Could microplastics in soil introduce drug-resistant superbugs to the food supply?
URBANA, Ill. — Like every industry, modern farming relies heavily on plastics. Think plastic mulch lining vegetable beds, PVC pipes draining water from fields, polyethylene covering high tunnels, and plastic seed, fertilizer, and herbicide packaging, to name a few.
Study: Infant formula safety checks can be improved with stratified sampling
URBANA, Ill. – Producers of infant formula employ comprehensive food safety systems, including product testing to ensure those systems are working.
Community health program boosts child vaccinations in remote areas of Madagascar
URBANA, Ill. – Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world and access to health care is limited for many people. Childhood vaccinations are a crucial component of preventative care, but vaccination rates remain below the World Health Organization’s goal of reaching 95% of children.
Unique Mexican black and pinto bean varieties are high in healthy compounds
URBANA, Ill. – Common beans are important food sources with high nutritional content. Bean seeds also contain phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that promote health.
Study: How mother and infant sleep patterns interact during the first two years of life
URBANA, Ill. — New mothers can expect sleep deprivation in the first few years of baby’s life. But too little sleep can take a toll on the health of both mother and child.
Lean body mass, age linked with alcohol elimination rates in women
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The rate at which women eliminate alcohol from their bloodstream is largely predicted by their lean body mass, although age plays a role, too, scientists found in a new study. Women with obesity – and those who are older – clear alcohol from their systems 52% faster than women of healthy weights and those who are younger, the study found.
Lean body mass is defined in the study – published in the journal Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research – as one’s total body weight minus fat.
Extension’s Abriendo Caminos program helps Hispanic families prevent childhood obesity
URBANA, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension, in collaboration with other institutions and partners, has published a research article on the benefits of Abriendo Caminos, a family-based intervention program that aims to reduce obesity among Hispanic children.
SARS-CoV-2 seasonal behavior traced back to genetics and global change
URBANA, Ill. — As the northern hemisphere heads into summer, we may be in for a COVID-19 reprieve.
How diet quality affects the gut microbiota to promote health
URBANA, Ill. – We know that eating a healthy diet affects body weight, cholesterol levels, and heart health. A new study from the University of Illinois focuses on another component: the role of diet in supporting a healthy gastrointestinal microbiota. The researchers conclude that following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) promotes a gut microbiota composition that may support overall health.