news 2016

Listeners in a noisy situation benefit from facing slightly away from the person they are listening to, turning one ear towards the speech, concludes a study by Cardiff University, funded by UK charity Action on Hearing Loss (RNID). This listening tactic was found to be especially beneficial for cochlear implant users who typically struggle in noisy social settings such as restaurants.

New test developed to identify obese women at high risk of developing diabetes in pregnancy In a new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE , a team of researchers led by King's College London have successfully developed a method that more accurately identifies those obese women at high risk of gestational diabetes, than what is currently being used.

An analysis of current research shows that people who eat at least 20g of nuts a day have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases. The analysis of all current studies on nut consumption and disease risk has revealed that 20g a day - equivalent to a handful - can cut people's risk of coronary heart disease by nearly 30 percent, their risk of cancer by 15 percent, and their risk of premature death by 22 percent.

New research highlighted today has discovered the essential role that the receptor FFAR2 plays in the success of fermentable carbohydrates - found in foods such as vegetables, fruit, breads, cereals and pasta - in suppressing appetite and preventing obesity. The team of scientists from King's College London and Imperial College London tested a high-fat diet, containing a fermentable carbohydrate, and a control diet on mice and looked at the effect on food intake of those with and without the FFAR2 receptor.

The number of people in the world with high blood pressure has reached 1.13 billion, according to new research. The study, led by scientists at Imperial College London , reveals the number of people with high blood pressure has nearly doubled in 40 years. The team studied changes in blood pressure in every country in the world between 1975 and 2015.

A new investigation into how meat can be damaged by farm injections has found that 4 per cent of cattle slaughtered in abattoirs in England had injection site lesions in the carcasses. The study by researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Bristol shows that compliance with recommended injection protocols could be improved to reduce this damage.

Mothers smoking in pregnancy, children skipping breakfast and not having a regular bedtime or sufficient sleep all appear to be important factors in predicting whether a child will become overweight or obese, according to new research led by UCL. All three are early life factors which can be modified and the research highlights the possibility that prompt intervention could have an impact in curbing the growth in childhood overweight and obesity.

Sleep deprivation may result in people consuming more calories during the following day, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis led by researchers at King's College London. The meta‑analysis combined the results of many previous small intervention studies to produce a more robust answer and found that sleep-deprived people consumed an average of 385 kcal per day extra, which is equivalent to the calories of about four and a half slices of bread.

Researchers have compiled the first comprehensive carbon footprint league table for fresh food so chefs, caterers and everyday foodies can cook meals without cooking the planet. The greenhouse gas emissions dataset by researchers at Lancaster University and RMIT University and will help consumers and catering firms calculate the environmental impact of the fresh food they eat and the menus they serve.

Experts in diet and metabolism have found that replacing low calorie 'diet' drinks with water can help increase the rate of weight loss in obese women with type 2 diabetes and improve insulin sensitivity. The scientists at The University of Nottingham and Tehran University of Medical Sciences set out to test the effect of replacing diet drinks with water by comparing weight loss in two randomly selected groups of type 2 diabetic women during a 24 week diet programme.

Brain receptor identified as key link between obese mothers and high blood pressure in children Exposure of babies to high levels of the 'fullness' hormone, leptin, in the womb irreversibly activates receptors in the brain that regulate blood pressure, according to a new study by researchers from King's College London, part-funded by the British Heart Foundation.

People who carry variants in a particular gene have an increased preference for high fat food, but a decreased preference for sugary foods, according to a new study led by the University of Cambridge. The research has provided insights into why we make particular food choices, with potential implications for our understanding of obesity.

Obesity is responsible for the deaths of over three million people a year worldwide due to its associated diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, a subset of obese individuals seems to be protected from such diseases. Understanding the underlying protective mechanisms in the lower risk individuals could help design novel therapeutic strategies targeting those at higher risk of disease.

People are being warned to take the current trend for 'pink' chicken liver recipes with a pinch of salt. Research from Manchester, Bangor and Liverpool universities found that a current trend to serve 'rare' chicken livers is potentially exposing the public to the risk of Campylobacter food poisoning.

New research led by scientists from King's College London and the University of Bristol has found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy may be linked to symptoms of ADHD in children who show conduct problems early in life. Published today in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry , this study is the first to indicate that epigenetic changes evident at birth may explain the link between unhealthy diet, conduct problems and ADHD.

New research led by scientists from King's College London and the University of Bristol has found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy may be linked to symptoms of ADHD in children who show conduct problems early in life. Published today in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry , this study is the first to indicate that epigenetic changes evident at birth may explain the link between unhealthy diet, conduct problems and ADHD.

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most valuable fruit crops in the world with an annual global value in excess of $50bn. We eat so many they also play an important role in our diet providing valuable vitamins, minerals and health promoting phytochemicals. Plant breeders are working continuously to supply high yielding, better tasting, more nutritious and longer lasting tomato varieties, but some of the best tasting varieties soften rapidly and can have a short shelf life.

A study of 3.9 million adults published today in The Lancet has found that being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of premature death. The risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and cancer are all increased. Overall, the excess risk of premature death (before age 70) among those who are overweight or obese is about three times as great in men as in women.

Introducing peanut-containing foods during infancy as a peanut allergy prevention strategy does not compromise the duration of breastfeeding or affect children's growth and nutritional intakes, new findings show. The work, carried out by researchers at King's College London and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, is published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology .

Researchers at King's College London have found no significant link between eating the evening meal after 8pm and excess weight in children, according to a paper published this month in the British Journal of Nutrition . Previous evidence suggested that the timing of food intake can have a significant impact on circadian rhythms (i.e.