Study Revives Interest In Grapefruit Juice As Weight Loss Strategy

A U.S. study in mice fed a high-fat diet has determined that drinking clarified, pulp-free grapefruit juice reduced weight gain by 18 percent, but the researchers were not able to identify what compound in the juice was responsible. The findings revive interest in a fad diet that was purportedly debunked by earlier studies. The researchers gave one group of mice on a high-fat diet a bioactive compound (naringen) in grapefruit juice identified as a key agent in weight loss, and another group a glucose-lowering drug. The high-fat-diet mice that received naringin had lower blood glucose levels than the control group, but there was no effect on weight, suggesting that some other ingredient in grapefruit juice is also beneficial.

"Consumption of Clarified Grapefruit Juice Ameliorates High-Fat Diet Induced Insulin Resistance and Weight Gain in Mice. ", PLoS ONE, October 12, 2014

Compound In Fruit Is Food For Creative Thought

Dutch research involving 32 men and women has proven the health value of consuming higher levels of the amino acid tyrosine. Participants were given orange juice that contained either tyrosine or a placebo. Tyrosine increases the production of dopamine in the brain, which increases the ability to think creatively. They were then required to solve various puzzles involving two main aspects of creative thinking: divergent thinking and convergent thinking. The test subjects who drank orange juice with added tyrosine were found to be better at solving puzzles than those who were administered a placebo.

"Food for creativity: tyrosine promotes deep thinking. ", Psychological Research, October 12, 2014

Short Bouts Of Resistance Training Have A Big Impact On Memory

A U.S. clinical study has found that even brief – 20 minutes –  resistance training sessions have a positive impact on long-term (episodic) memory. Researchers focused on weight training, but said other resistance workouts like squats or knee bends would have the same result. For the study, participants looked at positive, negative and neutral photos, then were asked to exercise actively on a leg resistance machine, or passively (researcher moving the machine). Participants who exercised actively showed the highest physiological responses to the photographs, indicating improved memory. Memory improvement was measured at ten percent.

"A single bout of resistance exercise can enhance episodic memory performance. ", Acta Psychologica, October 01, 2014