Diet & Nutrition

“I’m a zombie without my morning coffee.” “My blood type is Diet Coke.” “Caffeine isn’t a drug, it’s a vitamin.”

Most people make jokes like these about needing a daily boost from their favourite caffeinated beverage – whether first thing in the morning or to prevent the after-lunch slump…

Among a large group of Midwestern fire-fighters, greater adherence to Mediterranean-style diet was associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA).
The study is the first to assess the effects of Mediterranean-style diet among a group of young, working US adults.

Under a searing midday sun, a herd of cattle circles atop a pile of golden teff, thrashing the wheat-like grain, a method that has been practised by Ethiopian farmers for centuries.
The crop, mostly grown in the Horn of Africa, is a key part of the country’s heritage and a crucial food staple, but is also gaining increased interest abroad among health aficionados seeking a nutritious, gluten-free alternative to wheat.

Taking a multivitamin every day doesn’t seem to ward off thinking and memory problems. Nor will it prevent further heart disease or death among people who have already had a heart attack.
Those findings come from two reports published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The studies represent the latest in a growing body of evidence suggesting the popular…

High protein diets such as Atkins, Dukan, South Beach, Miracle Metabolism and The Zone Diet have, for many years, extolled the benefits of diets low in carbohydrates. Claiming that healthy meals should rather contain higher amounts of protein and,in some cases such as the Tim Noakes diet or the Paleo diet, fat.

However, a new study published in Cell Metabolism claims to show that high…

Adults should eat less than the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of sugar a day if they are to avoid health risks such as weight gain and tooth decay linked to sugary diets, the World Health Organisation said.
Issuing draft guidelines calling for a new sugar limit of less than 5.0% of daily energy intake, the United Nations health agency said its recommendations were based on “the totality of evidence regarding the relationship between free sugars intake and body weight and dental caries”…

Diet drinks may be linked to a higher risk of heart attacks, stroke and other heart problems in postmenopausal women, according to an informal study that could take some fizz out of enjoyment of the popular beverages.

Compared to women who never or seldom consumed diet drinks, those who drank two or more a day were 30% more likely to suffer a cardiovascular event and 50%…

The global industry for Halal food and lifestyle products – ones that meet Islamic law standards of manufacture – is estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars and is multiplying as Muslim populations grow.

Producers outside the Muslim world, from Brazil to the US and Australia, are eager to tap into the market…

Two new reports that analysed research on vitamin D supplements found there’s no reason to get excited yet about any possible health benefits.

One review, from international researchers, found hardly any benefit.

The other analysis suggested it may have what a specialist called a “huge” effect on lifespan,…

Tim Noakes’ high-fat, low carb diet (Banting) has created more than a stir among professionals and the public, but there’s no denying that it’s worked for him since he is predisposed to develop adult-onset diabetes –

what is known as “carbohydrate resistant” (CR) and hence “pre-diabetic”.

According to Prof Noakes, those who are profoundly carbohydrate resistant (CR) (as he is) must restrict carbohydrates..