March 28, 2024

Good Water/Bad Water, Alzheimer’s Blood Test, More…

Posted on October 2, 2016 by in NewsUCanUse

Babies at mealtime: more than eating

At the dinner table, new research suggests babies do a lot more than play with their sippy cups; they pay close attention to what food is being eaten around them, and especially who is eating it. The study adds evidence to a growing body of research suggesting even very young children think in sophisticated ways about subtle social cues. The authors found 1-year-olds expect people to like the same foods, unless those people belong to different social or cultural groups, such as those that speak a different language. The study underscores just how tightly our food choices are coupled with our social thinking.

“Kids are sensitive to cultural groups early in life,” said the study’s co-author Katherine Kinzler. “When babies see someone eat, they are not just learning about food – they are also learning about who eats what with whom. An ability to think about people as being ‘same versus different’, and perhaps even ‘us versus them,’ starts very early in life.” — Cornell University (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

Dietary benefits of water

For people who want to control their weight or reduce their intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, tap water may be the answer. A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 U.S. adults found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water by 1%  reduced their total daily calorie intake as well as their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol. A paper issued by researchers at the U. of Illinois stated those who increased water consumption by one, two or three cups daily decreased their total energy intake by 68 to 205 calories daily and their sodium intake by 78 to 235 milligrams. — U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics)

Don’t drink the (warm) water, study says

Americans can take a warning from a U. of Florida study of bottled water in China: don’t drink the liquid if you’ve left it somewhere warm for a long time. Plastic water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate. When heated, they release the chemicals antimony and bisphenol A, commonly called BPA.

A research team examined 16 bottled water brands at 158 degrees for four weeks. The study found that as bottles warmed over the four-week period, antimony and BPA levels increased. Some health officials, including those at the Mayo Clinic, say the chemical can cause negative effects on children’s health.

The U. of Florida scientist warned against leaving bottled water in a hot garage for weeks on end or in your car all day during the summer. — U. of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science

COPD patients and physical activity

A study presented at this year’s European Respiratory Society International Congress shows increased physical activity among patients with COPD reduces their risk of anxiety or depression. Low physical activity is a critical feature of COPD, believed to be an important risk factor for other health conditions.

The results suggested higher levels of physical activity were associated with a reduced risk of developing anxiety and depression over a five year period. Researchers did not observe statistically significant associations of physical activity with helping other health conditions. — European Lung Foundations

Downside of working from home

The benefits of working from home disappear over time for employees and organizations if it’s a full-time arrangement. While previous studies have demonstrated home workers are more productive than office-based workers, a new study by the London School of Economics shows that on a long term basis, there are no differences between home and office workers. The reason? Employees no longer see working at home as a discretionary benefit or a ‘privilege’ when it becomes the ‘norm’ in an organization.

”Some of the downsides of home working,” says study author Dr. Esther Canonico, “are an increased sense of professional isolation and a decrease in sharing knowledge with colleagues. It’s not for everyone but it is becoming entrenched into our working culture.” — London School of Economics

Progress with Alzheimer’s blood test

A research team has made a significant step towards the development of a simple blood test to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from Cardiff University, King’s College London and the University of Oxford, studied blood from 292 individuals with the earliest signs of memory impairment and found a set of biomarkers (indicators of disease) that predicted whether or not a given individual would develop Alzheimer’s disease.

These new findings laid the groundwork for a much larger, ongoing study involving several UK universities and pharmaceutical companies seeking to replicate the findings and refine the test. — Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK

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