Occasional fasting may help control type 2 diabetes, a small Canadian study suggests. “The use of a therapeutic fasting regimen for treatment of [type 2 diabetes] is virtually unheard of,” said Dr. Jason Fung, of Scarborough Hospital, in Ontario, and colleagues. But this trial showed that 24-hour fasting regimens can significantly reverse or eliminate the… read on >
If you’re overweight and thinking of starting a family, there’s compelling evidence that you should lose the excess pounds before you get pregnant. For starters, some health conditions associated with being overweight, like polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS), can make it harder for you to conceive. Once you get pregnant, being overweight increases your risk… read on >
Dropping weight might do more than make an older woman feel good. New research suggests it could lower her odds of breast cancer. The study included over 61,000 postmenopausal women with no prior breast cancer and normal mammogram results. Their weight was checked at the start of the study and again three years later. During… read on >
The quick weight loss that occurs after bariatric surgery seems to have an unintended consequence — a greater risk of gallstones, a new study suggests. The rapid loss of pounds was linked to a 10-fold increase in the hospital admissions for pancreatitis, gallstones and other gallbladder conditions. “Gallstones are quite common in post-bariatric surgery patients.… read on >
If you’re gluten-sensitive, watch out: One-third of the “gluten-free” foods sold in U.S. restaurants actually contain trace levels of the substance, new research suggests. The finding will be of particular concern to the 1 percent of Americans with the autoimmune disorder known as celiac disease. For them, even a minuscule amount of gluten — a… read on >
THURSDAY, Oct. 4, 2018Vitamin D supplements have long been touted as a way to improve bone health and possibly ward off the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis in older adults. But a new study contends that claims of benefits from supplements of the “sunshine vitamin” fall flat. A review of previously published studies found that taking either… read on >
May 7, 2018 marked a milestone for public health in the United States. It’s the date that mandatory nutrition and calorie information took effect for most chain restaurants, enabling consumers to compare menu items before ordering and, hopefully, make smarter choices. Some cities across the country had already required restaurants to post calorie counts so… read on >
Americans’ love affair with fast food continues, with 1 in every 3 adults chowing down on the fare on any given day. That’s the finding from a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When asked by researchers, 37 percent of adults said they’d eaten fast food at least once over… read on >
Want to get consumers hungry for a chocolate-covered ant or crunchy cricket snack? New research suggests that if you’re marketing protein-rich insects as edibles, emphasizing flavor and luxury is key. So finds an advertising experiment that aimed to get 180 Germans to embrace entomophagy, a verbal mouthful that basically means “eating insects.” Aware of the… read on >
People with type 2 diabetes who are taking common drugs called diuretics may be at a significantly increased risk of losing a foot or leg, according to a new French study. Researchers found that taking a diuretic raised the odds of having an amputation, or requiring an angioplasty or bypass, by 75 percent or more,… read on >
