Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Teenage boys more likely to develop high blood pressure in early adulthood, researchers reveal

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers reveal in a new, large-scale study that "normal" blood pressure at age 17 can still predict hypertension at early adulthood and that teenage boys are three to four times more likely to develop high blood pressure in early adulthood than girls.

28 Jul 2010

New study reveals potential role of TGF-β1 in kidney disease

Fibrosis in the kidney is one of the key causes of progressive renal failure. High levels of the inflammatory molecule TGF-β1 in the kidney tubules due to tissue damage can cause fibrosis as well as nephron degeneration, resulting in loss of kidney function. To clarify the mechanisms regulating TGF-β1-mediated renal fibrosis, Koesters et al expressed high levels of TGF-β1 in renal tubules of mice. Nephron degeneration in this system was mediated by decomposition of the tubular cells. These data suggest that TGF-β1 may play a novel role in cell death of renal cells, thus contributing to renal fibrosis.

28 Jul 2010

Early weaning linked to chronic diseases later in life: Study

Lack of breastfeeding in infancy may lead to chronic diseases later in life say researchers. At present 90% of people aged between 35 and 40 were not breastfed as babies.

27 Jul 2010

Psychologists to host China's first-ever conference on positive psychology

The ranks of China's millionaires continue to grow, but the increased wealth has done little to boost the country's gross domestic happiness, according to psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley. They say the pursuit of prosperity in the nation is fast outpacing mental health and well-being, and are seeking to correct that imbalance by spreading the science of happiness in China.

27 Jul 2010

Interactive weight management website program helps weight loss maintenance

The more people used an interactive weight management website, the more weight loss they maintained, according to a Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research study published online today in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.The National Institutes of Health-funded study evaluated an Internet-based weight maintenance intervention involving 348 participants. Consistent website users who logged on and recorded their weight at least once a month for two-and-a-half years maintained the most weight loss, the study found.

27 Jul 2010

New drug for type 2 diabetes, Effect of insulin on bones

In a groundbreaking finding, a new medicine Galvus (vildagliptin) has been created for people with type 2 diabetes that would lower blood glucose levels without the side effects of other medications.

26 Jul 2010

Medtronic glucose monitoring device helps owners manage pets’ diabetes

The treatment of diabetes was revolutionized in 1922 when insulin was isolated from dogs. Since then, significant advances in human medicine have made diabetes more manageable for patients. Now, human medicine has returned the favor and used these advances to help dogs with diabetes. A University of Missouri researcher is using a continuous glucose monitoring device - commonly used in humans with diabetes - to help treat dogs and other animals. The device, which provides a detailed glucose picture of an animal over several days, will help pet owners manage their pets' diabetes.

26 Jul 2010

Council seeks to limit medical resident working hours for improved patient care

As the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education seeks to improve patient care by further limiting the hours worked by medical residents, the Journal of Surgical Research will published a new study online on Monday reporting that outcomes in two common surgeries - appendectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy - were similar among residents who had worked less than 16 hours and those who had worked more than 16 hours.

26 Jul 2010

Neu5Gc in drugs provokes strong immune response

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that a kind of sugar molecule common to chimpanzees, gorillas and other mammals but not found in humans provokes a strong immune response in some people, likely worsening conditions in which chronic inflammation is a major issue.

26 Jul 2010

AU Summit panel focuses on water, sanitation to meet MDG targets in Africa

African countries should focus on preventing diarrhea - the biggest killer of children in Africa - in order to achieve Millennium Development Goal targets, Yunia Musaazi, WaterAid's East Africa policy advisor, told delegates at the 15th African Union Summit, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports.

26 Jul 2010

Inhibiting fatty acid synthase can reduce atherosclerosis: Study

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a way to significantly reduce atherosclerosis in mice that does not involve lowering cholesterol levels or eliminating other obesity-related problems.

26 Jul 2010

Experimental treatment for sickle cell disease enters Phase 3 clinical trials

An experimental treatment for sickle cell disease developed at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute has entered Phase 3 clinical trials, David I. Meyer, PhD, LA BioMed president and CEO announced today.

26 Jul 2010

Seven practical tips to help parents encourage kids to eat well during, after school

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. This astronomical rise has led many advocates to focus their energies on improving nutritional conditions in schools, including reforming cafeteria lunches and eliminating junk food in vending machines. While the debate is being staged at the national level, with Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative focusing a spotlight on the issue, there are steps that parents can take to maintain or improve their child's diet and nutrition while at school.

26 Jul 2010

NatureSweet Tomatoes hosted second exercise class of SunBursts Stroller Project

On Saturday, San Antonio-based NatureSweet Tomatoes in partnership with local organizations Stroller Strides and SAMMinistries, hosts the second exercise class of the SunBursts Stroller Project, a two-part program to provide more than 25 families in need with new baby strollers and fun, stroller-based exercise classes. Open to the public, the event will take place at the San Antonio Zoo at 10 a.m.

26 Jul 2010

Senior Smart introduces online tool for seniors looking for quality assisted living facilities

In response to the "graying of America" phenomena, Senior Smart announced today the inception of http://www.assisted-living-info.org, an online tool that provides the perfect match between families and seniors actively looking for assisted living and quality assisted living facilities nationwide.

23 Jul 2010

CWRU introduces new dental health program for families

Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine announced a new program called Family First in which they will adopt nine families and care for multiple generations in a family unit.

23 Jul 2010

After-school snack of graham crackers may increase whole-grain intake in children: Study

An after-school snack of graham crackers might be one way to get children to eat more whole grains, a new study from the University of Minnesota shows. Federal nutrition guidelines recommend at least three servings a day of whole-grain foods, but previous studies have found that children typically only eat about one serving per day, largely because they don't like the taste or texture of whole-grain foods.

23 Jul 2010

African Americans at increased risk of kidney failure caused by hypertension

Regardless of demographics, African American patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis have a higher rate of developing end stage renal disease than dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.Earlier studies showed patients of all races with Chronic Kidney Disease were at greater risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease than reaching ESRD.

23 Jul 2010

Low-calorie sweeteners reduce caloric intake, weight

A new study published in the August 2010 journal, Appetite, further demonstrates that people who consume low-calorie sweeteners are able to significantly reduce their caloric intake and do not overeat.In fact, study participants who received the sugar substitutes instead of sugar consumed significantly fewer calories and there was no difference in hunger levels despite having fewer calories overall.

23 Jul 2010

Discontinuing epoetin can normalize hemoglobin levels in hemodialysis patients

Discontinuing the anemia drug epoetin may be more effective than reducing the dose for normalizing potentially dangerous high hemoglobin levels in hemodialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The results provide useful information about the balance required between administering epoetin and achieving target hemoglobin levels.

23 Jul 2010