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Women with type 2 diabetes saw striking changes after 24 weeks of this eating pattern

A 24-week randomized trial found that a lacto-vegetarian diet combined with 14-hour time-restricted eating improved glycemic control, insulin resistance, body weight, and lipid measures in Indian women with type 2 diabetes. The combined, nutritionist-supported intervention was generally well tolerated, but its individual dietary and fasting effects cannot be separated and longer-term studies are needed.

18 Aug 2026

AI can recreate food convincingly, but there is one thing it still struggles to trigger

AI-generated food images matched real food images in perceived healthiness and estimated calorie content but were rated as less realistic and elicited lower willingness to eat. A subset of hyperrealistic AI images received stronger appetitive ratings, suggesting that perceived realism may shape how synthetic food imagery is evaluated.

17 Aug 2026

Why keto appears to lower blood pressure for some people but not others

A narrative review finds that ketogenic diets may modestly lower blood pressure through weight loss, reduced visceral fat, improved insulin sensitivity, fluid and electrolyte shifts, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, effects vary across studies, long-term cardiovascular evidence remains limited, and diet quality, hydration, electrolyte balance, and medication monitoring are important.

17 Aug 2026

What 720,000 adults reveal about artificial sweeteners and diabetes risk

A meta-analysis of six prospective cohort studies involving 721,003 adults found that higher artificial sweetener intake was associated with a 31% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The evidence was rated low certainty because of substantial heterogeneity, observational study designs, and potential residual confounding, meaning the findings do not establish causation.

16 Aug 2026

What happens to body fat when people follow the Eatwell Guide?

Higher adherence to the UK Eatwell Guide was associated with lower BMI, waist circumference, total body fat, and trunk fat in more than 156,000 UK Biobank participants. The associations persisted prospectively across demographic, physical activity, and genetic-risk groups, supporting the role of diet quality in weight management.

16 Aug 2026

Mitochondrial protein deficiency drives increased fat intake and obesity

Obesity is a global health concern that can contribute to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders.

13 Aug 2026

UH College of Pharmacy secures funding for three major health studies

University of Houston College of Pharmacy researchers have secured more than $1 million in new funding to support three separate studies targeting sepsis, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and depression in patients with sickle cell disease.

11 Aug 2026

Natural hormone activates brain-to-liver signaling pathway to suppress liver inflammation

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered that a naturally occurring hormone best known for suppressing appetite and promoting weight loss also helps protect the liver from inflammation through a previously unknown signalling pathway, opening new possibilities for treating advanced fatty liver disease.

10 Aug 2026

Piezo ion channels: Key regulators of digestive health and disease

Mechanosensitive Piezo ion channels, particularly Piezo1 and Piezo2, are gaining recognition as central regulators of digestive system physiology and disease.

7 Aug 2026

Low-fat vegan diet helps people lose weight without cutting back on food

A low-fat vegan diet lowers the energy density of the foods people eat by roughly 30%, allowing them to eat satisfying amounts of food while taking in fewer calories and losing weight-without deliberately restricting calories-according to new research published in JAMA Network Open.

7 Aug 2026

Novel drug puts cancer cells under extreme metabolic stress

Cancer cells have a voracious appetite for sugar-using it to fuel their rapid growth. This is why many scientists have tried to develop drugs that block cancer cells' metabolism by cutting off their sugar supply.

5 Aug 2026

Medical cannabis compound alleviates nightmares associated with PTSD

Nightmares are among the most agonizing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a condition that can develop after exposure to severe traumatic experiences, such as disasters, serious accidents, acts of violence, or wartime experiences. Individuals affected relive the events intensely at night, as if they were real, time and time again.

5 Aug 2026

Food may taste different on GLP-1 drugs, but taste may not be the reason

The review suggests that patient-reported “taste changes” during GLP-1RA treatment may reflect reduced food enjoyment and motivation rather than consistent impairment of basic taste. The authors propose a sensory-liking-wanting framework while emphasizing that current human evidence remains heterogeneous and largely indirect.

4 Aug 2026

Study uncovers brain mechanism that drives sustained motivation

What enables us to sustain effort toward goals, even when the task becomes increasingly difficult? A recent study by researchers at Nagoya University in Japan revealed the underlying brain mechanism, showing that orexin neurons play a crucial role in driving and regulating motivated behavior.

3 Aug 2026

RNA-based therapeutic strategy targets brain pathway behind cancer-associated cachexia

A new path has opened toward stopping cancer-associated cachexia, a devastating complication that gradually wastes patients away.

2 Aug 2026

Jet lag may disrupt athletes' gut microbiome and slow recovery

The interplay between jet lag and gut microbiome affects athlete performance. Strategies to manage these disruptions are crucial but not yet fully established.

30 Jul 2026

Two microscopic parasites cause widespread diarrheal illness across America

You've seen the alarming headlines about parasites causing "explosive diarrhea" across the U.S. Two microscopic parasites – cyclospora cayetanensis and cryptosporidium – can both cause prolonged gastrointestinal illness, including watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, and dehydration.

24 Jul 2026

Cambridge scientists solve brain puzzle behind popular obesity drugs

Cambridge scientists have solved the mystery of why both stimulating and blocking a particular 'switch' in the brain can help people lose weight – findings which could help boost the effectiveness of obesity drugs.

24 Jul 2026

Time zone changes disrupt vital gut bacteria during travel

A dream holiday, an exotic destination, a long-haul flight, and finally some well-deserved rest. The problem is that many travelers arrive at their destination only to spend the first days of their vacation struggling with fatigue, sleep disturbances, low energy levels, and digestive issues.

23 Jul 2026

Drinking more water with meals may lead people to eat more

In two randomized crossover studies involving 86 adults, greater water consumption and more frequent switching between bites and sips were associated with higher food and energy intake during beef chili and chicken tikka masala meals. The exploratory secondary analysis cannot establish causality, but it challenges the assumption that drinking water during a meal necessarily curbs eating.

20 Jul 2026