Science Weekly - 07012019

​Interesting mixture of papers are discussed in the first edition of Science Weekly in 2019.

• Apparently when seeing nutritional info of any food, our control centre n the brain activates more than when we don't.
• Dry January may not be a bad idea
• Higher dose of C-vitamin intake can help people with metabolic syndrome
• Elderly who have hearing loss are at higher risk of becoming depressed
• What causes celiac disease?
• What can we learn from fruit flies about metabolism evolution?

Hold the fries! How calorie content makes you rethink food choices

Seeing pictures of food with calorie information not only makes food less appetizing but it also appears to change the way your brain responds to the food, according to a new study. When food images appeared with the calorie content, the brain showed decreased activation of the reward system and increased activation in the control system. In other words, foods that you might otherwise be inclined to eat became less desirable once the calorie content was displayed.

Resource: Dartmouth College

How 'Dry January' is the secret to better sleep, saving money and losing weight

New research shows that taking part in Dry January sees people regaining control of their drinking, having more energy, better skin and losing weight. They also report drinking less months later.

Resource: University of Sussex

Metabolic syndrome patients need more vitamin C to break cycle of antioxidant depletion

A higher intake of vitamin C is crucial for metabolic syndrome patients trying to halt a potentially deadly cycle of antioxidant disruption and health-related problems, a researcher says.

Resource: Oregon State University

To head off late-life depression, check your hearing

A new study of elderly Hispanics found that hearing loss increased the risk of depression symptoms.

Resource: Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Egg metabolites in blood related to lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Consumption of one egg every day seems to associate with a blood metabolite profile that is related to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study shows.

Resource: University of Eastern Finland (In English)

Could this widely used food additive cause celiac disease?

A bacterial enzyme that is used to improve food texture and shelf-life has been linked in several studies to celiac disease -- but it is unlabeled and hidden from public knowledge.

Resource: Frontiers

Fruit flies help to shed light on the evolution of metabolism

Researchers have discovered that the ability to use sugar as food varies strongly between closely related fruit fly species. They have also identified the genetic basis of this variation. In the future, it will be interesting to explore whether human populations with different dietary histories may respond differently to modern diets rich in sugars.

Resource: University of Helsinki

One in 10 adults in US has food allergy, but nearly 1 in 5 think they do

Over 10 percent of adults in the US -- over 26 million -- are estimated to have food allergy. Nearly half of adults with food allergy developed an allergy during adulthood.

​Resource: ​Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago