Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Common myths about sun exposure, sunscreen and vitamin D

When it comes to vitamin D, consumers are bombarded with mixed messages about the best source for this essential nutrient. While some may argue that small doses of intentional sun exposure are safe, dermatologists point out that the risk of developing skin cancer from ultraviolet (UV) radiation far outweighs the benefit of stimulating vitamin D production - particularly when enriched foods and supplements are safe and effective sources of this vitamin.

11 Nov 2009

New cookbook from NHLBI

The health of your heart has a lot to do with the foods you eat. To help busy people and families shop for, prepare, and serve healthy meals, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health created and published Keep the Beat Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Dinners. The new cookbook features 75 simple and delicious recipes influenced by Asian, Latino, Mediterranean, and American cuisine that are good for your heart and taste great too.

11 Nov 2009

New educational program for caregivers of patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Eisai Inc. introduced a new educational program today to help parents and caregivers of patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), a rare form of epilepsy in which patients have frequent seizures of multiple types.

11 Nov 2009

New school meal program can cause more harm than good, says nutrition experts

In attempts to improve the nutritional quality of school meals, there have been several strides forward - including the removal of soft drinks and other less nutritious menu options. However, some schools and activist groups are calling for a new change that many health professionals agree could cause more harm than good when it comes to children's health: removing chocolate milk from the lunch line.

10 Nov 2009

CSPI urges Congress to support FDA's efforts in protecting consumers from contaminated oysters

The Center for Science in the Public Interest was joined today by victims, consumer advocacy, and public health organizations in urging Congress to support the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) efforts to protect consumers from contaminated oysters that each year cause scores of serious illnesses and deaths. The blood infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus bacteria in oysters is one of the most deadly foodborne illnesses, killing half of the people infected. Those who survive can have painful lesions and fluid-filled blisters all over their bodies, sometimes requiring limbs to be amputated. Four methods of post-harvest processing have proven effective at destroying the bacteria without harming the texture or flavor of the oysters.

10 Nov 2009

Consortium of researchers produce a special issue that examines healthcare disparities affecting minorities

The Latino population is the nation's largest minority group at an estimated 47 million in 2008 and is predicted to make up 30% of the US population by 2050. At the same time, chronic diseases among Latinos are on the rise and require long-range strategies to prevent and clinically manage. Understanding the healthcare of this fastest growing population is critical to the healthcare debate and reform initiatives.

10 Nov 2009

MU continues ice cream research; scientists study how to add nutrients to frozen desserts

A comfort food, a tasty treat, an indulgence - ice cream conjures feelings of happiness and satisfaction for millions. Ice cream researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered ways to make ice cream tastier and healthier and have contributed to ice cream development and manufacturing for more than a century.

10 Nov 2009

Environmental factors, obesity and diabetes: Long-term study launched

Three Singapore biomedical institutions have launched a major, long-term study of pregnant mothers and their fetuses as well as infant children to determine just how profoundly environmental factors early in life influence the onset of diseases such as obesity and diabetes in later years.

10 Nov 2009

Dark side of compulsive eating

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that intermittent access to foods rich in fat and sugar induces changes in the brain which are comparable to those observed in drug dependence. The findings, reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may explain how abstinence from these foods contributes to relapse eating among dieters as well as related eating disorders.

10 Nov 2009

Low-fat diet improves mood and memory skills, says new study

After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters' mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories, according to a report in the November 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Nov 2009

Yo-yo dieting and sugar-bingeing can lead to anxiety and withdrawal symptoms

In research that sheds light on the perils of yo-yo dieting and repeated bouts of sugar-bingeing, researchers from The Scripps Research Institute have shown in animal models that cycling between periods of eating sweet and regular-tasting food can activate the brain's stress system and generate overeating, anxiety, and withdrawal-like symptoms.

10 Nov 2009

Obesity among other issues debated in health reform

Among other issues making news in the health care reform debate are people's weight, benefits for homosexual partners, the debate over interstate insurance and the timeline for implementing any changes.

10 Nov 2009

New FDA Food Code published

The Food and Drug Administration today announced the publication of the new FDA Food Code, a model code and reference document that provides a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the food industry. The 2009 FDA Food Code is a key component of the President's overall public-health-focused food safety framework for maintaining a safe food supply.

10 Nov 2009

Recognition for Blue Shield of California for its efforts to promote a healthier workplace

Blue Shield of California announced today that it has earned two prestigious awards for the company's efforts to promote a healthier workplace.

9 Nov 2009

Compugen discovers new biomarker for predisposition to type 2 diabetes using its GeneVa platform

Compugen Ltd. announced today the discovery and experimental confirmation of a genetic biomarker, CGEN-40001 for predisposition to type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.

9 Nov 2009

Public health experts urge Congress not to overlook the needs of Americans with "morbid obesity"

As the House of Representatives and the Senate debate companion bills to make health care more affordable and accessible, a coalition of obesity and public health experts today urged Congress not to overlook the needs of the more than 15 million Americans who suffer from severe obesity and are at the greatest risk for chronic disease and death.

9 Nov 2009

Tethys Bioscience completes $25 million Series D financing

Tethys Bioscience, a privately held company, announced today that it has closed a $25 million Series D round of financing led by aeris CAPITAL AG and including Wasatch Advisors as a new investor. All current investors, including MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and Intel Capital participated in the round. Tethys also announced that it has appointed George Rehm, Managing Partner of aeris CAPITAL, to the Tethys Board of Directors.

9 Nov 2009

App Tech Global acquired by Natural Nutrition

Natural Nutrition announced today the acquisition of App Tech Global, Inc., which will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Natural Nutrition. Natural Nutrition's name will be changed to App Tech, Corp. and the company will focus its efforts on the business of App Tech Global, Inc.

9 Nov 2009

Elevated PSA levels in men are not necessarily a predictor of the need for a prostate biopsy: Study

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that some elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men may be caused by a hormone normally occurring in the body, and are not necessarily a predictor of the need for a prostate biopsy.

7 Nov 2009

Endothelin increases T cells in the kidneys leading to renal injury

A key player in a cascade that likely begins with stress and leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage has been identified by researchers who say the finding may lead to better ways to control both.

6 Nov 2009