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Potatoes found to help reduce blood pressure and other diseases

UK scientists have identified bioactive plant chemicals in the most practical of staple foods, the potato. These natural chemicals have been associated with reduced blood pressure and they selectively affect a chemotherapeutic target for trypanosomes and similar diseases such as sleeping sickness.

30 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

Chefs up in arms because doctors want long pointed kitchen knives banned

In an article in the British Medical Journal, specialist registrar Dr Emma Hern and emergency medicine consultant Dr Mike Beckett say long pointed kitchen knives should be banned as part of a concerted effort to reduce the terrible injuries and deaths caused by stabbing attacks.

29 May 2005

Stents coated in polytetrafluoroethylene help keep blood vessels open for cirrhosis patients

Stents coated in polytetrafluoroethylene, the same substance used in non-stick cooking utensils, improves their ability to keep blood vessels open in TIPS procedures, decreasing occurrences of relapse and avoiding intervention, say a group of researchers led by Vina C. Williams, MD, from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

17 May 2005

College freshies show weaker immune responses

Being a college freshie may have more ramifications than being lonely and missing Mum's cooking, according to a new study at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh which shows that first-year students had a weaker immune response to the flu shot than did other students, and confirms suspicions that going to college challenges both mind and body.

2 May 2005

New, bigger low-carb potato with different taste will give consumers more choices

Following the January debut of the first low-carb potato that’s now a popular item in supermarkets, University of Florida researchers say a larger and tastier version of the spud will be available to consumers in May of this year.

27 Apr 2005

Pulsating ultrasound enhances gene therapy for tumors

High-intensity focused ultrasound emitted in short pulses is a promising, non-invasive procedure for enhancing gene delivery to cancerous cells without destroying healthy tissue, according to a study in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

26 Apr 2005

New U.S. Food Guidance System differentiates among types of fat

Healthy fats are distinguished from unhealthy fats in the new U.S. Food Guidance System unveiled today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The U.S. Canola Association (USCA), which called for such distinction, applauds "MyPyramid" and its related messages about oils and fats.

20 Apr 2005

Europe wants checks for Sudan dyes

The European Commission will extend its checks for Sudan dyes to cover unprocessed palm oil and turmeric as a number of samples have tested positive for Sudan contamination and products have been withdrawn.

5 Apr 2005

280 million pound package to transform the quality of school meals

Britain's Education Secretary Ruth Kelly today set down that schools should spend at least 50p per child on food ingredients as she unveiled a £280 million package to transform the quality of school meals.

30 Mar 2005

Canadians alerted to the presence of acrylamide in some foods

In 2002, Health Canada alerted Canadians to the presence of acrylamide in some foods, following reports by scientists in Sweden. Since then, Health Canada scientists have participated in international research efforts aimed at understanding how acrylamide is formed in foods and the health implications.

7 Mar 2005

Chips may cause cancer

Acrylamide, a contaminant shown to cause cancer in animals forms in the high-temperature frying, roasting or baking of foods like potato chips and crisps, coffee, and pastries, sweet biscuits, breads, rolls and toast, and may be a public health concern, according to two UN agencies.

5 Mar 2005

Methamphetamine, biggest illegal drug menace in America

Ten Attorneys General and officials from 13 other states came together today to attack what they called the biggest illegal drug menace in America: the use and production of methamphetamine.

28 Feb 2005

Mushrooms help lower cholesterol and keep hearts healthy

An analysis of previously uncharted chemical contents, mostly carbohydrates, in U.S.-consumed mushrooms shows that these fruity edible bodies of fungi could be tailored into dietary plans to help fill various nutritional needs.

14 Feb 2005

Researchers find way to produce cholesterol-lowering snack chips

Brandeis University biology professor K.C. Hayes and Senior Research Associate Andy Pronczuk at the school's Foster Biomedical Research Laboratory, and Senior Scientist Daniel Perlman in the Physics Department have discovered a way to produce chips and other snack foods that can actually lower your cholesterol while you eat them - without having any impact on taste

8 Feb 2005

Furan, a potentially dangerous chemical has been found in processed foods

A new study by McGill researchers Dr. Varoujan Yaylayan and graduate student Carolina Perez Locas explains the presence of this chemical in a wide range of food products.

3 Feb 2005

Soy may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

Every 34 seconds, an American man or woman dies of cardiovascular disease. Now, research suggests that a diet rich in soybean oil can help. Two new studies shed light on the power of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to reduce heart disease risk. Soybean oil provides an excellent source of ALA, as do leafy greens, some nuts and flax.

12 Jan 2005

Study links meat consumption to colon cancer

A major American Cancer Society study finds people who reported the highest consumption of red and processed meat had a significantly higher risk of colorectal cancer than those who reported the least consumption.

12 Jan 2005

No link between eating fruits and vegetables and a subsequent decreased risk for breast cancer

Contrary to findings in previous studies, new research that includes a large group of women found no link between eating fruits and vegetables and a subsequent decreased risk for breast cancer, according to a study in this week’s JAMA.

12 Jan 2005

Multi-state urinary tract infections likely caused by consumption of a contaminated food product of animal origin

A multi-state outbreak of urinary tract infections caused by drug-resistant Escherichia coli was probably due to consumption of a contaminated food product of animal origin, such as meat or milk, according to an article in the Jan. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

4 Jan 2005