How fruit juices are making us fat
Consuming a sugar-sweetened drink like fruit juices with a high-protein meal including lean meat, chicken, fish and dairy products may negatively affect energy balance, alter food preferences and cause the body to store more fat, according to a study. The findings showed that the inclusion of a sugar-sweetened drink decreased fat oxidation, which kickstarts the breakdown of fat molecules, after a meal by eight per cent. The combination will also increase the desire to eat more unhealthy junk food for hours after finishing breakfast. “We were surprised by the impact that the sugar-sweetened drinks had on metabolism when they were paired with higher-protein meals. This combination also increased study subjects’ desire to eat savoury and salty foods for four hours after eating,” said lead author Shanon Casperson, from USDA-Agricultural Research Service Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Centre in the US.
Depression May Alter Brain Structure
A person suffering from depression may be at an increased risk of developing changes in the structure of the brain associated with communication and thinking skills, researchers say. The findings showed that alterations were found in parts of the brain known as white matter, which contains fibre tracts that enable brain cells to communicate with one another by electrical signals. White matter is a key component of the brain’s wiring and its disruption has been linked to problems with emotion processing and thinking skills, the researchers said. Further, people with symptoms indicative of depression also had reductions in white matter integrity — a quality of the matter, which was not seen in people who were unaffected.
The dangers of rush Hour Pollution
A new study has found the levels of some harmful pollution inside car cabins were twice the amount previously thought. The study, published in Atmospheric Environment, was the first to assess in-car measurements of exposure to pollutants that cause oxidative stress during rush-hour commutes. Traffic pollution sensors are typically placed on the ground along the roadside to take continuous air samples over a 24-hour period. Knowing that exhaust composition changes rapidly enough for drivers to experience varying conditions inside their vehicles compared to road-side sensors, researchers used sampling devices strapped into the passenger seats of cars during morning rush-hour commute times in downtown Atlanta. The devices picked up twice as many chemicals that cause oxidative stress and can lead to respiratory and heart disease, cancer and some neurodegenerative diseases.