Feature Channels: Nutrition

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Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, kills more than 800,000 Americans each year. We know that too much salt may contribute to high blood pressure and increased cardiovascular risk. According to a new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American children are consuming sodium at levels that far exceed the daily recommended limit. Taste preferences for high sodium foods, formed as children, follow individuals into adulthood and put them at increased risk for developing cardiovascular problems later in life.

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Sleep deprivation may result in people consuming more calories during the following day, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis led by researchers at King's College London.

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Three low-carb meals within 24 hours lowers post-meal insulin resistance by more than 30 percent, but high-carb meals sustain insulin resistance, a condition that leads to high blood pressure, prediabetes and diabetes, according to a University of Michigan study.

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It's tempting to dip into the leftover Halloween treats, but new research out of York University has found eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, combined with regular exercise, leads to better cognitive functioning for younger and older adults, and may delay the onset of dementia.

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It is a well-known fact that fitness and well-being go hand in hand. But being in good shape also protects against the health problems that arise when we feel particularly stressed at work. As reported by sports scientists from the University of Basel and colleagues from Sweden, it therefore pays to stay physically active, especially during periods of high stress.

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Marketing for baby and toddler foods often contradicts health professionals’ advice, according to new research released at APHA 2016.

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Dark chocolate can be a source of antioxidants in the diet, but many consumers dislike the bitter flavor. The taste of milk chocolate is more appealing to a greater number of consumers, but it doesn’t have the same antioxidants properties as dark chocolate. In a recent Journal of Food Science study, researchers found a way to use peanut skin extracts to make milk chocolate that has even more nutritional benefits of dark chocolate without affecting the taste.

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A recent Cochrane Review has found evidence from randomised trials, that taking an oral vitamin D supplement in addition to standard asthma medication is likely to reduce severe asthma attacks.

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Vitamin D supplements are less effective at raising vitamin D levels in pregnant women if they deliver their babies in the winter, have low levels of vitamin D early in pregnancy or gain more weight during pregnancy, a new Southampton study has shown.

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Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that supplementing healthy mice with a natural compound called NMN can compensate for the loss of energy production that is typical of aging. Older NMN-supplemented mice showed improved energy metabolism, reducing typical signs of aging such as gradual weight gain, loss of insulin sensitivity and declines in physical activity.

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Dr. Patricia Happel, a family medicine physician who lost more than 100 pounds, shares her story and key components of successful weight loss and healthy living

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In the past decade, ophthalmologists have been prescribing nutritional supplements to be taken daily to prevent or slow vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Now, using nutritional supplements for eye health has become more common. But does increasing the recommended dose increase your protection? A case report appearing online in JAMA Ophthalmology from the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah reveals what can happen when a patient takes more of a supplement than their body needs.

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The USDA recently released its report, “Household Food Insecurity in the United States in 2015,” which shows a significant decline in the national food-insecurity rate, from 14 percent to 12.7 percent in one year. In this Q&A, Jeremy Everett, director of Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative discusses the report, food insecurity in the nation and in Texas, and which campaigns and efforts are working to reduce the number of people going without meals.

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As with any sugary food, consuming too much Halloween candy is not good for you, said UF/IFAS associate professor Karla Shelnutt. “I don’t think kids should be eating more than one to two pieces of candy a day.”

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Sophisticated analyses of two clinical trials suggest that thousands of early preterm births could be prevented if pregnant women took daily docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements

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Research in C. elegans shows the popular supplement engages longevity genes to increase lifespan and prevent the accumulation of toxic proteins linked to many age-related diseases

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Results from a new clinical study conducted at Uppsala University suggest that curtailing sleep alters the abundance of bacterial gut species that have previously been linked to compromised human metabolic health. The new article is published in the journal Molecular Metabolism.

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It Halloween time. The costumes, the candy, the candy, the candy, and lots of it. Maybe it’s time to forget the calories for a movement and take a look at the ingredients. Charles Platkin, PhD, MPH, Executive Director of the New York City Food Policy Center at HUNTER COLLEGE and editor of DietDetective.com takes a look at a few or your kids favorite holiday candy and what’s inside.

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More than 1,200 research abstracts will be presented on new and emerging obesity treatments, the science of weight loss, new prevention strategies, metabolic surgery, digital health technology and public policy when thousands of leading researchers, policymakers and health professionals gather for ObesityWeek 2016 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans from October 31 - November 4, 2016.

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The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a life-threatening pathogen in hospitals. About ten percent of all nosocomial infections, in particular pneumonia, are caused by this pathogen. Researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland, have now discovered that calcium induces the switch from acute to chronic infection. In Nature Microbiology the researchers have also reported why antibiotics are less effective in fighting the pathogen in its chronic state.

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The first human test of early time-restricted feeding found that this meal-timing strategy strategy reduced swings in hunger and altered fat and carb burning patterns, which may help with losing weight. In early time-restricted feeding (eTRF), people eat their last meal by the mid-afternoon and don’t eat again until breakfast the next morning.

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At the second annual International Society of Neurogastronomy Symposium, scientists, doctors, chefs and food scientists discuss flavor perception and quality of life for people who can't enjoy food because of their injury or illness.

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Employees who participate in a workplace weight management program—even those without significant weight loss—have reduced health care costs and improved quality of life (QOL), reports a study in the November Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

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Researchers from New York University show why fast-food menu calorie counts do not help consumers make healthy choices in a new study published in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing.

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“I have a fast metabolism; I can eat and eat and stay skinny.” Most of us have heard someone say this. But what is metabolism, and can we make ours run a bit faster? Taylor Newhouse, with the Texas A&M School of Public Health, helps break down what you should know about your metabolism.

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A study published in the Journal of Food Science found that adding a small amount of Chardonnay grape seed pomace (GSP), a waste stream of wine production, to coffee may augment the antioxidant capacity of the beverage without significantly altering the appearance, taste or aroma.

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A review article published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety summarized the functional properties of grain vinegars and fruit vinegars and compared the functional ingredients, sources, and formation mechanisms of grain and fruit vinegars.

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Survivors of childhood cancer have poor adherence to federal dietary guidelines in adulthood, a new study finds. Diets lacking essential nutrients may exacerbate the chronic disease burden in a group already at an elevated risk for developing new conditions.

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New research from the University of Montana demonstrates a unique relationship between fluid volume and fluid temperature during arduous work in the heat. The study, published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, indicated that an ice slurry/water mixture was as effective as ambient water even when consumed in half the quantity. Investigators also emphasized the importance of rest.

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Study shows no link between appetite and calorie consumption. Findings highlight problems with health claims made by food industry. More research needed to see what influences calories intake.

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Though most people know that family meals are important, finding time to sit down and share a meal together can be a challenge. Dine In Day promotes the importance of homemade, group meals in fostering family and community relationships, encouraging healthy diets and stretching food dollars.

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Hundreds of researchers on the leading edge of exercise science will meet at the Integrative Biology of Exercise meeting in Phoenix (Nov. 2–4). Symposia topics will cover brain cell stress responses, metabolic diseases, mitochondrial signaling, sedentary behavior, exercise and pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, aging, stem cells and more.

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According to new research from the University of Missouri, minimal exercise may be all it takes for postmenopausal women to better regulate insulin, maintain metabolic function and help prevent significant weight gain. These findings suggest that women can take a proactive approach and may not need to increase their physical activity dramatically to see significant benefits from exercise.

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Experts in diet and metabolism have found that replacing low calorie ‘diet’ drinks with water can help increase the rate of weight loss in obese women with type 2 diabetes and improve insulin sensitivity

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The ISN Symposium will explore the concept of brain and behavior in the context of food with speakers from both the food and science worlds

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People who closely follow the Mediterranean diet – especially by eating fruit – may be more than a third less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, according to a study presented today at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The study is the first to identify that caffeine may be especially protective against AMD.

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New research says calcium supplements may not be heart-healthy, but UAB cardiologists are saying there is no reason to panic.

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A constant diet of cheeseburgers is no paradise for performers on the road, who have limited options for health eating.

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Researchers investigated how the nutritional content of National School Lunch Program entrées chosen by students varied across different socioeconomic and demographic groups and impacted their health. When healthier menu items replaced less healthy items, researchers found the total calories of the students’ lunch choices decreased about 4 percent. Calories from fat decreased 18 percent, and those from sodium decreased by 8 percent.

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Federal school lunch guidelines enacted in 2012 are doing what they were designed to do: improving nutrition for school-age children and reducing childhood obesity, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.

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Giving mice a gene mutation linked to eating disorders in people causes feeding and behavior abnormalities similar to symptoms often seen in patients with eating disorders. Only female mice are affected by the gene mutation, and some of the abnormalities in the female mice depend on whether they are housed alone or together with other mice.

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The key to preventing obesity in future generations is to make their parents healthier before they conceive, leading health researchers suggest.

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Symposium summarizes USAID’s Feed the Future gains, goals

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In a series of studies led by Assistant Professor Anutosh Chakraborty of The Scripps Research Institute Florida campus, scientists have identified a key protein that promotes fat accumulation in animal models by slowing the breakdown and expenditure of fat and encouraging weight gain.

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After analyzing 10 years of medical tests on more than 2,700 people in a federally funded heart disease study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and elsewhere conclude that taking calcium in the form of supplements may raise the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage, although a diet high in calcium-rich foods appears be protective.

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Dieters sometimes consume extra protein to stave off hunger and prevent loss of muscle tissue that often comes with weight loss. But in a study of 34 postmenopausal women with obesity, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that eating too much protein eliminates an important health benefit of weight loss: improvement in insulin sensitivity, which is critical to lowering diabetes risk.