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Babies born during famine are at higher risk of schizophrenia

A new study has found that malnutrition can harm mental as well as physical health, and babies born during famine are at higher risk of schizophrenia.

3 Aug 2005

Lowering the current PSA threshold for recommending a prostate biopsy may subject millions of men to unnecessary, potentially harmful medical procedures

Lowering the current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) threshold for recommending a prostate biopsy may subject millions of men to unnecessary, potentially harmful medical procedures with no evidence that it will improve prostate cancer mortality rates, according to a new study in the August 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

2 Aug 2005

High fructose corn syrup: a safe, natural ingredient

The July 31 article "Fructose sweetning could be even worse than using other sweeteners," mischaracterizes high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a natural, home-grown sweetener from U.S. corn fields. The article reports on a recent University of Cincinnati study whose authors assert that the body processes HFCS differently than other sugars due to the fructose content.

2 Aug 2005

Countries throughout the Americas are joining together to observe World Breastfeeding Week

...with a special focus on complementary feeding after six months of exclusive breastfeeding. The week of August 1-7 has the theme, "Breastfeeding and Family Foods: Loving and Healthy," highlighting the importance of timely, adequate, safe, and properly fed complementary foods.

2 Aug 2005

South African Department of Health celebrating World Breastfeeding Week

The South African Department of Health will be celebrating World Breastfeeding Week from the 1st August to 7th August 2005. World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) takes place annually from the 1st to 7th August and was created by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) in 1990.

2 Aug 2005

The wonders of watermelon

On a hot summer day, nothing refreshes quite like a crisp, juicy slice of cool watermelon. Whether you're chomping into watermelon, enjoying it as part of a fruit salad or slurping on a watermelon smoothie, that red pulp provides a powerhouse of nutritional value.

2 Aug 2005

Respected medical journal worried at lack of international cooperation in investigating scientific fraud

In a rather worrying development this week, prestige medical publication the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has expressed concern about the validity of a paper it published in 1992 written by Dr Ram B Singh of Moradabad, India.

1 Aug 2005

Dairy foods may actually help dieters keep the muscle and lose even more fat

Most people don't realize when a person loses weight, they lose fat and muscle, but new research indicates dairy foods may actually help dieters keep the muscle and lose even more fat.

1 Aug 2005

Suspected research fraud: difficulties of getting at the truth

This week, the BMJ expresses concern about the validity of a paper it published in 1992 written by Dr Ram B Singh of Moradabad, India.

28 Jul 2005

Broccoli may help prevent bladder cancer

Researchers have isolated compounds from the vegetable broccoli that they believe may help prevent or slow the progress of bladder cancer.

28 Jul 2005

British High Court overturns earlier "right-to-food" ruling

The General Medical Council in the UK has won its appeal in the High Court against a ruling which earlier gave a seriously-ill patient the right to stop doctors withdrawing food and drink.

28 Jul 2005

At last the news we really wanted to hear - chocolate is good for us!

Following new research that has discovered that flavanols, a plant chemical that occurs in cocoa beans, were good for human health, confectionary maker Mars, a privately owned company, yesterday unveiled new research showing that cocoa, the central ingredient in most of its products, has properties that can be used to treat diabetes, strokes and vascular disease.

27 Jul 2005

Niger needs long term assistance to avoid chronic food insecurity

According to recent nutrition surveys by the United Nations and some non-governmental agencies, acute malnutrition rates have risen to 13.4 percent in southern Niger's Maradi and Zinder Regions. A food shortage is impacting some 3.3 million people - including 800,000 children under age five - in some 3,815 villages.

26 Jul 2005

Vitamin D supplementation does not appear to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal black women

Although there is general agreement on the optimal calcium intake recommended for reducing postmenopausal bone loss, and it is recognized that vitamin D is important in calcium maintenance, the optimal intake of vitamin D is controversial, according to background information in the article.

25 Jul 2005

Plant toxins in the diets of early humans drove the evolution of taste

Plant toxins in the diets of early humans drove the evolution of a bitter taste receptor better able to detect them, suggests new genetic research by scientists at University College London, Duke University Medical Center, and the German Institute of Human Nutrition.

25 Jul 2005