Your microbiota`s previous dining experiences may make new diets less effective
Your microbiota may not be on your side as you try improving your diet this New Year. In a new study, researchers explore why mice that switch from an unrestricted American diet to a healthy, calorie-restricted, plant-based diet don`t have an immediate response to their new program. They found that certain human gut bacteria need to be lost for a diet plan to be successful.
Repeated dieting may lead to weight gain because the brain interprets the diets as short famines and urges the person to store more fat for future shortages, new research suggests.
Gut microbes linked to movement disorders in mice predisposed to Parkinsons disease
Changes to gut microbes can influence the development of Parkinson's-like movement disorders, according to a study of mice predisposed to the neurological condition.
Fish oil-diet benefits may be mediated by gut microbes
Diets rich in fish oil versus diets rich in lard (e.g., bacon) produce very different bacteria in the guts of mice, reports a new study. The researchers transferred these microbes into other mice to see how they affected health. The results suggest that gut bacteria share some of the responsibility for the beneficial effects of fish oil and the harmful effects of lard.
Gut microbes trigger fat loss in response to cold temperatures
Exposure to cold temperatures is known to mimic the effects of exercise, protecting against obesity and improving metabolic health. A study now reveals that the beneficial health effects of cold exposure are mediated in part by gut microbes. The researchers found that cold exposure dramatically alters the composition of intestinal bacteria in mice and that this microbial shift is sufficient to burn fat, improve glucose metabolism, and reduce body weight.
Early-life exercise alters gut microbes, promotes healthy brain and metabolism
The human gut harbors a teeming menagerie of over 100 trillion microorganisms, and researchers have discovered that exercising early in life can alter that microbial community for the better, promoting healthier brain and metabolic activity over the course of a lifetime.
Sins of the father could weigh on the next generation
The amount of food consumed by fathers could have a direct impact on their unborn children's health and wellbeing, according to new RMIT University research. The study suggested a dad's diet before they conceive could be genetically passed onto the next generation, with a subsequent impact on those childrens' mental health. While mothers' diet and impact on children has been widely researched, this is believed to be the first time the behavioural and hormonal effects of the male diet on offspring has been studied.
What your father ate before you were born could influence your health
There is increasing evidence that parents' lifestyle and the environment they inhabit even long before they have children may influence the health of their offspring. A current study, led by researchers from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, sheds light on how.
Type 2 diabetes reversed by losing fat from pancreas
Type 2 diabetes is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas, researchers show. They add that losing less than one gram of that fat through weight loss reverses the diabetes.
Gut microbes signal to the brain when they are full
Don't have room for dessert? The bacteria in your gut may be telling you something. Twenty minutes after a meal, gut microbes produce proteins that can suppress food intake in animals, reports a study published November 24 in Cell Metabolism. The researchers also show how these proteins injected into mice and rats act on the brain reducing appetite, suggesting that gut bacteria may help control when and how much we eat.
Stored fat fights against the bodys attempts to lose weight
The fatter we are, the more our body appears to produce a protein that inhibits our ability to burn fat, suggests new research published in the journal Nature Communication. The findings may have implications for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases.
Blood sugar levels in response to foods are highly individual
Which is more likely to raise blood sugar levels: sushi or ice cream? According to a Weizmann Institute of Science study reported in the November 19 issue of the journal Cell, the answer varies from one person to another. The study, which continuously monitored blood sugar levels in 800 people for a week, revealed that the bodily response to all foods was highly individual.
Genetic factors drive roles of gut bacteria in diabetes, obesity
One strain of mice that were genetically prone to become obese became resistant to excess weight gain after their populations of gut microbiota were transformed simply by an sharing an environment with other mice, researchers have discovered.
Ngaire Hobbins is a dietician specialising in nutrition for those of us 60 and above. And shes concerned that older Australians are eating like body-conscious 20 years olds, and its putting them into aged care unnecessarily.
Weight loss surgery cures half of type-2 diabetes cases
Weight loss surgery cures half of patients with type-2 diabetes, for at least five years, a study suggests. The trial, on 60 people, published in the Lancet, found none of those with type 2 had been cured by medication and diet alone. The surgery improves symptoms both through weight loss and by changing the way the gut functions.
Low-level arsenic exposure before birth associated with early puberty and obesity
Female mice exposed in utero, or in the womb, to low levels of arsenic through drinking water displayed signs of early puberty and became obese as adults, according to scientists. The finding is significant because the exposure level of 10 parts per billion used in the study is the current US Environmental Protection Agency standard, or maximum allowable amount, for arsenic in drinking water.
Glass of water before each meal could help in weight reduction
Researchers from the University of Birmingham have shown that drinking 500ml of water at half an hour before eating main meals may help obese adults to lose weight. They believe that the simple intervention could be hugely beneficial, and be easily promoted by healthcare professionals and through public health campaigns
Obesity breakthrough: Metabolic master switch prompts fat cells to store or burn fat
Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century. Affecting more than 500 million people worldwide, obesity costs at least $200 billion each year in the United States alone, and contributes to potentially fatal disorders such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Scientists have now revealed the mechanism underlying the genomic region most strongly associated with obesity. The findings uncover a genetic circuit that controls whether our bodies burn or store fat. Manipulating that genetic circuit may offer a new approach for obesity treatments.
Do I look big in this supermarket? How large shops are making you fat
Two studies published this year suggest a link between how often people go shopping and the healthiness of the food they buy. Large supermarkets are undoubtedly very convenient. They're a one-stop shop with a huge variety of products on offer. But evidence suggests their size prompts us to shop less often and buy more on each trip. Could the enormity of our shops be making us fat?
Nuts and peanuts - but not peanut butter - linked to lower mortality rates, study finds
A study confirms a link between peanut and nut intake and lower mortality rates, but finds no protective effect for peanut butter. Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don't consume nuts or peanuts
Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging Benefits demonstrated in mice and yeast, piloted in humans
A diagram of the fasting mimicking diet (FMD) protocol developed by the scientists, which retains the health benefits of prolonged fasting. In mice, FMD improved metabolism and cognitive function, decreased bone loss and cancer incidence, and extended longevity. In humans, three monthly cycles of a 5-day FMD reduced multiple risk factors of aging.
Weighing yourself daily can tip the scale in your favor
For those wishing to lose weight and keep it off, here’s a simple strategy that works: step on a scale each day and track the results. A two-year study found that frequent self-weighing and tracking results on a chart were effective for both losing weight and keeping it off, especially for men.
In the US, 80% of girls have been on a diet by the time they're 10 years old. In this honest, raw talk, neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt uses her personal story to frame an important lesson about how our brains manage our bodies, as she explores the science behind why dieting not only doesn't work, but is likely to do more harm than good. She suggests ideas for how to live a less diet-obsessed life, intuitively.
Emily Balcetis: Why some people find exercise harder than others
Why do some people struggle more than others to keep off the pounds? Social psychologist Emily Balcetis shows research that addresses one of the many factors: Vision. In an informative talk, she shows how when it comes to fitness, some people quite literally see the world differently from others — and offers a surprisingly simple solution to overcome these differences.
Nondigestible compounds in apples - specifically, Granny Smith apples - may help prevent disorders associated with obesity, scientists have concluded. `We know that, in general, apples are a good source of these nondigestible compounds but there are differences in varieties,` said the studys lead researcher. `Results from this study will help consumers to discriminate between apple varieties that can aid in the fight against obesity.
Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics before age 2 associated with obesity risk
The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics by children before the age of 24 months was associated with increased risk of obesity in early childhood, a study concludes. The authors used electronic health records spanning from 2001 to 2013 from a network of primary care clinics. All children with annual visits at ages 0 to 23 months, as well as one or more visit at ages 24 to 59 months were enrolled. The final group included 64,580 children. Children were followed-up until they were 5 years old.
