Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

Australians depressed, obese, alcoholic and in denial: Survey

Reports reveal that Australians are in denial about their increasing rates of obesity and claim to be the unhappiest in the world. The findings came from an international health survey which also revealed that Australians were among the world's biggest drinkers, coming in just behind the British. The survey by health insurer BUPA showed that while 64 per cent of Australians said they were in relatively good shape, there were some worrying trends.

14 Sep 2011

Diabetes epidemic grips the world

Experts are horrified with the rise of numbers of diabetics worldwide. A staggering 366 million people around the world have either Type 1 or 2 diabetes, says the International Diabetes Federation. The disease has taken a deadly toll, causing 4.6 million deaths each year, or one death every seven seconds. The number of sufferers was pegged at 285 million worldwide in 2009. Since then, China reported 92.4 million people with the condition, more than double the federation’s estimate. The diabetes epidemic is also heavy on healthcare spending, to the tune of $465 billion a year to fight the disease.

14 Sep 2011

Pure maple syrup may promote a healthy liver

New research conducted at the University of Tokyo suggests that pure maple syrup may promote a healthy liver.

14 Sep 2011

Lignans lower risk of death in women with breast cancer

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds which, in the human body, can attach to the receptors for the female sexual hormone estrogen and which are taken in with our daily diet. A number of findings have attributed a cancer protective effect to these plant hormones. At DKFZ, a team headed by Prof. Dr. Jenny Chang-Claude summarized the results of several studies in a meta-analysis last year and showed that a diet rich in phytoestrogens lowers the risk of developing breast cancer after menopause.

14 Sep 2011

Practical NCD guide for everyone to improve their health

The world's health professions have launched an easy-to-use, practical guide to help individuals and their health professionals reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) - conditions which currently account for 60% of global deaths.

14 Sep 2011

African-Americans have higher risk of high blood pressure earlier

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13 Sep 2011

High cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease

New research suggests that high cholesterol levels could boost the risk of Alzheimer's disease by creating more brain-clogging bits known as plaque. Researchers however didn't find any link between high cholesterol and tangles, which also clog the brain in those with Alzheimer's.

13 Sep 2011

Cancer prevention tips for men at every stage of life

Men who maintain a healthy body throughout life are often better able to fight off diseases like cancer. That's why experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have created a guide with cancer prevention tips to help men at every stage of life.

13 Sep 2011

CEO Roundtable on Cancer bestows Gold Standard accreditation to Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has received CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation, recognizing the center's commitment to reducing cancer risk by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment for their own employees and their covered family members, as well as the patients whom they serve.

12 Sep 2011

Non-communicable disease epidemic a global problem

Later this month the United Nations will convene a high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases. The world's global health news has been so dominated by infectious culprits - HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, influenza - that it's easy to forget just how big a toll conditions like diabetes, cancer and heart and lung disease take say experts.

9 Sep 2011

Black children more at risk for peanut allergy: Study

U.S. researchers examined the genetic profiles of more than 1,100 urban children of different races, averaging around 3 years of age, and found that black children were more likely to have allergic antibodies to food allergens. The study also found that African ancestry was linked with levels of allergic antibodies to peanut typically associated with clinical peanut allergies.

9 Sep 2011

‘Weight Watchers’ twice as effective in weight loss as standard care: Study

A new study published this Thursday shows that overweight patients told by their doctors to go to Weight Watchers lose around twice as much weight as people receiving standard weight loss care over 12 months.

9 Sep 2011

New application translates foreign-language food menus for English speakers

Researchers have created an application that enables cell phones and other portable devices to translate foreign-language food menus for English speakers and could be used for people who must follow restricted diets for medical reasons.

9 Sep 2011

Blood levels of FGF-23 can help predict CKD patients at risk of heart problems

The blood levels of a particular hormone can help predict which kidney disease patients will develop heart problems, need dialysis, and die prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

9 Sep 2011

Weight Watchers more effective alternative to primary care for obese adults

A new, one-year global study published today in The Lancet indicates that overweight and obese adults referred to Weight Watchers, a community based provider of weight-loss services, lost more than twice as much weight when compared with those who received standard care.

9 Sep 2011

Possible link between mother's diet and risk of allergies in children

A possible link between what a mother eats during pregnancy and the risk of her child developing allergies has been identified in new research published in this month's The Journal of Physiology.

9 Sep 2011

Simple universal test to detect Alzheimer’s early

A ten-minute memory test that gives early warning of Alzheimer’s in people as young as 50 is being piloted in GP surgeries. Using a touch-screen computer or an iPad, it can distinguish between normal forgetfulness and the more dangerous memory lapses that signal dementia in its earliest stages. If trials are successful, it could be in widespread use in under a year. The developer, Cambridge Cognition, said the mobile electronic test will allow GPs to access patients presenting memory problems more quickly, simply and accurately than with tradition paper-based tests.

8 Sep 2011

Curbing unhealthy eating to reduce obesity

The Obesity Policy Coalition suggests a new mobile app called Traffic Light Food Tracker that will enable users to work around the food industry's hesitation in supporting traffic light labeling. Traffic light labeling marks foods high in fat, sugar and salt with red warnings, while green labels are for healthy options. Users only have to key in their food item's fat, sugar and sodium quantities and save each item in their “pantry” within the phone app.

8 Sep 2011

World Cancer Research Fund urges action to stop preventable cancers

According to the WCRF this Wednesday healthier lifestyles and better diets could prevent up to 2.8 million cases of cancer each year. The WCRF called upon governments to “avoid a public health disaster”.

8 Sep 2011

Moderate alcohol intake linked to longer life in women

According to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, women may benefit from alcohol consumption. The study showed that middle-age women who indulge in one drink a day or less on a regular basis may have a better chance of being healthier when they’re older.

8 Sep 2011