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Ketones may change sleep patterns, but not always for the better

Researchers reviewed animal and human studies and found that ketone bodies may affect sleep stages through energy metabolism and cellular signaling, with the clearest direct evidence involving acetoacetate in mice. They reported mixed human findings and called for controlled studies to separate ketone-specific effects from changes linked to diet, disease, circadian timing, and physiological stress.

28 Oct 2026

A protective brain enzyme may counteract aging-associated cognitive decline

Cinzia Vicidomini, PhD, and Amar Sahay, PhD, of the Mass General Brigham Department of Psychiatry, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, are the lead and senior authors of a paper published in Nature Neuroscience, "An aging-sensitive secreted phospholipase confers neuroprotection and cognitive resilience."

15 Oct 2026

Coffee, citrus and genetics: What scientists found inside human breast milk

In a bioRxiv preprint, researchers analyzed 458 metabolites in breast milk samples from 349 mothers to investigate how maternal diet, genetics, clinical characteristics, and milk-cell gene expression relate to milk composition. Maternal diet explained the greatest share of metabolite variation among the measured maternal factors, while specific genetic variants and gene-expression patterns were associated with individual metabolites, although the study did not establish effects on infant health.

14 Oct 2026

Why scientists still cannot say how much plastic infants are actually consuming

A systematic review of 22 primary studies and four reviews found plastic-derived contaminants across infant foods and feeding equipment, but major differences in sampling, analytical methods, and quality control made exposure estimates difficult to compare. The authors found substantial evidence gaps for nanoplastics and oligomers and concluded that better-standardized exposure assessment is needed before infant health risks can be reliably evaluated.

22 Sep 2026

Researchers develop mild skeletal editing method for medicinal chemistry

Researchers at Ritsumeikan University report a halogen-guided method for transforming accessible hydroxycoumarins into coumaranones, valuable heterocyclic structures in medicinal chemistry.

27 Aug 2026

The diet-Alzheimer’s connection is more complicated than “eat this, avoid that”

A mini-review finds that dietary patterns may influence Alzheimer’s disease through interconnected pathways involving neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, homocysteine, and the gut-brain axis. The authors argue that genetics, sex, age, physical activity, and socioeconomic context may modify these relationships, supporting more individualized approaches to nutrition research and dementia prevention.

25 Aug 2026

Neutral lipids may act as functional medium for controlling supramolecular polymerization

The formation of supramolecular polymers within living cells is an emerging strategy for regulating cellular functions, and lipid droplets (LDs) are promising environments for such processes.

6 Jul 2026

Eating oranges daily may shift lipid patterns in fatty liver disease

A 4-week trial on 'Navelina' oranges shows potential effects on lipid metabolism in fatty liver disease, revealing intriguing but non-significant patterns.

20 Apr 2026

Heavily processed foods may raise heart disease risk beyond poor nutrition alone

A 2026 review in Cardiology in Review reports that higher intake of ultra-processed foods is consistently associated with greater risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality across cohort studies and meta-analyses. The paper also highlights plausible mechanisms involving gut dysbiosis, oxidative stress, and NF-κB-driven inflammation, with additives such as emulsifiers, preservatives, dyes, and sweeteners discussed as potential contributors.

26 Mar 2026

Microbial teamwork enables efficient breakdown of phthalate plastic pollutants

Plastic trash has reached the world's most remote locations, from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the summit of Everest.

18 Mar 2026

Colorful japonica rice varieties show unique health-promoting lipids

Rice feeds more than half of the world's population, yet we still only partly understand the nutrients it contains.

27 Feb 2026

Role of food nutrients in reducing oxidative stress linked to micro- and nanoplastics

This narrative review examines how micro- and nanoplastics may contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction, including potential links with diabetes. It highlights plant-derived nutrients that activate the Nrf2 pathway as a possible strategy to enhance cellular stress resilience, although most evidence remains preclinical.

15 Feb 2026

How microalgae, fish, and krill store omega-3s differently and why it matters

This study mapped how EPA and DHA are distributed across lipid classes in microalgae, fish, krill, and commercial omega-3 supplements using lipid-class–resolved analysis. It shows that lipid structure, not just total omega-3 content, differs markedly across sources and may influence their nutritional relevance.

28 Jan 2026

Hybrid polymer nanocarriers enable efficient inhaled mRNA vaccine delivery to the lungs

Novel hybrid polymer nanocarriers enable effective vaccine delivery in the lungs and the targeted activation of immune cells.

16 Jan 2026

Trial investigates how quickly human milk responds to common plant based meat swaps

Replacing beef with a plant based beef substitute for six days changed the fatty acid composition of human milk, increasing medium chain saturated fats and lowering key long chain polyunsaturated fats such as arachidonic acid. These biochemical shifts occurred without changes in maternal weight, appetite, glucose patterns or infant milk intake.

18 Nov 2025

New delivery particle could make mRNA vaccines cheaper and more effective

A new delivery particle developed at MIT could make mRNA vaccines more effective and potentially lower the cost per vaccine dose.

7 Nov 2025

Roasted Arabica coffee hides powerful antidiabetic molecules

Three novel coffee diterpene esters, caffaldehydes A, B, and C, were discovered in Arabica beans, showcasing significant alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

3 Sep 2025

Compounds show significant inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase

Three of the compounds demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, a key enzyme in carbohydrate digestion. The findings could pave the way for new functional food ingredients targeting type 2 diabetes.

2 Sep 2025

Mediterranean diet lowers dementia risk by altering key metabolites

Researchers linked genetics, plasma metabolites, and Mediterranean diet adherence to dementia risk in two large US cohorts, showing APOE4 homozygotes had distinct metabolic pathways. Diet-related metabolites mediated protection, highlighting precision-prevention opportunities.

26 Aug 2025