People | WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN? Jun 1, 2019
Fumiaki Imamura: The international road to scientific success
by J.J. O'Donoghue
For nutritional epidemiologist Fumiaki Imamura, an overseas education is key to global impact.
Business Sep 2, 2018
by Lisa Du, Corinne Gretler and Maiko Takahashi
The company that brought you milk chocolate, Maggi instant noodles and Rocky Road ice cream is worried about your health. Nestle SA, the world's largest food company, has joined the trend for personalized nutrition with a blend of artificial intelligence, DNA testing and the modern ...
National / Science & Health Feb 1, 2017
Japanese researchers to analyze big data on babies' development
In Japan people say neru ko wa sodatsu — a child who sleeps well grows up well. But does sleeping really bear a causal relationship to a child's height? In an attempt to find out whether this well-known proverb can be scientifically backed up and ...
Commentary / Japan Dec 12, 2016
School lunches reveal cultural differences
by Walt Gardner
Local governments are being penny wise and pound foolish when they reduce the quality of school lunches.
Science & Health Jul 8, 2015
The pond scum that may one day fuel planes
by Yuko Takeo
The future of Japan's biofuel industry may be pond scum. Or more specifically, green algae that's swirling around in tanks on a tropical Okinawan island. That's what Mitsuru Izumo and his company Euglena Co. are counting on anyway. After 10 years developing the algae as ...
National Apr 5, 2015
Health ministry to survey how family income affects child nutrition
The government plans to conduct its first nationwide survey on how family income affects children's health as concerns grow about the nation's growing child poverty problem, officials said. More than 16 percent of children aged 17 or younger live in households that earn less than ...
Lifestyle Sep 23, 2013
The 'whole' brown-bread challenge in Japan
by Tomoko Otake
Whole-wheat and whole-grain products are hard to find in Japan, where most bakeries and supermarkets sell white bread products only. Of the three major bread manufacturers in Japan, only Shikishima Baking Co.'s Pasco brand offers loaves of bread and "English" muffins made from whole-wheat flour ...
Lifestyle Sep 23, 2013
Good health essentials: whole grains and fiber
by Hope Warshaw
Do all whole grains contain dietary fiber? What are other sources of fiber? These questions seem simple, but they're not. Answering them, however, is important because they focus on two healthful eating goals: 1) Eat more whole grains and 2) Eat more dietary fiber. Both are ...
Lifestyle Sep 9, 2013
'Eat This Much' plays part of virtual nutritionist
by Maggie Fazeli Fard
Two years ago, when Los Angeles' Louis DeMenthon was trying to bulk up, he encountered the ubiquitous challenge faced by those seeking physique changes: meal planning. In vain, DeMenthon searched for an online planner that would tell him exactly what foods to eat in order ...
World / Science & Health Aug 14, 2013
According to those who tried it last week, lab-grown beef doesn't really taste like meat. So what exactly gives meat its flavor and makes us beg for more? We've long known why ice cream and chocolate appeal so much to our taste buds: It's that ...
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jun 9, 2013
'Nutritious' claims need to be taken with a pinch of salt
by Philip Brasor
During a recent visit to the United States, I was impressed by several advertising campaigns. The American Beverage Association (ABA) is running a series of spots that alternatingly complain of what it deems the over-regulation of soft drinks and promote the efforts of member ...
National / Science & Health Jan 31, 2013
Schools have knack for healthy meals
by Chico Harlan
In Japan, school lunch means a regular meal, not one that harms your health. The food is grown locally and almost never frozen. There's no mystery behind the meat. From time to time, parents even call up with an unusual question: Can they get ...