Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

High-fibre diet protects women from cardiovascular disease

Foods high in fibre provide good protection against cardiovascular disease, and the effect is particularly marked in women. This is shown in a new study from Lund University in Sweden.

17 Apr 2012

Gestational diabetes on the rise

Although the disease usually goes away after delivery, it can have permanent consequences. Not only can the mother be prone to develop diabetes later in life, but their babies are also at greater risk for chronic health problems.

16 Apr 2012

Cosmetics may contain chemicals that raise risk of obesity and diabetes

Scientists found that those who were exposed to phthalates, colourless man-made substances included in a variety of common consumer products, were more prone to weight gain. And subjects with even 'modest' levels of the substance in their bloodstream were twice as likely to develop diabetes.

16 Apr 2012

British doctors tackle the obesity epidemic

According to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges the approach of using voluntary agreements with industry is “failing to have a significant impact” on obesity. Obesity, says the organization is a “huge crisis waiting to happen”.

16 Apr 2012

Genes linked to major brain functions and disorders

An international team of researchers have found the genes that increase or reduce the risk of certain mental illnesses and Alzheimer's disease. They claim that some genes that may explain individual differences in brain size and intelligence as well. The team of more than 200 scientists at 100 institutions said this was the largest-ever brain study to date.

16 Apr 2012

SMART Heart improves cardiovascular surgical outcomes

Two years ago, 57-year-old Allus Brown underwent a simultaneous heart-kidney transplant and spent months in and out of the hospital after battling dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that enlarges and weakens the heart. Now fully recovered, Brown is still in and out of Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute each week. Only nowadays when he visits, he's laughing it up, playing board games, and sharing accounts of his own struggles with heart disease as part of the Bluhm Institute's new and innovative program, SMART Heart, stress management and recreational therapy for heart patients.

16 Apr 2012

Significant skull variation between groups in close proximity

In order to accurately identify skulls as male or female, forensic anthropologists need to have a good understanding of how the characteristics of male and female skulls differ between populations. A new study from North Carolina State University shows that these differences can be significant, even between populations that are geographically close to one another.

16 Apr 2012

Biologists decipher novel functions of metal-binding molecule nicotianamine

In order to survive, plants should take up neither too many nor too few minerals from the soil. New insights into how they operate this critical balance have now been published by biologists at the Ruhr-Universit-t in a series of three papers in the journal The Plant Cell. The researchers discovered novel functions of the metal-binding molecule nicotianamine.

16 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Obesity treatment for low-income patients; Medicare vs. private plans

Low-income patients are underrepresented in clinical trials and are disproportionately prone to obesity and the related problems of high blood pressure and heart disease. Researchers conducted a 24-month trial of more than 300 low-income, obese patients from various Boston community health centers, randomizing participants "to usual care or a behavioral intervention that promoted weight loss and hypertension self-management using eHealth components. The intervention included tailored behavior change goals, self-monitoring, and skills training, available via a website or interactive voice response."

16 Apr 2012

New genes may explain individual differences in brain size and intelligence

In the world's largest brain study to date, a team of more than 200 scientists from 100 institutions worldwide collaborated to map the human genes that boost or sabotage the brain's resistance to a variety of mental illnesses and Alzheimer's disease.

16 Apr 2012

Study contains warning for obese expectant mother

A new University of Illinois study contains a warning for obese women who are planning pregnancies. Even if they eat a healthy diet when they are pregnant, their babies will develop in an unhealthy environment that places the infants at risk for future health problems.

16 Apr 2012

New findings on out-of-hand nut consumption and health

In a study published in Nutrition Research, researchers looked at the association of out-of-hand nut (OOHN) consumption with nutrient intake, diet quality and the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome in both children and adults.

16 Apr 2012

Obesity surgery shows threefold rise over five years

There has been a threefold rise in Australians resorting to surgery to tackle their obesity. This has prompted the establishment of a registry to monitor the safety and effectiveness of weight-loss procedures.

15 Apr 2012

Inadequate sleep linked to higher diabetes risk

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12 Apr 2012

Too little sleep, inconsistent sleep patterns increase risk of diabetes and obesity

A study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) reinforces the finding that too little sleep or sleep patterns that are inconsistent with our body's "internal biological clock" may lead to increased risk of diabetes and obesity.

12 Apr 2012

Experts share top 5 springtime fruits and vegetables that fight cancer

The price of springtime fruits and vegetables seems to increase each year. But when buyers break this expense down to cents, they realize stocking up on these cancer-fighting foods still makes economical sense, say experts from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

12 Apr 2012

Johns Hopkins cardiologists support use of statins for primary prevention of heart attack

Writing the first commentary for a new feature in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), called Viewpoint, Johns Hopkins cardiologists make the case for why a 55-year-old man with a 10 percent estimated risk of heart attack over the next 10 years should be offered statin medication. They were invited to debate a professor who argues against prescribing statins for "primary" prevention—for those who have not had a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack—even though they may be considered at "intermediate" risk because of elevated cholesterol or other factors.

12 Apr 2012

Gluten free diet does not help weight loss and may be harmful to the non-allergic

The 19-year-old pop star Miley Cyrus came into news after proclaiming on Twitter that the reason behind her skinny new frame is a gluten and lactose-free eating plan. She reportedly said, “Everyone should try no gluten for a week! The change in your skin, physical and mental health is amazing. You won’t go back!”

11 Apr 2012

Study reveals difficulties in self-management of diabetes

A new study from researchers at Queen Mary, University of London reveals the many difficulties faced by people with diabetes in self-managing their disease.

11 Apr 2012

First large study to examine age, gender and sibling history on stroke risk

If your brother or sister had a stroke, you may be at least 60 percent more likely to have one too, according to research reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.

11 Apr 2012