EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

This month, we’re focusing on nutrition and the powerful role it plays in our lives. Here, we’ll share the latest research on how nutrients affect the body and brain, how scientists investigate diet and health, what these findings may mean for building healthier habits, and more.

Healthy eating linked to slower biological aging—but there is no single “best” diet

DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by DZNE finds that healthy eating is associated with slower biological aging—and that there is more than one way to eat healthily. The researchers examined ten dietary patterns considered healthy, including the Mediterranean, Nordic, and a plant-based diet, as well as the DASH diet, which is designed to help lower blood pressure. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Journal: Nature Communications

15-Sep-2026

Diabetes prevention: epigenetic changes may influence the benefits of a healthy diet

Deutsches Zentrum fuer Diabetesforschung DZD
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A healthy diet lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, the extent of this protective effect may be influenced by epigenetic factors. This is suggested by a new study conducted by researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE). The results have been published in Cardiovascular Diabetology.

Journal: Cardiovascular Diabetology

14-Sep-2026

Unhealthy Western diet is linked to faster cognitive decline in people with genetic risk of Alzheimer’s

Murdoch University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new observational study from Murdoch University and Alzheimer's Research Australia has found an association between an unhealthy Western-style diet and faster decline in attention over time, for people who carry a genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Journal: Nutrients
Funder: Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Government of Western Australia, through the Premier’s Science Fellowship Program.

10-Sep-2026

How you feel about fast-food brands can predict overall diet quality

University of Technology Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study suggests liking well-known fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage brands may be a strong warning sign of a poor overall diet, even among those who rate these brands as unhealthy.

Journal: Journal of Health Communication
Funder: Australian Research Council

10-Sep-2026

First-ever healthy checkout policy shows promise for reducing soda sales, increasing healthy snack purchases

Boston University School of Public Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in The Lancet Public Health assessed candy and soda sales in supermarkets, drug stores, and mass-market retailers in Berkeley, as well as three comparison cities in California, after a first-of-its-kind healthy checkout ordinance was implemented in 2021 and then became enforceable in 2022. Changes in sales varied by product and store type: soda sales decreased substantially after the HCO was implemented and enforced, while sales of small-packaged candy decreased significantly in supermarkets after the HCO was enforced. Overall candy sales increased moderately after the policy was implemented (but not after enforcement), but so did sales in healthy, lower-sugar items such as snack-sized nuts and seeds. Supermarkets, which complied the most with the HCO, saw the greatest declines in sales of these sugary items, while drug stores, which complied the least, did not have reduced candy or soda sales.

Journal: The Lancet Public Health
Funder: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bloomberg Philanthropies

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

Latest News Releases

Healthy eating linked to slower biological aging—but there is no single “best” diet

Diabetes prevention: epigenetic changes may influence the benefits of a healthy diet

Unhealthy Western diet is linked to faster cognitive decline in people with genetic risk of Alzheimer’s

How you feel about fast-food brands can predict overall diet quality

First-ever healthy checkout policy shows promise for reducing soda sales, increasing healthy snack purchases

Balancing safety and health: microbial dynamics in food systems

Third of UK government’s nutrition advisors still paid by food companies including Coca Cola and Nestle