Health

Two micrograms is an almost unimaginably small amount. It weighs less than a tiny fragment of a grain of table salt. Yet adults need only around this amount of vitamin B12 each day, depending on the guideline used, to support red blood cells, nerves and DNA production.

Have you ever wondered why savory foods like chips, nachos and salted nuts go so well with a beer or glass of wine? And why sometimes you feel an insatiable appetite for junk food while drinking?

New research at Edith Cowan University has shed new light on the growing debate between cow’s milk and plant-based alternatives. Results of the study, published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, suggest that cow’s milk has the edge over plant-based alternatives when it comes to bone strength and nutrient absorption.

Many people cross bread, pasta and potatoes off their menus, hoping to drop pounds and improve their heart health. But there’s a controversy behind this multibillion-dollar wellness phenomenon: Research is divided on carbohydrate-restricted diets.

Ultraprocessed grain intake is associated with an increased risk for developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Chile’s complementary set of policies targeting food products high in fat, salt and sugar plausibly reduces the risk of school-age children being overweight or having obesity, finds a study published in The Lancet.

The presence of minerals in oilseeds, such as Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) and cashews (Anacardium occidentale), does not guarantee that the body will use them. A study conducted at the Diadema campus of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil and published in the journal Química Nova evaluated the bioavailability of these nutrients. Bioavailability is defined as the fraction of the mineral actually released during simulated gastrointestinal digestion and potentially available for absorption.

A year after changes to federal leadership in the U.S. public health system, a new poll finds that trust in public health agencies has dropped dramatically. Only 50% of U.S. adults say they trust health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared to 77% in spring 2025. The fraction who say they trust their state health department has declined from 80% to 66%, and the fraction who say they trust their local public health department has fallen from 82% to 70%.

If you regularly drink soda or other sugary beverages, a new study may give you a reason to cut back.

People who follow a short-term low-calorie diet may have reduced markers of inflammation associated with gum disease. A study by King’s College London, published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, highlights how lifestyle modifications could be important alongside plaque control in managing gum disease.