Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Are one-year-olds in Australia eating right? New study reveals nutrient gaps

A study from the ORIGINS cohort in Western Australia assessed the diets of one-year-old children, comparing intake to national guidelines. While most nutrient targets were met, key shortfalls in iodine and excessive sodium intake raised concerns, especially for breastfed infants.

2 May 2025

HO-1 regulates liver fibrosis in NAFLD through the SIRT1 TGF-β Smad3 pathway

Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) has an influential yet insufficiently investigated effect on Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a histone deacetylase activated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which may impact the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-ß)/Smad3 pathway in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related liver fibrosis.

2 May 2025

Federal cuts gut food banks as they face record demand

Food bank shortages caused by high demand and cuts to federal aid programs have some residents of a small community that straddles Idaho and Nevada growing their own food to get by.

1 May 2025

Researchers tie childhood vitamin D shortfalls to adult heart disease

Low childhood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were linked to a significantly higher risk of early adult-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The association remained even after accounting for conventional childhood risk factors and persisted across multiple analyses.

30 Apr 2025

High fructose diets impair brain function and appetite control, study shows

Review highlights how excessive fructose intake disrupts brain energy balance, appetite regulation, and cognitive function. Processed sources, such as sugary drinks, may overwhelm metabolic pathways and induce neuroinflammation, particularly during adolescence.

30 Apr 2025

What’s missing in plant-based nutrition research? A new review explains

A new scoping review reveals major inconsistencies in how plant-based diet diversity is defined, measured, and linked to health outcomes in high-income countries. The findings highlight a critical need for standard definitions and validated assessment tools in future research.

30 Apr 2025

Extreme temperatures drive people toward high-fat diets, study finds

Short-term exposure to extreme temperatures alters dietary patterns by increasing fat intake, even when total calorie consumption remains stable. This shift, driven by physiological appetite regulation, raises the risk of high-fat diets and diet-related diseases, especially among vulnerable groups.

30 Apr 2025

Higher biological age linked to increased dementia risk

People whose biological age is higher than their chronological age may be more likely to develop dementia than people whose biological age matches or is lower than their chronological age, according to a study published on April 30, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

30 Apr 2025

Can folic acid prevent or promote breast cancer? It depends on dose and DNA

Folic acid plays a dual role in breast cancer depending on dose and context. While moderate intake may reduce risk, high levels or genetic variants disrupting metabolism may promote tumor progression via altered DNA methylation.

30 Apr 2025

Better sleep, BMI, and glucose control lower female infertility odds

A new study using NHANES data found that higher Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9) scores, reflecting better cardiovascular and mental health, were linked to lower odds of female infertility. However, adding depression to the LE8 framework did not significantly improve its predictive value.

29 Apr 2025

Disrupted body clocks raise risk of early death, study finds

A large cohort study from China and the U.S. shows that Circadian Syndrome (CircS)—a cluster of metabolic and behavioral disruptions—is linked to higher all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The risk increases with the number of CircS components, especially among adults aged 40–60.

29 Apr 2025

Gut bacteria and metabolites reveal depression-linked patterns in older adults

A cross-sectional study of 400 older adults with metabolic syndrome reveals that individuals with depression have distinct gut microbiota and metabolite profiles. Eight bacterial genera and 15 fecal metabolites were significantly associated with depression, suggesting a gut-brain axis link.

29 Apr 2025

Cancer-related fatigue and depression found to limit recreational activities in survivors

Cancer survivors who reported feeling cancer-related fatigue or depression reduced their recreational activities nearly twofold, with females more likely than males to report feeling either cancer-related fatigue or depression, according to a retrospective study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025, held April 25-30.

29 Apr 2025

Perceived stress linked to worsened symptoms in COPD patients

Increased perceived stress may cause worsened respiratory symptoms and decreased quality of life in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study.

29 Apr 2025

How blood iron levels shape the pace of biological aging

Researchers examine the role of blood iron levels in DNA methylation-based measurements of biological aging.

29 Apr 2025

Pecans lower cholesterol and improve diet quality in at-risk adults, study finds

Substituting 57 grams of pecans for usual snacks over 12 weeks improved lipid profiles and diet quality but did not affect vascular function in adults at cardiometabolic risk. A modest weight gain was also observed.

29 Apr 2025

Obesity changes how the gut responds to plant compounds, researchers report

Researchers found that the impact of polyphenols rutin and genistein on the human fecal metabolome varies significantly by body mass index (BMI). Lower BMI individuals showed more diverse metabolic responses, revealing how gut health and obesity could shape polyphenol metabolism.

28 Apr 2025

Processed blueberry bars provide polyphenols as effectively as raw fruit, research reveals

A randomized controlled trial from North Carolina State University found that food processing minimally affects the bioavailability of (poly)phenols from blueberries and blueberry-enriched protein bars. Both processed and raw forms delivered comparable levels of bioavailable phytochemicals.

28 Apr 2025

Study links ultraprocessed foods to higher risk of premature deaths, modeling shows

A study analyzing data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States) shows that premature deaths attributable to consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) increase significantly according to their share in individuals' total energy intake.

28 Apr 2025