Overall quality of pregnant woman?s diet affects risk for two birth defects, Stanford study shows – Healthier dietary choices by pregnant women are associated with reduced risks of birth defects, including neural tube defects and orofacial clefts. Folic acid supplementation and food fortification has been effective in preventing neural tube defects, but folic acid does not prevent all birth defects.
Microwaved purple potatoes may reduce blood pressure in people with obesity and high blood pressure – A couple servings of spuds a day reduces blood pressure almost as much as oatmeal without causing weight gain, revealed by researchers.
Former US President Bill Clinton says he has gone totally vegan – no meat, no dairy, no eggs or even oil. – Former US President Bill Clinton is speaking out about his plant based, heart healthy diet, saying that he believes the vegan regimen or vegan diet is helping to reverse the damage to his heart and blood vessels caused by cardiovascular heart disease.
Red meat linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes — Processed red meats especially boost risk – A recently published study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) finds a strong association between the consumption of red meat-particularly when the meat is processed-and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Soy tablets not associated with reduction in bone loss or menopausal symptoms in women – Soy isoflavone tablets do not appear to reduce bone loss or menopausal symptoms in women within the first five years of menopause, revealed by researchers recently in a study reported in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Obesity counseling should focus on neurobehavioral processes, not personal choice, researchers say – Current approaches to dietary counseling for obesity are heavily rooted in the notion of personal choice and will power ? the ability to choose healthy foods and portion sizes consistent with weight loss while foregoing sweets and comfort foods. According to preventive medicine and behavioral experts at Rush University Medical Center, research supports a new counseling approach that views obesity as a result of neurobehavioral processes – ways in which the brain controls eating behavior in response to cues in the environment.
Low-carb, higher-fat diets add no arterial health risks to obese people seeking to lose weight – Overweight and obese people looking to drop some pounds and considering one of the popular low-carbohydrate diets, along with moderate exercise, need not worry that the higher proportion of fat in such a program compared to a low-fat, high-carb diet may harm their arteries, suggests a pair of new studies by heart and vascular researchers at Johns Hopkins.
Increasing daily calcium will not reduce the risk of fractures in later life — Dietary calcium intake and risk of fracture and osteoporosis: prospective longitudinal cohort study – While moderate amounts of calcium (around 700 mg a day) are vital for maintaining healthy bones, there is no need to start increasing calcium intake in order to reduce the risk of fractures or osteoporosis in later life, finds a paper published in bmj.
Cancer scientists discover new way breast cancer cells adapt to environmental stress – An international research team led by Dr. Tak Mak, Director, The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), has discovered a new aspect of “metabolic transformation”, the process whereby tumour cells adapt and survive under conditions that would kill normal cells.
Increased metabolic rate may lead to accelerated aging — Findings from new study may explain why low-calorie diets are beneficial for human health – A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that higher metabolic rates predict early natural mortality, indicating that higher energy turnover may accelerate aging in humans.
High percentage of omega-3s in the blood may boost risk of aggressive prostate cancer — Conversely, high percentage of trans-fatty acids linked with lower risk – The largest study ever to examine the association of dietary fats and prostate cancer risk has found what’s good for the heart may not be good for the prostate.
When a salad is not a salad: Why are dieters easily misled by food names? – Dieters are so involved with trying to eat virtuously that they are more likely than non-dieters to choose unhealthy foods that are labeled as healthy, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. It seems dieter focus on food names can work to their disadvantage.
