Belly fat: Gut bacteria checks could lead to personalized diets

The reason one diet does not suit all may be found in our guts.

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  • New research shows that there's no one diet that works for everyone.
  • Instead, gut bacteria may hold the key to personalized diet plans.
  • A future doctor may check gut bacteria to offer diet advice.
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Surprising Science

Fruit juice may raise cancer risk, study finds. Here's why.

A new study found a positive association between sugary drinks and cancer.

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  • The study monitored the health of more than 100,000 adults over a five-year period.
  • During this time, some 2,200 people developed cancer, the majority of whom regularly consumed sugary drinks.
  • Still, the researchers said the results don't prove that sugar causes cancer.
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Surprising Science

Sitting is the new smoking, but not all types of sitting are made equal

A new study has bad news for those who binge watch TV.

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  • Too much sitting is horrible for you, but not all sitting is the same.
  • A new study finds even short bouts of movement during the day can dramatically reduce your risk of death.
  • While it found light exercise was able to counter some effects of sitting, it found moderate to vigorous workouts did better.
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Surprising Science

High-fat diets can cause depression, study finds

The results show how diets high in saturated fat can cause fatty acids to build up in the hypothalamus, disrupting its normal functioning.

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  • A new study explores the relationship between obesity, fat intake, and depression.
  • The results showed that obesity induced by a high-fat diet, caused depression in mice, but that this was related to changes in the hypothalamus and not the extra weight.
  • The study could pave the way for new depression treatments, which could help the nearly 50 percent of patients who don't respond well to current antidepressants.
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Mind & Brain

A method for keeping holiday weight gain at bay

Turns out a little obsession is a good thing.

  • Daily self-weighing, combined with graphical feedback, keeps the weight off during the holiday season.
  • The study, conducted at the University of Georgia, included 111 volunteers over a six-month period.
  • The control group, which did not conduct daily self-weighing, ended up gaining weight over the course of the study.
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Surprising Science