Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Saturated fats combined with genetic trait may make people more susceptible to type 2 diabetes

A University of Alberta team of researchers has discovered an additional 2 million Canadians who have a high fat diet or are overweight may be at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes if they carry a particular type of common specific genetic trait known as a polymorphism.

29 Jun 2005

Europe tackles pre-diabetes

Diabetes is the fourth leading global cause of death and, with over 60 million people in Europe already estimated to have pre-diabetes, the situation is set to escalate at an alarming rate unless urgent action is taken.

29 Jun 2005

Meat eaters more likely to be obese than vegetarians

A new study says that women who are vegetarians are less likely to be obese than those who eat meat.

27 Jun 2005

Unknown factors make Scots people more prone to heart disease

The findings, which are published in the current edition of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, conclude that although successful campaigns to get Scots to live a healthier lifestyle will reduce rates of heart disease in Scotland, they will not do much to narrow the gap in heart disease rates between Scotland and England.

26 Jun 2005

WHO wants more safety checks on genetically-modified food

In a recent report, the World Health Organization (WHO), has reiterated its view about the general safety of GMO foods. It also says that though genetically-modified organisms (GMO) can raise crop yields and food quality, which ultimately improves health and levels of nutrition as well as profits

26 Jun 2005

AMA tackles childhood obesity with new directives

The American Medical Association (AMA) has issued several new directives to help fight childhood obesity and promote healthier lifestyles in schools across the country.

23 Jun 2005

Athletes boosted by caffeine

Scientists at the University of Birmingham say that caffeine can help athletes by boosting the body's absorption of carbohydrates.

23 Jun 2005

BMA calls for tough action to tackle childhood obesity in Scotland

School meals should adhere to strict guidelines on sugar and fat content, all unhealthy food and fizzy drinks vending machines in schools should be banned and there should be no junk food advertising or sponsorship. These are the some of the recommendations in the BMA’s report Preventing Childhood Obesity, launched yesterday [22 June 2005].

22 Jun 2005

Folic acid improves memory and protects the brain from aging

According to scientists in Holland high doses of folic acid might help slow the cognitive decline of aging.

22 Jun 2005

Chemicals found in everyday products and food have subtle but potentially damaging effects on sperm fertility

Professor Lynn Fraser told the 21st annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday), that her previous research had shown that certain chemicals known to mimic the female sex hormone, oestrogen, could individually affect the correct functioning of mouse sperm, but now her new research showed that when the chemicals were combined they had an even stronger effect.

21 Jun 2005

Fish may help prevent heart failure as well as heart attacks

Older people who ate fish once or twice a week had a 20 percent lower risk of developing congestive heart failure during 12 years of follow-up, according to a new study (PDF) in the June 21, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

21 Jun 2005

Researchers isolate substance most responsible for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury

Purdue University researchers may have isolated the substance most responsible for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury, a discovery that could also improve treatments for a host of other neurodegenerative conditions.

21 Jun 2005

Elevated C-reactive protein can foil diet's ability to lower cholesterol

If you have high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker in blood for inflammation that is strongly associated with heart disease, trying to lower your LDL-cholesterol through modest diet changes alone may not work.

20 Jun 2005

Research suggests that children with a neuropsychiatric disease may be at risk for type 2 diabetes, and vice versa

As many as one in five children with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes may also have a neuropsychiatric disorder, according to a new study. The illnesses include depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, developmental delay, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

20 Jun 2005

Fish only good for expectant mums if mercury level is low

For years medical experts have argued, as fish can be harmful as well as healthy, and what advice to give people, particularly pregnant women, about how much is safe to eat.

20 Jun 2005

Inactive gene may explain higher incidence of prostate cancer in African-Americans compared to Caucasians

Among African-Americans with prostate cancer, a tumor-suppressing gene called GSTP1 is inactivated at a rate 3.5 times higher than among Caucasians, according to a study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).

16 Jun 2005

Chromium picolinate significantly reduces weight gain associated with common antidiabetic medication

...according to a study released today. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC), who conducted the study, also found that chromium significantly improved blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity.

16 Jun 2005

High exposure to the sun halves risk of prostate cancer

Cancer researchers in the U.S. say that high exposure to the sun halved the risk of prostate cancer in men participating in a U.S. trial.

16 Jun 2005

Obese teens shed weight with combo diet, exercise, therapy and drug program

New research suggests that when combined with a low-calorie diet, exercise and behavioral therapy, treatment with the drug Xenical significantly improves weight management for obese teenagers.

16 Jun 2005

Protocol used to treat the first known survivor of rabies without prior vaccination published

The protocol used to treat the first known survivor of rabies without prior vaccination is published in the June 16, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. It is hoped that this approach can be replicated, tested, and provide a guide for treating this fatal condition, especially in parts of the world where the incidence of rabies is rampant.

15 Jun 2005