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.

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Proportion of cancers associated with excess body weight varies considerably by state

A new study finds an at least 1.5-fold difference in the share of cancers related to obesity between states with the highest and lowest proportions.

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Breaking down AGEs: Insight into how lifestyle drives ER-positive breast cancer

Consumption of processed foods high in sugar and fat increase levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Researchers report that AGE levels are higher in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive than ER-negative breast cancer. Addition of AGEs caused breast cancer cells, whose growth had previously been controlled by tamoxifen, to begin to grow again. This suggests that patients with high AGEs may be less likely to respond to tamoxifen treatment.

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How exercise reduces belly fat in humans

Some of you may have made a New Year's resolution to hit the gym to tackle that annoying belly fat. But have you ever wondered how physical activity produces this desired effect? A signaling molecule called interleukin-6 plays a critical role in this process, researchers report.

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How skin ages, loses fat and immunity

Some dermal fibroblasts can convert into fat cells that reside under the dermis, giving skin a youthful look and producing peptides that fight infections. Researchers show how this happens and what causes it to stop as people age.

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Massage May Provide Short-Term Improvement of Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms

NCCIH-funded research suggests weekly massage therapy may reduce joint pain and improve function in people with knee osteoarthritis.

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Statins are more effective for those who follow the Mediterranean diet

For those who have already had a heart attack or a stroke, the combination of statins and Mediterranean Diet appears to be the most effective choice to reduce the risk of mortality, especially from cardiovascular causes.

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HEAL Initiative Offers New Funding Options for Clinical Trial Research on Pain

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Impact of diet intervention on autoimmunity in mice

Could a change in diet be beneficial to people with autoimmune diseases such as lupus? Researchers have revealed how a dietary intervention can help prevent the development of this autoimmune disease in susceptible mice.

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Twofold overweight risk for five-year-olds given milk cereal drinks in infancy

In five-year-old children, the risk for overweight is almost twice as high if they at 12 months had consumed milk cereal drinks every day, a study in the journal Acta Paediatrica shows.

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Nutrients in blood linked to better brain connectivity, cognition in older adults

A new study links higher levels of several key nutrients in the blood with more efficient brain connectivity and performance on cognitive tests in older adults.

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High sodium intake may contribute to increased heart-disease deaths in China

Nearly a fifth of cardiovascular disease deaths among adults in a northern province of China in 2011 may be attributed to the blood pressure-raising effect of high-sodium diets. An initiative to reduce dietary sodium intake in the region suggested thousands of deaths may be averted with reduced sodium intake.

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Birthweight and early pregnancy body mass index may risk pregnancy complications

Women who were born with a low birthweight are at increased risk of pregnancy complications, according to a new study.

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Food insecurity linked with binge-eating disorder and obesity

Food insecurity -- difficulty affording enough food to support regular, balanced meals -- was associated with increased likelihoods of binge-eating disorder and obesity in a recent study.

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New NIH BACPAC Funding Opportunities for Research on Low-Back Pain

In this blog post, NCCIH director Dr. Helene Langevin discusses funding opportunities offered by the NIH’s Back Pain Research Consortium (NIH BACPAC), part of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative.

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Removing sweets from checkouts linked to dramatic fall in unhealthy snack purchases

Policies aimed at removing sweets and chips from checkouts could lead to a dramatic reduction to the amount of unhealthy food purchased to eat 'on the go' and a significant reduction in that purchased to take home, suggests new research.

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MRI effective for monitoring liver fat in obese patients

MRI provides a safe, noninvasive way to monitor liver fat levels in people who undergo weight loss treatments for obesity, according to a new study.

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Tiny implantable device short-circuits hunger pangs, aids weight loss

New battery-free, easily implantable weight-loss devices developed by engineers could offer a promising new weapon for battling the bulge.

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Changes in agriculture could cut sector non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50 percent

The agricultural sector is the world's largest source of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, and research has found that changing agricultural practices and a shift in diet away from meat and dairy products could reduce the sector's emissions by up to 50 percent by 2050 compared to a situation without mitigation efforts.

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Species at the extremes of the food chain evolve faster, study says

Reef fish species at the extremes of the food chain -- those that are strict herbivores or strict fish predators -- evolve faster than fish species in the middle of the food chain with a more varied diet, according to a new study.

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New RNA sequencing strategy provides insight into microbiomes

Scientists have demonstrated the application of high-throughput transfer RNA sequencing to gut microbiome samples from mice that were fed either a low-fat or high-fat diet.

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To Eat or Not to Eat: Decorative Products on Foods Can Be Unsafe

FDA knows that some non-edible decorative glitters and dusts are promoted for use on foods. But consumers need to be aware that these materials, in fact, may contain materials that should not be eaten. Here’s how to tell if such materials are edible or not.

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CRISPR joins battle of the bulge, fights obesity without edits to genome

A weighty new study shows that CRISPR therapies can cut fat without cutting DNA. Researchers describe how a modified version of CRISPR was used to ramp up the activity of certain genes and prevent severe obesity in mice with genetic mutations that predispose them to extreme weight gain. Importantly, the researchers achieved long-lasting weight control without making a single edit to the genome.

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Large restaurant portions a global problem, study finds

A multi-country study finds that large portion sizes in fast food and full service restaurants is not a problem unique to the US. The researchers found that 94 percent of full service meals and 72 percent of fast food meals studied in five countries contained 600 calories or more.

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Excess body weight responsible for nearly 4 percent of cancers worldwide

Excess body weight accounted for approximately 3.9 percent of all cancers worldwide in 2012, a figure that is expected to rise in the coming decades given current trends.

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Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?

In what foods is caffeine found? Can caffeine pose a danger to your health? This Consumer Update answers these and other key questions about caffeine.

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Your weight history may predict your heart failure risk

In a medical records analysis of information gathered on more than 6,000 people, researchers conclude that simply asking older adult patients about their weight history at ages 20 and 40 could provide real value to clinicians in their efforts to predict patients' future risk of heart failure, heart attacks or strokes.

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Fighting obesity: Could it be as plain as dirt?

It costs the global economy an estimated US $2 trillion annually and has been dubbed a modern day health epidemic, but new research has unearthed a possible cure for obesity -- and it is as plain as dirt!

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New review of scientific studies confirms food cravings can be reduced

Food craving, the intense desire to eat certain foods, can sabotage efforts to maintain healthy eating habits and body weight, no matter the time of year. However, an examination of 28 current peer-reviewed scientific studies largely substantiates findings that changes in diet, prescription medications, physical activity and bariatric surgery reduce craving.

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BMI is a good measure of health after all, new study finds

A new study supports body mass index as a useful tool for assessing obesity and health.

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A correlation between obesity and income has only developed in the past 30 years

It is well known that poorer Americans are more likely to be obese or suffer from diabetes; there is a strong negative correlation between household income and both obesity and diabetes. This negative correlation, however, has only developed in the past 30 years, according to researchers. Since 1990, the rise of obesity and diabetes was fastest among the poorest US regions.

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Study links frequent red meat consumption to high levels of chemical associated with heart disease

Researchers have identified another reason to limit red meat consumption: high levels of a gut-generated chemical called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), that also is linked to heart disease. Scientists found that people who eat a diet rich in red meat have triple the TMAO levels of those who eat a diet rich in either white meat or mostly plant-based proteins, but discontinuation of red meat eventually lowers those TMAO levels.

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New evidence that females might benefit most from a low-salt diet

A low-salt diet may be more beneficial in lowering blood pressure in females than males, report scientists who found that while actual salt retention isn't higher in females, there is still an effect that drives pressure up.

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All-Hands-on-Deck: NCCIH Needs You To Respond to the NIH HEAL Initiative

In this blog post, NCCIH director Dr. Helene Langevin and deputy director Dr. David Shurtleff discuss the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Initiative and NCCIH’s participation in the project.

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Reducing variations in feeding practices and fortifying breast milk helps micro-preemies grow

Standardizing feeding practices, including the timing for fortifying breast milk and formula with essential elements like zinc and protein, improves growth trends for the tiniest preterm infants, according to new research.

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Obesity, risk of cognitive dysfunction? Consider high-intensity interval exercise

Researchers have discovered what might be an effective strategy to prevent and combat cognitive dysfunction in obese individuals. They are the first to examine the modulatory role of an exercise-induced protein in the brain that promotes neuron survival and used high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) in obese and normal-weight subjects. Obesity reduces the expression of this protein and lower levels are associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and obesity. HIIE upregulated this protein in the obese subjects compared to normal-weight subjects.

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Diabetes remission predictors in bariatric surgery

Researchers have improved a standard bariatric surgery clinical scoring system (DiaRem) to extend the prediction time for diabetic remission following bariatric (weight-loss) surgery.

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How vial sizes can be optimized to reduce pharmaceutical wastage

A new study shows how drug manufacturers can reduce wastage, and therefore their costs, by altering the size of the vials they produce.

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Obesity intervention needed before pregnancy

New research supports the need for dietary and lifestyle interventions before overweight and obese women become pregnant.

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What's behind Mediterranean diet and lower cardiovascular risk?

A new study offers insights from a cohort study of women in the U.S. who reported consuming a Mediterranean-type diet.

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DDT in Alaska meltwater poses cancer risk for people who eat lots of fish

Children in Alaska whose diet includes a lot of fish from rivers fed by the Eastern Alaska Mountain Range may have a long-term elevated risk for cancer because of insecticides -- including DDT -- in the meltwater.

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Hazelnuts improve older adults' micronutrient levels, study shows

Older adults who added hazelnuts to their diet for a few months significantly improved their levels of two key micronutrients.

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Blood vessel growth key to healthy fat tissue, research shows

New research shows that inhibiting a protein within blood vessels stimulates new blood vessel growth, resulting in healthier fat tissue (adipose) and lower blood sugar levels. The findings provide key insight into how improving blood vessel growth could help to mitigate serious health problems that arise with obesity, such as diabetes.

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Gut microbiome differs among ethnicities

Changing the gut microbiome to beat illness really does hold great potential, said a biologist, but first scientists must answer what constitutes a healthy gut microbiome and in whom.

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Older women who suffer tooth loss more likely to develop high blood pressure

A study indicates that postmenopausal women who experience tooth loss are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure.

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The Importance of Epidemiology to NCCIH

In this blog post, Dr. Richard Nahin, lead epidemiologist at NCCIH, discusses the importance of studying trends in populations and how that relates to complementary and integrative practices, as well as the study of chronic pain.

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Gene that lets you eat as much as you want holds promise against obesity

It sounds too good to be true, but a novel approach that might allow you to eat as much as you want without gaining weight could be a reality in the near future. When a single gene known as RCAN1 was removed in mice and they were fed a high fat diet, they failed to gain weight, even after gorging on high fat foods for prolonged periods.

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High childhood BMI linked to obesity at age 24 in women

Girls who gain weight more rapidly between the ages of 5 and 15 are more likely to be obese at age 24, according to researchers.

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Alcohol intake may be key to long-term weight loss for people with Diabetes

A new study suggests that alcohol consumption may attenuate long-term weight loss in adults with Type 2 diabetes.

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Study takes stand on true health benefits of getting up out of your chair

A new health study provides fresh insights on the energy cost of sitting versus standing for sedentary workers.

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A Mediterranean diet in pregnancy is associated with lower risk of accelerated growth

Over 2,700 women and their children participated in this study that highlights the benefits of a healthy diet.

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