Category: Scientific/Technical Items
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Study Linking HFCS to Obesity Draws Criticism from Health Experts
A recent study involving both short- and long-term animal experiments has purportedly linked high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to significant weight gain in rats. Miriam Bocarsly, et al., “High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats: Increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels,” Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, March 2010. According to a March 23, 2010,…
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Researchers Find Young Children Aware of Popular Brands
A recent psychology study has reportedly suggested that children younger than age 5 “have emerging knowledge of brands that are relevant in their lives.” Anna McAllister and T. Bettina Cornwell, “Children’s Brand Symbolism Understanding: Links to Theory of Mind and Executive Functioning,” Psychology & Marketing, March 2010. Noting previous research suggesting that “brand symbolism understanding…
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Study Claims BPA Exposure May Cause Permanent Fertility Defects
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have reportedly claimed in a new study that exposure to the food packaging chemical bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy can cause permanent abnormalities in the uterus of offspring, including altering their DNA. Jason G. Bromer, et al, “Bisphenol-A exposure in utero leads to epigenetic alterations in the developmental programming…
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Antimony Allegedly Detected in EU Commercial Fruit Juices
According to researchers from Denmark and Greece, some juice drinks obtained from markets in the European Union (EU) contain levels of antimony, a suspected carcinogen related to arsenic, above EU drinking water limits. Claus Hansen, et al., “Elevated antimony concentrations in commercial juices,” Journal of Environmental Monitoring, February 17, 2010. According to the article, “Antimony concentrations…
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Snacking Reportedly on the Rise Among U.S. Children
A recent study has reportedly claimed that “nationally representative surveys of food intake in U.S. children show large increases in snacking between the 1989-91 to 1994-98 and 1994-98 to 2003-06 periods.” Carmen Piernas and Barry Popkin, “Trends in Snacking Among U.S. Children,” Health Affairs, March 2010. Researchers apparently examined the responses of 31,337 children ages…
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Study Compares Strategies to Decrease Dietary Sodium Intake
A recent study has apparently concluded that industry efforts to reduce mean sodium intake by 9.5 percent could avert “513,885 strokes and 480,358 MIs [myocardial infarctions] over the lifetime of adults aged 40 to 85 years who are alive today compared with the status quo, increasing QALYs [quality-adjusted life-years] by 2.1 million and saving $32.1…
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Persistent Organic Pollutants Reportedly Detected in Food
Researchers studying 31 different types of food purchased from supermarkets in Dallas, Texas, have apparently found a range of persistent organic pollutants, including organochlorine pesticides, at varying levels, although none exceeded Environmental Protection Agency reference doses or EU maximum residue levels for pesticide residues in food. Arnold Schecter, et al., “Perfluorinated Compounds, Polychlorinated Biphenyl, and…
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Beer Is Good Source of Silicon for Bones, Says New Study
A recent study has reportedly “confirmed that beer is a very rich source of silicon,” a dietary nutrient that increases bone mineral density. Troy Casey and Charles Bamforth, “Silicon in Beer and Brewing,” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, February 2010. According to researchers with the University of California’s Department of Food Science…