Physiology

A meta-analysis conducted by Kwak and the Korean Meta-analysis Study Group concluded in 2012  that omega-3 supplements (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid ) do not prevent cardiovascular disease. [1]

According to an article in Kuwait Times May 2012, obesity level of people living in Kuwait has reached 42 percent,  65 percent do not practice any form of physical activity and 53 percent of young people spend over three hours in front of the television. [1]

Healthcare professionals warn of diseases that accompany obesity such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. They recommend daily exercise, reduction of calories consumption and  renouncing to unhealthy fast food.

Freedman et al. 2012 report that coffee consumption of 2 to 3 cups of coffee daily reduce mortality by 10% in men and by 13% in women. This was valid for deaths due to heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections, but not for deaths due to cancer. [1]

Feeding experiments demonstrated that high breakfast energy leads to greater overall intake. Instead of comparing people which eat much with people which eat less for breakfast, the study of Schusdziarra  an colleagues focused on individuals. [1]

A study of Mansour et al.2012 suggest the use of ginger in weight control. The authors  demonstrated that 2g ginger powder (Zingiber officinale) dissolved in a hot water beverage enhances thermogenesis and reduces feelings of hunger in overweight men. [1]

Ariel et al. 2012 found that iron Fe2+ absorption was not reduced by green tea, compared to a group with a diet without tea. The authors, however, noted that  the expression of salivary proteins decreased.  [1]

He, Paule and Ferguson 2012 studied the effects of pre- and post-natal treatment with low bisphenol A (BPA) doses on rats. Their data indicate that BPA can have sex-specific effects on the increase of the volume of sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) in males. This effect, however, was not found in females. 

Dunford et al 2012 verified the salt levels in fast food of some international fast food chains, such as Burger King, Domino's Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Subway in Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States during April 2010. [1]

The authors deplore substantial variation in the salt content of different food products, ranging from 0.5 g salt/100 g for salads to 1.6 g salt/100 g for chicken products.

According to a series of articles by Parkin et al 2011 published as a supplement of the British Journal of cancer, one third of all cancers are caused by tobacco, unhealthy diet, alcohol, and obesity. About 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change say the authors. [1]

In a foreword Professor Sir Richard Peto writes that tobacco still remains the most important avoidable cause of cancer, responsible for almost 20% of all cases of cancer

A report published by the CDC on April 2012 is based on 58 biochemical indicators of diet and nutrition measured by the CDC, together with NHANES data collected from 1999 until 2006. The concentration of vitamins, fatty acids, trace elements, metabolites, isoflavones, lignans, and acrylamide hemoglobin adducts were measured in blood or urine of demographic subgroups. [1]