Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Zinc deficiency mechanism associated with many health problems, aging

A new study has outlined for the first time a biological mechanism by which zinc deficiency can develop with age, leading to a decline of the immune system and increased inflammation associated with many health problems, including cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease and diabetes.

2 Oct 2012

Examining the intersection between nutrition and agriculture

In the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, Leslie Elder, a senior nutrition specialist at the World Bank, and Yurie Tanimichi Hoberg, a senior economist at the World Bank, write about the intersection of policies and programs in nutrition and agriculture, saying they "are not always closely coordinated."

2 Oct 2012

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements could slow key biological process linked to aging

Taking enough omega-3 fatty acid supplements to change the balance of oils in the diet could slow a key biological process linked to aging, new research suggests.

2 Oct 2012

Anemia now confirmed as risk factor for illness and even death following cardiac surgery

Anemia is now confirmed as a risk factor for illness and even death following cardiac surgery, according to a study published in the October 2012 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

2 Oct 2012

Oil blend plus antihypertensive lowers blood pressure, cholesterol level

A blend of sesame and rice bran oil could reduce blood pressure by almost as much as an antihypertensive medication, say researchers.

1 Oct 2012

Cafeteria diet increases risk of stroke or death at a younger age

The fat- and sugar-rich Western diet leads to a lifetime of health problems, dramatically increasing the risk of stroke or death at a younger age, according to a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

1 Oct 2012

New insights on global fight to prevent cancers

New insights on the global fight to prevent cancers were presented during the ESMO 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna. The studies highlight the challenges of overcoming misunderstandings about how important lifestyle factors are in reducing cancer risk.

1 Oct 2012

Blogs examine efforts to improve global food security

In this post on the State Department's "DipNote" blog, Jonathan Shrier, acting special representative for food security, discusses an event, co-hosted on Thursday by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Malawi President Joyce Banda, "to highlight both the progress made in the last three years under Feed the Future and the contributions of civil society organizations to advance our food security goals."

29 Sep 2012

Gentle chiropractic care improves child's overall health and well-being

Irritation to a young person's nervous system can begin in utero. The baby's position during delivery (natural or cesarean) can create stress on their nervous system. Even a "normal, healthy" birth can induce 40-50 pounds of pressure on a newborn's neck and spine.

29 Sep 2012

U.N. meetings focus on improving nutrition among women, children

Political and private sector leaders met on Thursday at a High-Level Meeting on Scaling Up Nutrition, held in New York on the sidelines of the 67th U.N. General Assembly session, the U.N. News Centre reports.

29 Sep 2012

Human rights most important factor in combating global hunger, report says

"Human rights are the most powerful tool to ensure efforts against hunger and malnutrition tackle structural causes and are not reduced to short-term strategies, civil society groups said in a report published on Tuesday," the Guardian reports.

29 Sep 2012

World leaders address climate change, water, food security at events on sidelines of U.N. General Assembly

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday at an event hosted by Qatar on the sidelines of the 67th General Assembly meeting "called again for urgent and concrete action on climate change, as high-level officials gathered at the United Nations to discuss the growing global concern over the impacts of the phenomenon on food and water security," the U.N. News Centre reports.

29 Sep 2012

FDA approves Abbott’s HUMIRA to treat ulcerative colitis

Abbott today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved HUMIRA (adalimumab) for inducing and sustaining clinical remission in adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) when certain other medicines have not worked well enough.

29 Sep 2012

Increase in rates of short telomeres predicts longevity in mammals

A team of researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), headed by CNIO Director Mar-a Blasco, has demonstrated in a pioneering study on mammals that longevity is defined at a molecular level by the length of telomeres. The work-which is published today in the online edition of the journal Cell Reports-opens the door to further study of these cellular components in order to calculate the rate at which cells age and thus be able to determine life expectancy for a particular organism.

28 Sep 2012

Most Canadians view financial incentives for deceased kidney donation to be acceptable

Most Canadians view financial incentives for deceased kidney donation to be acceptable, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

28 Sep 2012

Researchers discover leptin hormone in fruit flies

Researchers have discovered in fruit flies a key metabolic hormone thought to be the exclusive property of vertebrates. The hormone, leptin, is a nutrient sensor, regulating energy intake and output and ultimately controlling appetite.

28 Sep 2012

Reporting on progress of New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition

In this blog post on FeedtheFuture.gov, Tjada McKenna, deputy coordinator for development for Feed the Future, and Jonathan Shrier, acting special representative for global food security and deputy coordinator for diplomacy for Feed the Future, answer five questions about the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which was established by the G8 in May 2012.

28 Sep 2012

Inhibiting TRPV4 protects against diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced the publication of key preclinical data demonstrating that inhibition of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) family of ion channels - specifically TRPV4 - resulted in activation of brown/beige fat and protection from diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. Ember holds an exclusive option to license these TRPV4 findings and technology.

28 Sep 2012

Molecular link between thermogenesis and development of inflammation in fat cells

Flipping a newly discovered molecular switch in white fat cells enabled mice to eat a high-calorie diet without becoming obese or developing the inflammation that causes insulin resistance, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

28 Sep 2012

Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mozambique join new alliance for food security and nutrition

Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mozambique have joined the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which, launched earlier this year by the G8, is aimed at boosting food security and addressing malnutrition in Africa, VOA News reports.

28 Sep 2012