Junk food may impair our deep sleep
In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have investigated how junk food affects sleep. Healthy participants consumed an unhealthier as well as a healthier diet in a randomised order. After the unhealthier diet, the quality of the participants’ deep sleep had deteriorated, compared with those who had followed the healthier diet. The results have […]
Low-flavanol diet drives age-related memory loss, large study finds
A large-scale study led by researchers at Columbia and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard is the first to establish that a diet low in flavanols — nutrients found in certain fruits and vegetables — drives age-related memory loss. The study found that flavanol intake among older adults tracks with scores on tests designed to detect memory […]
Elevated levels of toxic metals in some mixed-fruit juices and soft drinks
A new study has found that some commonly consumed beverages contained levels of toxic metals that exceed federal drinking water standards. Five of the 60 beverages tested contained levels of a toxic metal above federal drinking water standards, according to the study from Tulane University. Two mixed juices had levels of arsenic above the 10 […]
Behavior patterns of people who achieve clinically significant weight loss: Study finds widespread poor adoption of heart-healthy measures in US adults
A new study analyzing data on over 20,000 U.S. adults links a healthier diet and increased exercise to weight loss that reduces heart disease risk — while associating skipping meals and taking prescription diet pills with minimal weight loss, weight maintenance or weight gain. For many in the study sample, however, losing a “clinically significant” […]
Study links nutrients, brain structure, cognition in healthy aging
In a new study, scientists explored the links between three measures known to independently predict healthy aging: nutrient intake, brain structure and cognitive function. Their analysis adds to the evidence that these factors jointly contribute to brain health in older adults. Reported in the Journal of Nutrition, the study found that blood markers of two […]
Water arsenic including in public water is linked to higher urinary arsenic totals among the U.S. population: Highest concentrations found in the West and South and among Mexican American and other Hispanic participants
A new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health shows that water arsenic levels are linked to higher urinary arsenic among the U.S. population for users of both private wells and public water systems. The findings are published in the journal Environmental Research. Long-term exposure to arsenic even at low and […]
Men and women have different obesity drivers, pointing to the need for tailored interventions: Sex-specific brain signatures driving obesity
A new study from UCLA researchers finds sex-specific brain signals that appear to confirm that different drivers lead men and women to develop obesity. The study, appearing in the peer-reviewed journal Brain Communications, combined data from several modes of MRI with patients’ clinical features and personal histories to identify sex-specific mechanisms in the brain underlying […]
Sickle Cell Disease Patients Miss Out on Decades of Life
A cohort study of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with sickle cell disease (SCD) showed a life expectancy of just 52.6 years, well below that of the general population. And among SCD patients, survival varied by sex and insurance status. Men, individuals covered by Medicare for disabilities or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the dual-eligible were […]
Rhythmic eating pattern preserves fruit fly muscle function under obese conditions
Obese fruit flies are the experimental subjects in a Nature Communications study of the causes of muscle function decline due to obesity. In humans, skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in metabolism, and muscle dysfunction due to human obesity can lead to insulin resistance and reduced energy levels. Interestingly, studies in various animal models have […]
Keto vs vegan: Study of popular diets finds over fourfold difference in carbon footprints: Keto and paleo diets were found to be the least sustainable — and have the lowest diet quality scores — of the six popular diets examined
For those on keto or paleo diets, this may be tough to swallow. A new study from Tulane University which compared popular diets on both nutritional quality and environmental impact found that the keto and paleo diets, as eaten by American adults, scored among the lowest on overall nutrition quality and were among the highest […]