Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Can a plant-based diet help prevent breast cancer?

A case-control study in Iranian women found that higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet significantly reduces breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women and those with a BMI under 25. In contrast, high intake of unhealthy plant-based foods raised risk in premenopausal women.

22 Apr 2025

Walnut consumption linked to reduced inflammation and lower colon cancer risk

There are new findings out about the benefits of eating walnuts. Results from a UConn School of Medicine clinical trial on the cover of the April edition of the journal Cancer Prevention Research show walnuts improve systemic inflammation while also reducing colon cancer risk.

22 Apr 2025

Plastic additives found in 85% of foods raise concern for infant health

Researchers assessed plasticizer levels in foods typical of the Spanish diet and found widespread contamination, with infants showing the highest exposure. Certain additives, like DEHP, exceeded safety thresholds in high-exposure scenarios.

21 Apr 2025

Only 13% of French adults have optimal heart health, study finds

Researchers assessed the Life’s Essential 8 cardiovascular health (CVH) scores in over 190,000 French adults, revealing that only 13% had optimal CVH. Higher scores were associated with being younger, female, well-educated, and having healthier lifestyle factors.

21 Apr 2025

Ursolic acid modulates estrogen conversion to alleviate MASLD inflammation

The incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been escalating annually, positioning it as the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide.

21 Apr 2025

Muscle building unaffected by vegan or animal-based protein sources

A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein - plant or animal-based - make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day? And third, does a moderate but sufficient daily protein intake influence any of these variables? The answer to all three questions is "no," the researchers found.

21 Apr 2025

Reversing adipose tissue fibrosis through targeted microRNA therapies

A new review published in Genes & Diseases highlights the transformative role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating and potentially reversing adipose tissue fibrosis, a condition closely linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

20 Apr 2025

Traditional BMI cut-offs overestimate overweight and obesity in male athletes

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) shows that the internationally recognized body mass index (BMI) cut-off points greatly overestimate overweight and obesity in male athletes.

18 Apr 2025

Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier structure solved after fifty years

Fifty years since its discovery, scientists have finally worked out how a molecular machine found in mitochondria, the 'powerhouses' of our cells, allows us to make the fuel we need from sugars, a process vital to all life on Earth.

18 Apr 2025

Key enzyme found to influence immune aging and B cell production

Our immune systems weaken as we get older, making fewer cells that fight infection and help us recover from illness and injury. Scientists aren't completely sure why. They may have a better idea now, however, thanks to a new study in GeroScience.

17 Apr 2025

Machine learning helps decode exercise motivation and behavior

Sticking to an exercise routine is a challenge many people face. But a University of Mississippi research team is using machine learning to uncover what keeps individuals committed to their workouts.

17 Apr 2025

Public ignorance and apathy towards bird flu could hinder preventive efforts

In an editorial in the American Journal of Public Health, a team led by researchers from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) say public ignorance and apathy towards bird flu (highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI) could pose a serious obstacle to containing the virus and preventing a larger-scale public health crisis.

17 Apr 2025

How a cartoon bear revealed surprising gaps in toddler hunger awareness

Preschool children aged 3–5 successfully used the Teddy the Bear pictorial scale to rate hunger before and after meals, supporting its validity for group-level research. However, younger children, especially three-year-olds, struggled more with using the tool accurately.

17 Apr 2025