Yo-Yo Dieting Triggers Weight Gain
Yo-yo dieting triggers a caveman response to famine that leads to inevitable weight gain, research suggests. A survival mechanism hardwired by evolution causes the brain to interpret repeated diets as periods of food scarcity. Between diets, its sends out signals telling the body to store more fat in case of future shortages. The study, published in the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, is based on observations of nature. Garden birds, such as robins, follow the same weight-gaining strategy in times of plenty. That is why they appear plumper in winter, when seeds and insects are harder to find. The scientists constructed a mathematical model to investigate the phenomenon in a simulated animal that does not know when to expect its next meal. It showed that during times of scarcity, an animal that grabs the opportunity to put on weight has the best chance of passing on its genes, said lead researcher Dr Andrew Higginson, from the University of Exeter.
Polymer patch can repair heart damage
A new flexible polymer patch can improve the conduction of electrical impulses across damaged heart tissue without the need for stitches, scientists say. The patch, which has been shown to work in animal models, is long lasting and has the significant advantage that it can be stuck onto the heart without the need for stitches. “Heart attacks create a scar which slows and disrupts the conduction of electrical impulses across the heart,” said Professor Sian Harding from Imperial College london. “This leads to potentially fatal disturbances of the heart rhythm. Our electrically conducting polymer patch is designed to address this serious problem,” said Harding.
A few nuts a day can keep doc away
A handful of nuts a day can keep the doctor away, research has shown. People consuming at least 20 grams of nuts daily were less likely to develop potentially fatal conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, the study found. Nuts reduce the risk of heart disease by nearly 30 per cent, the risk of cancer by 15 per cent, and the risk of premature death by 22 per cent. The same amount of nuts — equivalent to a handful — was also associated with a halving of the risk of dying from a respiratory disease. Diabetes risk was cut by nearly 40 per cent. Study co-author Dagfinn Aune, from Imperial College london, said: “Much of the research has been on the big killers, such as heart diseases, stroke and cancer, but we found a consistent reduction in risk across many diseases, which is a strong indication that there is a real underlying relationship between nut consumption and different health outcomes.”