Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

Obesity may leave immune cells stuck in inflammatory mode after weight loss

A new EMBO Reports study suggests that obesity can leave a lasting epigenetic imprint on CD4 T cells, delaying the restoration of adaptive immune balance after weight loss. Using mouse models and human cohorts, researchers linked this immune “memory” to DNA methylation changes, saturated fatty acids, autophagy, and immune senescence.

28 Apr 2026

Soy-based nutrients may help reduce COPD symptom burden

Higher isoflavone consumption is associated with improved respiratory health in former smokers with COPD, highlighting diet's role in disease management.

28 Apr 2026

Lipid pathways driving diabetes and heart disease risk in South Asians

Identifying lipid-linked genetic pathways in Asian Indians offers insights into diabetes and heart disease, crucial for developing ancestry-specific therapies.

28 Apr 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

Uterine fibroids may be less common in Latina women than previously estimated

Uterine fibroids may be less common in Latina women than earlier estimates suggested, according to new research.

27 Apr 2026

Estrogen loss after menopause impacts heart health through gene regulation

Virginia Tech scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute say the increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause may stem not only from declining hormone levels, but also from how those changes influence gene activity.

27 Apr 2026

Obesity leaves lasting molecular tags on the immune system

People who live with obesity are 'tagging' a memory of being overweight on a key part of the immune system - leaving people with ongoing risk of obesity-related conditions years after losing weight, according to a 10 year-long study published in EMBO Reports.

27 Apr 2026

Vitamin E intake linked to a key fertility hormone in women trying to conceive

A cross-sectional study of 97 women with infertility found that higher vitamin E intake was associated with lower prolactin levels and smaller hip circumference. Riboflavin and calcium intake were linked to higher muscle mass percentage, but the findings are association-based and need confirmation in longitudinal studies.

26 Apr 2026

Blue Zones longevity claims may rest on flawed records, essay argues

Essay challenges the scientific validity of the Blue Zones concept and Ancel Keys’ Lipid Hypothesis, arguing that both rest on biased data, weak records, and methodological flaws. The authors say some longevity claims may reflect clerical errors, poverty, and unreliable vital records rather than uniquely healthy lifestyles.

26 Apr 2026

Scientists will probe whether processing itself makes ultra-processed foods harmful

A randomized controlled trial protocol will test whether the cardiometabolic risks linked to ultra-processed foods stem from industrial processing, poor nutrient composition, or both. Using four controlled diets, researchers will separate the effects of UPF content from saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium on LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and blood pressure.

26 Apr 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to measurable drops in human attention span

New research from Monash University, the University of São Paulo and Deakin University shows a diet high in heavily processed foods can negatively impact the brain's ability to focus and increases the risk of developing dementia.

25 Apr 2026

Researchers uncover new mechanism linking metabolism, immunity, and skeletal health

Obesity alters bone health not only through increased body weight but also by reshaping the bone marrow environment.

25 Apr 2026

People judge weight loss more harshly when GLP-1 drugs are involved, study finds

In four pre-registered studies across Belgium, the US, and the UK, people judged anti-obesity medication users as putting in less effort and, in turn, viewed them as less moral, competent, warm, and deserving than non-users. The findings suggest that effort moralization may help drive stigma around GLP-1-based weight-loss treatment, even when medication is used alongside diet and exercise.

23 Apr 2026

Study identifies new genetic pathways driving cardiometabolic disease risk

A study published today in PLOS Medicine has identified two new genetic pathways that contribute to cardiometabolic disease, which includes heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

23 Apr 2026

Real-time CGM transforms blood glucose management in type 2 diabetes

A major clinical trial has found that real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) significantly improves blood glucose management in adults living with type 2 diabetes who are treated with basal insulin.

23 Apr 2026

Microplastics in the liver may drive global liver disease rates

There is considerable evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics are present in the livers of humans, and wild animal populations on land and in the ocean.

23 Apr 2026

Legume and soy consumption may improve COPD symptoms

Consuming legumes and soy-based foods may help improve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by reducing inflammation and irritation, according to a new study in the March 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.

23 Apr 2026

Why social supermarkets are gaining attention in the fight against food insecurity

This scoping review found that social supermarkets can offer a more dignified, choice-based way to access lower-cost food while also helping divert some surplus food from waste. However, the evidence suggests they work best as a complement to existing food support, not as a solution to the underlying causes of food insecurity or overproduction across the food system.

22 Apr 2026

Study links common herbicide to rising early-onset colorectal cancer risk

Researchers used DNA methylation-based “epigenetic fingerprints” as proxies for lifelong exposome-related patterns and found that early-onset colorectal cancer was associated with lower Mediterranean diet adherence, lower education, smoking-related signatures, and higher picloram-related exposure signals. They then supported the picloram association in nine independent cohorts and with 21 years of US county-level pesticide-use data, while noting that the findings show association rather than proof of causation.

22 Apr 2026

Low-plastic diets cut plastic-linked chemicals in urine within 7 days, study finds

A Nature Medicine study found that healthy Australian adults were widely exposed to plastic-associated chemicals, with processed, packaged, and canned foods emerging as important modifiable contributors to urinary phthalate and bisphenol levels. In a 7-day pilot randomized trial, low-plastic food interventions reduced several urinary plastic-associated chemicals without lowering daily energy intake.

22 Apr 2026