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Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program boosts food security and diet but benefits fade when funding ends

A lottery-based cohort study of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program found that providing a $40 monthly fruit and vegetable benefit improved food security by 5.5 percentage points and increased daily produce consumption by 7.5 percentage points, while disenrollment reversed these gains. These findings highlight the potential of healthy food benefit programs to reduce nutrition-related disparities in low-income populations.

21 Aug 2025

Midkine found to prevent Alzheimer’s-related protein assemblies

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated for the first time that the protein midkine plays a preventative role against Alzheimer's disease.

21 Aug 2025

Computational approach provides insight into neural progenitor cells and their role in brain disorders

For much of the 20th century it was thought that the adult brain was incapable of regeneration. This view has since shifted dramatically and neurogenesis – the birth of new neurons – is now a widely accepted phenomenon in the adult brain, offering promising avenues for treating many neurological conditions.

21 Aug 2025

Try this when your doctor says ‘yes’ to a preventive test but insurance says ‘no’

Trying to figure out why her claim was denied took Anna Deutscher a lot of time and work.

21 Aug 2025

How older people are reaping brain benefits from new tech

It started with a high school typing course. Wanda Woods enrolled because her father advised that typing proficiency would lead to jobs. Sure enough, the federal Environmental Protection Agency hired her as an after-school worker while she was still a junior.

21 Aug 2025

How early maltreatment impacts social and cognitive development

Research shows that early childhood maltreatment is associated with significant delays in social and cognitive development. Unfortunately, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, children under age one face the highest risk of maltreatment, particularly neglect. The Child Protective Services (CPS) system is responsible for responding to maltreatment and preventing its recurrence.

21 Aug 2025

Investigation raises concerns over tooth stem cell banking claims

Parents are spending thousands of pounds to bank stem cells from their children's milk teeth – but the recipient companies' claims about their future medical value are unproven and potentially misleading, reveals an investigation by The BMJ, published today.

21 Aug 2025

Genetic variants influencing vitamin D synthesis, metabolism, and transport

A Canadian review synthesizes genetic factors that influence vitamin D synthesis, metabolism, and transport, highlighting how polymorphisms affect circulating levels. It also explores how gene-environment interactions shape individual responses to supplementation and sunlight.

20 Aug 2025

Scientists rank the healthiest grains using new nutrition scores

Two new scoring systems reveal that Americans who eat more nutrient-dense grains, whether whole or fortified, have better diets, lower obesity rates, and improved metabolic health. The cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data shows that these “healthy grains” are also affordable and widely available.

20 Aug 2025

Mitochondrial dysfunction in the blood-brain barrier may contribute to neuropsychiatric disease in 22qDS

In a new study led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), researchers found that mitochondrial dysfunction in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) may lead to neuropsychiatric disease in some patients with 22qDS.

20 Aug 2025

Extreme heat poses silent threat to older adults

Older adults often don't realize how vulnerable they are to extreme heat and most aren't prepared for long periods of hot weather, according to a review of more than 40 studies.

20 Aug 2025

Cardiovascular health declines in older adults with heart conditions

U.S. adults, ages 65 and older, with high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke had significant declines in cardiovascular health, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

20 Aug 2025

Sleep problems in teenagers predict self-harm risk over time

Self-harm in young people is a major public health concern, rates are rising, and the adolescent years presents a critical period of intervention.

20 Aug 2025

Somatic mutations drive vascular aging and muscle weakness over time

Two new studies from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have investigated how mutations that occur in muscles and blood vessels over time can affect aging.

20 Aug 2025

Fasting supports type 1 diabetes care by reshaping the microbiome

A week of fasting alters the gut microbiome in type 1 diabetes, aligning it with healthy profiles and enhancing cholesterol and weight management.

20 Aug 2025

Omega-3 rich diet linked to lower risk of childhood myopia

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fish oils, may help ward off the development of short sightedness (myopia) in children, while a high intake of saturated fats, found in foods such as butter, palm oil, and red meat, may boost the risk of the condition, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

20 Aug 2025

Extreme weather events put children’s brains and mental health at risk, researchers warn

Extreme weather events are increasingly recognized as adverse childhood experiences (E-ACEs) that disrupt brain development, stress regulation, and long-term health. Researchers warn that children, especially in low- and middle-income countries, face lifelong mental and physical health risks without urgent resilience-building interventions.

19 Aug 2025