Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

Cutting ultra-processed foods and exercising slashes diabetes risk

Eating a diet low in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and exercising can cut the risk of type 2 diabetes, even in those with a strong genetic disposition to the condition, new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) suggests.

27 Sep 2026

Gut bacteria signature may predict type 2 diabetes risk

Changes in the composition of bacteria in the gut could provide early warning of type 2 diabetes (T2D), new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) has found.

27 Sep 2026

Could the Mediterranean diet protect the brain through the gut?

A narrative review finds that the Mediterranean diet may support brain health through gut microbiome, immune, metabolic, and barrier-related pathways, but direct human evidence that microbiome remodeling mediates neuroprotection remains limited. The proposed mechanisms involve microbial metabolites, reduced inflammatory signaling, stronger intestinal and blood-brain barrier function, and possible effects on processes linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

27 Sep 2026

Intuitive eating may be linked to more than a healthier relationship with food

A cross-sectional study of 1,057 U.S. adults examined how intuitive eating relates to stress, sleep, physical activity, substance use, diet, self-rated health, and self-reported cardiometabolic conditions. Higher intuitive eating scores were associated with several favorable health indicators, although the study cannot establish causality or determine the direction of these relationships.

25 Sep 2026

MIT biologists discover cellular pathway that triggers colon cancer spread

Most colon cancer deaths are caused by the spread of tumor cells beyond the colon, usually to the liver. In a new study, MIT biologists identified a cellular pathway necessary for colorectal cancer metastasis.

24 Sep 2026

Gut bacteria metabolites directly extend the lifespan of host flies

Gut microbiota influences multiple aspects of host physiology, including metabolic and immune functions.

24 Sep 2026

GLP-1 drugs may influence chronic pain through gut-brain and immune pathways

Researchers reviewed evidence linking GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor agonists to chronic pain modulation through gut microbial, neuroimmune, vagal, and metabolic pathways, with the strongest clinical evidence currently involving knee osteoarthritis and idiopathic intracranial hypertension headache. Much of the proposed biology remains supported by preclinical research, and human studies have yet to establish that GLP-1RA-induced changes in the gut microbiome directly cause pain relief.

24 Sep 2026

Obesity disrupts ILC2 metabolism through increased fatty acid uptake

A group of innate immune cells, known as group 2 lymphoid cells (ILC2), are essential for maintaining a stable metabolism in adipose tissue. Obesity significantly impairs the number and function of ILC2 cells, leading to the progression of metabolism-related inflammation.

23 Sep 2026

A child's gut microbiome may offer early clues to type 1 diabetes risk

Researchers tracking 887 children at high genetic risk of type 1 diabetes identified three distinct patterns of gut microbiome maturation during early childhood. One pattern was associated with substantially higher risk of islet autoantibody seroconversion or type 1 diabetes, while host genetic background altered the risk associated with another pattern.

23 Sep 2026

A chemical used in BPA-free products may have a connection to diabetes control

In adults with type 2 diabetes receiving oral glucose-lowering therapy, higher plasma BPS concentrations were associated with higher HbA1c after accounting for demographic factors, medication adherence, and diet, whereas BPA was not associated with HbA1c. The BPS association was modest and no longer statistically significant after further adjustment for BPA, BMI, and physical fitness, supporting the need for larger studies to determine whether reducing exposure could improve glycemic control.

23 Sep 2026

Cutting ultra-processed foods may improve symptoms of depression

A preliminary study led by UC San Francisco adds to growing evidence that reducing ultra-processed food may improve symptoms of depression.

23 Sep 2026

Dietary changes can prevent Hirschsprung disease symptoms

A multi-institutional study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) discovered for the first time that dietary interventions might prevent inflammatory symptoms associated with Hirschsprung disease, a bowel motility disorder.

23 Sep 2026

What links smoking, body fat, mental health, genes, and heart risk? Inflammation may be part of the answer

In a large UK Biobank study, higher levels of the chronic inflammation marker GlycA were associated with smaller heart chambers, thicker heart walls, impaired diastolic function, reduced stroke volume, and a 43% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in the highest versus lowest GlycA group. Genetic susceptibility also modified the associations between environmental exposures, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk, while inflammatory proteins in the IL-1, TNF, and IL-6 pathways statistically mediated several of these associations.

23 Sep 2026

Loneliness and social isolation cost people years of healthy life

The numbers paint a grim picture. Roughly half of all U.S. adults are lonely, according to a 2023 report, and nearly as many feel socially isolated.

22 Sep 2026

Aging population drives rise in smoking-related mortality risks

Smoking kills. But why does smoking seem more likely to kill now than a few decades ago? In 1987, a smoker had a 3.4% chance of dying within five years. By 2013, a smoker had a 4.9% chance of drying within five years.

22 Sep 2026

Children who ate healthier plant foods had slightly lower blood pressure later

Researchers followed 3,990 Dutch children for an average of 1.6 years and found that higher healthful plant-based diet scores were associated with modestly lower blood pressure and total cholesterol. Children with higher unhealthful plant-based diet scores had lower estimated food costs and distinct metabolite profiles, while healthful scores showed no clear cost association.

22 Sep 2026

New roadmap integrates arts into global health and wellbeing

Researchers have developed a roadmap for integrating the arts across health and wellbeing systems globally, from population health and prevention to community pathways and clinical care.

21 Sep 2026

Experimental RNA therapy enhances weight loss while preserving lean muscle

GLP-1 drugs have revolutionized obesity treatment, but they can lead people to lose muscle mass along with fat. And when patients stop treatment, they often regain their weight - primarily as fat.

21 Sep 2026

Maldives meets UN target for reducing premature chronic disease deaths

The Maldives has become the only country in the World Health Organization's South East Asia region to meet the UN target for reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes.

21 Sep 2026

Early life sugar exposure linked to higher adult anxiety risk

Exposure to sugar in the first 1,000 days of a child's life increases the risk of developing anxiety in adulthood, a new study from the University of Surrey reports.

21 Sep 2026