Children with behaviour difficulties and learning problems behaved better after they were offered healthier school meals and fish oil supplements, a new study has found.

It’s the latest evidence that children’s diet does affect their behaviour. In the new research 28 pupils aged 10 to 16 at the Norfolk County Council special school in Norwich were studied for six months. The pupils were offered healthier meals which contained less sugar and salt and fewer transfats, preservatives and additives and were also encouraged to take supplements containing omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids.

The children’s behaviour improved dramatically compared with the previous six months. (A good liquid children’s fish oil is called OmegaBerry and as the name suggests contains fish oil and berries which gives it a pleasant taste. Many children can’t or won’t take capsules and liquids usually taste so bad children won’t swallow them – for details call 01892 507598.)

It’s long been touted as a slimming tip but never tested until recently: Rhode University Island investigators have finally confirmed that eating slowly really does reduce your intake of food.

In the study 30 women students were given large plates of pasta and asked to eat as much as they wanted. When they were told to eat quickly they consumed 646 calories in nine minutes but when they were asked to take their time and chew each mouthful 15 times they ate only 579 calories in 29 minutes. The women also felt fuller at the end of the slow meal and more satisfied according to the research presented at the North American Association 2006 study of Obesity conference.

Once you start eating it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are full. So if you eat slowly you will end up eating less food because your brain will tell you that you have had enough. If you eat quickly, you can consume a lot more food than you actually need before your brain realises.

Soy can boost bone density in women. New research shows that women aged between 50 and 80 who had a soy drink daily for a year had better bone density in the spine than women who had a different treatment.

The effects were also much greater for women than for men. Among the compounds found in soy are phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) including isoflavones, which have been linked to lowering the risk of heart disease and reducing menopausal hot flushes. The researchers from the University of Washington say that the isoflavones were beneficial for preserving the spine and hips. Low bone density leads to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures. Make sure you get organic soy products otherwise they could be genetically modified.