Diet & Nutrition

Little in life is as scary as the idea of forgetting our loved ones, our histories, and ourselves. Yet that is exactly what is happening to the more than 5 million people in North America suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Mild forgetfulness in the early years of the disease slowly expands to include serious problems with memory, language, and abstract reasoning until eventually this brain disorder robs its victims of the ability to function…

Fortification of foods with additional nutrients does have an impact on kids’ intake of vitamins and minerals, but many children and teens are still not getting adequate nutrition, according to a new US study.
Based on a large national dietary survey, the researchers found that without fortification, the diets of a large number of children and teens would be nutritionally inadequate. With fortification the picture is better, but not perfect…

If you are watching your carbohydrate intake but can’t always find the time to cook from scratch (or find anything to buy in the shops), help is at hand.

Woolworths has just launched a new CARBCLEVER range of meals that excludes pasta, potatoes and rice. The dishes also have no wheat, grains, legumes or pulses…

“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%…