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.

Post-meal SPARC level predicts who benefits most from the Mediterranean diet

Higher Education Press

A new study published in Life Metabolism reports that a single post-meal blood biomarker, 1-hour postprandial SPARC (SPARC-1H), can predict who will benefit most from adopting a Mediterranean diet. The discovery provides one of the clearest examples to date of how precision nutrition can identify individualized dietary responses using a simple blood test rather than complex multi-omics models.

Journal: Life Metabolism

24-Aug-2026

National Poll: Many parents face challenges getting kids to eat a healthy breakfast before school

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Reports and Proceedings

Three-quarters of parents report at least one barrier to their child starting the day with a healthy breakfast on a typical school day, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

22-Aug-2026

Fine-tuning lipid nutrition for largemouth bass larvae

Maximum Academic Press

A research team has identified an optimal lipid range for granulated microdiets in largemouth bass larvae, showing that dietary fat can strongly shape growth, feed efficiency, nutrient retention, liver condition, and intestinal development.

Journal: Animal Advances

20-Aug-2026

Intermittent fasting may help Type 1 diabetics control their blood sugar levels

University of Illinois Chicago
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A UIC study led by kinesiology and nutrition professor Krista Varady found that time-restricted eating may be a safe, effective tool to control blood sugar in adults with Type 1 diabetes.

Journal: Diabetes Care

20-Aug-2026

UNC researchers reveal how Mediterranean-style diet pattern helps weight loss, improves diet quality

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In the DELISH study, UNC researchers found that a Mediterranean-style diet tailored for Southeastern populations to promote weight loss and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Participants in the Med-South diet experienced a similar level of weight-loss as a traditional calorie-reduction program but showed substantial improvement in diet quality.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

20-Aug-2026

Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and Boston University partner to launch RDN Educational Pathway

Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
Business Announcement

Boston University and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center have partnered to create a unique educational pathway that prepares future registered dietitian nutritionists to meet the growing health care needs of older adults.

The BU MS + Hebrew Rehabilitation Center Dietetic Internship Partnership Program combines Boston University’s Master of Science in Nutrition with a clinical concentration and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center’s specialized Dietetic Internship, offering students a streamlined, 21-month path to advanced clinical nutrition training and supervised practice.

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

Post-meal SPARC level predicts who benefits most from the Mediterranean diet

National Poll: Many parents face challenges getting kids to eat a healthy breakfast before school

Fine-tuning lipid nutrition for largemouth bass larvae

Intermittent fasting may help Type 1 diabetics control their blood sugar levels

UNC researchers reveal how Mediterranean-style diet pattern helps weight loss, improves diet quality

Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and Boston University partner to launch RDN Educational Pathway

Junk food suppliers have “shocking” major presence at UK’s biggest school food event