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: 20-Jun-2026 07:15 ET (20-Jun-2026 11:15 GMT/UTC)

3-Jun-2026

US tobacco firms used cigarette-selling tactics to globally market ultra-processed foods

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from the University of Kansas details how U.S. tobacco corporations expanded into global food markets from the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, using strategies honed through cigarette sales to market ultra-processed foods, which are industrially processed and contain ingredients and additives that maximize their appeal.

3-Jun-2026

International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine tackles today’s most pressing nutrition topics in Washington, D.C., Aug. 13-15

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Meeting Announcement

Are ultra-processed foods actually good for you? What is the future for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy? How did politics and industry influence the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans? What is causing the surge in the tickborne alpha-gal syndrome meat allergy and how can people protect themselves? These are just a few of today’s most pressing nutrition topics that more than 30 of the world’s leading nutrition experts will tackle at the 14th annual International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine, taking place in Washington, D.C., Aug. 13-15, 2026.

3-Jun-2026

It may not just be what’s in ultra-processed foods, but how they’re made

Tufts University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods had worse health outcomes, even after accounting for the overall nutritional quality of the foods, suggesting that the processing of foods itself may play an independent role in driving those risks.

Journal: American Journal of Public Health

2-Jun-2026

Why drinking alcohol may make you reach for chips and pizza: new research

University of Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Drinking alcohol may lead people to overconsume savoury ultra-processed foods, according to new research from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, with researchers suggesting this may contribute to excess energy intake and weight gain.

The study found these readily available, artificially flavoured savoury foods can act as “protein decoys”, effectively tricking the protein hunger system into seeking foods that taste like protein but do not deliver it. As a result, people may eat more of these foods to satisfy the signal, leading to higher overall intake of fats, carbohydrates, and total energy.

Journal: Obesity
Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

2-Jun-2026

Pennington Biomedical first to estimate pediatric obesity prevalence using new Lancet Commission definition

Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2017–2023, researchers examined obesity prevalence among children and adolescents ages 5-18 years using the recently proposed Lancet Commission framework. The new framework distinguishes between preclinical obesity, in which excess adiposity is present without current signs of organ dysfunction or disease, and clinical obesity, where measurable health complications associated with obesity are already evident.

Journal: Obesity

2-Jun-2026

Medically tailored meals produce better health and lower costs

Tufts University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Analysis of Massachusetts Medicaid data finds that people with diabetes, heart disease, depression, and other conditions who received medically tailored meals for at least six months experienced significantly fewer health emergencies and lower costs of care than those who did not.

Journal: Nature Medicine
Funder: Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services

1-Jun-2026

Starvation triggers reversible epigenetic changes in fish pathogen, offering new clues for aquaculture disease control

KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Prolonged nutrient deprivation drives motif-specific DNA methylation changes in Flavobacterium columnare, a major fish pathogen. Using advanced Nanopore sequencing, researchers found that specific methylation patterns—especially demethylation of a 6mA-modified motif—serve as epigenetic signatures of starvation adaptation. Temperature also influences these changes. The findings reveal a novel survival mechanism in bacteria and provide a valuable methodological reference for bacterial epigenetics.

Journal: Water Biology and Security