advertisement

Your health: Genes may be key to fitting into jeans

Genes may be key to fitting into jeans

The key to a healthy diet is in our genes, suggests a new study, the Daily Mail reports.

Researchers have found that personalized dietary advice based on an individual's genetic makeup improves eating habits compared to current one-size-fits-all dietary recommendations.

Nutrigenomics is a field of research that aims to understand why some people respond differently than others to the same foods.

Personalized nutrition is an application of nutrigenomics that helps tailor dietary recommendations to a person's DNA.

The researchers, whose findings were published online by the journal PLoS One, collected data on the intake of caffeine, sodium, vitamin C and sugar from 138 healthy young adults.

They were then split into two different study groups — one was given DNA-based dietary advice for each of the four dietary components of interest, and the other group was given current standard dietary advice. The researchers found that subjects who received DNA-based dietary advice started to show improvements to their diets after three months and the changes became even more apparent after 12 months.

ADHD drug abuse in college students

Nearly one in every five college students abuses prescription stimulants, according to a new survey sponsored by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, reports Health Day.

The survey also found that one in seven nonstudents of similar age also report abusing stimulant medications.

Young adults ages 18 to 25 report using the drugs to help them stay awake, study or improve their work or school performance.

The most commonly abused stimulants are those typically prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse, the survey found.

“The typical misuser is a male college student whose grade-point average is only slightly lower than that of non-abusers, but who is juggling a very busy schedule that includes academics, work and an active social life,” said Sean Clarkin, director of strategy and program management for the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.