New monkey study suggests caloric restriction does promote longevity

The latest findings from a 25-year study published in Nature Communications suggest that monkeys on a caloric-restricted diet live longer and have reduced age-related diseases than peers who are allowed to eat what they want.

Pre-cancerous breast cancer cells treated with a vitamin A derivative revert into non-cancerous cells

A derivative of vitamin A, known as retinoic acid, found abundantly in sweet potato and carrots, helps turn pre-cancer cells back to normal healthy breast cells, according to research published this month in the International Journal of Oncology.

Healthy fast food advertising for kids goes unnoticed, study shows

In 2009, fast food restaurants agreed to include healthy foods in advertising targeted at children in order to combat the obesity epidemic in the US.

Vitamin D: ‘no clear evidence of health benefits,’ say researchers

The role of vitamin D on health is a cloudy subject. Although many studies have hailed the vitamin for its beneficial effects on medical conditions, such as autoimmune disorders, heart disease and even cancer, other research has suggested otherwise. Now, two new studies published in the BMJ indicate there is no clear evidence that vitamin D is beneficial for certain health problems.

Probiotics do not help infants with colic

Giving probiotics to infants with colic does not appear to have any benefit, according to a large trial published on bmj.com.These findings differ from previous smaller trials and do not support a general recommendation for the use of probiotics to treat colic in infants.

Scientists offer ‘best practices’ nutrition measurement for researchers

At first glance, measuring what the common fruit fly eats might seem like a trivial matter, but it is absolutely critical when it comes to conducting studies of aging, health, metabolism and disease.

‘Carb breakdown’ gene linked to obesity

Researchers at King’s College London and Imperial College London have discovered that people with fewer copies of a gene coding for a carb-digesting enzyme may be at higher risk of obesity.

Meat and dairy consumption may need to be reduced in order to meet climate targets

Greenhouse gas emissions from food production may threaten the UN climate target of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, according to research at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.On Monday 31 March the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented their report on the impacts of climate change.