Public Health

 Nutrition experts acknowledge that when it comes to the human body, there is no difference between sugar naturally found in foods and that which is added by manufacturers. That is, the body metabolizes sugar from colas the same way it does sugar from orange juice (yes, even organic orange juice). So why add a line to the ‘Nutrition Facts’ label that specifically cites the amount of added sugars? There’s no good reason that we can see, but that’s what the FDA plans to do. One might think that such a government agency, tasked with providing useful information to consumers, would only…

When it comes to reviewing studies regarding combinations of low levels of chemical exposure and cancer risks, collaborators of the Halifax Project have raised questions that can help in the development of hypotheses – but to date, proof of cause and effect has not been presented. The Nova Scotia-based Halifax Project is focused in part, on reviewing published scientific studies with an eye towards picking out data of the “carcinogenic potential of low dose exposures to mixtures of chemicals in the environment” and associating them to some aspect of the biological processes involved in…

I first noticed the NuVal scores in my HyVee grocery store about four years ago. My first reaction was the same as how I feel about government: I'm in full support of universal rules for everyone...as long as I get to make the rules! I began to look into it a little more deeply when I found out that the scoring system was developed by David L. Katz, who does real work in obesity research and whose perspective has usually made sense to me. The system of scoring is described in not-quite-enough detail on the NuVal website,  however, there are several links to peer reviewed…

Both donors and recipients want more information about each others' health before participating in transplant surgeries, according to a study which challenges current practices and policies on information disclosure for prospective living kidney donors and their intended recipients.. Patients in need of a transplant may want certain information about a potential living donor before accepting his or her organ. Likewise, a potential donor may want information about an intended recipient before deciding whether to offer the organ. It is mandatory to disclose to a candidate if the donor is at…

The results of a recent study show that children who report eating more polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), found in tree nuts, seeds and fatty fish, and consume a higher ratio of PUFA: saturated fatty acids (SFAs), have more lean body mass, lower percent body fat, and less intra-abdominal fat (belly fat). The study was published in "The Journal of Nutrition" and conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center and the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colo. in collaboration with the University of…

 More than 2.7 million people in the United States are infected with the hepatitis C virus, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and people infected with the hepatitis C virus are at risk for liver damage, but the results of a new Johns Hopkins study now show the infection may also bring heart trouble. The findings emerged from a larger ongoing study of gay men, many but not all of whom were infected with HIV and followed over time to track risk of infection and disease progression. A subset of the participants had both HIV and hepatitis C, two…

Insulin does not control weight loss. Kevin Hall performs both theoretical and experimental studies in human metabolism at the NIDDK of NIH. This week, he and colleagues published an article in Cell Metabolism entitled, "Calorie for Calorie, Dietary Fat Restriction Results in More Body Fat Loss than Carbohydrate Restriction in People with Obesity." I think it's going to piss some people off. For this reason, I decided to get my facts straight before writing about the study. Dr. Hall gave me some time on the phone earlier today. But before I get to his explanations, let me set up why, in diet…

In another reversal of claims that saturated fats were killing people and their replacement, trans fats, were healthier, another study has found that saturated fats are not associated with an increased risk of death, heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes. Instead, trans fats are associated with greater risk of death and coronary heart disease. This is a dramatic change and vindicates organizations like the American Council on Science and Health, which had stated decades ago that saturated fats in moderation were not harmful and that groups that scare the public to raise money were simply…

We sympathize deeply with Sandra Lee’s ongoing travails related to her recent post-bilateral-mastectomy complications. But her decision to have bilateral mastectomies made her vulnerable, and her problems should be a cautionary tale for other women. In May of this year, celebrity food hostess and author of “Semi-Homemade” cookbooks, and domestic partner of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) found on a mammogram. Despite the well-recognized lack of long-term health threat associated with DCIS, she decided to undergo bilateral mastectomies for her own peace…

Patients in advanced states of myocardial insufficiency generally lose their muscle mass and muscle strength, which has negatively impacted the clinical course of the disease and that has resulted in poor prognoses for patients. Such pathological muscle loss impacts the skeletal muscles in particular. The responsible molecular signaling pathways have not yet been fully understood. One cause of this degenerative process lies in the system that regulates the blood pressure and salt/water supply in the body - the so-called renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). This is strongly activated…