Researchers have identified several chemical signatures, detectable in blood and urine, that can accurately measure dietary intake, potentially offering a new tool for physicians, dieticians and researchers to assess eating habits, measure the value of fad diets and develop health policies.
Read moreA clinical trial shows infants who consume formula containing milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) score higher in cognitive, language and motor development than infants consuming a milk-based formula that didn't contain MFGM.
Read moreReduced food intake helps both animals and humans to improve health in old age and can prolong life. But when do you have to change your diet to achieve this benefit in old age? Scientists have now shown that mice only become healthier if they start food reduction early and eat less before entering old age. The scientists conclude that healthy behavior must be established earlier in life in order to improve health in old age and extend lifespan.
Read moreFamilies dealing with the stress and frustration of their child's overly picky eating habits may have a new addition to their parental toolbox. Pediatric researchers recently described a brief group cognitive-behavioral therapy program that provides parents with specific techniques to improve their child's mealtime behaviors and expand the range of foods their children will eat. Although the study size was small, the parents involved reported 'life-changing' improvements.
Read moreResearchers have grown rabbit and cow muscles cells on edible gelatin scaffolds that mimic the texture and consistency of meat, demonstrating that realistic meat products may eventually be produced without the need to raise and slaughter animals.
Read moreAlleviating food insecurity is often seen as one of the fundamental roles a country should fulfill. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is effective in addressing the right to food in the US, and that the program can serve as an example for countries that struggle to provide food for all citizens.
Read moreConsuming potato puree during prolonged exercise works just as well as a commercial carbohydrate gel in sustaining blood glucose levels and boosting performance in trained athletes, scientists report.
Read moreDoes yo-yo dieting drive compulsive eating? There may be a connection. According to researchers the chronic cyclic pattern of overeating followed by undereating, reduces the brain's ability to feel reward and may drive compulsive eating. This finding suggests that future research into treatment of compulsive eating behavior should focus on rebalancing the mesolimbic dopamine system — the part of the brain responsible for feeling reward or pleasure.
Read moreResearchers discovered that the human diet — a result of increased meat consumption, cooking and agriculture — has led to stark differences in the saliva of humans compared to that of other primates.
Read moreUsing optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques, researchers have identified brain circuits underlying hunger-induced changes in the preferences for sweet and aversive tastes in mice. These circuits involved Agouti-related peptide-expressing neurons, which projected to glutamate neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. From there, glutamate neurons projecting to the lateral septum increased sweetness preferences, and glutamate neurons projecting to the lateral habenula decreased sensitivity to aversive tastes.
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