Diet News and Research

Latest Diet News and Research

Study: Multiple dietary patterns linked to slower biological aging

A study by DZNE finds that healthy eating is associated with slower biological aging-and that there is more than one way to eat healthily.

16 Sep 2026

Finnish adults eat too little of some foods and too much of others, study finds

Analysis of dietary data from 1,655 Finnish adults found that usual food intake often differed substantially from the quantitative targets later set by the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. Plant-based foods were generally underconsumed, while red and processed meat and dairy intake frequently exceeded study targets, with adherence varying by sex, education, physical activity, age, and energy intake.

16 Sep 2026

What children eat may leave a measurable signature in their blood

Researchers analyzed 236 blood metabolites in 421 children to examine metabolic signatures associated with three dietary patterns characterized by core foods, animal protein sources, or poor-quality fats and sugars. The results identified distinct, biologically plausible metabolite patterns across dietary exposures, although most individual associations did not survive multiple-testing correction and require validation in independent cohorts.

15 Sep 2026

Study links processed foods to targeted domain-specific cognitive decline

An unhealthy Western-style diet was associated with a faster cognitive decline in people with a genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research led by Murdoch University and Alzheimer's Research Australia.

15 Sep 2026

A study of more than 21,000 adults found an unusual link between psilocybin and diet

Using data from more than 21,800 adults in two UK birth cohorts, researchers found that lifetime psilocybin and LSD use was associated with stronger pro-environmental attitudes and a greater likelihood of following a vegetarian diet, with psilocybin showing the clearer dietary pattern. Mediation analyses suggested that environmental attitudes statistically accounted for the psilocybin-vegetarianism association and part of the association with lower red meat consumption, but the observational design cannot establish causation.

15 Sep 2026

Ultra-processed foods enter babies’ diets early. What comes with them?

In a Denver cohort of 114 healthy infants, higher ultra-processed food intake during complementary feeding was associated with greater added sugar and sodium intake at 9 and 12 months. UPF intake showed no consistent relationship with growth through 12 months, while dietary diversity was not reduced among infants consuming more UPFs.

14 Sep 2026

Cockroaches have a reputation for surviving almost anything, but this diet proved deadly

A laboratory study tested how ultra-processed, unprocessed, and mixed diets affected survival in 127 lobster cockroaches, Nauphoeta cinerea. Cockroaches fed only ultra-processed foods had higher mortality than those given unprocessed or mixed diets, although the study could not determine whether processing, ingredients, nutrition, or differences in food intake caused the effect.

13 Sep 2026

Proteomic signatures reveal early signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease in children

Researchers at Vanderbilt Health, UTHealth Houston and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have identified early signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease (CKMD) in children as young as 8 years old that potentially can be reversed with a new class of weight loss drugs used widely by adults

11 Sep 2026

Early studies hint that ketones may affect pathways linked to PTSD

An integrative review found that ketogenic therapy may influence metabolic, inflammatory, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter pathways implicated in PTSD, with animal studies and small human studies reporting early signs of symptom improvement. Human evidence remains limited to very small cohorts, case reports, and pilot studies, and controlled trials have yet to establish clinical efficacy.

11 Sep 2026

Coffee after colorectal cancer? Decaf and caffeine show different links with mortality

In a prospective analysis of 1,098 people with colorectal cancer, researchers found no significant association between total or caffeinated coffee intake and all-cause or colorectal cancer-specific mortality in the cohort overall. Decaffeinated coffee was associated with lower all-cause mortality, while the highest quartile of caffeine intake was associated with lower all-cause and colorectal cancer-specific mortality, although the observational study cannot establish causation.

10 Sep 2026

Healthy checkout ordinance linked to lower soda and candy sales

A new study found that a healthy checkout ordinance implemented in Berkeley, Calif. supermarkets, drug stores, and mass-market retailers in 2021 was linked to notable decreases in soda sales overall and small-package candy in supermarkets, but greater enforcement of such policies is essential for sustained and meaningful public health benefit.

10 Sep 2026

Refined starch activates immune pathways after low-carb weight loss

After substantial weight loss on a very-low-carbohydrate diet, participants who switched to a diet rich in refined starch showed greater activation of circulating immune and metabolic pathways than those who continued the low-carbohydrate diet or consumed a high-carbohydrate diet rich in added sugar. Mouse experiments suggested that activation of the complement immune pathway may help explain the inflammatory response associated with starch intake.

10 Sep 2026

Study reveals processes driving DNA damage in prostate cancer

Cancer begins with errors in the DNA inside our cells, and those errors are often more complicated than a handful of mutated genes.

9 Sep 2026

The link between fish and pregnancy hypertension may start before conception

In a nationwide Japanese cohort of more than 86,000 women, higher fish intake before pregnancy was associated with lower odds of early-onset hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, while fish intake during pregnancy showed different associations with late-onset disease, particularly among women who had not previously given birth. Total dietary omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA intake showed much less consistent associations, suggesting that the relationship with fish consumption may not be explained by total PUFA intake alone.

9 Sep 2026

Caloric restriction reduces genetic mutations across the mouse genome

Mutations are changes in the molecular "letters" that make up DNA, the genetic blueprint for cells. Mutations build up with age in every cell when DNA is damaged or when cells make mistakes in fixing or copying it.

9 Sep 2026

Non-nutritive sweeteners may aid sugar reduction without affecting weight or health

The review, led by Eva Marija Čad of the University of Ljubljana and Wageningen University & Research, alongside Professor Graham Finlayson of the University of Leeds and colleagues from other institutions in the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Belgium, was developed in connection with a 2025 webinar series hosted by the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS).

9 Sep 2026

Why a shorter eating window may not mean better metabolic health

In a nationally representative cross-sectional study of 16,973 Korean adults, researchers identified three distinct eating patterns based on the timing and distribution of daily energy intake. Eating later within a shorter daily window was associated with higher odds of metabolic syndrome, elevated blood pressure, triglycerides, and fasting glucose, while frequent grazing showed a mixed metabolic profile.

8 Sep 2026

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia may slow biological aging in older adults

A new UCLA Health study found that treatment of insomnia using cognitive behavioral therapy slowed the pace of biological aging in older adults.

8 Sep 2026

Stevia tastes sweet, but does your body react as if sugar is coming?

In a randomized, double-blind crossover study, researchers tested stevia alone and with glucose in adults with normal weight, overweight, or type 2 diabetes to assess acute effects on blood glucose, insulin, gut hormones, appetite, and subsequent food intake. Stevia produced no significant changes in the measured glycemic or hormonal responses compared with water and did not significantly modify responses to glucose, while appetite and subsequent energy intake were also generally unchanged.

8 Sep 2026

Helicobacter pylori exposure linked to one in five cases of bowel cancer

Exposure to the stomach microbe Helicobacter pylori may be associated with more than 1 in 5 cases of bowel cancer worldwide, suggests an exploratory risk attribution study, published in the open access journal eGastroenterology.

8 Sep 2026