High-protein diets of the kind popularised by Robert Atkins may reduce a woman's chance of conceiving, according to a study presented at a fertility conference. The research -- conducted on mice -- found that a diet containing 25 percent protein disrupted the normal genetic imprinting pattern in early embryos. It also had an impact on embryos that were transferred to other uteruses.

Italian researchers found children denied access to television for just one week experienced a 30% jump in their melatonin levels. The hormone is thought to prevent the early onset of puberty. If confirmed, this would be the first sign of a direct physiological impact on television watching upon the young.

Chugging more than one sugar-sweetened soft drink a day appears to significantly increase a woman's chances of developing diabetes, says a Harvard study that found the extra sugar does more than just add pounds. Women in the study who drank at least one sugar-sweetened soda a day were 85 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank less, said Matthias B. Schulze, who presented the Harvard School of Public Health research at the American Diabetes Association's 64th scientific sessions.

KFC can no longer claim that its fried chicken is compatible with popular low-carb diets, federal regulators said Thursday in settling complaints about the restaurant chain's ads. KFC also may not run advertisements saying that eating its food is healthier than eating another food unless it can back the claims up scientifically, the agreement with the Federal Trade Commission stipulates. The settlement stemmed from a complaint filed with the FTC by the Center for Science in the Public Interest over two KFC television advertisements. KFC pulled the ads in November.

Junk foods such as sugary sodas and chips make up nearly one-third of calories in the U.S. diet, researchers said on Tuesday. A study of 4,700 adults showed that, despite the increased popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, soft drinks and pastries pile on more calories in the daily diet than anything else. Reuters

UCSF scientists are publishing sweet results of a study examining chocolate’s effects on blood vessel function in healthy people. The team reports that small daily doses of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate consumed over a two-week period improved blood vessels’ ability to dilate, or expand. They also report that a particular flavonoid thought to be beneficial for blood vessel function, epicatechin, was absorbed at high levels in the blood. Press Release

What sort of potentially toxic chemicals are floating around in your body? Four parts per billion of pentachloronitrobenzene, perhaps? Trace amounts of dibutyl phthalate? And can they make you sick? Scientists aren't at all clear on the last question yet. But California lawmakers are considering a bill that wades deep into the national debate over biomonitoring - and asks chemical manufacturers and distributors to pay for it. Knight Ridder