The Global Syndicator - diet

Cranberry juice creates energy barrier that keeps bacteria away from cells

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:54:14 +0000

For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. A new study b

New study shows compounds from soy affect brain and reproductive development

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:50:22 +0000

Two hormone-like compounds linked to the consumption of soy-based foods can cause irreversible changes in the structure of the brain, resulting in early-onset puberty and symptoms of advanced menopause in research animals, according to a new study by researchers at North Carolina State University.

Brain plays key role in appetite by regulating free radicals

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:17:11 +0000

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found the brain’s appetite center uses fat for fuel by involving oxygen free radicals—molecules associated with aging and neurodegeneration. The findings, reported in the journal Nature, suggest that antioxidants could play a role in weight control.

Hot peppers really do bring the heat

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:28:09 +0000

Chili peppers can do more than just make you feel hot, reports a study in the August 1 Journal of Biological Chemistry; the active chemical in peppers can directly induce thermogenesis, the process by which cells convert energy into heat.

Spices may protect against consequences of high blood sugar

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:24:07 +0000

Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and a new University of Georgia study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar. Researchers, whose results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices.

Exercise in a pill

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:21:04 +0000

Trying to reap the health benefits of exercise? Forget treadmills and spin classes, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may have found a way around the sweat and pain. They identified two signaling pathways that are activated in response to exercise and converge to dramatically increase endurance.

Combining exercise with hormone could prevent weight gain

Wed, 28 May 2008 04:10:43 +0000

Once heralded as a promising obesity treatment, the hormone leptin lost its fat-fighting luster when scientists discovered overweight patients were resistant to its effects. But pairing leptin with just a minor amount of exercise seems to revive the hormone’s ability to fight fat again, University of Florida researchers recently discovered.

Green tea compounds beat obstructive sleep apnea related brain deficits

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:13:50 +0000

Chemicals found in green tea may be able to stave off the cognitive deficits that occur with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a new study published in the second issue for May of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Obesity chokes up the cellular power plant

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:03:12 +0000

The machinery responsible for energy production in fat cells is working poorly as a result of obesity. Finnish research done at the University of Helsinki and the National Public Health Institute shows that this may aggravate and work to maintain the obese state in humans.

Soy compound may halt spread of prostate cancer

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:45:16 +0000

A compound found in soybeans almost completely prevented the spread of human prostate cancer in mice, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The missing link between belly fat and heart disease?

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:44:32 +0000

By now, everyone knows that overweight people have a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and other problems that arise from clogged, hardened arteries. And people who carry their extra weight around

Low vitamin E levels associated with physical decline in elderly

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:01:40 +0000

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that a low concentration of vitamin E in the blood is linked with physical decline in older persons.

Why fish oil is good for you

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:08:53 +0000

It’s good news that we are living longer, but bad news that the longer we live, the better our odds of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Many Alzheimer’s researchers have long touted fish oil, by pill or diet, as an accessible and inexpensive “weapon” that may delay or prevent this debilitating disease.

Lipoic acid could reduce atherosclerosis, weight gain

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:00:24 +0000

A new study done with mice has discovered that supplements of lipoic acid can inhibit formation of arterial lesions, lower triglycerides, and reduce blood vessel inflammation and weight gain – all key issues for addressing cardiovascular disease.

Eat less or exercise more? Either way leads to more youthful hearts

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:10:43 +0000

Overweight people who lose a moderate amount of weight get an immediate benefit in the form of better heart health, according to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.