Health

A first-of-its-kind study of supermarket products has found that in total, the plant-based items sampled contained twice as many food additives as the animal-based equivalents. Overall, the plant-based products contained more additives, more ingredients and more E-numbers than their animal-based counterparts. A team from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London led the research, published in Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A.

University of Louisville researchers have discovered how a naturally occurring microbial compound may help protect the gut and support future treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

New research sheds light on why red meat may worsen inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—and how other protein sources could help protect the gut.

Dietary supplements are an excellent way to fill gaps in our nutritional requirements. From vitamins and macronutrients to gut-health probiotics, dietary supplements have helped people address deficiencies. In recent years, however, the goal of consuming supplements has gone from addressing what’s lacking to improving or maintaining overall health.

When temperatures soar, many people find their appetite suddenly plummets. The idea of eating a hot meal becomes the last thing on our minds when the heat becomes too much to bear.

A new international clinical intervention study published in Clinical Nutrition reveals the molecular and transcriptomic mechanisms through which a dietary intervention may beneficially influence gene expression. The study, led by Prof. Iris Shai and Dr. Hila Zelicha Peer from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in collaboration with researchers from Leipzig University, the Leipzig Center of Metabolism (LieCeM) and Harvard University, provides new evidence that specific plant-derived nutrients may function as an “epigenetic pencil”—shaping cellular health through nutrition.

If your social media feed has suddenly filled with content about ultra-processed foods (UPFs), you’re far from alone. Since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tasked federal agencies last year with developing UPF guidelines, the buzz has been hard to miss. Yet, despite widespread attention to the topic, federal guidelines have not yet materialized, and Americans are unsure how to make healthy choices for their families.

In a randomized controlled trial, researchers tested whether a plant-based, whole-food, complementary-protein meal consumed immediately after a bout of weight training would stimulate a stronger muscle-building response than a nutritionally matched shake made with free amino acids. The study found no differences between the two, even though each contained 20 grams of protein. Both options yielded much lower muscle-protein synthesis than a post-workout meal of 20 grams of lean pork.

For years, many people have taken calcium and vitamin D supplements to help keep their bones strong as they age. Walk into any pharmacy or supermarket and you’ll find shelves full of products promising to support bone health, prevent fractures and reduce the risk of falls.

A plant- and fish-based, low-protein diet paired with small amounts of an amino acid commonly found in eggs, meat and dairy increased healthy lifespan and decreased frailty and fat mass in mice, according to a new USC study published in the journal Cell Metabolism.