Food and Nutrition

For quite some time now, we’ve known that scarfing down a diet laden with trans fat was bad. Many studies have shown that a diet high in trans fat is associated with raised cholesterol levels and a raised risk for obesity, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, diabetes, liver dysfunction — and even infertility in women and major depressive disorder.

Now a new study from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that people who load up on trans fat by eating food with these — like potato chips, corn chips and French fries — are more prone to irritability and aggression.

Read moreTrans Fat Linked to Aggression & Irritability

Egg Allergy: Symptoms, First Aid Treatment, & Allergy-Free Eggs. Eggs. They’re cheap, easily available and a good source of protein. They’re also among the most versatile of ingredients, used in a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet. Eggs are also the most widely eaten foods across the world, considered kosher by the Jews and halal by the Muslims — and even lacto-ovo-vegetarians rely on eggs to meet their protein needs.

But eggs are also the cause of the most common food allergy. About 12 million Americans, 1.2 million Canadians, 17 million Europeans and four million Australians have food allergies — and mostly, this is an allergy to eggs or egg whites. Children are the most affected by these allergic reactions.

Read moreEgg Allergy: Symptoms, First Aid Treatment, & Allergy-Free Eggs

Coke and Pepsi Blink, Will Tone Down Dubious Caramel Coloring. It’s practically a modern-day David-and-Goliath story, with a nonprofit watchdog dealing two huge Fortune 500 cola companies a significant blow in a battle for America’s public health.

On one side stands The Coca-Cola Company, ranked by Fortune 500 as the 256th largest company in the world, with almost 140,000 employees and 2010 revenues of US$35 million, joined by PepsiCo, the world’s 137th largest company with 290,000 employees and US$57 million in 2010 earnings. Together they sold 9.4 billion cases of softdrinks in 2009 in the United States alone, cornering 90 percent of the market.

On the other, a 41-year-old nonprofit health watchdog with a little over 50 staff members, a small budget that relies mainly on subscriptions and individual donors, and a lofty mission of representing the citizen’s interests on food, health and environmental issues. Its weapon? The state of California’s Proposition 65, a local law that aims to protect state residents from toxic substances.

Read moreCoke and Pepsi Blink, Will Tone Down Dubious Caramel Coloring

Harvard study suggests nicotine patches, gums don’t work. Do nicotine patches work? If we go by the results of recent findings from the most rigorous long-term study of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products so far, the answer is, no.

The study, which looked at thousands of smokers, including nearly 800 people trying to quit smoking over a period of several years, shows that nicotine gum and patches have no lasting benefit and may even backfire in some cases.

The new study, published Jan. 9 in the journal Tobacco Control, runs counter to previous medical studies that showed the products effectively helped people quit, at least in the short term.

Read moreDo Nicotine Patches Work? Are Nicotine Gums Effective?

Even soda lovers know that drinking too much soda is bad for the health. If you’re in the habit of drinking a lot of soda, you may become overweight and develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems and a host of other ailments.

Now new findings from an Australian study suggest that drinking soda regularly might raise the risk for respiratory problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study was published in the Feb. 7 issue of the journal Respirology.

This seems an odd relationship, since soft drinks aren’t processed by your lungs when you drink them, but rather by your digestive system. But study authors say one reason may be that soda is linked to an increased risk for obesity, which in turn raises risk for asthma and COPD.

Read moreSoft Drinks Increase Risk For Asthma, Respiratory Problems

Do Citicoline drinks and gels sharpen mind, boost energy? In today’s globalized and hypercompetitive world, people need to speed up just to keep pace. This culture of speed is driving the demand for energy drinks and supplements, marketed on claims that drinking them clears your mind and helps you focus.

Last year, Americans spent about US$9 billion on energy drinks, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition. In most of these drinks, caffeine or sugar provides the energy jolt.

Read moreCiticoline Energy Drink: Improves Brain & Heals Stroke?