Review of 96 healthy eating studies finds 'nudges' yield best changes in eating habits
A gentle nudge in the right direction is sometimes all people need. In this case, new research finds it works when it comes to promoting healthy eating.
Read moreNutrition
Randomized controlled trial suggests healthier diet may directly reduce depression
Young adults with depression whose diet is usually unhealthy showed significantly fewer symptoms of depression after eating a healthy diet for three weeks, according to a new study.
Read moreHuman gut microbes could make processed foods healthier
A new study sheds light on how human gut microbes break down processed foods — especially potentially harmful chemical changes often produced during modern food manufacturing processes.
Read moreAntibiotic resistance in food animals nearly tripled since 2000
Researchers report that the growing appetite for animal protein in low- to middle-income countries has resulted in a smorgasbord of antibiotic consumption for livestock that has nearly tripled the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria between 2000 and 2018. The researchers found that antibiotic resistance in livestock was most widespread in China and India, with Brazil and Kenya emerging as new hotspots.
Read moreHighly virulent listeriosis pathogen discovered
An international team of researchers identifies the genetic basis for the hypervirulence of a Listeria strain that can cause severe infections.
Read moreCalories in popular UK restaurant chain dishes can be 'shockingly high' warn experts
The calorie content of popular starters, sides and desserts served in UK restaurant chains is too high and only a minority meet public health recommendations.
Read moreWhy we crave junk food after a sleepless night
When you're sleep deprived, you reach for doughnuts and pizza. A new study has figured out why you crave more calorie-dense, high-fat foods after a sleepless night. Blame it on your sleepy nose — or olfactory system. First, it goes into hyperdrive, sharpening the food odors for the brain. But then there is a breakdown in communication with brain areas that receive food signals. Then decisions about what to eat change.
Read moreDNA metabarcoding useful for analyzing human diet
A new study demonstrates that DNA metabarcoding provides a promising new method for tracking human plant intake, suggesting that similar approaches could be used to characterize the animal and fungal components of human diets. The study demonstrated that dietary plant DNA can be amplified and sequenced from human stool using methods commonly applied to wildlife studies.
Read moreEarly humans evolved in ecosystems unlike any found today
To understand the environmental pressures that shaped human evolution, scientists must reconstruct the ecosystems in which they lived. Because putting together the puzzle of millions-of-years-old ecosystems is a difficult task, many studies draw analogies with present-day African ecosystems, such as the Serengeti. A new study calls into question such approaches and suggests that the vast majority of human evolution occurred in ecosystems unlike any found today.
Read moreHow the colon prioritizes gas detox over energy use
Smelly flatulence is one way our bodies manage our well-being. It turns out expelling noxious gas takes priority in our guts.
Read more