Nutrition

​Also known as the "caveman diet," the increasingly-popular paleo diet is claimed to be good for weight loss, gut health, blood pressure control, and other factors. According to new research, however, it may also boost the risk of heart disease.

A massive umbrella study, encompassing 277 clinical trials, into the effects of nutritional supplements and dietary interventions has concluded almost all vitamin and mineral supplements play no role in protecting from cardiovascular disease, or extending one’s lifespan.

Low birth weight is one of the leading causes of infant mortality, and it's more common in impoverished regions where pregnant women may not receive enough nutrition. A recent study, however, suggests that an inexpensive dietary supplement could be used to address the problem.

According to the ASA​, it's an unfortunate fact that many people in developing nations don't get enough protein in their diets. What they often do get a lot of, however, is rice. So, scientists have improved upon a type of rice that has over 50 percent more protein than regular varieties.

Newsflash - eating vegetables is good for you! OK, so this may not exactly be new information, but a new study has revealed for the first time one of the key biological mechanisms at play explaining how chemicals produced by some vegetables can prevent cancer and colon inflammation.

The results of a small study from a team of Spanish researchers is suggesting that adding a moderate volume of nuts to a diet could improve both sperm count and motility. The study follows on from a growing body of research finding male fertility rates are dropping in Western countries.

Getting your daily dose of vegetables can be tricky. But now it may be a bit easier to hide broccoli in other foods, as Australian scientists have developed a nutritious broccoli powder that can be sprinkled through meals or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, used to make a broccoli latte.

​In many developing nations, vitamin A deficiencies are common … as are potatoes, which typically constitute much of the local diet. That's why scientists have developed a "golden potato." It's rich in provitamin A (which the body converts into vitamin A), along with vitamin E to boot.

Mushrooms can fuel batteries, inspire tiny homes, be grown in diapers and even create building "sausages," which just might help construct the homes of tomorrow. Now they can also help with weight loss, according to a new study published in the journal Appetite.

A plate of broccoli has nothing on a bowl of pasta. But before you brush them aside, science has found yet another reason why consuming vegetables is good for us. The information is compelling enough that some people might want to add more green to their plates to help protect their guts.

The East African Highland cooking banana is the major staple food in Uganda, but it has little in the way of micronutrients such as pro-vitamin A. Prof. James Dale decided to do something about it, and over the past decade has created a vitamin A-rich "golden banana."

Plain white rice is pretty nutritionally empty, so if you want something a little healthier, stick to black or red rice. But there soon may be another option after Chinese scientists genetically engineered purple rice that is rich in antioxidants and may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.