Category: Scientific/Technical Items
-
UCLA Researchers Suggest Fructose Impairs Brain Function
A recent study has claimed that rats fed a diet high in fructose had more difficulty navigating a maze than those that also consumed omega-3 fatty acids, thereby raising questions about the impact of sugar consumption on cognition. Rahul Agrawal and Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, “’Metabolic Syndrome’ in the brain: deficiency in omega-3 fatty acid exacerbates dysfunctions…
-
Rhesus Monkey Study Allegedly Reveals Link Between BPA and Breast Cancer
A recent study has reportedly claimed that bisphenol A (BPA) alters mammary gland development in rhesus monkeys, raising concerns about the chemical’s alleged link to breast cancer in humans. Andrew Tharp, et al., “Bisphenol A alters the development of the rhesus monkey mammary gland,” PNAS, May 2012. According to the study, researchers fed fruit containing…
-
Food Ingredient Fraud Database Launches
Researchers with the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention have published an article discussing the development of a database that compiles reports on food fraud and highlights those ingredients most prone to fraud in the food supply. Jeffrey Moore, et al., “Development and Application of a Database of Food Ingredient Fraud and Economically Motivated Adulteration from 1980 to…
-
High Sodium Intake Allegedly Tied to Stroke Risk
A recent study has claimed that sodium intake exceeding the 1,500 mg per day recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) was “associated with an increased risk of stroke independent of vascular risk factors.” Hannah Gardener, et al., “Dietary Sodium and Risk of Stroke in the Northern Manhattan Study,” Stroke, April 2012. Researchers evidently relied…
-
Study Questions Alleged Link Between Junk Food in Schools and Childhood Obesity
A recent study attempting “to isolate the causal effect of junk food availability on children’s food consumption and body mass index (BMI)” has concluded that access to competitive foods in schools “does not significantly increase BMI or obesity among this fifth-grade cohort despite the increased likelihood of in-school junk food purchases.” Ashlesha Datar and Nancy…
-
Study Finds No Link Between Coffee Consumption and Chronic Disease
A recent study has purportedly found that “neither caffeinated nor decaffeinated coffee was associated with an increased risk of total chronic disease, CVD [cardiovascular disease], or cancer,” according to a concurrent editorial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Anna Floegel, “Coffee Consumption and Risk of Chronic Disease in the European Prospective Investigation into…
-
New Study Claims Sugary Drink Intake Linked to Retinal Vascular Changes in Kids
A recent study has allegedly linked sugary drink consumption to narrowed retinal blood vessels in children as young as age 12, raising concerns about the youths’ long-term cardiovascular health. Bamini Gopinath, et al., “Carbohydrate nutrition is associated with changes in the retinal vascular structure and branching pattern in children,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May…
-
Maternal Metabolic Conditions Allegedly Tied to Increased Autism Risk
Researchers with the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute at the University of California, Davis, have published a study claiming that maternal metabolic conditions (MCs) during pregnancy “may be broadly associated” with neurodevelopment problems, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in children. Paula Krakowiak, et al., “Maternal Metabolic Conditions and Risk for Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental…