Welcome to another FAB Research update.
In case you missed it
PRESS RELEASE: Early Years Nutrition in Crisis: Special Report of the UK Cross-Party Parliamentary Group for a Fit and Healthy Childhood
This important new report marks a tangible step towards improving early yearsâ nutrition in the UK by providing clear, evidence-based recommendations for policymakers at all levels.
FAB Research was proud to contribute to this report, and very pleased that the published version includes some of the evidence-based insights and recommendations we offered â which focused on prenatal nutrition (a critical time window for brain development), and the highest-level evidence that
- increasing omega-3 intakes in pregnancy can reduce preterm birth (a major risk factor for poorer long-term mental as well as physical health outcomes) â and yet NHS and NICE guidelines for pregnancy are still ignoring this huge opportunity to give the UKâs children a better start in life.
Find links to the full report â with FAB comments, and FREE articles and handouts on nutrition in early life here. PLEASE SHARE.
Poorer Mental Wellbeing in UK students linked with lower Fish and Omega-3 intakes â New FAB Study Findings
New research from FAB Speakers Hazel De Maeijer, Dr Chloe Casey and Dr Alex Richardson were presented at the recent bi-Annual Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL).
Findings showed:
- poorer mental wellbeing was linked with lower fish and seafood intake in UK higher education students â and whatâs more
- 3 in every 4 didnât even meet recommended dietary intakes, and few took omega-3 supplements.
Read the full press release with FAB comments and links - and download the research poster:
UK Educational Psychologists or Trainees Wanted â Please can you help?
One of our FAB Volunteers - based at the University of Bristol - is inviting UK-based Educational Psychologists (either fully qualified, or 2nd-3rd year trainees) to take part in a short (15-min) online survey - exploring practice and views around nutrition and its impact on childrenâs learning and wellbeing.
- Please follow this link to take part in the 15 minute survey for EPs:
And PLEASE SHARE with any Educational Psychologists you know - or other networks that might be able to further circulate this research.
Thank you in advance for your support of this unique and important research.
If you have any specific questions on this particular project, please email [email protected]
And if youâd be interested in joining FAB yourself as a volunteer, and/or helping us recruit for other upcoming studies, please see:
Other News Updates
Here is just a selection from the many items recently added to FABâs Website News with comments and links to related research.
For more, please bookmark this News page â and follow us on Social Media
Nutrition & Neurodevelopment
A closer look at the role of nutrition in children and adults with ADHD and neurodivergence
FAB Speakers Dr Rachel Gow and Dr Simon Dyall are both authors of this new research - summarising insights into the links between nutrition and ADHD symptoms from data collected by Dr Gow in her tireless work helping children and families living with ADHD.
Outdated Fish Consumption Advice May Be Harming Childrenâs Brain Development
Leading international experts â including several FAB speakers among them â have called for an urgent update of official guidelines on fish and seafood in pregnancy.
Their new study finds (yet again) that children whose mothers eat more fish and seafood during pregnancy show better brain development - and crucially, no evidence of harm.
Preterm infants supported with a multicomponent intravenous lipid emulsion saw improved brain development compared to those given a single-fat source, new study finds
This study investigated the effects of newer multicomponent lipid emulsions, with fat sources derived from soybeans, olives, coconuts, and fish oil,
Public Health Policy, Nutrition Education and Food Systems
Mental Health Care Needs Urgent Reform to Include Lifestyle Interventions, Claims Report
Mental health services must urgently increase investment in diet and lifestyle interventions to improve care and help close the 15-year life expectancy gap faced by people with mental illness, a major Lancet Psychiatry Commission report has warned.
The first author is a leading dietitian with the International Society for Nutrition in Psychiatry Research in Australia â and (along with Dr Alex Richardson of FAB) - is also one of the mentors for the NIHR award to expert NHS nutritionist Dr Kevin Williamson here in the UK that includes his placement with FAB Research.
And if you work for the NHS â or any UK university â and havenât yet signed up:
- Please register for FREE ACCESS TO SELECT FAB WEBINARS AND UPDATES on our ongoing FAB-NHS Collaborations:
Ultra-Processed Foods No Longer âSafeâ for Americans? Could FDA Petition Redefine the Future of Americaâs Food System?
This news is a potential âgame-changerâ for food and public health policy in the US â and other countries, should they choose to follow suit.....
Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler MD (who knows a lot about both food policy and the law) has laid out the compelling scientific evidence for the biological harms of processed refined carbohydrates in a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration - spelling out how the current GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) specification for these ultra-processed food ingredients and additives is based on outdated science â and should therefore be withdrawn.
During his own FDA leadership in the 1990s, Dr Kessler took on the fight for better regulation of the tobacco industry in the interests of public health. This time, his target is the ultra-processed food industry â and the FDA has 120 days to respond. Watch this space!
Read his powerful covering letter to the US secretary for Health and Human Services - with FAB comments and links to related information:
Time to consider more than just calcium?
New study explores the impact of replacing cows' milk with plant-based milk-like drinks â and their potential to adversely impact nutrition status e.g vitamin B12 and iodine.
Medical trainees who cooked their way through nutrition lessons were more likely to counsel patients on diet
First trial of its kind shows hand-on cooking to be transformative both to clinical confidence, and to likelihood of referring on to a nutrition professional.
Mental Health & Lifestyle Interventions
Is ultra-processed food fueling depression in later life?
Pragmatic target trial seeks to answer.
Eat more fruits and vegetables and you might sleep better
Dietary modifications could be a new, natural and cost-effective approach to boosting sleep quality.
Ketogenic metabolic therapy as a treatment for mental health disorders
New scientific and clinical insights are laying the groundwork for a 21st century paradigm shift in mental healthcare.
Low Fish Intake, Low Mental Wellbeing: Study Reveals Studentsâ Omega-3 Shortfall
Most UK university students fall short of national intake guidelines - and rarely use supplements to fill such gaps â but correlational data suggests a link with mental wellbeing.
Eating Behaviour & Food âAddictionâ
UPCOMING EVENT:
If you missed FABâs last E-alert, but are interested in the hot topic of âFood Addictionâ â check out this special event in London on September 4th - 5th in London.
⢠You can still book a place (either in-person, or virtually) â with 40% off if you use this special discount code: SSO â bookings close on August 31st.
Minimally processed foods lead to double the weight loss
A new randomised controlled trial (the highest level of evidence for cause-and-effect) found that a diet based on whole or minimally processed foods, rather than ultra-processed foods may be more effective for losing weight.
Very importantly, both diets were not only nutritionally-matched, but were also designed to meet official dietary guidelines. For more details, see:
Why is it so hard to stop at just one cookie? A Sweet New Tool
A new study reveals the first validated tool developed to measure addiction-like behaviours related to sweets.
What animal studies reveal about binge-eating behaviour
Binge eating appears to enhance compulsive food-seeking behaviour, even without an increase in pleasure from eating.
"It's important that we don't just think about how our diet affects our physical health, but also about how it can change our brain and behaviourââ â the lead author emphasises. "This suggests a dissociation between 'wanting' and 'liking.'"
Could calorie counts on menus and food labels make us choose healthier foods?
People see calorie information so often that they believe they know how to use it effectively. However, new findings suggest that confusion can quickly unravel that confidence.
Memory & Cognition
The Diet That May Reduce Dementia Risk
Plenty of evidence already suggests that some dietary patterns can help to keep the brain stronger for longer, and prevent age-related cognitive decline.
This new study highlights one diet in particular, which includes a range of key brain nutrients that many modern diets are often lacking:
Breakthrough could lead to new treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A new lipid-based pathway essential for memory formation has just been discovered â in a breakthrough that researchers suggest could pave the way for developing new treatments for PTSD.
How fats fuel brain signalling - new mechanism discovered
The study challenges "the long-standing dogma that the brain doesn't burn fat" â showing that energy from lipid droplets helps to provide the energy that powers synapses â the connections between brain cells.
Researchers say "we hope to ultimately unlock explanations for neurodegeneration, which would give us opportunities for finding ways to protect the brain."
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Many thanks for your interest in our work â and please share this email with friends or colleagues you think may be interested in finding out more about the many links between Food and Behaviour.
Best regards
The FAB Research Team
