About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/is-your-new-year-s-resolution-to-lose-weight/
Jan 23, 2019...
You might be surprised at which foods are healthy for you, thanks to the makeup of your gut biota
More than one-third of Americans are overweight or obese. And, every year, around 40% of us make New Year’s resolutions. As you can tell from the resolve-dampening wait for the ellipticals at your suddenly popular gym, or the news-making lines at the salad place, these two statistics have come together, yet again, in that noble annual goal: lose weight and be healthier.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/nourishing-the-future-with-plants/
Aug 21, 2018...
Soy superhero: Asaph Aharoni is developing a soybean plant that is easy to grow, has all seven dairy proteins, is lactose- and cholesterol-free … and can help fight malnutrition in impoverished areas, too.
Evolution is all around us … and in us. Just one of the many proofs: lactose tolerance.
We are practically drowning in dairy products, and most of us consume them – even if we shouldn’t. Until fairly recently – “only about 20,000 years — the evolutionary equivalent of a hot minute,” as an NPR story puts it – human digestive systems could not tolerate lactose, the primary sugar in milk, after infancy. Furthermore, until the late 19th century, milk was regarded as a child’s food and was not the household dietary staple it is today.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/why-the-diet-on-your-soda-may-be-misleading/
Sep 17, 2014...
The artificial sweeteners found in the world’s most popular diet sodas may have a serious unintended consequence, according to a new study.
Calorie counters beware: That diet soda and your own stomach may be conspiring against you.
A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature suggests that consuming artificial sweeteners may increase the risk of elevated blood sugar levels.
When researchers added popular sweeteners – including saccharin and aspartame – to the diets of mice, the balance of bacteria in the gut shifted and blood sugar levels spiked. Similar results occurred in a subset of humans during a follow-up trial.
Oct 02, 2019... Many expectant mothers are told that breastfeeding will come naturally, but it is often a fraught and confusing experience, especially during the first few weeks after birth. Parents often worry about if their babies are getting enough nutrition or if they are producing enough milk. MyMilk Labs wants to give nursing mothers more information with Mylee, a sensor that scans a few drops of breast milk to get information about its composition and connects to a mobile app. The Israel-based company presented today at Disrupt Battlefield as one of two wild card competitors picked from Startup Alley.
Feb 28, 2019... In the second episode of Weizmann in Focus, CEO Dave Doneson discusses how the Institute’s plant scientists are tackling the challenge of global food security. These innovative researchers are figuring out how plants can better resist drought, provide higher-quality nutrition, and more. Dave spotlights a breakthrough by Prof. Jonathan Gressel, who discovered a method of killing a parasitic weed that was destroying corn crops in sub-Saharan Africa.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/artificial-sweeteners-may-lead-to-diabetes/
Sep 18, 2014...
Artificial sweeteners may set the stage for diabetes in some people by hampering the way their bodies handle sugar, according to results of a study released Wednesday by the journal "Nature."(Photo: Jenny Kane, AP)
Reaching for artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar may be trading one evil for another, a new study suggests.
For some people, artificial sweeteners may lead to type 2 diabetes as directly as eating sugar does, according to the research, published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Jun 14, 2017...
However, being savvy about nutrition may not be as easy as we thought, as some of our traditional assumptions about food are now being challenged.
You’re about to make a sandwich. Do your reach for the freshly stone-milled whole-grain wheat flour, sourdough leavening, superior ingredients baked in a stone-hearth oven to create a picture-perfect, super-healthy loaf of artisanal bread? Or, white bread—the industrial kind made from white flour.
Nov 30, 2016... Here’s a reason not to peel tomatoes: A new method of plant analysis, developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science, has identified healthful antioxidants in tomato skins. In fact, as reported recently in Nature Communications, the new method reveals that biologically active plant substances typically associated with particular plant species – including those providing health benefits – are much more prevalent across the plant kingdom than was previously thought.
Mar 26, 2018...
(l-r) Dr. Alon Shepon and Prof. Ron Milo
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—March 26, 2018—About a third of the food produced for human consumption is estimated to be lost or wasted globally. But the biggest waste, which is not included in that estimate, may be through dietary choices that result in the squandering of environmental resources. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science and their colleagues have now found a novel way to define and quantify this second type of wastage. The scientists have called it “opportunity food loss,” a term inspired by the “opportunity cost” concept in economics, which refers to the cost of choosing a particular alternative over better options.
Sep 17, 2014...
The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, yogurt and other foods can raise blood-sugar levels, according to a new study. WSJ's Gautam Naik reports. Photo: iStock
The artificial sweeteners in diet soda, yogurt and other foods consumed by millions can raise the blood sugar level instead of reducing it, according to new experiments in mice and people.
The provocative finding—made possible through a new avenue of research—is likely to stoke the simmering controversy over whether artificial sweeteners help or hinder people's ability to lose weight and lower their risk of diabetes.
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