In a study that has implications for humans with inflammatory diseases, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and colleagues have found that, given over a six-week period, the artificial sweetener sucralose, known by the brand name Splenda, worsens gut inflammation in mice with Crohn’s-like disease, but had no substantive effect on those […]
New processing technique could make potatoes healthier
Researchers announced early tests of a new potato processing technique designed to make our bodies digest potato starch more slowly. Laboratory demonstrations show that the approach blocks certain digestive enzymes from reaching the potato starch as quickly, leading to a more controlled release of dietary glucose. “There is a perception that potato foods are unhealthy […]
Arsenic, Lead and Other Toxic Contaminants in 95% of Baby Foods Tested
In a new investigation released today, Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) and its partner organizations report that 95% of baby foods tested contain one or more toxic chemicals, including lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. One-quarter of foods tested contain all four toxic chemicals tested by the lab, all of which are heavy metals that can […]
Daily multivitamin may be an unnecessary habit
Are you among the one in three Americans who gulps down a multivitamin every morning, probably with a sip of water? The truth about this popular habit may be hard to swallow. “Most people would be better off just drinking a full glass of water and skipping the vitamin,” says Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor […]
Chemical In Many Air Fresheners May Reduce Lung Function
Research shows that a chemical compound found in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorizing products, may be harmful to the lungs. Human population studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, found that exposure to a volatile organic compound (VOC), called […]
Advice to drink eight glasses of water a day ‘nonsense,’ argues doctor
The recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration “is not only nonsense, but is thoroughly debunked nonsense,” argues GP, Margaret McCartney in this week’s online British Medical Journal (BMJ). There is currently no clear evidence of benefit from drinking increased amounts of water, she says, yet the “we-don’t-drink-enough-water” myth […]
Food dyes may cause disease when the immune system is dysregulated, researchers report
Artificial food colorants can cause disease when the immune system has become dysregulated, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers report. The study, published in Cell Metabolism in May, was the first to show this phenomenon. The study, conducted in mice, found that the mice developed colitis when they consumed food with the artificial food colorants FD&C Red […]
Small daily portion of Jarlsberg cheese may help to stave off bone thinning
A small (57 g) daily portion of Jarlsberg cheese may help to stave off bone thinning (osteopenia/osteoporosis) without boosting harmful low density cholesterol, suggest the results of a small comparative clinical trial, published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health. The effects seem to be specific to this type of cheese, the findings […]
Fast food diet before pregnancy can impact breast milk and baby’s health
A diet high in sugar and fat such as burgers, fries and fizzy drinks can negatively affect a new mother’s breast milk and baby’s health even before the child is conceived. The new study using lab mice has found that even relatively short-term consumption of a fast food diet impacts women’s health, reducing their ability […]
Silicone breast implants linked to increased risk of some rare harms
Women receiving silicone breast implants may be at increased risk of several rare adverse outcomes compared to the general population, reports a study in Annals of Surgery. “We are reporting an analysis of the largest prospective study to date on silicone breast implant safety,” comments Mark W. Clemens, MD, and colleagues of The University of Texas […]