, ground chuck is a type of ground beef. Each cut has varying degrees of fat versus lean content. Ground chuck must come from only the chuck cuts of beef, which are located in the shoulder area and are more fatty than round or sirloin cuts.

Having hypertension raises your risk of heart disease and stroke. In many cases, lifestyle changes can prevent or control it. The dietary factor most commonly cited as contributing to high blood pressure is sodium intake.

Coconut oil is made from extracting the natural oils present in mature coconut meat. Commonly used in Latin America and Southeast Asia, coconut oil can be either refined or unrefined, and it can be used for everyday cooking, including frying.

There are clear, significant health advantages of eating breakfast. Having this meal is more important than when you eat it. If your mornings are flexible and you have control over when you sit down to the table, though, it may be worthwhile to eat your food as soon as you wake up.

The spice cinnamon can add a delicious flavor to both sweet and savory dishes, and it may also have some health benefits. Speak with your doctor before consuming more cinnamon than is typically found in food, however, as this could have some adverse effects.

Health care providers and patients are recognizing the role diet may play in treating certain conditions. While men and cancer patients seek to lower aromatase -- an enzyme that helps the body produce estrogen -- women with menopausal symptoms or other hormone imbalances may benefit from increasing aromatase.

Rolled oats are whole oats that were already toasted -- and then flattened to decrease the amount of time it takes to cook them. If you want to cook oatmeal from rolled oats for a large group, or need no-fuss oatmeal for breakfast on busy mornings, you can use your slow cooker.

Red food coloring is the most commonly used dye in the U.S., according to Center for Science in the Public Interest. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in candy, cereal, baked goods, gelatin powder, drugs and cosmetics.