Skip to main content

Nutrition

A soybean protein blocks LDL cholesterol production, reducing risks of metabolic diseases

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A protein in soybeans blocks the production of a liver enzyme involved in the metabolism of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, scientists found in a recent study.

Read full story

How college students cope with episodic and persistent food insecurity

URBANA, Ill. ­– College students, especially first-generation and minority students, are more likely to experience food insecurity than the general population. This can contribute to social inequalities and make degree attainment more difficult for those students, University of Illinois researchers say.

Read full story

Amino acid supplement key to reproductive health in dairy cows

URBANA, Ill. – Lysine is an essential amino acid for dairy cows, helping boost milk production when added to the diet at adequate levels. But could lysine benefit cows in other ways? A new University of Illinois study shows rumen-protected lysine can improve uterine health if fed during the transition period.

Read full story

New dog food? Study shows Fido's gut bacteria could turn over within a week

URBANA, Ill. – When a dog starts a new diet, the community of microbes in its gut changes. Wallflower bacteria multiply to dominate the scene, with the old guard slinking off in defeat. As microbial species jostle for control, their metabolic byproducts, many of which are critical for Fido’s overall health, change as well.

Read full story

Study: Individualized eating program helps dieters lose weight, keep it off

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — An individualized diet program that empowers users to create their own plan based on targeted levels of protein and fiber shows promise at helping people lose extra pounds and keep them off.

The Individualized Diet Improvement Program is a self-guided approach that involves easy-to-use tools, according to the nutritionists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who created iDip.

Read full story

Poor diet, household chaos may impair young children’s cognitive skills

Champaign, Ill. – Poor nutrition coupled with living in a chaotic household environment may negatively affect young children’s executive functioning, the higher order cognitive skills that govern memory, attention and emotional control, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found.

Read full story

Produce donation program improves health and nutrition at food pantries

URBANA, Ill. ­– Food pantries provide much needed relief for food insecure individuals and families. But pantries often rely on donations of canned and packaged foods with limited nutritional value. Growing Together Illinois, a program from Illinois Extension, aims to provide fresh produce to food pantry clientele across the state.

Read full story

Filling industry gap, U of I program trains professionals in food policy

URBANA, Ill. – Right now it’s infant formula, but food recalls are seemingly always in the news. When recalls happen, industries and supply chains can slam to a halt, causing everything from minor inconvenience to illness to, in the case of infant formula, widespread food insecurity for the youngest in our population.

Read full story

Study explores what food sector needs to know about how to reduce sodium

URBANA, Ill. – Sodium is an essential micronutrient, but the amount we need is small. Three slices of bread or one teaspoon of table salt will do it, and chances are your daily sodium intake is far greater. More than 90% of Americans consume too much sodium, which can lead to hypertension, high blood pressure, and increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Read full story

DNS associate director Hartke honored with Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence award

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Six academic professionals at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign were honored this week with the Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence award for 2022. Jessica Hartke, senior associate director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, was one of them.

Read full story
Subscribe to Nutrition