Ahead of World IBD Day on 19 May, footage from the EU-funded Algae4IBD shows how project is uncovering anti-inflammatory and gut-supporting compounds from microalgae and seaweeds, developing them into food prototypes for IBD patients and beyond. 

Bitter-tasting herbal extracts have traditionally been used to support digestion, yet the molecular basis of their effects has remained largely unclear. The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now gained new insights into this mechanism. Using a cellular model, its researchers demonstrated that herbal extracts can stimulate proton secretion in human gastric cells as key mechanism of gastric acid production, with combinations of extracts showing particularly strong effects. Extracts rich in polyphenols proved especially potent. The study further identified three human bitter taste receptor subtypes as key mediators of this response.

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), published by Elsevier, examined the impact of the Healthy Steps to Freedom (HSF-10) program on nutrition, body image, and health-related behaviors among 607 women undergoing treatment for substance use. Findings demonstrated that participation in the 10-week intervention program was associated with significant improvements in nutrition behaviors, physical activity, and intuitive eating, alongside reductions in body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, and disordered eating behaviors.