Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

Alcoholic liver disease risk only ‘modestly’ affected by genetic factors

Research has suggested that environmental factors have a greater impact on the risk of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) than genetic predisposition.

5 Jul 2012

Developing countries struggle to meet UN’s child hunger target

Insufficient progress has been made in most developing countries to meet the United Nations' target of halving the proportion of children who suffer from hunger by 2015 compared with 1990 levels, according to a systematic analysis of data on children's height and weight, published today in the Lancet.

5 Jul 2012

Acute pancreatitis: An interview with Viktor Oskarsson

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas. The most common symptom is acute abdominal pain, which is often accompanied with nausea and vomiting.

4 Jul 2012

Obesity epidemic requires new focus on controlling energy balance and preventing weight gain

As the United States confronts the growing epidemic of obesity among children and adults, a team of University of Colorado School of Medicine obesity researchers concludes that what the nation needs is a new battle plan - one that replaces the emphasis on widespread food restriction and weight loss with an emphasis on helping people achieve "energy balance" at a healthy body weight.

4 Jul 2012

Scientists develop new animal model to study nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Scientists at Texas Biomed have developed the laboratory opossum as a new animal model to study the most common liver disease in the nation - afflicting up to 15 million Americans - and for which there is no cure.

4 Jul 2012

Treating Sickle Cell Disease with L-Glutamine

By focusing on how best to help patients, researchers can sometimes find solutions that are much simpler than anticipated. That has been the guiding approach to our efforts to develop a treatment for sickle cell disease.

3 Jul 2012

Obesity during adulthood linked to sexual and physical abuse during childhood

Investigators from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center report research findings that may shed light on influences on obesity during adulthood. Appearing in the journal Pediatrics, the study found an association of severity of sexual and physical abuse during childhood and adolescence with obesity during adulthood.

2 Jul 2012

Rapamycin enhances learning and memory in young mice

Cognitive skills such as learning and memory diminish with age in everyone, and the drop-off is steepest in Alzheimer's disease. Texas scientists seeking a way to prevent this decline reported exciting results this week with a drug that has Polynesian roots.

30 Jun 2012

Gluten-free diet may not be a good choice for everyone

One of the latest trends in the food market and among celebrities is going gluten-free. Snack giant Frito-Lay has announced it will introduce new gluten-free labels and products, and Miley Cyrus has credited her recent weight loss to a gluten-free diet.

29 Jun 2012

Study explains why memory improves on a high-DHA diet

We've all heard that eating fish is good for our brains and memory. But what is it about DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, that makes our memory sharper? Medical researchers at the University of Alberta discovered a possible explanation and just published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

29 Jun 2012

Researchers create first animal model for RA

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have created the first animal model that spontaneously develops rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is predisposed towards atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

29 Jun 2012

Atkins diet ‘dangerous to heart health’

Women who follow an Atkins-style diet have a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease, experts warn.

28 Jun 2012

Substituting short vehicle journeys for walks reduces death rates

A new study confirms that doing short journeys on foot rather than taking the car or motorbike would avoid the death of 108 men and 79 women a year in Catalonia alone. This would imply annual savings of more than 200 million euros.

28 Jun 2012

Acute pancreatitis may be staved off by diet rich in vegetables

A diet rich in vegetables could help stave off the development of the serious condition acute pancreatitis, suggests a large study published online in the journal Gut.

28 Jun 2012

Dietary fiber can improve gastrointestinal health

A University of Illinois study shows that dietary fiber promotes a shift in the gut toward different types of beneficial bacteria. And the microbes that live in the gut, scientists now believe, can support a healthy gastrointestinal tract as well as affect our susceptibility to conditions as varied as type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

28 Jun 2012

CAPABLE program can help countless older adults avoid nursing home stays

Nursing homes do not have to be inevitable destinations for frail older adults. Many—even those with long-term health problems—can remain at home and be independent. All it takes is a little help to change "disability" to "capability".

28 Jun 2012

Arena receives FDA approval for Belviq to treat obesity

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, for chronic weight management.

28 Jun 2012

Menopausal women may experience fewer hot flashes following physical activity

Menopausal women who exercise may experience fewer hot flashes in the 24 hours following physical activity, according to health researchers.

28 Jun 2012

OCC members praise FDA approval of new obesity drug – Belviq

Today, members of the Obesity Care Continuum (OCC) applauded the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of a new obesity drug – Belviq (lorcaserin HCl). Belviq is the first obesity drug to be approved in the past 13 years.

28 Jun 2012

EU agenda focusses on lifesyle changes towards healthy diets and improved physical activity

A common Strategic Research Agenda of 22 countries in Europe focusses on lifesyle changes towards healthy diets and improved physical activity. Biomarker research, nutrigenomics, perzonalized food supplies and the prevention of chronic lifestyle related diseases are key-fields of the Joint Programming Inititative " A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life."

27 Jun 2012