Title: Low-Fat May Beat Low-Carb Diet for Trimming Body Fat: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/13/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/14/2015 12:00:00 AM

By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – If all the birds, bugs, bees and other creatures that pollinate our food crops were to disappear from the planet, humans could face a sharp increase in malnutrition, disease and death in many parts of the world, scientists estimate. Researchers analyzed supplies of 224 types of food in 156 countries, quantified the vitamins and nutrients in foods dependent on animal pollinators, and then calculated what nutritional deficits people could face if pollinators ceased to exist. Globally, dietary changes forced by the extinction of pollinators might increase deaths from non-communicable diseases and malnutrition-related problems by about 1.4 million, or a 2.7 percent gain in mortality, the researchers estimate.

By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – Want to lose body fat? At least initially, a diet low in fat may be better than one that limits carbohydrates, a U.S. study suggests. To test the effects of cutting fat or carbs head-to-head, researchers put 19 obese adults in the hospital twice, each time reducing their calorie intake by about 30 percent and putting them all on identical exercise routines.

More PUFAs and a higher ratio of PUFA: Saturated fatty acids are included in the self-reported diets of leaner childrenThe results of a recent study show that children who report eating more…

Title: Calorie Burn Boost May Be Weight-Loss Surgery’s Secret
Category: Health News
Created: 8/11/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/12/2015 12:00:00 AM

By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) – Diet, exercise and weight control counseling in early pregnancy can lower the risk of developing diabetes before giving birth, according to a new study from Finland. “Gestational diabetes and maternal obesity are both independently associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes,” and many women who have gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, said lead author Dr. Saila B. Koivusalo of Helsinki University Hospital and Katiloopisto Maternity Hospital. Between 2 and 18 percent of pregnancies involve gestational diabetes, Koivusalo told Reuters Health by email.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention in 2014, approximately 53% and 58% of dogs and cats, respectively, in the United States were overweight and obese.

Although dietary guidelines recommend reducing saturated fat intake, a new review suggests saturated fat intake is not associated with greater risk of death or heart disease.

By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) – A large new review of existing research suggests that for healthy people, a reasonable amount of saturated fat in the diet poses no health risk. Trans fats, on the other hand, were associated with an increased risk of death from any cause, death from cardiovascular disease and a diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Dietary guidelines recommend that saturated fats, found in animal products like butter, egg yolks and salmon, make up no more than 10 percent of daily calories.