Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

A bleak outlook from OECD's latest obesity report

A new OECD report on the burden of obesity has been released this week. It provides evidence on how obesity and related conditions will kill 90 million people living in the OECD nations over the next three decades. If same situations persists, obesity and overweight could reduce the life expectancy by at least three years.

11 Oct 2019

New study to examine link between sleep problems, cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease

Everybody knows sleep is good for your body. It may be good for your mind, too. That's what scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine will attempt to determine thanks to a $5.3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 Oct 2019

Genetic mechanisms could serve as a road map for screening new drugs to prolong healthy lifespan

The discovery in the 1990s that a mutation in a single gene of an experimental worm could double its lifespan set off a stampede of research on the molecular biology of aging and triggered hopes that drug therapies or other interventions could be developed to extend healthy human lifespan. But as is often the case in science, the genetic regulation of aging is more complicated than it first appeared.

10 Oct 2019

Environmental estrogen burdens babies in mothers' wombs

Xenoestrogens are absorbed through the environment, especially through food. As oestrogen-like substances, they can have a profound effect on the body's hormonal balance.

10 Oct 2019

Researchers show how food estrogen migrates through the placenta

The human fetus is considered to be particularly sensitive to environmental contaminants. A team led by Benedikt Warth from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna and Tina Bürki from the Swiss Materials Science and Technology Institute, Empa, has now been able to demonstrate for the first time how the widespread food estrogen zearalenone behaves in the womb.

10 Oct 2019

Mediterranean style diet found to relieve symptoms of depression

A new study has added to the existing evidence that a healthy and balanced diet could help reduce the symptoms of depression.

10 Oct 2019

Eating home-cooked meals reduces exposure to harmful chemicals, researchers say

Researchers have found that people reduce their exposure to harmful synthetic chemicals if they cook home-cooked meals rather than eat takeaways or at restaurants.

10 Oct 2019

UK Chief Medical Officer calls for tough action to tackle childhood obesity

UK Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, has called for snacking on public transport to be banned in a bold effort to tackle childhood obesity.

10 Oct 2019

Popular U.K. restaurant chains with voluntary menu labeling serve healthier food

In a study of popular U.K. restaurant chains, establishments that voluntarily labeled their menus with nutritional information served items with less fat and less salt than items served by restaurants without menu labeling.

From PLOS ONE 10 Oct 2019

Study sheds light on how human gut microbes break down processed foods

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis sheds light on how human gut microbes break down processed foods - especially potentially harmful chemical changes often produced during modern food manufacturing processes.

9 Oct 2019

Teenage boys use humor, irony and banter to navigate social media content

Teenage boys rely on social media to access a wealth of information about living a healthy lifestyle - but rather than being victims of online harms, such as an unhealthy body image obsession, the majority are able to use humour, irony and banter to navigate social media content.

9 Oct 2019

'Special occasion drinking' during pregnancy can be harmful to offspring, rat study suggests

If you thought a glass or two of alcohol on special occasions was safe during pregnancy, think again. Research in The Journal of Physiology shows even small amounts of alcohol consumed during pregnancy can cause insulin-resistance, which increases the likelihood of diabetes, in male rat offspring.

9 Oct 2019

Simple diet supplement from tomatoes can improve sperm quality

Sperm quality can be improved with a simple diet supplement containing a compound found in cooked tomatoes, according to new research by the University of Sheffield.

8 Oct 2019

DNA metabarcoding could improve analysis of human diet

A study has shown that DNA metabarcoding serves as a powerful new tool for monitoring humans’ intake of plants.

8 Oct 2019

Unique program to initiate breastfeeding in vulnerable infants

The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child are well-recognized, including for late preterm infants. But because LPI do not have fully developed brains, they may experience difficulties latching and/or sustaining a latch on the breast to have milk transfer occur.

8 Oct 2019

Probiotics can help curb malnutrition over next two decades, says Bill Gates

Probiotics or good bacteria have shown promise in the potential to maintain a healthy gut. Many studies have provided evidence on the health benefits of probiotics. Now, the popular philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates said he believes probiotics could help stem malnutrition over the next two decades.

8 Oct 2019

Study shows association between mushroom consumption and lower risk of prostate cancer

Results from the first long-term cohort study of more than 36,000 Japanese men over decades suggest an association between eating mushrooms and a lower risk of prostate cancer.

7 Oct 2019

Researchers determine how the colon prioritizes gas detox over energy use

Onions, cabbage, garlic. While nutritious, eating these foods can lead to an embarrassing side effect: smelly flatulence. More than just smelly, hydrogen sulfide, the chemical compound responsible for the rotten-egg aroma, is deadly if inhaled at doses of more than 700 parts per million.

7 Oct 2019

Exercise may help reduce heart damage caused by chemotherapy

Cancer treatments can take a toll on the heart. The agents used to curb cancer cells can damage the heart or peripheral blood vessels. In some cases, they cause problems with clotting or blood lipids.

7 Oct 2019

GW researchers show connection between bacteria in the microbiome and colon cancer

A mutant protein found in humans with colon cancer blocks a pathway that regulates proliferation and expansion of cells, increasing amounts of bacterial species associated with the development of colon cancer.

4 Oct 2019