Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

Semaglutide changes gut bacteria in rats beyond what eating less explains

Researchers compared semaglutide-treated male and female rats with pair-fed animals receiving the same amount and type of food to distinguish drug-associated microbiome changes from those linked to reduced eating. Semaglutide altered bacterial richness and community composition, with some changes absent from the pair-fed groups and uncertain consequences for health.

26 Oct 2026

Beer and liquor show more oral bacteria links than wine in a large US study

Researchers analyzed beverage intake and oral microbiome data from 5,598 adults across three US cohorts and found that alcohol consumption showed the strongest associations with oral bacterial diversity and composition among the beverages examined. Higher alcohol intake was associated with greater bacterial richness and differences in genera linked to oral health, but the cross-sectional preprint could not establish whether alcohol caused these differences or influenced disease risk.

26 Oct 2026

New report urges unified lifecycle approach to women's heart health

A new approach to women's heart health may offer them a lifetime of opportunities. A trio of scientific papers, published today in the journal Circulation, spells out how fluctuating hormones, mental health and well-being, the heart and the brain are linked and how those connections need to be a routine part of care from a young age.

26 Oct 2026

Beer, wine or spirits: A large study finds different mortality patterns for each

Researchers analyzed data from 340,924 UK Biobank participants and found that high total alcohol consumption was associated with greater all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality, while moderate consumption was linked to increased cancer mortality. Beer/cider and spirits showed associations with higher mortality across several outcomes, whereas low-to-moderate wine consumption was linked to lower mortality for certain outcomes, though the observational study cannot establish causation.

25 Oct 2026

Non-dairy creamer drives up calorie count in coffee cups

While Americans have been drinking roughly the same amount of coffee over recent years, the calories in those cups have increased thanks primarily to the addition of non-dairy creamer, according to a new study from researchers at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

24 Oct 2026

Study: Cats on vegan diets show lower rates of obesity

A large-scale survey has found cats fed vegan diets had lower rates of obesity and related health problems, than those fed conventional meat-based diets.

24 Oct 2026

Children's brain reward responses may explain ultra-processed food-related weight gain

Children who eat more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) show stronger responses in the brain's reward network when viewing images of appetizing foods-and these brain responses are linked to increases in body fat one year later.

23 Oct 2026

Fish consumption may help reduce hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

A new prospective study from Japan explored whether fish consumption before and during pregnancy is linked to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.

23 Oct 2026

A study of 802 teens raises questions about school breakfast and blood sugar

A study of 802 U.S. adolescents found that school breakfast participation at least once weekly was associated with a 30% higher prevalence of prediabetes-range glucose markers, while school lunch participation showed no significant association. Higher intakes of vitamins E and B6 and fruit consumption among adolescents with obesity were associated with lower prediabetes prevalence, but none of the reported associations remained statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons.

22 Oct 2026

Unstable immune cells linked to severe cancer immunotherapy side effects

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh uncovered the unstable immune cells that can cause up to 40% of immunotherapy patients to experience serious side effects and showed that diet and microbiome composition influence the side effect's severity.

22 Oct 2026

Intermittent fasting combined with exercise promotes weight loss in obese adults

A trial led by the Joint University Institute for Sport and Health shows benefits regarding weight, body fat, and cardiorespiratory fitness in people with obesity.

22 Oct 2026

Are shared fryers really off-limits for people with celiac disease?

A study finds most French fries and tortilla chips from shared fryers contain low gluten levels, suggesting revised dietary advice for celiac disease is needed.

22 Oct 2026

Beef can fit into healthy diets, but what about its environmental cost?

A narrative review published in Animal Frontiers highlights beef's contribution to high-quality protein and bioavailable micronutrients, while controlled trials generally found no adverse effects on selected cardiometabolic risk markers, although long-term disease outcomes remain uncertain. The authors argue that sustainable food policies should consider nutritional needs, environmental impacts, agricultural productivity, and rural livelihoods when evaluating beef's place in healthy diets.

21 Oct 2026

Blocking specific proteins protects beta cells om excessive cellular stress

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified a molecular pathway that contributes to the death of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

21 Oct 2026

Study shows circadian rhythms vary across different cell types

Biological clocks coordinate the spatiotemporal organization of metabolism with diurnal time cues, and bulk-tissue RNA sequencing studies in mammals have revealed widespread circadian (about 24 h) gene expression in mice and non-human primates.

21 Oct 2026

Pure cranberry juice may help protect teeth from decay

Boil them, mash them, simmer them in a sauce. Whether they’re sweetening a salad, garnishing a cocktail or brightening up home décor, cranberries are an iconic ingredient in holiday festivities.

21 Oct 2026

Rice, fish and pickles: Is the traditional Japanese diet as healthy as we think?

A systematic review of 37 studies found that greater adherence to predefined Japanese-style dietary patterns was associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, based on pooled evidence from three cohort studies. However, health associations varied according to dietary composition, suggesting that traditional Japanese diet scores alone may not adequately distinguish the potential benefits and risks of different food combinations.

20 Oct 2026

Scientists found a link between Mediterranean diet blood markers and longer survival

Researchers found that a previously validated 67-metabolite blood signature of Mediterranean diet adherence was associated with lower long-term mortality across a Spanish trial population and three US cohorts. Participants with the highest signature scores had a 23% lower relative hazard of death than those with the lowest scores in both populations, although the findings do not establish a causal relationship.

20 Oct 2026

Why the same healthy diet may not work the same way for everyone

A review published in Nutrients proposes a seven-pillar precision nutrition framework that combines biological, behavioral, and environmental information to tailor dietary interventions throughout life. The authors identify potential benefits for cardiovascular, respiratory, blood, and sleep health, while emphasizing the need for further clinical trials to establish effective, accessible, and personalized nutritional strategies.

20 Oct 2026

Researchers investigate molecular mechanisms linking high-calorie diets to cognitive decline

The molecular mechanisms linking a high calorie diet to cognitive impairment remain unclear. Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, investigated this association in mice, finding that the diet reduced nuclear protein PQBP1 expression, disrupting the alternative splicing of genes involved in synaptic function.

20 Oct 2026