Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Canadians alerted to the presence of acrylamide in some foods

In 2002, Health Canada alerted Canadians to the presence of acrylamide in some foods, following reports by scientists in Sweden. Since then, Health Canada scientists have participated in international research efforts aimed at understanding how acrylamide is formed in foods and the health implications.

7 Mar 2005

How to maximise your chance of having a baby

New research by The Times has revealed a huge variation across the UK in the cost of a common fertility drug with some high street chemists charging infertile couples up to 80 per cent more than others for private prescriptions.

7 Mar 2005

America's youth are in a calcium crisis - they need more milk and milk products more often

March is National Nutrition Month, the time when dietitians and other health professionals encourage all of us to pay attention to what we eat. This annual call to action to make informed food choices is even more important for growing kids and teens.

7 Mar 2005

3 million newborn babies' lives could be saved for less than $1 per child

3 million newborn babies' lives could be saved for less than $1 per child, with interventions such as tetanus immunization during pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding, clean delivery and antibiotics to treat illness.

4 Mar 2005

Important advance in our understanding of colorectal cancer

An international team of medical scientists has made an important advance in our understanding of the second most fatal form of cancer in the industrialized world. Professor Jeremy R. Jass, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Gastrointestinal Pathology at McGill University in Montreal

3 Mar 2005

Nutrition Month in Canada

Health ministers in Canada have taken the bull by the horns and announced March to be Nutrition Month to highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity.

3 Mar 2005

Virginia Department of Health seeks input to reduce obesity

Beginning in March, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) will host eight planning meetings to get input from residents on how to prevent and control obesity in the state.

1 Mar 2005

Scientific experts discuss the benefits and safety of vitamin E

Scientific experts in pharmacology, toxicology and nutrition gathered at the University of Southern California (USC) on February 26 for a forum to discuss the benefits and safety of vitamin E.

1 Mar 2005

Growing evidence base supports focus on mind-body connection in heart disease

Cardiologists should recognize and help manage depression, stress and other common psychosocial risk factors that play a powerful role in the wellbeing and health outcomes of heart disease patients, according to an article(PDF) in the March 1, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

1 Mar 2005

Wyeth advances diet drug settlement discussions

Wyeth has announced that plaintiffs' attorneys representing a substantial number of claimants who have opted out of the National Diet Drug Settlement have agreed to participate in a proposed process for settling downstream opt-out cases, and that the Company is prepared to move forward with the process.

28 Feb 2005

First study to show cost-effectiveness of pre-diabetes intervention

More than 40 million Americans face a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and it would cost a lot to give all of them intensive help with diet and exercise, or medication, to keep them from developing diabetes.

28 Feb 2005

Forgoing of end of life treatment varies across Europe

The frequency of withholding or withdrawing life-prolonging treatment at the end of a patient's life varied greatly among six European countries, according to an article in the February 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

28 Feb 2005

People with osteoporosis should be screened for celiac disease

Results of a new study suggest that the higher prevalence of celiac disease in individuals with osteoporosis than in the general population may justify screening of patients with osteoporosis for celiac disease, according to an article in the February 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

28 Feb 2005

Food costs, convenience predict obese women’s fat intake

Nutritionists trying to influence how much fat an obese woman might eat should take into account food prices, the time it takes to make a meal and the location of grocery stores, says a new study of low-income women in Wisconsin.

28 Feb 2005

Surgical treatment of hip or knee arthritis does not reduce obesity

A number of arthritis sufferers attribute their weight gain to inactivity due to a painful hip or knee. These patients may be disheartened when their post-operative weight either remains the same or increases.

27 Feb 2005

Balance between potassium and sodium is very important for proper body function

Important, interrelated factors leading to hypertension include obesity, stress, and the genetic vulnerability of American consumers, in addition to their sodium intake. The balance between potassium and sodium is very important for proper body function, and more attention should be given to ways for improving potassium intake.

27 Feb 2005

Poor water supply affects more people than war, terrorism, and WMD's combined

The negative impact of poor water supply and sanitation affects more people than war, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction combined.

27 Feb 2005

Dental therapy that regenerates the tooth enamel rather than drilling

Unlike skins or bones, the tooth enamel, which forms the hard surface of a tooth, does not regenerate itself once damaged. Therefore, the conventional dental treatment includes drilling of the decayed part of a tooth and filling the hole with resin or metal alloy dental materials.

24 Feb 2005

Is it exercise or dieting that helps prevent cancer?

Scientists and health professionals have long believed that maintaining a healthy - or "ideal" - weight makes a difference in decreasing an individual's risk for cancer. But one lingering question is whether or not it's better, in terms of cancer prevention, if that weight is reached and maintained by dieting or by exercising.

23 Feb 2005

Biggest-ever study of constipation in the world

An embarrassing medical problem that costs UK health services £50m each year is to be investigated in the biggest-ever study of the condition in the world.

23 Feb 2005