Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

New report looks at weight-loss diets, eating plans and diet pills

Over-the-counter weight-loss pills are no quick fix to melt away extra pounds.

6 Nov 2008

Risk of sudden cardiac death highest early after attack

People who survive a heart attack face the greatest risk of dying from sudden cardiac death (SCD) during the first month after leaving the hospital, according to a long-term community study by Mayo Clinic researchers of nearly 3,000 heart attack survivors.

5 Nov 2008

Maternal obesity can program fetal brain to induce adult-onset obesity

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

5 Nov 2008

Experts available to comment on risk of sudden cardiac death in 30 days following a heart attack

A new study in the November 5th 2008 issue of JAMA finds that during the first month after a heart attack, patients may have an increased risk for sudden cardiac death.

5 Nov 2008

Resveratrol type drug mimics low-cal diet to ward off weight gain

A drug designed to specifically hit a protein linked to the life-extending benefits of a meager diet can essentially trick the body into believing food is scarce even when it isn't, suggests a new report in the November Cell Metabolism.

5 Nov 2008

Consumer market not ready for so-called nutrigenomics

In the near future it will be possible to customise the food we eat to individual needs, based on the genetic profile of the individual.

5 Nov 2008

New drug tricks the body into burning off fat

French scientists have found a drug they say tricks the body into burning off fat - and it even works on a high-fat diet.

5 Nov 2008

New weapon in the fight against obesity and diabetes

A study appearing November 5 in the journal Cell Metabolism demonstrates that a synthetic new chemical entity protects against diet-induced obesity, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and enhances exercise endurance by enhancing fat utilization in certain target tissues.

4 Nov 2008

Maternal obesity can program fetal brain to induce adult-onset obesity

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

4 Nov 2008

Watching lots of sexual content on TV linked to subsequent teen pregnancy

Adolescents who have high levels of exposure to television programs that contain sexual content are twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy over the following three years as their peers who watch few such shows, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

4 Nov 2008

GlaxoSmithKline believes there is no liver safety issue with Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate)

GlaxoSmithKline today issued the following response to a petition filed by Public Citizen to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate), a highly effective therapy for treating type 2 diabetes when used in the appropriate patient population.

31 Oct 2008

Melanin shows potential as new drug target for obesity

As millions of Americans gear up for the Thanksgiving holiday, a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal, may provide some relief for those leery of having a second helping.

29 Oct 2008

Grapes may aid a bunch of heart risk factors

Could eating grapes help fight high blood pressure related to a salty diet? And could grapes calm other factors that are also related to heart diseases such as heart failure? A new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study suggests so.

29 Oct 2008

High-fat diet could promote the development of Alzheimer's

A team of Université Laval researchers has shown that the main neurological markers for Alzheimer's disease are exacerbated in the brains of mice fed a diet rich in animal fat and poor in omega-3s. Details of the study-which suggests that diets typical of most industrialized countries promote the development of Alzheimer's-are outlined in the latest online edition of Neurobiology of Aging.

28 Oct 2008

Review of health benefits of grape polyphenols

A growing body of research data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from grapes - including red wine - helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a review article in the November issue of Nutrition Research.

28 Oct 2008

Scientists discover a catalytic antibody that degrades a known appetite stimulant

The antibody works against the gastric hormone ghrelin (pronounced "grell-in"), which has been linked to weight gain and fat storage through its metabolic actions. These findings point towards a potentially novel treatment for obesity that would interfere directly with the some of the biological mechanisms determining weight.

28 Oct 2008

Obesity reality check

Sydney University's Institute of Obesity, Nutrition & Exercise (IONE) will today draw together some of Australia's leading obesity experts to review and measure the effectiveness of our response as a nation to the obesity epidemic.

27 Oct 2008

Anxiety disorders latest worry in high blood pressure

Family doctors and psychiatrists should carefully monitor the heart health of patients with anxiety disorders, Dr. Simon Bacon told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2008, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. "People with anxiety disorders are four times more likely to develop high blood pressure (hypertension) over one year than those of us who are anxiety free," says Dr. Bacon, a Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute. "Hypertension is a leading risk factor for stroke and heart disease."

27 Oct 2008

Eating whole grains lowers heart failure risk

About 5 million people in the United States suffer from heart failure (HF). While some reports indicate that changes to diet can reduce HF risk, few large, prospective studies have been conducted.

27 Oct 2008