Diet

Addicted to carbs? This simple trick cuts the calories in a favorite carb staple in half. According to research presented at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, adding just a teaspoon of coconut oil to boiling rice could change its composition, reducing its calories by 50 to 60 percent. That's a huge way to save on calories, say researchers. "Because obesity is a growing health problem, especially in many developing countries, we wanted to find…
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While people are waging their own battle against obesity at home, the government is also trying to help--from cutting trans fats out of fast food meals to building more bike paths to increase physical activity. But how many of them actually work? New findings from Drexel University sought to find that out, and unfortunately, the answers weren't always positive. "Rigorous science is needed to evaluate these natural or quasi-experiments," says Amy Auchincloss, Ph.D., an associate professor from the Drexel University…
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We all know diet soda can make us fat. New research from the University of Texas reveals just where it makes us fat, however--and it's not good news if you'd like a slim tummy. According to new research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, older adults who drank diet soda regularly were more likely to gain weight in their abdomen, called central obesity. Central obesity won't just give you a dreaded "beer gut" either; it's also linked…
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While most of us associate a fluttering heart with a bout of anxiety, scientists know it's probably a heart condition, called atrial fibrillation. Despite a common heart condition, few people know about it--or the heart attack or stroke risk it carries. New research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session says there's no need to fear, however: A cure could be as simple as watching your weight. According to Rajeev Pathak, M.D., who presented the research…
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Have trouble controlling your blood glucose? There's an easy fix for that now, say researchers from Tel Aviv University--and all it involves is a simple, high-calorie breakfast. According to the findings, which appear in the health journal Diabetologia, diabetics who ate a high-calorie breakfast followed by a low-calorie dinner were less likely to experience blood glucose spikes, which helped control their disease better. This is important, as repeated blood glucose spikes could eventually lead to a loss of brain cells,…
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It's not uncommon to reach for a snack while watching a late-night movie. New findings from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab say that a certain genre of movie could make you eat more, however--by as much as 55 percent. According to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, people who watched "tearjerker" movies in movie theaters ate at least 28 percent more popcorn, with some movies, such as Solaris, causing people to eat twice as much. However, the same applied…
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Meat-heavy diets, such as the Paleo diet, are said to be the best for weight loss. However, when it comes to lowering the risk of certain health conditions, such as heart disease, it ranks dead last--at least when compared to this diet. According to new research reported at the American Heart Association EPI/Lifestyle 2015 meeting, people who ate a semi-vegetarian diet, which emphasizes less meat consumption, were 20 percent less likely to die from heart disease and stroke. In addition,…
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While intermittent fasting has been shown effective for extending the life of rats, new research from the University of Florida reveals even better news: It could do the same for humans. According to the research, reported in the current issue of Rejuvenation Research, people who practiced intermittent fasting showed an increase in something called SIRT3--a gene that increases longevity. In turn, it also triggered protective pathways in cells, something that could also improve a person's lifespan. "We found that intermittent…
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Losing weight is undoubtedly a difficult battle--especially if you're obese. Now researchers have discovered a troubling reason why you can't lose weight, and it has nothing to do with your genetics. According to a new study from the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, mice who had the choice of eating a high-fat or low-fat diet didn't lose weight at all--in fact, they gained more weight. The findings appear in the latest issue of the journal Endocrinology. "We…
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The connection between dementia and diet continues to increase, according to new research reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The findings, which were reported earlier this week, reveal that a diet called the Mediterranean diet could protect people from dementia, a health problem that currently has no cure. As for the reasons why, it's all that diabetes and dementia connection--those who have diabetes are significantly more likely to develop dementia, according to their research. "Diabetes increased the risk of…
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