Health

Magnesium has become one of the most popular supplements on the market. People take it for a host of reasons, ranging from better sleep to reducing stress, preventing muscle cramps, boosting energy levels and preventing deficiencies.

Sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time is linked to a higher risk of dying from cancer, while breaking up long sitting spells with light activity appeared to lower that risk, according to new data. But media reports on the study left many questions unanswered. Here’s what you need to know.

In 1981, a researcher at Mount Sinai School of Medicine named William Fitzgerald noticed something strange—his blood pressure was lower after going for a jog. This anecdotal observation launched a robust investigation into this phenomenon, which would later be identified as post-exercise hypotension (PEH). One of the leaders in this field is College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) researcher and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of kinesiology Linda Pescatello.

Colorless carotenoids are naturally occurring compounds found in many fruits and vegetables, and are the biosynthetic precursors of familiar colored carotenoids such as lycopene and β-carotene. Despite their important biological roles, phytoene and phytofluene have received far less scientific attention because their geometric isomers are difficult to separate and purify in sufficient quantities for detailed investigation. As a result, little has been known about how individual isomers differ in their chemical characteristics and biological activities, limiting their potential development as high-value functional ingredients.

When it comes to losing weight, it turns out the simple math of counting calories doesn’t always add up.

Peptide may not yet be the 2026 Oxford Word of the Year, but it must surely be in the running. From your friendly neighborhood influencer to the gym bros, injectable peptides have been all over social media and are now making mainstream news when things go horribly wrong.

A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed Hong Kong’s first “AI Agent for Precision Diabetes Management—PIPE-AI” (AI Agent), designed specifically for Asian populations, together with a related disease risk prediction model. Leveraging artificial intelligence and large-scale local electronic health data, the system can more accurately predict the risk of complications worsening, such as chronic kidney disease, in patients with type 2 diabetes over the next 10 years, enabling health care professionals and patients to intervene early and improve disease management. The research findings have been published in npj Digital Medicine.

People who sit at a desk for most of the day know the importance of taking a break, but new University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research has determined exactly how often they should get up and move around. The study found taking a short walking break every 20 minutes leads to the greatest reduction in blood sugar and insulin.

The presence of certain bacteria in the gut microbiota, and fluctuations in a person’s metabolism, can be seen in people who go on to develop type 2 diabetes years later. This has been shown in a large Swedish study led by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology. The study is published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

Shoppers in California will no longer see “sell by” dates on their groceries.

Consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) results in a distinct metabolic “signature” in the blood, associated with potentially adverse health conditions, suggests a new study by an international team of researchers. The paper, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, is the first to use targeted metabolomics (the scientific study of the chemical processes involved in cell metabolism) to examine the effects of UPF intake on a large European cohort.