Health news EDITED by VICKY BRAMLEY
80%
of those with coeliac disease remain undiagnosed and long-term exposure can increase the risk of infertility and cancer, says Coeliac Australia, so it’s important to see your GP if you’re having any unexplained symptoms. Recent findings in the journal Gut show that in those with a genetic predisposition, frequent gastro infections are associated with a higher risk of developing coeliac disease autoimmunity, and high gluten intake further increased risk. Coeliac Awareness Week is 13-20 March.
Walk fast e g a w o l s to
Pounding the pavement could be a sign of successful ageing. In a study of more than 1000 45-year-olds, those with the slowest gait (3.9 feet per second) had poor physical foundation at midlife. They also had accelerated ageing with facial changes, organ deterioration, brain changes and worse
cognitive function than those with the highest gait (5.7 feet per second). Training to walk faster may not reverse changes but will contribute to overall health. In a separate study in Scienmag, it was discovered that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced in the gut, can alter ageing. Butyrate is
Bingeing is a brain disease Women are more susceptible to emotional eating, but it’s not due to hormones, say researchers at The Florey In nstitute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Melbourne. They put sugary food just out of reach of mice, and then let them eat for 15 minutes. Only females binged. Dr Robyn Brown believes the behaviour is tied to the female brain and is testing a neural circuit to see if it’s involved. These findings, she said, “help reduce the stigma that people who overeat can’t control themselves. It says that person has a brain disease”.
