EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

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

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.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 9-Nov-2026 21:16 ET (10-Nov-2026 02:16 GMT/UTC)

9-Jul-2026

Beyond the screen: new pilot study proves geriatric patients can independently manage digital nutrition apps

JMIR Publications

Research published in JMIR Aging challenges tech stereotypes, showing that custom-built tablet food records are highly feasible and usable for older adults undergoing inpatient rehabilitation.

Journal: JMIR Aging

9-Jul-2026

Yeast dietary supplement may offer safe nutritional strategy to boost cancer immunity

Trinity College Dublin
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (UCD), working in a mouse model, have shown for the first time that a food supplement made from yeast helps the body to make stronger immune cells that can fight cancer.

The research teams found that adding a yeast-based supplement to the food of obese laboratory mice changes how their immune cells grow and helps to make better cancer‑fighting cells.

Being overweight can weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight tumours. The yeast supplement helps to fix this problem. This means that yeast-based supplements could become a safe and natural way to help the immune system fight cancer more effectively.

Journal: Cell Reports
Funder: Research Ireland

9-Jul-2026

Living labs in agricultural, food and nutrition research: How they can be designed for success

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Business Announcement

DFG Senate Commission calls for supportive framework conditions / Long-term funding, new incentive structures and shared societal responsibility for financing

8-Jul-2026

A healthy diet during pregnancy associated with lower exposure to some—but not all—chemicals, NIH study finds

Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Study of nearly 1,500 pregnant participants finds diet quality tied to differences in exposure to certain environmental chemicals from food and everyday products.

Journal: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

8-Jul-2026

Gut bacteria linked to malnutrition may pass to younger generations

WashU Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that an intestinal disorder linked to malnutrition and stunted growth may be transmitted from one generation to the next via the small intestinal microbiome.

Journal: Nature Microbiology
Funder: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Helen Hay Whitney Foundation, BJC Investigator Award

8-Jul-2026

Globally, youth are not eating enough healthy plant-based foods

Tufts University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New global analysis of childhood diets over nearly 30 years in 185 countries finds that children around the world are still consuming low amounts of healthy plant-based foods.

Journal: BMJ Global Health
Funder: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

8-Jul-2026

After weight loss, exercise improves cardiovascular health more than weight-loss medication

University of Copenhagen
Peer-Reviewed Publication

People with severe obesity who exercise regularly have healthier blood vessels and lower inflammation than those who rely on medication alone, a new study from the University of Copenhagen shows.

Journal: Nature Metabolism