Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Soy appears to protect against development of breast cancer

Evidence is growing from animal and human studies that genistein, a potent chemical found in soy, protects against development of breast cancer - but only if consumed during puberty, says a Georgetown University Medical Center researcher in the British Journal of Cancer published online today.

10 Apr 2008

Conjugated linoleic acid side effects - hormone leptin helps protect

An oil made of natural fatty acids that is sometimes used as a weight-loss supplement may need to be paired with hormones or other substances to prevent health problems that can follow rapid weight loss, a new study suggests.

10 Apr 2008

The effect of Raloxifene treatment in postmenopausal women with chronic kidney disease

The osteoporosis drug raloxifene increases bone mineral density and reduces the risk of vertebral fractures among postmenopausal women with mild to moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study appearing in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

10 Apr 2008

Low birth weight and heart problems

Researchers who have followed 5,840 people from before birth to the age of 31 have found evidence suggesting that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood may lead to low grade inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease.

10 Apr 2008

Surgery and drugs not enough to combat obesity

A review of research examining the effectiveness of different obesity treatments has concluded that no matter what other forms of therapy are offered, changes in lifestyle are imperative if patients want to maximise and maintain their weight loss.

10 Apr 2008

Type 1 diabetes study to improve the health of Wales

Swansea University researchers have been awarded more than £68,000 to investigate ways of reducing the risk of Type 1 diabetes patients developing potentially fatal hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) during and after exercise.

9 Apr 2008

Pistachios good for the heart

More good news for pistachio fans! According to new data unveiled this week at the Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego, snacking on pistachios has proved once again to have a positive impact on improving cardiovascular health by significantly reducing inflammation in the body, a prominent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor.

9 Apr 2008

Gene oppositely controlled by dietary protein, sugar

Researchers have discovered a gene in flies whose activity rises and falls depending upon the amount of protein and sugar in the insects' diets.

9 Apr 2008

Diabetes drug may hold potential as treatment for epilepsy, using same mechanism as ketogenic diet

Two years ago, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists reported they had suppressed epileptic seizures in rats by giving them a glycolytic-inhibitor, inhibiting the brain's ability to turn sugar into excess energy and blocking the expression of seizure-related genes.

9 Apr 2008

Children with obesity-related diabetes struggle with change

A new study shows that children with obesity-related diabetes are reporting serious difficulties in making basic lifestyle changes that could save them from a lifetime of complications.

9 Apr 2008

Apples lower risk for metabolic syndrome

Not eating your apple a day? Perhaps you should be. Adults who eat apples, apple juice and applesauce have a significantly reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health problems that are linked to numerous chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

9 Apr 2008

Kidney cancer deaths show overall decline in Europe but study reveals wide variations between countries

Overall deaths from kidney cancer have now fallen across Europe after peaking in the early 1990s, according to a detailed analysis of mortality rates for 32 countries published in the urology journal BJU International.

9 Apr 2008

Artifical food colours make kids hyperactive

A study by researchers in Britain suggests that artificial colour added to food and beverages could cause hyperactivity.

9 Apr 2008

Too little sleep and too much TV makes infants overweight

New research has found that infants and toddlers who sleep less than 12 hours a day are twice as likely to become overweight by age 3 than children who sleep longer.

9 Apr 2008

TVs in teen's bedrooms bad for many reasons

University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers have found that older adolescents who have a bedroom television are less likely to engage in healthy activities such as exercising, eating fruits or vegetables, and enjoying family meals.

8 Apr 2008

Treatment with an anti-psychotic drug found to cause changes in metabolism earlier than expected

Schizophrenia is a complex type of psychotic mental illness characterized by thoughts that are uncoupled from reality.

8 Apr 2008

Less sleep, more TV leads to overweight infants and toddlers

Infants and toddlers who sleep less than 12 hours a day are twice as likely to become overweight by age 3 than children who sleep longer.

8 Apr 2008

Abdominal fat increases the risk of death

Women who carry excess fat around their waists were at greater risk of dying early from cancer or heart disease than were women with smaller waistlines, even if they were of normal weight, reported researchers from Harvard and the National Institutes of Health.

8 Apr 2008

Tea catechins and their anticancer activity

Increased consumption of teas rich in catechins is associated with reduced risk of stomach, colon and other gastrointestinal cancers.

8 Apr 2008

Stress may lead students to stimulants

The performance pressures from end-of-semester exams and papers can take a toll on students, even leading them to turn to potentially harmful substances to keep them awake and alert.

7 Apr 2008