News & Events
Weekend binge just as bad for the gut as regular junk food diet, study suggests
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Yo-yoing between eating well during the week and bingeing on junk food over the weekend is likely to be just as bad for your gut health as a consistent diet of rubbish, new UNSW research suggests.
The study, led by Professor Margaret Morris, the Head of Pharmacology at UNSW, examined the impact of yo-yo dieting on the gut microbiota of rats. The findings have been published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.
Full Details Research raises concerns over long-term use of chromium diet pills
Monday, 11 January 2016
Concerns have been raised over the long-term use of nutritional supplements containing chromium, after an Australian research team found the mineral is partially converted into a carcinogenic form when it enters human cells.
Controversy remains over whether the dietary form of chromium is essential, with an increasing body of evidence indicating it is not safe.
Full Details Measuring up: this year, aim for fitness over fat loss for long-term success
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
OPINION: Getting fit and losing weight are consistently among the top New Year’s resolutions, and January is the boom period for the billion-dollar gym industry. While any attempt to incorporate more exercise into our lives should be welcomed, it’s time to rethink the reasons for joining the gym. And, in particular, the way we measure success when it comes to exercise.
Full Details The virus most pregnant women haven't heard of, but need to know about
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
OPINION: Stressed and tired, a pregnant mother forgets to wash her hands after blowing her two-year old daughter's nose. The daughter’s nasal mucus contains a virus which has now infected the mother and could travel across her placenta to her unborn baby. Without knowing, the mother has just unintentionally put her baby at risk of cytomegalovirus.
Full Details Cooking the books: when that sensational new research finding isn’t all it seems
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
OPINION: Few media reports in the health sphere generate as much attention as those with screaming headlines about a new link between food and cancer.
Full Details Don't panic, there's no need to ban bacon or BBQs (but you should eat less)
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
OPINION: It seems almost inevitable that every release of a major health report from an expert body unleashes a torrent of comment from those who think they know better than qualified scientists.
This week, that expert body is the World Health Organisation. Their latest report from 22 independent cancer experts from 10 countries evaluated more than 800 studies on red meat, processed meats and cancer.
Full Details Expert is as expert does: in defence of US dietary guidelines
Friday, 25 September 2015
OPINION: National dietary guidelines have become an easy target for those looking for a scapegoat for bad diets in prosperous countries. And an article just published in the BMJ about the scientific evidence for the US dietary guidelines provides further needless fuel for the fire.
Full Details UNSW research recognised among the country's best
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
UNSW research projects, exploring non-Alzheimer dementias, the immune system’s response to infection and cancer screening programs, have been recognised among the best in the country by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The three projects are among 20 that will be recognised at an awards ceremony tonight in Canberra for the NHMRC 2014 Research Excellence Awards and 2015 Biennial Awards.
Full Details Wow, this is sweet! Talk on sugar alternatives takes out 3MT competition
Thursday, 24 September 2015
A talk about artificial sweeteners' effects on molecular health has taken top honours at the UNSW three-minute thesis finals in a field of winners dominated by medical science.
First-year PhD candidate Susan Ireland from UNSW Medicine wowed the judges with her engaging and entertaining talk on sugar alternatives and their interactions with receptors in the body which she likened to a ‘a toddler who wants more cake’.
Full Details UNSW researchers outsmarting cancer with revolutionary new treatment
Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Patients with hard-to-treat tumours could know within six months whether a cancer drug developed by UNSW researchers is more effective than traditional chemotherapy and will allow them to live a relatively normal life during treatment.
The drug is part of a study, led by UNSW Professor Philip Hogg, which is investigating new ways of treating solid cancer tumours, including brain and pancreas tumours.
Full Details