Monthly Archives: August 2013

More on the Benefits of Fibre: Pectin

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Plants contain a variety of carbohydrates, some of which contain glycosidic bonds that are not able to be digested by humans. Such carbohydrates are classified as dietary fibre, and were once thought to be nutritionally significant only because they provided … Continue reading →

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Phytochemicals: Multicoloured Food

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Fruits and vegetables are thought to provide health benefits because of the plant chemicals they contain. Some plant chemicals are bioactive in humans and are of interest because they have been shown to reduce the risk of a number of … Continue reading →

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I Fish to Be Thin

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Robert Barrington

s more is understood about obesity, it is becoming clear that the disease is far more complex than a simple positive energy balance. Complex behavioural, social and environmental factors interact with poor quality nutrition to cause a perfect storm of … Continue reading →

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Docosahexanoic Acid and Eicosapentanoic Acid: Conditionally Essential Nutrients

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Essential nutrients are defined in nutrition as those required by the body, but which cannot be synthesised endogenously. There is therefore a requirement to obtain such nutrients from food. The essential nutrients include the vitamins and minerals, as well as … Continue reading →

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Why Do Low Fat Foods Taste Good?

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Robert Barrington

ow fat foods have become popular in recent decades because of the erroneous believe that dietary fat causes obesity and leads to cardiovascular disease. However, dietary fat is appealing to human tastes and also provides texture to certain foods. Removing … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Aspartame, Cardiovascular Disease, Fructose, Insulin Resistance, Leptin, Metabolic Syndrome, Sucralose, Sucrose, Xylitol | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Why Do Low Fat Foods Taste Good?

Calcium: Increases Fat Excretion

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Robert Barrington

pidemiological evidence suggests that calcium intake is inversely associated with weight gain. A number of mechanisms have been proposed for this observation, although the complete picture is still unclear. Some evidence suggests that a low calcium intake may cause the … Continue reading →

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Obesity and Hypertension: Fructose Again?

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Robert Barrington

eing overweight may significantly increase the risk of a number of diseases. In particular, individuals with a body mass index of over ~27 kg/m2 are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The exact relationship between cardiovascular disease and obesity … Continue reading →

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Whey Protein Suppresses Hunger?

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Robert Barrington

vidence suggests that high protein diets are beneficial for weight loss. A number of intervention studies have assessed different types of high protein diets and generally the result show that they cause weight loss when compared to high carbohydrate alternatives. … Continue reading →

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Alpha Linolenic Acid: Inferior to Fish Oil?

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Alpha linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 (n-3)) is an essential fatty acid. Therefore alpha linolenic acid is required for heath but cannot be synthesised endogenously, and so must be present in the diet. Most humans possess a deficiency of the gene … Continue reading →

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Weight Loss: The Activity Fallacy

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Robert Barrington

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition1 investigated the effects of video games on energy balance in 120 young adults. The aim of the experiment was to discover if motion-controlled video games increase energy expenditure and … Continue reading →

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