Organic cane sugar has gained popularity among health-conscious consumers for its perceived natural qualities. Many backyard bird enthusiasts wonder if it makes a better choice for hummingbird feeders than ordinary white sugar. However, experts strongly caution against using it for these tiny birds. The differences in processing make organic cane sugar potentially harmful despite its […]
The 10-Minute Habit That Science Says Beats Sitting After Meals
In a world where busy schedules often leave us glued to our desks or couches after eating, a simple tweak to your routine could yield profound health benefits. Imagine transforming your post-meal slump into an opportunity for better metabolic health—just by lacing up your shoes and stepping out for a short stroll. As we navigate […]
WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does […]
Non-nutritive sweeteners affect human microbiomes and can alter glycemic responses
Since the late 1800s non-nutritive sweeteners have promised to deliver all the sweetness of sugar with none of the calories. They have long been believed to have no effect on the human body, but researchers publishing in the journal Cell on August 19 challenge this notion by finding that these sugar substitutes are not inert, and, in […]
How a deadly fungus evades the immune system
New research from the University of Toronto has scientists re-thinking how a lethal fungus grows and kills immune cells. The study hints at a new approach to therapy for Candida albicans, one of the most common causes of bloodstream infections. Previously, scientists thought that Candida albicans spread by changing from a single, round cell to a long string […]
Sugar overload may be a recipe for long-term problems
Children who consume too much sugar could be at greater risk of becoming obese, hyperactive, and cognitively impaired, as adults, according to the results of a new study of mice led by QUT and published by Frontiers in Neuroscience. The study resulted in a reduced risk of sugar-induced weight gain and other health problems when the […]
Sugar not so nice for your child’s brain development, study suggests
Sugar practically screams from the shelves of your grocery store, especially those products marketed to kids. Children are the highest consumers of added sugar, even as high-sugar diets have been linked to health effects like obesity and heart disease and even impaired memory function. However, less is known about how high sugar consumption during childhood […]
That Sugar Film
‘That Sugar Film’ is a highly informative, quirkily presented Australian documentary, which makes a case that the health fad of the past 30 years, which has demonized fats and has tended to minimize the perils of sugar may have contributed to the obesity epidemic now occurring worldwide, in a direct challenge to the hotly-contested ideas […]
Regular soda, please: Hormone that differentiates sugar, diet sweeteners could exist in humans
We’ve all been there: We eat an entire sleeve of fat-free, low-calorie cookies and we’re stuffing ourselves with more food 15 minutes later. One theory to explain this phenomenon is that artificial sweeteners don’t contain the calories or energy that evolution has trained the brain to expect from sweet-tasting foods, so they don’t fool the […]
Drinks with added sugars linked to lipid imbalance, which increases CVD risk
Drinking 12 ounces of sugary drinks more than once per day is linked to lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), (“good” cholesterol), and higher levels of triglycerides, in middle aged and older adults, both of which have been shown to increase risk of cardiovascular disease. These results are from a new observational study published […]