Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

High-glycemic index carbs linked to greater type 2 diabetes risk in Chinese and African-American women

Eating foods high on the glycemic index, which measures the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels, may be associated with the risk for developing type 2 diabetes in Chinese women and in African-American women, according to two studies in the November 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Nov 2007

City women have denser breasts, making them more likely to develop breast cancer

Breast tissue in women may be fatty or glandular or a mixture of both. Women with more glandular breasts show denser tissue on a mammogram and are known to have nearly four times the risk of developing breast cancer than women with fatty breasts.

27 Nov 2007

Alcohol and second-hand smoke a deadly combo

According to a new study the combination of alcohol and second-hand smoke can cause damage to the heart.

26 Nov 2007

Working mums and overweight kids: is there a link?

New research from the University of Bristol shows that children aged between 5 and 7, whose mothers work full time, are more likely to be overweight at age 16.

22 Nov 2007

GlaxoSmithKline to acquire Reliant Pharmaceuticals

GlaxoSmithKline and Reliant Pharmaceuticals Inc. have announced that they had reached an agreement under which Reliant will be acquired by GSK for $1.65 billion (800 million pounds Sterling) in cash.

21 Nov 2007

Measures that are needed to curb humanity's most fatal diseases

Several of the world's most eminent health scientists and organizations today publish a landmark global consensus on the 20 foremost measures needed to curb humanity's most fatal diseases, their study featured in Nature magazine.

21 Nov 2007

Study looks at effects of smoking and breathing second-hand smoke along with drinking

Tobacco smoke-filled air is bad for cardiovascular health, and drinking alcohol at the same time only makes it worse, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

21 Nov 2007

Research shows how embryonic cells may regulate levels of retinoic acid

Human embryos that get too much or too little retinoic acid, a derivative of Vitamin A, can develop into babies with birth defects.

21 Nov 2007

Regulation of the retinoic acid gradient in zebrafish embryos

Human embryos that get too much or too little retinoic acid, a derivative of Vitamin A, can develop into babies with birth defects.

21 Nov 2007

Study finds most people dissatisfied with their bodies

Most normal-weight women -- almost 90 percent in a Cornell study of 310 college students -- yearn to be thinner.

21 Nov 2007

New mums short on sleep pile on the pounds

A new study has found that mothers who only manage to get five hours or less sleep each night are three times more likely to hang on to that extra weight gained in pregnancy, while women who slept seven hours a night or more lost more weight.

20 Nov 2007

Impact of sleep deprivation on postpartum weight retention

Mothers who reported sleeping five hours or less per day when their babies were six months old had a threefold higher risk for substantial weight retention (11 pounds or more) at their baby's first birthday than moms who slept seven hours per day, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente and Harvard Medical School / Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

20 Nov 2007

Pedometers motivate diabetics to walk more

The use of a pedometer and a Web site that tracked physical activity levels proved to be powerful motivators for people with diabetes who participated in a recent walking study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

20 Nov 2007

Increase in eating disorder symptoms among ethnic groups

Eating disorders in the U.S. among ethnic groups were thought to be rare, but recent studies have shown that many cultures are now exposed to the thin beauty ideal.

19 Nov 2007

It's not just sugary sodas that are adding to the obesity crisis!

...it's fruit drinks, alcohol and a combination of other high-calorie beverages, say University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health researchers.

19 Nov 2007

Patients taking anti-obesity drugs will only see "modest" weight loss

The study, which looked at the long-term effectiveness of anti-obesity medications, found that three drugs recommended for long-term use - orlistat, sibutramine and rimonabant, reduced weight by less than 5kg (11 pounds). This equated to a loss of less than 5% of total body weight.

19 Nov 2007

Human health, agriculture and the environment to benefit from bioengineering project at the University of Kent

Martin Warren, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Kent’s Department of Biosciences, has been awarded over £750,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for a study into biochemical pathways that could ultimately lead to improved health benefits for humans, as well as the development of important new technologies and products for agriculture and bioremediation (the use of plants or microorganisms to clean up pollution or contaminated material).

19 Nov 2007

Healthy food out-of-reach for many Australian families

Many families on a tight budget are struggling to fill their shopping trolleys with healthy foods, placing them at high risk of poor nutrition, including overweight and obesity, a study in Nutrition and Dietetics published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Dietitians Association of Australia has found.

19 Nov 2007

Worrying about your health will just make you sick

According to a newly released survey people are increasingly worried about their own and their family's health. The irony is that the worry itself could be doing significant damage to their health.

19 Nov 2007