News

8 Dec 2013 - The Guardian - Healthy diet may prevent dementia, say doctors

In a letter to Jeremy Hunt, doctors say persuading people to eat a Mediterranean diet is 'best strategy available'

25 Nov 2013 - BBC World Service - Discovery - Gut Microbiota

Adam Hart discovers the role gut microbes play in our health and development, and asks if we should consider ourselves an ecosystem rather than an individual?

7 Nov 2013 - BBC News - US moves to ban trans fats in foods

US food safety officials have taken steps to ban the use of trans fats, saying they are a threat to health.

4 Nov 2013 - BBC News - Recession hits family spending on fresh food

Many young families cut back on fresh fruit and vegetables and switched to less healthy processed food as the recession squeezed budgets, a UK study of 15,000 households' data suggests.

16 Sept 2013 - Medical Xpress - Diet is associated with the risk of depression

A healthy diet may reduce the risk of severe depression, according to a prospective follow-up study of more than 2,000 men conducted at the University of Eastern Finland. In addition, weight loss in the context of a lifestyle intervention was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms.

Omega-3 status linked to sleep quality in school children: New data

Consumption of omega-3 from food or supplements could help to improve sleep quality in children according to new data presented at event.

4 Sept 2013 - OMEGA-3 DHA and CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOUR AND LEARNING - New Insights revealed at special symposium

Oxford University - ‘Low Omega-3 in children could help to explain poor learning and behaviour’, researchers will tell conference

An Oxford University study has shown that a representative sample of UK schoolchildren had low levels of key Omega-3 fatty acids in their blood. Furthermore, the study found that children’s blood levels of the long-chain Omega-3 DHA (the form found in most abundance in the brain) ‘significantly predicted’ how well they were able to concentrate and learn. Oxford University academics will explain these findings, which were recently published in the journal PLOS One, at a conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in London on Wednesday 4 September, organised by the charity Food and Behavi

13 August 2013 - BBC News - Use of ADHD drugs 'increases by 50% in six years'

There has been a 50% rise in England in the use of drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in six years.

13 Aug 2013 - ScienceDaily - DHA-enriched formula in infancy linked to positive cognitive outcomes in childhood

University of Kansas scientists have found that infants who were fed formula enriched with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) from birth to 12 months scored significantly better than a control group on several measures of intelligence conducted between the ages of three to six years.

12 Aug 2013 - FoodNavigator - Blood sugar status may affect risk of dementia

High blood glucose levels may increase the risk of developing dementia, according to a new study.

Sleep Deprivation Linked To Junk Food Cravings

A sleepless night makes us more likely to reach for doughnuts or pizza than for whole grains and leafy green vegetables, suggests a new study from UC Berkeley that examines the brain regions that control food choices. The findings shed new light on the link between poor sleep and obesity.

4 Aug 2013 - The Observer Magazine - The demon drink: war on sugar

Our addiction to sugar is linked to obesity, cancer and heart disease – and soft drinks are among the worst offenders. Alex Renton reports on the new health war, and reveals why some fruit juices may be as bad for you as cans of fizz

4 Aug 2013 - The Observer - Isn't it time we got to grips with Big Sugar

Excess sugar in our diets is causing obesity and diabetes. Now is the time for tough legislation to regulate the food industry

Changing the Course of Autism Conference 2013 - Edinburgh - UPDATE

Generation game: Effects of omega-3 deficiency may worsen over consecutive generations

Diets lacking omega-3s lead to anxiety, hyperactivity in teens

Diets lacking omega-3 fatty acids—found in foods like wild fish, eggs, and grass-fed livestock—can have worsened effects over consecutive generations, especially affecting teens, according to a University of Pittsburgh study.

Low Omega-3 Linked to Behaviour, Cognitive Deficits in UK children

Blood concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in school-aged children in the United Kingdom (UK) are well below the minimum recommended for good cardiovascular health in adults, according to a new study.

22 July 2013 - ScienceDaily - Breastfed Children Are Less Likely to Develop ADHD Later in Life, Study Suggests

We know that breastfeeding has a positive impact on child development and health -- including protection against illness. Now researchers from Tel Aviv University have shown that breastfeeding may also help protect against Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder in children and adolescents.

Teen Eating Disorders Increase Suicide Risk

Is binge eating a tell-tale sign of suicidal thoughts? According to a new study of African American girls, by Dr. Rashelle Musci and colleagues from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University in the US, those who experience depressive and anxious symptoms are often dissatisfied with their bodies and more likely to display binge eating behaviors. These behaviors put them at higher risk for turning their emotions inward, in other words, displaying internalizing symptoms such as suicide.