A new study in American Journal of Physiology--Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in maintaining intestinal and metabolic health and suggests that eating more foods high in soluble fiber may help prevent metabolic disease and obesity.
Ajay Jain, M.D., medical director of the pediatric liver transplant program at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center and a SLUCare pediatric hepatologist and gastroenterologist, received a $150,000 grant from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) to study preventative strategies for total parenteral nutrition associated disorders.Ajay Jain
In a study published in the journal Obesity, researchers from Touro University prove that just by replacing processed sugar, a group of obese children's health improved in 9 days.
In light of the recent findings by the World Health Organization classifying the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans and the consumption of processed meats as carcinogenic to humans, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consumers in the United States vary their daily protein choices by including lean meats, poultry and fish along with plants sources like beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Consumption of processed meats like ham, bacon and hot dogs, which are often high in saturated fat and sodium, should be limited.
For the first time, researchers have identified two genetic variants that interact to alter the brain responses to high-calorie foods, a tie that could aid in the development of targeted treatments for obesity and overweight. Researchers at Imperial College London led by Tony Goldstone, MD, PhD, of Consultant Endocrinologist, found that two gene variants - FTO and DRD2 - influenced activity in the brain reward system when looking at pictures of high-calorie foods. The findings will be presented during an oral presentation on Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) convened representatives from 41 national philanthropic organizations last week in Minneapolis. Participants focused on the grave problem of Native American nutritional health and agreed on key steps and planning to develop solutions.
For hundreds of millions of people around the world, chewing betel nut produces a cheap, quick high but also raises the risk of addiction and oral cancer. Now, new findings by a University of Florida Health researcher reveal how the nut’s psychoactive chemical works in the brain and suggest that an addiction treatment may already exist.
Four leading obesity research, treatment and prevention groups issue a joint scientific statement recommending dietary supplements for weight loss claiming curative or medicinal qualities be subject to review and approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To do so, the groups call for DSHEA reform to provide FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the increased regulatory authority and funding to protect the public from false claims of safety and efficacy of dietary supplements.
The effect of altered thyroid function on cardiac disease, depression and how dietary restrictions impact the thyroid are all topics featured in oral presentations delivered at the 15th International Thyroid Congress, hosted by the American Thyroid Association, October 18-23, 2015, in Orlando, Florida.
For many Native American tribes, powwows are seen as community gatherings, a social time complete with colorful regalia, fry bread and stew, and the familiar sound of traditional drumming and dance. But they’re also beginning to serve as important tools for health advocates who are working to reduce health disparities within the population.
A large, randomized study at 11 U.S. hospitals including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center found that vitamin D and calcium supplements fail to protect against developing colorectal cancer.
The exotic Ceylon gooseberry fruit is an attractive purple berry that is produced in the southwest tropics of Brazil and is often used in jams and drinks and also sold as a fresh fruit. The authors of a recent study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), discovered that gooseberry skin and pulp contained higher antioxidant activity than other berries such as blueberries and cranberries.
Half of Americans are determined to eat more fruits and vegetables this year according to Innova Market Insights. Because fruits and vegetables are now in just about every food and beverage category, consumers shouldn’t have a problem doing so. In the October issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), senior associate editor Karen Nachay looks at eight different ways fruits and vegetables are turning up in unexpected places.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that vitamin D and calcium supplements do not reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas, which are benign tumors that can evolve into colorectal cancer.
One out of ten people suffer from irritable bowl syndrome, says Richard Benya, MD, gastroenterologist, Loyola University medical center. He offers tips on IBS.
The New England Journal of Medicine reports the results of a 2,259-person study conducted at 11 academic medical centers, including University of Colorado Cancer Center, showing that taking vitamin D and/or calcium supplements after the removal of pre-cancerous colorectal polyps does not reduce risk of developing polyps in the future.
Diets rich in calcium decrease the risk of kidney stone recurrence, but calcium supplements may have the opposite effect. Research that investigated the effects of calcium supplements in kidney stone formers will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.
A team of archaeologists at the University of York have revealed new insights into cuisine choices and eating habits at Durrington Walls – a Late Neolithic monument and settlement site thought to be the residence for the builders of nearby Stonehenge during the 25th century BC.
Pumpkin products proliferate this time of year — and not just for traditional pies and breads, but for whimsical goodies that may not live up to the pumpkin’s healthy reputation.
Whitehead Institute scientists have at last answered the long-standing question of how the growth-regulating pathway known as mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) detects the presence of the amino acid leucine—itself a key player in modulating muscle growth, appetite, and insulin secretion.
More than one-third of children in the United States ages 6 to 19 years old are overweight or obese. Over the past 30 years, the number of obese adolescents has more than quadrupled, which also has led to an increase in children diagnosed with diabetes. To combat this trend, Aneesh Tosh, M.D., adolescent medicine physician at University of Missouri Health Care and associate professor of clinical child health at the MU School of Medicine, recommends that sugary drinks be removed from adolescents’ diets.
New research shows that the estimated one-third of Americans who have a cluster of health problems that add up to metabolic syndrome don’t absorb dietary vitamin E as effectively as healthy people.
A diet high in processed fructose sabotages rat brains’ ability to heal after head trauma, UCLA neuroscientists report. Revealing a link between nutrition and brain health, the finding offers implications for the 5.3 million Americans living with a traumatic brain injury, or TBI.
A new UW study that tested 65 wines from America's top four wine-producing states -- California, Washington, New York and Oregon -- found all but one have arsenic levels that exceed U.S. drinking water standards. But health risks from that naturally-occurring toxic element depend on how many other high-arsenic foods and beverages, such as apple juice, rice, or cereal bars, an individual person eats.
Major college athletic programs ramped up their spending for meals, snacks and dietary supplements to feed athletes, from $534,000 to more than $1.3 million, since the NCAA lifted food restrictions one year ago, according to a survey conducted last month by the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA).
Researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of North Carolina have shown a diet containing dried plums can positively affect microbiota, also referred to as gut bacteria, throughout the colon, helping reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Today vegetarians aren’t the only group of consumers looking for foods that are meat-free and provide a satisfying meal. All types of consumers are looking to manage and maintain weight with plant-based meal options with ingredients such as protein isolates, whole legumes, whole grains and vegetables. A new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), found that a bean-based meal provided a similar feeling of fullness compared to a beef-based meal.
• High urinary excretion levels of both sodium and potassium were linked with faster progression of chronic kidney disease.
• Patients with chronic kidney disease tend to consume sodium above the recommended daily limit.
Scientists have evidence that Popeye was right: Spinach makes you stronger. But it’s the high nitrate content in the leafy greens — not the iron — that creates the effect. Building on a growing body of work that suggests dietary nitrate improves muscle performance in many elite athletes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that drinking concentrated beet juice — also high in nitrates — increases muscle power in patients with heart failure.
People with a genetic predisposition for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) significantly increased their odds of developing the blinding eye disorder if they had a history of heavy smoking and consistently did not exercise or eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to an observational study of women funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.
University of Missouri researchers have found that luteolin, a natural compound found in herbs such as thyme and parsley as well as vegetables such as celery and broccoli, could reduce the cancer risk for women who have taken hormone replacement therapy.
A study led by a team of Texas A&M University System researchers found school meals paired with popular vegetables are less likely to wind up in garbage bins.
A team led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation at Texas A&M University measured food waste in three elementary schools in Bryan and Dallas. The schools are participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program both in pre- and post-implementation of the new standards.
A World Health Organization adviser is calling for the government to stop food manufacturers and distributors producing and selling unhealthy, cheap, salty junk food.