Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

GPR21 inhibitors may hold promise for diabetes

In recent years, a growing body of evidence has linked inflammation to the development of insulin resistance. In insulin resistance, the hormone insulin is less effective in promoting glucose uptake from the bloodstream into other tissues. Obesity is a major factor that contributes to insulin resistance, which can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have shown that proinflammatory molecules found in fat tissue decreases sensitivity of tissues to insulin.

2 Jun 2012

Research roundup: Changing unhealthy diets with mobile tech; ACOs for Medicaid

Multiple Behavior Changes In Diet And Activity -- Mobile technologies have been touted for their potential benefits to health and wellness. Researchers in this study gave 204 individuals a dieting and exercise regimen. They also gave each person a handheld device to record adherence and receive remote coaching.

2 Jun 2012

Yawning gulf between maternal mortality policies and implementation

As the UN Special Rapporteur on maternal mortality in India points out there is a 'yawning gulf between commendable maternal mortality policies and their urgent, focused, sustained, systematic and effective implementation', the May issue of Reproductive Health Matters explores the causes and impact of this gap, but also highlights hopeful signs of progress.

2 Jun 2012

Global cancer rates could go up 75% by 2030, study suggests

"The number of people with cancer is set to surge by more than 75 percent across the world by 2030, with particularly sharp rises in poor countries as they adopt unhealthy 'Westernized' lifestyles," according to a study published Friday in the Lancet, Reuters reports.

2 Jun 2012

First study to correlate dietary fiber intake with inflammatory markers in adolescents

Adolescents who don't eat enough fiber tend to have bigger bellies and higher levels of inflammatory factors in their blood, both major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, researchers report.

2 Jun 2012

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages people to make healthy food choices

New York City has announced plans to ban the sale of sodas and other sugary beverages larger than 16 ounces in restaurants and entertainment venues. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages consumers to be aware of how all beverages fit into their healthful daily eating plan.

2 Jun 2012

First U.S.-based study to assess per-patient annual economic costs of fecal incontinence

Care for patients with fecal incontinence costs $4,110 per person for both medical and non-medical costs like loss of productivity, according to new research from the University of Michigan.

2 Jun 2012

Lilly, Kowa announce results from PREVAIL U.S. study

Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced results of the PREVAIL U.S. study (Pitavastatin compaREd with praVAstatin In Lowering LDL-C in the U.S.) which evaluated the efficacy of LIVALO (pitavastatin) 4 mg compared with pravastatin 40 mg in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the primary endpoint, as well as effects on other lipid parameters and lipoprotein particles in adult patients with primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia.

2 Jun 2012

Surgical fat removal reduces skin cancer in mice

Results from a study conducted in mice fed a high-fat diet show that the surgical removal of abdominal fat was associated with a reduced risk for skin cancer in the animals.

1 Jun 2012

SRI, ChromaDex form collaboration on METLIN database

ChromaDex Corporation, an innovative natural products company that provides proprietary, science-based solutions and ingredients to the dietary supplement, food & beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, announced today that it has formed a collaboration with The Scripps Center for Metabolomics to generate tandem mass spectrometry data for compounds from the ChromaDex natural products and phytochemical catalog.

1 Jun 2012

Study looks into safety concerns of low-carb, high-protein diets

Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets—like the Atkins diet—have been popular among dieters for years. For just as long, experts have worried that such diets might be harmful to the kidneys. A study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) looks into these safety concerns.

1 Jun 2012

Heart problems in high risk people could be prevented by dark chocolate

Daily consumption of dark chocolate can reduce cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, in people with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of factors that increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes), finds a study published on bmj.com today.

1 Jun 2012

75% increase in cancer incidence predicted by 2030

The global cancer burden is set to surge more than 75% by 2030, according to new research published Online First in the Lancet Oncology. The rise is predicted to be even larger in the developing world, with the poorest countries experiencing a projected increase of more than 90%.

1 Jun 2012

Seriously ill children administered zinc in addition to antibiotics respond better, more quickly to treatment, study shows

"In a newly released clinical study, conducted in India" and published in the Lancet on Thursday, "hundreds of seriously ill infants who received zinc -- an essential micronutrient for the immune system and human growth -- as well as antibiotics, responded better and more quickly to treatment than those who did not," IRIN reports.

1 Jun 2012

Beta-carotene safe to use during radiation therapy for prostate cancer

Despite past safety concerns, the antioxidant supplement beta-carotene, is safe to use during radiation therapy treatments for prostate cancer and does not increase the risk of prostate cancer death or metastases, according to a study in the May issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology•Biology•Physics, the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

1 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Bishops' request for contraception exemption may push legal precedent; Maine's experiment on health care

43 Roman Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits challenging a ... regulation that requires employers or their health insurers to offer birth control coverage to workers. The plaintiffs say that complying with the regulation would violate their religious freedom.

1 Jun 2012

Raisins prevent excessive calorie intake and increase satiety in children

New research recently announced at the Canadian Nutrition Society annual meeting in Vancouver, B.C., suggests eating raisins as an after-school snack prevents excessive calorie intake and increases satiety – or feeling of fullness – as compared to other commonly consumed snacks.

1 Jun 2012

Researchers investigate how iPFK2 enzyme may benefit some obese people

Why is it that some obese people are healthier than others? This was one of the main questions Dr. Chaodong Wu of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Texas A&M University System - and a group of researchers tried to answer in a recent study.

1 Jun 2012

Vitamin D3 supplements could provide more health benefits

New research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has shown that vitamin D3 supplements could provide more benefit than the close relative vitamin D2.

1 Jun 2012

IL-6 protein plays a pivotal role in the duration of acute pancreatitis

Scientists from the Universities of Illinois and California have found that the inflammatory protein interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a pivotal role in the duration of acute pancreatitis in animal models with this condition.

1 Jun 2012