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From wild rice to tarwi, researchers are exploring the health potential of Indigenous foods

A conference paper reviewed North American and Andean Indigenous foods, including Three Sisters crops, wild rice, native berries, tarwi, quinoa, and amaranth, and described their nutrients and bioactive compounds. Evidence for health effects remains limited for many of these foods, and the authors call for research developed with Indigenous communities that also supports traditional knowledge and food sovereignty.

28 Sep 2026

Study reveals why consumers mistake short shelf life for naturalness of food

For years nutrition experts have warned about the many risks of eating ultra-processed foods: among them obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Instead, they advise that consumers opt for more natural offerings.

28 Sep 2026

Brain organoids reveal new clues for childhood epilepsy treatments

Tiny, year-old human brain organoids that mimic the brain of a newborn are providing new clues to potential treatments for a leading genetic cause of childhood epilepsy that typically manifests as the brain matures shortly after birth.

23 Sep 2026

Cockroaches have a reputation for surviving almost anything, but this diet proved deadly

A laboratory study tested how ultra-processed, unprocessed, and mixed diets affected survival in 127 lobster cockroaches, Nauphoeta cinerea. Cockroaches fed only ultra-processed foods had higher mortality than those given unprocessed or mixed diets, although the study could not determine whether processing, ingredients, nutrition, or differences in food intake caused the effect.

13 Sep 2026

Habitual pork consumption supports clinically meaningful weight loss, study finds

According to a peer-reviewed study published May 29, 2026 in Nutrition & Diabetes, adults with overweight or obesity (mean BMI: 33.6 kg/m²; mean age: 47.7 years) who reported continuing to eat pork while participating in a 6-month digital weight management program lost a clinically significant 5.3% of starting body weight and improved their overall diet quality scores by 4.3 points.

18 Aug 2026

Smart hydrogel packaging changes color when your food spoils

The cuts of meat in a supermarket case can look perfectly fresh even as bacteria are already multiplying inside the package. Is there a way to know before you open it?

7 Aug 2026

New research highlights carbohydrate role in early human brain development

Fruit, honey and other naturally sweet foods may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain, according to new research from the University of Sydney and the University of Glasgow.

7 Aug 2026

Carbohydrate foods needing clearer nutrition guidance

Research identifies misalignments in perceptions of carbohydrate food healthfulness, suggesting priorities for nutrition education and public health messaging.

30 Jul 2026

Taste preference genes drive overeating and metabolic disease risk

Ever wonder why some people crave sweets while others can take them or leave them? Preliminary findings from a new study suggest that people who carry certain genetic variants associated with a preference for sweet or fatty tastes not only tend to eat more of these foods but also have a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes as a result.

27 Jul 2026

FDA-issued sodium targets appear to have minimal impact

In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Phase I voluntary sodium reduction targets to encourage manufacturers to lower the amount of sodium in packaged food products by 2024.

25 Jul 2026

Study questions authenticity of avocado oil in processed foods

If you've been reaching for chips, mayonnaise or salad dressing labeled "made with avocado oil," there's a good chance the oil inside isn't pure avocado oil, despite it being the only listed oil ingredient.

17 Jul 2026

Your brain may taste with its ears, new study suggests

Music composed to evoke sweetness or sourness engaged taste-related brain regions and strengthened gustatory and sensorimotor responses when paired with matching taste stimuli. Sweet music also made tastants more pleasant, although effects on sweetness and sourness intensity were modest.

15 Jun 2026

Plant-based quinoa burgers reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes

A study reveals that plant-based burgers with baru pulp and red quinoa trigger lower blood sugar spikes than glucose, highlighting their potential in nutrition.

10 Jun 2026

Expert review examines widely-held beliefs about dietary protein needs and benefits

A newly published peer-reviewed paper in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition synthesizes findings from a February 2025 scientific workshop.

8 Jun 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to poorer attention and higher dementia risk scores

Research shows that higher ultra-processed food consumption may impair attention and elevate modifiable dementia risk, highlighting concerns for brain health.

28 Apr 2026

Firmer potatoes lower post-meal blood sugar spikes

Minimally cooked potatoes may reduce blood sugar spikes, but benefits are short-lived and specific to certain populations, as shown in recent research.

23 Mar 2026

Cytotrait secures £3 M seed funding to address global food security and sustainable agriculture

Cytotrait, a biotechnology spinout company from The University of Manchester focussed on the development of novel traits for food and agriculture, today announced the close of its £3 M seed funding round.

9 Mar 2026

Using microwave frying to create heart-healthy production methods

Fried foods are popular with consumers, but their high fat content can contribute to health challenges like obesity and hypertension. If the food industry can offer lower-fat options of similar quality, people can more easily make health-conscious food choices.

5 Mar 2026

Study finds most sustainable diet indices overlook industrial food processing

A scoping review of 57 studies found that most tools used to assess sustainable diets focus on food production and consumption while largely ignoring food processing and other stages of the food system. The findings suggest that overlooking ultra-processed foods and processing impacts may lead to incomplete sustainability assessments and highlight the need for more comprehensive evaluation frameworks.

4 Mar 2026

Study reveals hydration energetics as key to nanoparticle performance in medicine

Researchers at Arizona State University have uncovered a key scientific principle that governs how what's coated on the surfaces of engineered nanoparticles may ultimately control how they work in our bodies.

2 Mar 2026