An analysis of recent high-quality research reveals that diet may affect individuals' risks related to the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The findings are published in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.
After analyzing data from a national US survey, researchers in China suggest that dietary fiber intake may be inversely related to depression symptoms. The results were consistent even after adjustment for a wide variety of potential confounders.
A mother's diet during pregnancy may have an effect on the composition of her baby's gut microbiome - the community of bacteria living in the gut - and the effect may vary by delivery mode, according to study published in the open access journal Microbiome.
Fortifying grain-based foods with folic acid - instituted in the U.S. in the 1990s to prevent neural tube defects in infants - may also reduce the incidence of severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia that initially appear in young adulthood.
In the last trimester of pregnancy and in the first years of life, our brain undergoes enormous growth, and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA is particularly important for the development of the brain in infants.
New research reveals a cellular mechanism by which good bacteria can help the gut stay healthy. The study, which appears in the journal Immunity, shows that good bacteria, or the microbiota, interact with both the epithelial cells lining the gut and cells of the immune system to help balance the immune responses and protect the gut from unwanted inflammation.
"The changes in the microbiota might affect how much vitamin D a person can metabolize, or how the body metabolizes vitamin D, so there are implications, but it's still early and that remains to be seen," say researchers.
Inhaling the aroma of black tea may help to lower stress levels after a stressful task and improve mood prior to experiencing mental stress, according to emerging research from Japan.
A new study suggests that when a high-fat, high-sugar diet that leads to obesity is paired with normal aging, it may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, researchers discovered that certain areas of the brain respond differently to risk factors associated with Alzheimer's.
A new study reveals maternal diet during pregnancy can have dramatic implications for fetal brain development and can impact short term memory in adults.
A new study by researchers from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, has shown for the first time that a substantial number of adults over 50 are at risk of deficiency in vitamin B12 and folate (the natural vitamin linked to the dietary supplement, folic acid).
UK vitamin D supplementation policy needs to change to protect the health and lives of babies, pregnant women and dark skinned individuals, say University of Birmingham researchers as they highlighted the death of a baby and serious ill health of two others due to a vitamin D deficiency.
As the number of mothers-to-be suffering from gestational diabetes continues to rise, experts are calling for more research to find effective nutritional therapies that can help control the condition while promoting normal baby growth.
Preconception binge drinking may have negative consequences on future offspring's growth, social interactions and development during puberty according to a rat-based study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
From memory and cognitive function, to mood and a potential in people with PTSD, there’s lots of research going on for omega-3s and brain health, but what does the science currently say?
People with type 2 diabetes and obesity suffer from depression and anxiety more than the average. Researchers have demonstrated a surprising potential contributor to these negative feelings - the bacteria in the gut, or gut microbiome, as it is known.
A team of researchers says it has linked sensitivity to an allergen in red meat to the buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart. While high saturated fat levels in red meat have long been known to contribute to heart disease for people in general, the new finding suggests that a subgroup of the population may be at heightened risk for a different reason - a food allergen.
Foods containing fat and carbohydrate are more reinforcing than those containing primarily fat or carbohydrate. This effect is independent of liking and is reflected by supra-additive responses in the brain during food valuation. This may be one mechanism driving over-consumption of high-fat/carbohydrate processed foods.
Ideally, women should plan a pregnancy months in advance, experts say. Some women spend more time planning their summer holiday than they do a pregnancy, a survey by baby charity Tommy's suggests. Only one in five started taking folic acid before stopping contraception, while one in six didn't take it at all.
A new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity shows that adolescent rats who consume a diet high in saturated fats have a harder time coping with stress as adults. Moreover, the areas of the brain that handle the fear/stress response were altered to the point that subjects began exhibiting behaviors that mirror post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).