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Whole grains, legumes and vegetables stand out in a major review of diabetes diets

Healthy plant-based diets rich in whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are associated with better glycemic control and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The review finds that food quality and processing matter more than simply avoiding animal foods, while unhealthy plant-based patterns and higher red and processed meat intake are associated with greater metabolic risk.

18 Aug 2026

A four-week spice experiment challenges expectations about post-meal benefits

Culinary doses of herbs and spices did not significantly alter postprandial endothelial function, glycemia, or lipemia after four weeks of corresponding spice-containing diets in adults at cardiometabolic risk. The findings suggest that acute spice-related effects may be less apparent with longer-term exposure, although the study may have been underpowered to detect modest benefits.

17 Aug 2026

Why pulses could play a bigger role in healthy and sustainable diets

A narrative review finds that pulses may support gut and metabolic health through their fiber, protein, phytochemicals, and interactions with the gut microbiota, while offering a lower environmental footprint than many animal protein sources. Human evidence is strongest for selected cardiometabolic outcomes, while many microbiome and fermentation-related benefits remain supported mainly by animal and laboratory studies.

9 Aug 2026

Exercise helps protect Hispanic adults from late life cognitive decline

Previous studies have examined the associations between adherence to LS7 and cognitive outcomes, with findings suggesting that higher LS7 scores are associated with better cognitive performance, reduced dementia risk and improved brain health.

4 Aug 2026

Study links lower vitamin D to mood and cognitive health in adults over 85 with diabetes

Researchers studying 188 adults aged 85 years or older with type 2 diabetes found the lowest serum 25(OH)D concentrations among those with both depressive symptoms and mild cognitive impairment. Lower levels remained associated with having both conditions after adjustment for selected factors, but the cross-sectional study cannot establish causation or a benefit from supplementation.

3 Aug 2026

Daily tomatoes lowered a key marker of liver fat in MASLD trial

An exploratory randomized trial found that 200 g of raw tomatoes plus 50 g of tomato sauce daily for six weeks produced a greater reduction in CAP-defined hepatic steatosis than a tomato-free diet in adults with MASLD. The improvement occurred without major weight or metabolic changes, but larger and longer trials are needed to confirm its clinical significance.

2 Aug 2026

Consuming less protein could have greater health benefits and extend lifespan

Protein-fortified foods are popping up everywhere, from cereal and coffee to even protein water. But a new review covering over 350 papers on protein restriction and aging-publishing July 31 in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue-suggests that consuming less protein could have greater health benefits and could, in some cases, extend lifespan.

31 Jul 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

Longer lives now come with more years spent in poor health worldwide

Global life expectancy rose from 64.6 to 73.8 years between 1990 and 2023, but healthy life expectancy did not keep pace. The widening morbidity gap means most populations now spend a decade or more in poor health.

26 Jul 2026

Spermidine boosts key cellular processes linked to aging in early research

This review finds that spermidine supports autophagy, mitochondrial function, and healthspan in experimental models, while observational studies link higher dietary intake to lower mortality. However, human trials have produced limited and mixed results, leaving its clinical role in healthy aging unresolved.

23 Jul 2026

Global study reveals widening gap between lifespan and healthspan

People around the world are living longer than ever before but spending more of those additional years in poor health, according to a new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet Public Health.

21 Jul 2026

Childhood ultra-processed food intake associates with altered insulin responses

Researchers analyzed dietary and metabolic data from 508 nondiabetic Mexican American children in the SAFARI family cohort, finding that higher ultra-processed food scores were associated with lower insulin sensitivity and altered early insulin secretion measures. The exploratory cross-sectional study did not establish causality, and its multiple comparisons, historical dietary data, and questionnaire-based UPF estimates warrant confirmation in longitudinal studies and trials.

21 Jul 2026

Early electroacupuncture intervention protects pancreatic function in prediabetes

Prediabetes refers to a metabolic state in which blood glucose is higher than normal but has not yet reached the diagnostic threshold for diabetes. It may involve impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or elevated glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and is closely associated with progressive β-cell dysfunction.

21 Jul 2026

Study tests chronotype’s liver link and finds no significant association

Researchers found no significant association between chronotype and FibroScan-derived liver fat or stiffness in 119 medication-naïve adults with overweight or obesity. The exploratory findings cannot exclude smaller effects, particularly for fibrosis, and require confirmation in larger longitudinal studies.

21 Jul 2026

New guideline offers recommendations for testosterone replacement therapy use

The Society's Clinical Practice Guideline on testosterone replacement therapy in men with hypogonadism offers recommendations on appropriate testing and prescribing practices.

16 Jul 2026

Evening chronotype links later eating with higher body fat

Research shows evening chronotypes in women consume more energy later, leading to higher body fat and metabolic issues, highlighting chrono-nutrition's role.

16 Jul 2026

Lactoferrin yogurt helps preserve iron stores in women with gestational diabetes

In a double-blind pilot trial, lactoferrin-enriched yogurt added to routine iron supplementation helped prevent ferritin decline in pregnant women with gestational diabetes and reduced iron stores. The intervention was well tolerated and produced modest changes in selected gut bacteria, but did not significantly improve anemia or metabolic outcomes.

15 Jul 2026

GLP-1 receptor activation linked to lower depression and bipolar disorder odds

Genetic analyses linked BMI-related GLP-1 receptor activation to better mental well-being and lower odds of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The findings do not prove that GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs treat psychiatric conditions, and randomized clinical trials are still needed.

15 Jul 2026

Mitochondrial DNA mutations link to cardiometabolic parameters in metabolic syndrome

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability, especially heteroplasmy, is believed to affect cellular immunobiogenesis, particularly in monocytes in metabolic syndrome (MetS).

14 Jul 2026

Researchers propose simple finger prick test to track metabolic health

Researchers writing in Frontiers in Science propose using simple tests to track metabolic health in non-communicable diseases, which cause three in four deaths worldwide.

14 Jul 2026