A study from the Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM) at Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands, has found that longer-term consumption of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts can beneficially affect insulin responsiveness in the brains of older adults. The findings were recently published online in the international, peer-reviewed journal Food & Function.

Researchers at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC unexpectedly found that two 300 calorie meals with the same carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, salt, and weight — but that differed in their level of processing — produced different metabolic and brain responses.

A new study suggests that therapeutic food made from locally available crops such as chickpeas, sorghum, maize and soybeans could help make malnutrition treatment more affordable and accessible in regions where it is needed most. By reducing reliance on costly imported dairy ingredients, the plant-based formulation could support local production, strengthen agricultural supply chains and help close the global treatment gap. The researchers say the approach could offer a more sustainable model for expanding access to lifesaving nutrition care.

Patients who received free weekly packages of plant-based groceries through the Mass General Brigham Revere Community Health Center’s Food Pantry for up to three years showed dose-dependent improvements in blood pressure, weight and BMI. 

Students in a new study were neither clearly positive nor negative about more climate-friendly school meals. Their attitudes depended largely on whether the food tasted good, was filling, and felt familiar. Support was somewhat higher for reducing the amount of meat in recipes than for having more all-vegetarian days. 

How do bacteria adapt when resources run low? ISTA researchers have found that, under starvation stress, E. coli can use bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas immunity to transfer and incorporate DNA, accelerating genetic reshuffling. The process resembles a primitive form of sexual reproduction and may help bacterial populations adapt to changing conditions. The findings were published in Molecular Biology and Evolution.