- The disturbing trend of brides using nasogastric, hypocaloric feeding to lose weight was all over the news this week. Even more disturbing is that this practice is endorsed and provided by a doctor! Experts weigh in – not a good idea.
- Not all ready-to-eat baby food is created equally – many brands are lacking in micronutrients. Another area where improved legislation and monitoring are needed. When in doubt – augment with home-prepared, pureed foods: Baby Bullet! For more information on infant and toddler feeding, visit the Alberta College of Dietitians and American Dietetic Association.
- We’ve said it time and again – adequate sleep is crucial for weight loss and maintenance. New study shows that < 6 hours per night is associated with higher BMI and obesity, possibly via altered secretion of satiety hormones ghrelin and leptin.
- Taking 500 mg of supplemental vitamin C daily may show modest improvements in blood pressure based on review of RCT data. In terms of overall impact on CVD risk, however, researchers warn not to make the leap from correlation to causation. While 500 mg is above the RDA, it is lower than the UL of 2,000 mg per day – we always opt for food first!
- Although done in mice, gut microbiotic transplantation again shows promise in preventing the development diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver. While some are squeamish at the thought of fecal transplantation, success has been reported in inflammatory bowel diseases and C. difficile recovery as well, most recently in a case out of Nova Scotia. Here’s the now-somewhat-outdated Alberta Institute of Health Economics review from 2010 – economically viable and safe alternative for resistant cases. Still waiting on the RCT results…
- Cause of death… Coca Cola? Drinking 8 LITRES of cola per day linked to 30-year old woman’s hypokalemia-induced heart attack and death.
- New research suggests Canada has some of the saltiest fast food available. Obesity Panacea provides a great short summary of the surprising new data.
