Diet

Eating a diet high in sugar and fat isn't good for your waistline--but now new research from Oregon State University reveals its effects don't just stop there. According to new research by scientists from the university, high-fat and high-sugar diets cause unfavorable changes in gut bacteria, reducing something called "cognitive flexibility"--eventually worsening a person's short-term and long-term memory. The research appears in the current issue of Neuroscience. "Bacteria can release compounds that act as neurotransmitters, stimulate sensory nerves or the…
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Want to lose weight? Your best bet could be to have someone else choose your diet plan, say researchers from the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. According to new research, scientists say people who choose their own diet plans end up losing less weight than those who don't--something researchers believe occurs because people choose diet plans that contain more of their favorite foods. This, in theory, makes it more difficult for them to eat less. "People might…
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The trans fat found in your favorite fast food meals may enhance its taste, but watch out: These fats could wreck havoc on your memory. According to new research from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, men who ate a diet high in trans fats performed more poorly on memory tests, indicating their memory had worsened. Men who did not eat as many trans fast performed better on these tests, however. The findings are published in the…
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Appetite control is a problem for many people, especially for those trying to lose weight. Now new research once again proves a simple way to keep your appetite under control. According to new research from the University of Missouri-Columbia, eating high-protein snacks help reduce a person's appetite, preventing them from eating more calories throughout the day. But the biggest surprise? Eating beef jerky wasn't the best solution--instead, it was eating high-protein soy products, such as tofu. The research appears in…
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It's a sugar that naturally exists in fruits and vegetables--yet researchers now say it could make you fat. According to new research from the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois, eating a diet where 18 percent of the calories come from fructose--about the average intake of a male adolescent--can cause significant weight gain regardless of the actual calorie intake. It can also promote physical inactivity and accumulation of body fat, putting people at risk…
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We all know a bad diet can put us at risk of many diseases--and that includes prostate cancer, a leading cause of death among men. Now new research shows a bad diet could even raise the risk of dying from this disease. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health recently studied men who ate a standard American diet, and the results were nothing short of shocking: When they developed prostate cancer, there were 2.5 times more likely to die.…
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For women over 50, breast cancer isn't their only concern--it's developing another deadly type of cancer called endometrial cancer. Reducing the risk of this disease can often lead to invasive procedures, however, such as a hysterectomy. However, they now may be a new way to prevent it without ever going under the knife. According to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer, women who adhered to a Mediterranean-type diet reduced their risk by more than 50 percent. Complete…
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According to recent statistics, nearly 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese--and that number is expected to grow. Even more Americans struggle to lose weight as well, citing problems staying on track with their diet. Now researchers reveal one reason why it's so hard to lose weight. According to a new editorial published in the Journal of Health Psychology, researchers say people have trouble losing weight because they don't take their feelings into consideration--such as their preferences for certain…
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What you eat matters for your waistline, but that isn't the only area that benefits from healthy eating habits, say American researchers. A healthy diet as currently defined by the USDA food pyramid has now been shown to lower the risk of memory loss as people age, preventing dementia. This is a remarkable finding, as previous studies in the past focused on specific diets, not healthy eating habits. The findings appear in the journal Neurology. "This study strengthens the support…
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Most diets help you lose weight--but this could help reduce your risk of colon cancer as well. New research led by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh reveal that eating an African diet, which emphasizes foods low in fat and high in fiber, changed certain biomarkers, which reduced their risk of developing colon cancer. On the other hand, those who ate a more traditional American diet, which emphasize more fat and protein, upped their risk of colon cancer--in as little…
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