https://medicalxpress.com/nutrition-healthy-eating-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Nutrition & Healthy Eating Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral found in everyday dietary items, such as seafood, meat, and whole grains. Our bodies depend on it for many biological functions, from the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes to immune system regulation. However, Se is unusual among nutrients in that the quantity window between too little and too much is quite narrow. Se deficiency has been linked to weakened immunity, while excess intake can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. This makes understanding how the body absorbs, processes, and eliminates Se especially important. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-interplay-host-gut-microbiota-selenium.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:00:04 EDT news699543790 A group of eating behavior and metabolism experts from across Europe have published a Perspective article in the journal Science examining the limitations of current evidence on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-experts-highlight-limits-evidence-ultraprocessed.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:00:01 EDT news699876111 Most folks know intermittent fasting helps with weight loss, usually by limiting your daily eating window or cutting calories a couple of times a week. But does your age change how well this works for you—and might there be some hidden dangers? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fasting-waistlines-exposing-dieters.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:20:03 EDT news699871353 A new study presented at ASM Microbe 2026 demonstrates that a valuable indigenous mushroom, Lentinus squarrosulus, can be cultivated under controlled conditions using locally available agricultural waste. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-indigenous-mushroom-agricultural-food.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:05 EDT news699874382 Top food researchers have teamed up on a special issue of the American Journal of Public Health to push policymakers for stricter action on ultra-processed foods (UPFs). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-poll-broad-stricter-ultra-foods.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:20:01 EDT news699797054 Vitamin D levels remain low all year-round in key at-risk groups in England, challenging the belief that summer sunlight is enough to restore them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-summer-sun-vitamin-d-gap.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:00:04 EDT news699807061 A major new review led by Swansea University has highlighted growing evidence that diet in the early years of life may shape how well the brain develops, with effects that can still be seen in adolescence. Published in Advances in Nutrition, the paper brings together findings from 73 studies—including 48 controlled trials and 25 prospective studies—to examine how diet affects cognitive performance and academic outcomes in young people aged 8 to 19. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-early-diet-teenage-brain.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:20:03 EDT news699795781 A free online NHS program is delivering meaningful health improvements for adults living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) across England, a new study by University of Manchester researchers has shown. The NHS program called "Healthy Living for people with type 2 diabetes" is a website containing written articles, videos, self-assessment quizzes and tools. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-online-diabetes-linked-health-outcomes.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:40:01 EDT news699786841 Concerns about the health effects of ultra-processed foods are growing, as studies increasingly link them to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and even early death. But scientists are still debating what's driving those risks: the nutritional quality of these foods—which are often high in refined grains, sodium, and added sugars—or the industrial processing and additives used to make them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ultra-foods-theyre.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:40:01 EDT news699780302 Imagine not having access to affordable, healthy food. For many Americans, it's a reality. A new study by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that between 2003 and 2023, nearly five million people in the United States lived in food deserts, places with no grocery stores. Most of these deserts are in poor and rural areas and in places where people rely on public transit. At the same time, the number of food swamps or areas with mostly restaurants/fast-food locations increased nationwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-experts-food-swamps-substantial-millions.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:00:02 EDT news699768361 As California lawmakers consider legislation that would require "high sugar" warning labels on restaurant menus, a University of California, Davis, study shows that the labels are effective in dissuading diners from ordering sugary items. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-restaurant-menus-diners-sweets.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:20:04 EDT news699719101 University of Rhode Island graduate student Adeleke Justin Akinkurolere will present ground-breaking research on ingestive behaviors at NUTRITION 2026, an international gathering of nutrition professionals on July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ingestive-behaviors-people-tracked-wearable.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:20:08 EDT news699708241 Across partisan lines, Americans broadly believe ultraprocessed foods are addictive and harmful—expressing attitudes strikingly like those that spurred regulation of the tobacco industry, new Cornell-led research finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-americans-ultraprocessed-foods-pose-major.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:40:02 EDT news699706862 A new UC San Francisco study reveals how Philip Morris Companies Inc. used cigarette research, flavor engineering, and behavioral science to turn Lunchables into one of America's most successful ultra-processed foods for children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-big-tobacco-ultra-foods.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:20:01 EDT news699712650 Drinking alcohol may lead people to overconsume savory ultra-processed foods, according to new research from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, with researchers suggesting this may contribute to excess energy intake and weight gain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-alcohol-chips-pizza.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:03 EDT news699700382 People are often told not to go to the supermarket on an empty stomach. Findings from a new University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka study potentially explain this theory, revealing that the way we think about food changes if we are hungry or full—not just whether we want food, but how vividly we can imagine it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-stomach-vivid-cravings-hunger-boosts.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:20:05 EDT news699703381 A nutritious diet is one of the key ways to stay physically and mentally fit. Research suggests it may reduce your risk of developing various conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Diet may also help protect against depression and other mental health concerns. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-affect.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:20:11 EDT news699699361 Losing weight is hard. Keeping it off is often even harder. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-gut-microbe-weight-regain-dieting.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:40:04 EDT news699624302 At least a dozen U.S. states are rolling out medically tailored meals in pilot projects through Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program serving 71 million Americans who qualify based on income or disability status. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-medically-tailored-meals-health-analysis.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news699531301 Honey has been used by humans as a natural sweetener and energy source to sustain work and physical performance for thousands of years. Recently, it has re-emerged as a natural option for fueling exercise, with some social media users claiming it's the perfect thing to eat before a workout if you need an energy boost. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-honey-natural-fuel-workouts.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:40:01 EDT news699539747 Methyleugenol is a component of essential oils and is found in basil, tarragon, nutmeg, and fennel. When ingested through food, it can be converted in the liver into a reactive form that induces chemical alterations in DNA. "These so-called methyleugenol-derived DNA adducts have already been detected in human liver tissue," explains Professor Dr. Jörg Fahrer from the Division of Food Chemistry and Toxicology at the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau. Despite a known potential carcinogenic effect, it has so far been unclear whether and how these types of damage are repaired in human cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-basil-fennel-compound-dangerous-dna.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:20:01 EDT news699550681 When the intestinal lining breaks down, harmful gut bacterial antigens can slip into the bloodstream alongside nutrients. This breach in the gut's protective barrier, known as "leaky gut," is more than a digestive issue—it's a sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has been increasingly linked to a number of chronic conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-common-food-compound-key-leaky.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:00:04 EDT news699537001 Got some brown bananas on the counter, or soggy salad in the fridge? If so, you're not alone. Research shows on average, Australian households waste about 30% of the food we buy—or 2.5 million tons each year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-food-chuck-nutritionist.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:20:04 EDT news699528301 Drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are transforming obesity treatment, but without affordable, healthy food and appropriate support, they could widen health inequalities in the UK, according to researchers at UCL and the University of Cambridge. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-weight-loss-drugs-widening-health.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:09:11 EDT news699530802 The majority of young children showed good vitamin D status; no child had indications of deficiency, but among some, the intake was too low. This is the result of a study encompassing over 1,800 infants in Sweden. Foods providing children with vitamin D also contributed to greenhouse gas emissions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-vitamin-d-stay-strong-swedish.html Sun, 31 May 2026 22:10:01 EDT news699190778 Both too little and too much weight gain during pregnancy are associated with serious maternal and child health outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, death, preeclampsia, and unplanned cesarean delivery. Women in low- and middle-income countries often face challenges such as food insecurity, poor diet, limited health care access, and inadequate micronutrient supplements, all of which contribute to unhealthy weight during pregnancy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-early-interventions-women-optimal-weight.html Sun, 31 May 2026 13:30:01 EDT news699179436 Researchers have found that consuming lower amounts of protein-rich foods may negatively affect physical functioning as people grow older, underscoring the vital function protein plays in preserving mobility and muscle strength in adulthood. In a large aging cohort study published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers report that regular dietary habits, particularly the consumption of protein-rich foods, can influence how well individuals move and perform daily activities later in life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-protein-rich-foods-physical-function.html Sat, 30 May 2026 09:30:01 EDT news699200734 Integrating a mobile app with online health coaching into usual care boosts outcomes for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study published online April 26 in Crohn's & Colitis 360. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-health-app-inflammatory-bowel-disease.html Fri, 29 May 2026 14:00:04 EDT news699281401 Researchers are calling for stronger measures to reduce sugar consumption after a new paper finds limited evidence that front-of-pack food labels help lower intake among disadvantaged groups. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-limited-evidence-food-sugar-intake.html Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:02 EDT news699267541 An artificial intelligence framework that suggests just one to three ingredient swaps can make meals meaningfully more nutritious and less expensive, according to a new study published in PLOS Digital Health by Trevor Chan and Ilias Tagkopoulos of the University of California, Davis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ai-simple-food-swaps-meals.html Thu, 28 May 2026 14:00:05 EDT news699182143