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Can Instagram-worthy healthy food compete with tempting fast food photos?

In a study of 203 Indian adolescents, researchers found that visually appealing Instagram images of healthy foods were significantly associated with a greater willingness to eat them, particularly for millet and pulse dishes. Although participants reported generally favorable attitudes and intentions toward healthy foods, most changes in eating behavior were not statistically significant, and nutritional captions provided no measurable additional benefit.

8 Nov 2026

Retatrutide reduces knee pain and body weight in osteoarthritis patients

For people with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) who are overweight or have obesity, everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs and standing up from a chair can be difficult.

8 Nov 2026

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may change what you crave, not just how much you eat

A prospective observational pilot study of 38 adults without diabetes found that three months of semaglutide or tirzepatide treatment was associated with an average weight loss of 7.2 kg, reduced food cravings, increased satiety, and improved self-reported hunger control. Most participants reported smaller meal portions, while some experienced changes in food preferences, although the study could not establish whether the medications directly caused these behavioral changes.

8 Nov 2026

Coffee, vegetables and exercise share a surprising connection in your gut

In a study of 6,803 Japanese adults, researchers identified two opposing gut microbiome patterns linking diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption with general health and 15 chronic diseases. Health-oriented microbial patterns were associated with butyrate production and lower inflammation, while disease-oriented patterns were linked to inflammatory processes, with microbiome-based prediction scores showing potential for distinguishing health and disease across international populations.

8 Nov 2026

Red meat and ultra-processed foods show no clear link to postpartum depression in new study

A prospective cohort study of 264 pregnant Iranian women found no statistically significant association between maternal consumption of ultra-processed foods or red meat and probable postpartum depression assessed four to six weeks after childbirth. However, the relatively small sample size and imprecise estimates mean that potentially meaningful associations cannot be excluded, highlighting the need for larger studies.

8 Nov 2026

Stony Brook-developed cancer drug advances to human clinical trials

A promising new cancer chemotherapeutic agent from a taxane class of natural compounds – anti-cancer agents designed to block cell division and trigger the programmed cell death to treat sold tumors – originally developed by researchers at Stony Brook University has entered human clinical trials.

6 Nov 2026

Rising grocery prices linked to higher food anxiety and insufficiency

As grocery prices continue to rise, a study by researchers at Penn State found that in addition to increased spending, the price hikes also are associated with higher risk of food insufficiency and worse mental health conditions.

6 Nov 2026

The microbes on your lettuce change with the seasons

Lettuce's microbial communities vary seasonally, potentially impacting gut bacteria and highlighting the role of fresh vegetables in microbiome diversity.

6 Nov 2026

Southern Europe eats closest to the planetary diet, so why is diabetes so high?

Researchers comparing temperature trends, food supplies, and diabetes prevalence across Europe found that Southern Europe had the closest alignment with Planetary Health Diet recommendations, yet also recorded the highest and fastest-rising diabetes prevalence. The exploratory study found inconsistent relationships between warming, dietary composition, and diabetes across regions, suggesting that multiple environmental, lifestyle, and demographic factors warrant further investigation.

5 Nov 2026

The Mediterranean diet has a modern problem, and it isn't just about food

A narrative review published in Applied Sciences examined how urbanisation, time constraints, food costs, and changing lifestyles have contributed to declining adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Drawing on 116 references, the authors identified workplace and school interventions, nutrition education, physical activity, and Mediterranean-inspired convenience foods as potential strategies for adapting this dietary pattern to modern life.

5 Nov 2026

A simple salt swap could prevent nearly 3 million deaths a year, researchers estimate

A global modelling study covering 193 countries and territories estimated that replacing regular salt with a potassium-enriched substitute containing 25% potassium chloride could prevent 2.96 million deaths, 10.17 million new cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease cases, and 69.43 million disability-adjusted life years annually. Although the researchers projected an increased risk of hyperkalemia-related deaths among people with impaired kidney function, the estimated cardiovascular benefits substantially outweighed these potential harms.

5 Nov 2026

Struggling with constipation? Two green kiwifruits a day may help

A narrative review of 33 publications found that consuming two fresh green kiwifruits daily for approximately four weeks can improve bowel movement frequency and gastrointestinal comfort in adults with functional constipation or constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Clinical studies reported broadly similar improvements with kiwifruit, psyllium, and prunes, although more research is needed to establish long-term benefits and differences between kiwifruit varieties.

5 Nov 2026

New AI e-nose device brings digitized smell to wearable technology

Our sense of smell shapes how we navigate our environment, but it's a sensation that's notoriously difficult to recreate in the digital world.

5 Nov 2026

CIRM grant funds new stem cell therapy to heal hearts

A new $6.9 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will support preclinical development of an investigational cell therapy for the heart created by USC Stem Cell scientists.

5 Nov 2026

Early childhood intervention crucial for treating rising eating disorders

Early intervention can significantly improve long-term health outcomes for eating disorders, which have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental health condition.

5 Nov 2026

UCLA advances CRISPR gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease

A UCLA-led team has described how they advanced an experimental CRISPR approach for sickle cell disease into a blood stem cell therapy that can be manufactured at the scale and quality required for a clinical trial.

4 Nov 2026

Psychedelics linked to lingering visual disturbances resembling early psychosis

Every night, as he fell asleep, a 25-year-old man saw an eye in his ceiling. It was huge and unblinking, and it felt as if the whole world was being sucked into it.

4 Nov 2026

A study of 27,000 adults links bean products and soy compounds to lower kidney disease odds

A cross-sectional study of 27,003 adults in Northeast China found that higher consumption of processed bean products and soy isoflavones was associated with lower odds of chronic kidney disease, while plain bean intake showed no significant association. The relationship with soy isoflavones was stronger in women, although the observational findings cannot establish whether these foods protect against kidney disease.

4 Nov 2026

Gut-brain dopamine pathway drives learned food preferences over time

If you can remember your first sip of coffee, the memory might not be a pleasant one. Coffee's bitter flavor is one we naturally steer clear of. So how do coffee fans learn to love it?

4 Nov 2026

Supervised food challenges clear many infants of suspected peanut allergy

A world-first national program has discovered more than a third of babies thought to have a peanut allergy could safely have the diagnosis removed. And the findings are changing how Australia's healthcare system approaches infant food allergies.

4 Nov 2026