A recent study by British scientists from the University of Birmingham on the impact of memory of food on snacking has suggested that if you are feeling hungry but want to lose weight remembering your last meal can suppress your appetite and reduce your desire to snack on junk food. The researchers also showed that concentrating on your food when you eat – rather than grabbing a snack on the go or eating while you watch television – makes you less likely to get hungry later on.

These findings suggest that women who want or need to lose weight can teach themselves to be less hungry and that complementary therapies such as hypnotherapy could help.

Researchers at Aberdeen University believe they may have found a major breakthrough in the battle against Alzheimer’s. They believe the disease can be fought with omega 3 oils, which can be found in seeds, nuts and oily fish, like salmon and mackerel. The researchers found that older people whose diets were high in omega 3 oils did far better in mental tests than those without the oils in their diet.

The Aberdeen research adds weight to previous research earlier this year from the US which discovered that an increased intake of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may boost the production of a protein known to destroy the plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Cells from mice, rats, and humans were used by the researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to show that the DHA-induced production of the protein LR11 may cut the build-up of plaque from beta-amyloid deposits, which have been found to result in brain cell damage and the onset of Alzheimer’s.  (I use a fish oil supplement in the clinic (Omega 3 Plus) which has a high content of DHA (over 500mg of DHA in just two capsules) and also contains over 700mg of EPA in two capsules – see the Resources Page).

Research from the University of Helsinki has suggested that taking probiotic supplements during pregnancy may reduce the risk of babies suffering from childhood allergies. Probiotics which can be found in live, natural yogurts are living organisms designed to restore a healthy balance in the gut and prevent stomach upsets. Some experts believe they may also stimulate the growth of the immune system and play a part in preventing asthma, allergies and eczema.  (see BioKult on the Resources Page).