Mahafreen H. Mistry/NPR
Popular advice suggests a low-carb diet is necessary to trigger the body to shed fat. But a small, rigorous study published in the journal Cell Metabolism finds low-fat diets also spark body-fat loss. The key: Choose a diet you’ll stick to.
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Image source: New York Times
The Paleo diet is based on the belief that we should eat foods that our ancestors ate. Typically this means that Paleo diet followers stick to diet high in meats and vegetables, and steer clear of carbohydrates. Newly published research is arguing this notion, and hypothesizes that the human brain needed glucose provided by carbohydrates to evolve.
Read more about the interconnection of glucose metabolism and human evolution at The New York Times.
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The path from scientific discovery to media sound bite can be perilous, says commentator Tania Lombrozo, and it should be traversed with care. Take for example how the media is covering a recent paper published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease about the risks and benefits of coffee consumption.
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A daily habit of sugary-sweetened drinks can boost your risk of developing the disease — even if you’re not overweight. And diet soda might not be doing you any favors, either.
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In a recent article written for Tufts Now several scientists describe a set of useful guidelines to follow when attempting to understand the validity of a diet trend. The faculty members of the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University explain that many dietary claims or fads surface because the message “eat more fruits and vegetables” is boring, and people crave exciting, breakthrough advice. The guidelines for debunking false information are called “10 Red Flags of Junk Science”, and have been developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American College of Nutrition and the American Society for Nutrition. To read through a description of each guideline check out the Tufts Now article.