20 May 2025
Nutritional Information. Answers to questions about nutrition, obesity, herbal and nutritional supplements, and the role of diet in improving and maintaining your health.
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Eating craved foods with meals lessens cravings, boosts weight loss
Small clinical study with obese dieters who had chronic health problems found that eating balanced meals and including craved foods with those meals helped dieters manage cravings, even into the yearlong maintenance phase of the program.
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Fast food, fast impact: How fatty meals rapidly weaken our gut defenses
A study has become the first in the world to unravel the immediate effects of a high-fat diet on our gut health.
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Scientists discover key gene impacts liver energy storage, affecting metabolic disease risk
A new study reveals that a single gene plays a big role in how the liver stores energy, a process that's critical for overall health and for managing diseases like type 2 diabetes. The research focuses on the PPP1R3B gene. This gene tells the liver how to handle energy: store it as glycogen (a form of sugar) or triglycerides (a type of fat).
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In healthy aging, carb quality counts
Intakes of dietary fiber and high-quality carbohydrates in midlife are linked to increased likelihood of healthy aging and other positive health outcomes in older women. Higher intakes of refined carbohydrates and starchy vegetables were associated with lower odds of healthy aging.
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Can the brain be targeted to treat type 2 diabetes?
Successfully treating type 2 diabetes may involve focusing on brain neurons, rather than simply concentrating on obesity or insulin resistance, according to a new study. For several years, researchers have known that hyperactivity of a subset of neurons located in the hypothalamus, called AgRP neurons, is common in mice with diabetes.
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School dinners may encourage picky teenagers to eat better, says new study
Having school dinners rather than packed lunches could encourage picky eating 13-year-olds to eat a wider variety of foods, according to a new study.
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New study finds that tea and chocolate may help lower blood pressure
We might have another reason to enjoy our daily cup of tea or small piece of dark chocolate, as a new study has found that naturally occurring compounds called flavan-3-ols -- found in cocoa, tea, apples and grapes -- may improve blood pressure and the health of our blood vessels.
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Drinking water, select foods linked to PFAS in California adults
A new study examined associations between diet, drinking water, and 'legacy' PFAS -- chemicals that were phased out of production in the US in the 2000s -- with blood samples from California residents. PFAS exposure was associated with consumption of seafood, eggs, and brown rice, but fewer other foods than suggested by earlier studies. PFAS levels were elevated among people who lived in areas where these chemicals were detectable in their drinking water supply, but lower than levels found in highly contaminated communities.
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Exercise the key to maintaining Vitamin D levels in winter
New research shows that regular exercise can help maintain Vitamin D levels during the darker months.
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Research shows how hormone can reverse fatty liver disease in mice
A pioneering research study details how the hormone FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21) can reverse the effects of fatty liver disease in mice. The hormone works primarily by signaling the brain to improve liver function.
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Colonic inflammation explains missing link between obesity and beta-cell proliferation
How does obesity affect insulin production? Researchers are shining light on new stages of the ERK pathway.
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Eating ultra-processed foods may harm your health
Consumption of ultra-processed foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, potato chips and packaged cookies, may be associated with adverse health outcomes. Study finds each additional 100 grams/day consumption of ultra-processed foods increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular events, cancer and more.
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Vitamin supplements slow down the progression of glaucoma
A vitamin supplement that improves metabolism in the eye appears to slow down damage to the optic nerve in glaucoma. The researchers behind the study have now started a clinical trial on patients.