Credit: iStock I spy too much sugar in the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. Unlike naturally occurring sugars in foods such as fruit, added sugars and syrups are included during the preparation or processing of our food and drink. While sugar does provide our body with energy, the problem is that too … Continue reading Cutting Back On Added Sugar: Your Brain Will Thank You
Diet
Recapping the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin
Credit: iStock Dozens of leading endothelin (ET) researchers from around the world presented new findings at the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin (ET-17), hosted and organized by the American Physiological Society (APS). Their work highlighted practical uses of blocking the ET system and the use of ET as a biomarker for disease. Endothelins are amino … Continue reading Recapping the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin
The Surprising Health Benefits of ‘Yo-yo’ Dieting
Credit: iStock It’s not really news that obesity and the trend of increasing waistlines seems to only be heading upward—and outward. Despite efforts to fight the fat, many people end up regaining the weight they lose when they diet in a phenomenon known as “weight cycling” or “yo-yo dieting.” Weight cycling can be frustrating, and … Continue reading The Surprising Health Benefits of ‘Yo-yo’ Dieting
The Triple Threat: Diet, Diabetes and Fatty Liver Disease
Credit: iStock Fatty liver disease is a group of disorders that occur when too much fat builds up in the liver. Many people may have heard of alcohol-related fatty liver disease, a condition in which moderate to heavy consumption of alcohol leads to fat buildup and scarring in the liver. However, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease … Continue reading The Triple Threat: Diet, Diabetes and Fatty Liver Disease
Connections between Food, Drink and the Brain: Research from Experimental Biology 2019
Scientists who study physiology and other biomedical research fields—including anatomy, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology—gather every year at the Experimental Biology (EB) meeting to network, collaborate and communicate new research findings. This year’s EB meeting in Orlando, Fla., featured studies ranging from the gut microbiome to heart disease to adolescent health. Read on to learn more … Continue reading Connections between Food, Drink and the Brain: Research from Experimental Biology 2019
How Being Male or Female Affects Our Hearts, Kidneys and Waistlines
When it comes to health, men and women aren’t always equal. Biological factors, such as our anatomy and hormones, affect the way our bodies behave when we’re healthy and when we face health challenges. Top researchers who study the influence of biological sex on health and disease gathered earlier this month in Knoxville, Tenn., for … Continue reading How Being Male or Female Affects Our Hearts, Kidneys and Waistlines
The Fat-blocking Powers of Fiber
An estimated 610,000 people in the U.S. die from heart disease each year. One common cause of heart disease is the narrowing of blood vessels due to the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque). Many factors—including eating a lot of fatty foods—can lead to plaque buildup in blood vessels. Your liver processes excess fat by packaging … Continue reading The Fat-blocking Powers of Fiber
Can Eating Fruit Be Hazardous to Your Health?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends two cups of fresh, frozen, canned or dried whole fruits each day for most people following a 2,000-calorie diet. However, some people have difficulty breaking down fruit in their digestive tract or absorbing fructose into their bloodstream. Fructose is a type of sugar that is naturally found in fruit. … Continue reading Can Eating Fruit Be Hazardous to Your Health?
The Hispanic Paradox: Why Are Some Ethnic Groups Living Longer than Others?
In the U.S., we focus much attention on the health behaviors that can help us live a longer life: the “secrets” of centenarians and long-lived animal species such as the naked mole rat, the optimal amount of exercise to help us maintain muscle tone and independence, and the best eating style—whether it’s eating like we … Continue reading The Hispanic Paradox: Why Are Some Ethnic Groups Living Longer than Others?
Can Alcohol Cause Irregular Heartbeat?
Credit: iStock Alcohol and heart health have a complicated relationship. Recent research suggests that moderate drinking may reduce your risk of stroke. But for some people, even one or two drinks a day may increase the risk of a form of heart disease called atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib is an irregular heartbeat of the two … Continue reading Can Alcohol Cause Irregular Heartbeat?