Nutrition Discovery

Mice taught to link smells with tastes, and later fear, revealed how the amygdala teams up with cortical regions to let the brain draw powerful indirect connections. Disabling this circuit erased the links, hinting that similar pathways in humans could underlie disorders like PTSD and psychosis, and might be tuned with future brain-modulation therapies.

Researchers testing urine from 2- to 4-year-olds in four U.S. states uncovered 96 different chemicals, many of them unmonitored and linked to hormone and brain disruption. Legacy toxins like triclosan are slowly declining, yet replacements such as DINCH plasticizer and modern pesticides are rising. Toddlers—especially the youngest, later-born, and those from minority groups—often carried higher levels than their own mothers. Scientists urge expanded biomonitoring and stricter regulations before these invisible pollutants derail early development.

Over a thousand students revealed a striking link between lactose intolerance and nightmare-filled nights, hinting that midnight stomach turmoil from dairy can invade dreams. Researchers suggest simple diet tweaks especially ditching late-night cheese could turn scary sleep into sweet rest, though more experiments are needed to decode the gut-dream connection.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising sugar-related mechanism inside brain cells that could transform how we fight Alzheimer’s and other dementias. It turns out neurons don’t just store sugar for fuel—they reroute it to power antioxidant defenses, but only if an enzyme called GlyP is active. When this sugar-clearing system is blocked, toxic tau protein builds up and accelerates brain degeneration.

A common diabetes drug may be the next big thing for migraine relief. In a clinical study, obese patients with chronic migraines who took liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, experienced over 50% fewer headache days and significantly improved daily functioning without meaningful weight loss. Researchers believe the drug s ability to lower brain fluid pressure is the key, potentially opening a completely new way to treat migraines. The effects were fast, sustained, and came with only mild side effects.

Rutgers scientists have uncovered a tug-of-war inside the brain between hunger and satiety, revealing two newly mapped neural circuits that battle over when to eat and when to stop. These findings offer an unprecedented glimpse into how hormones and brain signals interact, with implications for fine-tuning today's weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.

A team of scientists has discovered a direct link between the smell of food and feelings of fullness at least in lean mice. This brain circuit, located in the medial septum and triggered by food odors, helps animals eat less by making them feel satiated even before taking a bite. But intriguingly, obese mice lacked this response, highlighting how excess weight may interfere with this satiety mechanism. The finding could have major implications for how we think about the role of smell in appetite and offer new strategies to combat overeating.

A team of scientists has identified specialized neurons in the brain that store "meal memories" detailed recollections of when and what we eat. These engrams, found in the ventral hippocampus, help regulate eating behavior by communicating with hunger-related areas of the brain. When these memory traces are impaired due to distraction, brain injury, or memory disorders individuals are more likely to overeat because they can't recall recent meals. The research not only uncovers a critical neural mechanism but also suggests new strategies for treating obesity by enhancing memory around food consumption.

Obesity is a global health problem that affects many people. In recent years, very promising anti-obesity drugs have been developed. Despite these successes, there are patients who do not respond to these drugs or suffer from side effects. Therefore, there is still an unmet need for therapies. Researchers have now discovered a small group of nerve cells in the hypothalamus of mouse brains that influence eating behavior and weight gain. This discovery could pave the way for the development of new targeted anti-obesity drugs.

A new study suggests how APOE2 is protective while APOE4 increases disease risk by regulating the brain's immune cells.

A specific group of nerve cells in the brain stem appears to control how semaglutide affects appetite and weight -- without causing nausea.

A leading cardiovascular disease researcher is ringing the alarm on universal recommendations intended to improve heart health around the globe. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, with 80 per cent of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. However, international heart-health guidelines are primarily based on research from high-income countries and often overlook upstream causes of CVD, according to experts.

The study explores how social influences, particularly peer pressure, impact substance use -- and misuse -- among young adults. A confidential online survey on alcohol use was given to 524 students at a large public university (not UTA).

People who were less active, with a daily average of more than 14 hours of sedentary behavior, were more than twice as likely to have another cardiac event, including heart attack, surgery to treat heart issues (coronary revascularization), or to be hospitalized again within a year after the first cardiac event.

A hidden link between impulsivity and obesity may not be fixed in human biology but shaped by the cities we live in. Using a novel engineering-based approach, researchers found that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) contributes to obesity not only directly through known biological pathways but also indirectly, by reducing physical activity.

While Alzheimer's disease is mostly considered a disorder of the brain, emerging evidence suggests that the condition also affects other organs of the body. Working with the laboratory fruit fly, researchers provide a new understanding of how Alzheimer's disease affects different tissues across the entire body. The findings reveal new insights into brain-body communication in neurodegeneration and pave the way for identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease.

Humans perceive and navigate the world around us with the help of our five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. And while scientists have long known that these different senses activate different parts of the brain, a new study indicates that multiple senses all stimulate a critical region deep in the brain that controls consciousness. The study sheds new light on how sensory perception works in the brain and may fuel the development of therapies to treat disorders involving attention, arousal, and consciousness.

A collaborative study tested 17 strategies in an 'intervention tournament.' Interventions targeting future thinking, such as writing a letter for a child to read in the future, are the most effective ways to motivate climate action.

Postpartum maternal mental health and mother-to-infant bonding are well-established as critical factors in a child's psychosocial development. However, few studies have explored the combined impact of postpartum maternal depression and early bonding experiences on emotional and behavioral difficulties during middle childhood. A new study reveals significant associations between postpartum depression, mother-to-infant bonding, and child difficulties. Notably, secure early bonding was found to partially buffer the long-term effects of postpartum depression on child outcomes.

Experts are urging people, especially those with existing heart or vascular conditions, to seek medical advice before attempting to lose weight using water-only fasting diets.

A new study puts the spotlight on the rising burden of ischemic heart disease across Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania, and calls for localized, equity-focused interventions in these regions. The researchers identified region-specific, modifiable risk factors that influence the increasing prevalence of ischemic heart disease, such as toxic air pollution in East Asia and ultra-processed dietary dependence in Oceania.

A vitamin supplement that improves metabolism in the eye appears to slow down damage to the optic nerve in glaucoma. The researchers behind the study have now started a clinical trial on patients.

People who eat more ultra processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease when compared to those who eat very few ultra processed foods, according to a new study. The study does not prove that eating more ultra processed foods causes early signs of Parkinson's disease; it only shows an association.

Researchers are investigating how the legal supply of cannabis affects consumption and mental health among participants. In a first academic publication, the study team has now reported on the direct comparison of the substance's legal versus illegal procurement.

When picturing a 'typical' alcoholic, people tend to imagine a person drinking at home alone. But that focus overlooks the social origins of many serious alcohol problems.

Researchers have developed a new imaging method, D-PSCAN, which enables minimally invasive, wide-field, high-resolution imaging of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in living mice. This technique allows detailed investigation of NTS activity and offers broad potential for advancing our understanding of brain--body--mind interactions, as well as informing therapeutic strategies for psychiatric and neurological disorders.

A team of researchers has made a discovery in fruit flies that could change the way we understand brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in humans. The scientists found that Eato -- a fruit-fly protein whose counterparts in mammals were already known for helping brain cells get rid of harmful fats -- actually has a much bigger job. It not only protects neurons (brain cells), from being destroyed, but also increases the efficiency by which other cells, called phagocytes, clean up damaged neurons.

Estrogens are known for their role in reproduction, but a new study reveals that neuroestrogens -- estrogens produced in the brain -- play a key role in appetite regulation. These brain-made hormones enhance the expression of a hunger-suppressing receptor in the hypothalamus and improve leptin sensitivity. The findings highlight a new biological pathway that could lead to innovative strategies for managing obesity and eating disorders.

There is a global shortage of omega-3 partly due to environmental factors, according to new research. This is not just a healthcare issue; it is a public health and environmental challenge.

Researchers found that Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) can help rewire the brain's response to natural healthy pleasure, leading to reduced opioid cravings. The findings suggest that MORE could be a promising tool in the fight against opioid use disorder.

A team of researchers designed and tested a new digital toolkit that helps consumers make healthier grocery choices online -- an innovation that could play a major role in the global fight against chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Body appreciation differs between Middle-Eastern and Western societies, a new international study can reveal, highlighting how cultural and family influences shape body image and eating behaviors in young women. The study surveyed over 850 women aged 18-25 in Australia and Lebanon, examining the roles that mothers and sisters play in shaping body dissatisfaction, body appreciation, and eating patterns.

A preclinical study finds that a drug already FDA-approved for treating inflammatory conditions may help reduce both alcohol intake and pain sensitivity -- two issues that commonly co-occur with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

New research links fatty, sugary diets to impaired brain function. The findings build on a growing body of evidence showing the negative impact of high-fat, high-sugar (HFHS) diets on cognitive ability, adding to their well-known physical effects.

Five-year-olds exposed to paternal depression are more likely to have behavioral issues in grade school, researchers find.

New research has found that nearly half of the time American children spend with their grandparents involves interacting with or watching media on a screen. How that screen time is managed can influence media habits and impact family relationships.

'Do we see colors the same way?' is a fundamentally human question and one of great importance in research into the human mind. While impossible to answer at present, researchers take steps to answering it using a method that can map the experiences of colors between individuals, including those with colorblindness.

Researchers have developed and tested an intervention called Counter-Attitudinal Advocacy and compared it to to the well-established Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF) to evaluate their effectiveness in decreasing drinks per week, peak blood alcohol concentration and alcohol-related consequences relative to a control group.

A new study suggests that perceived stress and depression factor into the relationship between insomnia and hazardous drinking -- perhaps not a surprise. But because the relationship between insomnia and heavy drinking goes in both directions, the influence of stress or depression depends on which condition came first, the analysis found.

Nursing poses major metabolic demands on mothers, to which they respond by eating more and saving energy to sustain milk production. There are significant hormonal changes during lactation, but how they lead to metabolic adaptations in nursing mothers remained unclear. Medical researchers uncovered a mechanism that connects prolactin, estrogen, the brain and metabolic adaptations during lactation.

Heavy drinkers who have eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of brain lesions called hyaline arteriolosclerosis, signs of brain injury that are associated with memory and thinking problems, according to a new study.

With the global prevalence of obesity on the rise, it is crucial to explore the neural mechanisms linked to obesity and its influence on brain and cognitive health. However, the impact of obesity on the brain is complex and multilevel.

New research shines light on how the brain interprets nutritional and hydration needs and turns them into action.

Despite a recent Food and Drug Administration warning against inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, deaths due to misusing the substance are rising in the United States.

The increasing number of people with eating disorders and a lack of national guidance for support teams has led to researchers calling for a new national strategy that includes specific guidance to support the remote delivery of eating disorder services.

Many obese people report losing pleasure in eating rich foods -- something also seen in obese mice. Scientists have now discovered the reason. Long-term high-fat diets lower levels of neurotensin in the brain, disrupting the dopamine pleasure network and decreasing the desire to eat high-fat foods. Raising neurotensin levels in mice brings back the pleasure and aids weight loss. Bringing back the pleasure could help people break the habit of overeating.

The pathogen C. diff -- the most common cause of health care-associated infectious diarrhea -- can use a compound that kills the human gut's resident microbes to survive and grow, giving it a competitive advantage in the infected gut. A team has discovered how C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) converts the poisonous compound 4-thiouracil, which could come from foods like broccoli, into a usable nutrient. Their findings increase understanding of the molecular drivers of C. diff infection and point to novel therapeutic strategies.

Researchers have deepened our understanding of two of the five members of the CDKL family of genes, CDKL2 and CDKL1. They show that variants in these genes can lead to neurodevelopmental conditions, including epilepsy, and propose a mechanism by which the defective variants may cause the neurological symptoms in affected individuals.

New research shows that people with eating disorders are more harshly judged than those suffering from depression, making it much harder for them to seek treatment.

Children who consumed the least amounts of seafood at 7-years-old were likely to be less 'prosocial' at ages 7 and 9 years than those who regularly consumed seafood, according to a new study. 'Prosocial' behavior includes friendly interactions, altruism, and sharing.

Just a few days of eating a diet high in saturated fat could be enough to cause memory problems and related brain inflammation in older adults, a new study in rats suggests.

Researchers have found that women who exhibit disturbed eating behaviors and engage in low physical activity tend to have more central body fat and a higher risk of metabolic low-grade inflammation. This condition increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which become more prevalent after menopause. However, the combined effect of exercise and healthy eating behavior offers the most effective protection against inflammation and may also reduce it after menopause.

People who have a minority viewpoint on a controversial topic are more likely to 'self-silence' themselves in conversation -- and that may lead them to behave against their own beliefs, a new study found.

Obesity rates are set to skyrocket, with one in six children and adolescents worldwide forecast to be obese by 2050, according to a new study. But with significant increases predicted within the next five years, the researchers stress urgent action now could turn the tide on the public health crisis.

A study has provided new insights into the role of the brain as a crucial control center and the origin of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The hormone insulin plays a key role in the development of obesity. The brain's sensitivity to insulin is associated with long-term weight gain and unhealthy body fat distribution. What specific functions does insulin perform in the brain, and how does it affect individuals of normal weight?

Researchers have identified small molecules in the blood that may impact early childhood development, showing how dietary exposures, early life experiences, and gut health can influence a child's growth and cognitive milestones.

When faced with multiple food options and ultimately choosing one, the factors of that decision-making process may be more physiological than previously assumed. A group of scientists recently discovered that the hormone fibroblast growth factor 21, or FGF21, plays an influential role in brain reward mechanisms like those involved in dietary choices.

A longer paternity leave after the birth of a child can improve the co-parenting relationship between moms and dads in a key way, a new study finds. Researchers found that mothers were less likely to discourage fathers' involvement in parenting if the dads had taken more time off after their child was born.

Meeting the minimum requirement for vitamin B12, needed to make DNA, red blood cells and nerve tissue, may not actually be enough -- particularly if you are older. It may even put you at risk for cognitive impairment.

A groundbreaking study has revealed a surprising biochemical connection between plant immune responses and human neurological health. Researchers have discovered that the metabolic pathways regulating vitamin B6 homeostasis -- critical in certain forms of epilepsy and immune function -- are shared by plants and humans.