Category Archives: Improved Digestion

Certain genetic variations increase the risk of having a lower level of vitamin D. This is the finding of a PhD project from Denmark, which has examined the effect of eating vitamin D fortified foods or receiving artificial UVB irradiation during the winter months. The fortified diet and artificial sunlight had less of an effect on vitamin D statusSee Original Article

The results of a national survey about weight loss barriers finds 90 percent of respondents discounted one of the most important factors — your mind. A neuropsychologist says the most crucial factor is your psychological relationship with food and exercise, yet the majority (60 percent) listed diet and exercise to be the biggest barriers of weightSee Original Article

Use of low energy sweeteners (LES) in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced calorie intake and body weight – and possibly also when comparing LES beverages to water — according to a new review.
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The endurance competition called the Ultraman can lead to large reductions in body fat, but also causes temporary muscle damage and potentially insulin resistance, new research confirms.
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A diet developed for reducing cholesterol also lowers blood pressure, a new study has found. The portfolio diet lowered blood pressure by an average two per cent, when compared with another diet recommended to reduce hypertension.
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In two separate articles, researchers detail strategies aimed at cutting food waste and broadening approaches to food policy, moves that the researchers say would ultimately improve public health and food security.
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Two new studies show a person’s diet can significantly affect his or her chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
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An excess of bacteria in the gut can change the way the liver processes fat and could lead to the development of metabolic syndrome, according to health researchers. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and excess body fat around the waist. People experiencing three orSee Original Article

Consumers are increasingly buying food from mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, and convenience stores, but are selecting foods with poor nutritional profiles, according to new study.
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The road to obesity may be paved with non-nutritious carbohydrates in breast milk, shifting popular notions about how and why children grow to become overweight adults, researchers report.
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A molecular switch capable of converting unhealthy white fat into healthy, energy-burning brown fat has been discovered in mice, scientists report.
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A single variation in the gene for brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) may influence obesity in children and adults, according to a new study. The study suggests that a less common version of the BDNF gene may predispose people to obesity by producing lower levels of BDNF protein, a regulator of appetite, in the brain.
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People who maintain that eating tomatoes can cause their gout to flare up are likely to welcome new research that has, for the first time, found a biological basis for this belief.
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Gestational diabetes can be prevented by a simple, easily applicable individualized lifestyle intervention in high-risk women, finds a study. The results of the study are promising, and may have major health consequences for both the mother and the child.
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A new study found evidence that gut microbes affect circadian rhythms and metabolism in mice.
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The first comprehensive study of its kind finds weight cycling, repeated cycles of intentional weight loss followed by regain, was not associated with overall risk of cancer in men or women.
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A new vitamin B3 pathway that regulates liver metabolism has been identified by scientists. The discovery provides an opportunity to pursue the development of novel drug therapies for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic diseases.
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The success of probiotics for boosting human health may depend partly upon the food, beverage, or other material carrying the probiotics, according to research.
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Affection from grandparents towards their grandchildren may play a major role in contributing to the childhood obesity pandemic in China, new research reveals. Chinese children who are mainly cared for by their grandparents are more than twice as likely to be overweight or obese, compared with those who are mainly looked after by their parents or oSee Original Article

Late- and post-menopausal women have significantly greater volumes of fat around their hearts — a risk factor for heart disease — than their pre-menopausal counterparts, a study has shown for the first time.
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A short burst of intensive exercise before eating a high fat meal is better for blood vessel function in young people than the currently recommended moderate-intensity exercise, according to a new study. Cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and stroke a leading cause of death, and the process underlying these diseases start in youth. An See Original Article

After decades of debate there remains no generally accepted definition of a “natural” food product. Regulatory agencies have refused to settle the issue but may be under new pressure from consumer lawsuits, according to a new study.
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While the phrase “an apple a day” is a popular saying, a new study suggests that pears as part of a healthy diet could play a role in helping to manage type 2 diabetes and diabetes-induced hypertension. New research details potential health benefits of Bartlett and Starkrimson pears.
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While recent reports question whether fish oil supplements support heart health, scientists have found that the fatty acids they contain are vitally important to the developing brain. Neurobiologists report that dietary deficiencies in the type of fatty acids found in fish and other foods can limit brain growth during fetal development and early inSee Original Article

Scientists have developed a new, simple way to cook rice that could cut the number of calories absorbed by the body by more than half, potentially reducing obesity rates, which is especially important in countries where the food is a staple.
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A nationwide survey of registered dietitian nutritionists is helping to formalize a career path for RDNs seeking more responsibility and autonomy as clinicians. RDNs have long been important members of health care teams, providing counseling and oversight on food and nutrition. RDNs have a wide range of autonomy in clinical settings — from needingSee Original Article

A nation-wide analysis of U.S. grocery purchases reveals that highly processed foods make up more than 60 percent of the calories in food we buy, and these items tend to have more fat, sugar and salt than less-processed foods.
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The obesity epidemic among children has caused alarm throughout the United States and Canada. Achieving healthy energy intake among this age group is a widespread health concern. A new method of appetite regulation in children was recently investigated.
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Chemicals used as synthetic flame retardants that are found in common household items such as couches, carpet padding, and electronics have been found to cause metabolic and liver problems that can lead to insulin resistance, which is a major cause of obesity, according to new research.
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A new study confirms what has long been suspected: highly processed foods like chocolate, pizza and French fries are among the most addictive.
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A small new study shows that, in people with type 2 diabetes, those who consume a high-energy breakfast and a low-energy dinner have better blood sugar control than those who eat a low-energy breakfast and a high-energy dinner.
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A review of nutrition and weight-loss interventions for people with impaired mobility found strategies are sorely lacking for people with neurological disabilities. Interventions are overwhelmingly geared toward muscular disorders, leaving a gap in approaches that could help people with neurological disabilities become more active, eat healthier anSee Original Article

Taking vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements may not reduce the risk of memory and thinking problems after all, according to a new study. The study is one of the largest to date to test long-term use of supplements and thinking and memory skills.
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As obesity rates rise, health professionals and policy makers scramble to help consumers resist unhealthy eating choices, often focusing on better labeling and improved nutritional knowledge. According to a new study, however, training people to pay attention to their emotions is a far more powerful strategy.
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Pregnant women in Bangladesh with low levels of the most common form of vitamin E are nearly twice as likely to have a miscarriage than those with adequate levels of the vitamin in their blood, according to new research.
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The liver stores excess glucose, sugar, in the form of glycogen — chains of glucose — which is later released to cover body energy requirements. Diabetic patients do not accumulate glucose well in the liver and this is one of the reasons why they suffer from hyperglycemia. A new study demonstrates that high hepatic glucose stores in mice prevenSee Original Article