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Gene-Diet Interactions in Type 2 Diabetes
The journal Genes (Basel) has published a review of gene-diet interactions in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), describing both the current understanding of genetic risk as well as potential approaches to target genetic risk with nutritional interventions. There is a clear role for hereditary risk in T2D, with first-degree relatives of people with T2D at…
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The Vaginal Microbiome & Immune Response
The vagina hosts a dense and distinct microbial ecosystem, comprising approximately 10¹⁰–10¹¹ bacteria. These microbiota, typically dominated by Lactobacillus species, engage in a symbiotic relationship with the host by producing antimicrobial compounds such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins. These metabolites help maintain an acidic pH and inhibit pathogen colonization, forming a critical component…
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Glucosamine & Diabetes
The Journal of International Medical Research published a meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization (MR) evaluating the association between glucosamine supplementation and the risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Extremely high dose animal studies followed by one previously published human study suggested that glucosamine supplementation might exacerbate insulin resistance when used with osteoarthritis. However, it was too…
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Riboflavin & Bone Health
An analysis published in the Nutrition Journal suggests that an increased consumption of riboflavin, vitamin B2, is associated with a lower risk of developing osteoporosis. Data was collected from over 4,000 women participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional representative study of the U.S. population, including estimates of riboflavin intake…
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Probiotics and Cognition
A meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy of probiotics/prebiotics among people with cognitive impairment was published in PLoS One. A plausible link occurring via the microbiota-gut-brain axis raises the possibility of benefit with supplementation, and this meta-analysis included 10 randomized and controlled clinical trials to discern the strength of this connection. Combined, this was a total of…
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Pomegranate & Skin Health
Results from a 2023 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study revealed compelling findings on the impact of pomegranate (Punica granatum) extract on skin health, particularly through the gut-skin axis. Twenty-eight healthy adults aged 25–55 were administered either 75 mg of punicalagin, a potent polyphenol found in pomegranate (PE), or a placebo for four weeks. One of the…
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Recent Research on Keto for Mental Health
Keto diets are perhaps most popular for weight loss, but a growing body of research as well as increasing numbers of patient anecdotes support the use of keto for mental health. The ketogenic diet was originally developed over a century ago as a treatment for intractable epilepsy, so it has long been recognized that this…
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Dietary Methyl Donors & Biological Aging
A recently published issue of Scientific Reports includes an analysis of the association between the consumption of methyl donor nutrients (MDNs) and phenotypic aging. MDNs are known to play a role in DNA methylation and gene expression, as well as one-carbon and cellular metabolism. Several epigenetic clocks utilize changes in DNA methylation alone to predict…
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Phthalates, Plastics & Cardiovascular Disease
eBioMedicine, a Lancet journal, recently published an open-access article estimating the global mortality attributed directly to phthalate exposure from plastics. Specifically, they estimated the cardiovascular mortality attributable to di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), and the years of life lost as a result. DEHP, used to soften polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastics, was chosen because of its widespread use, robust and…
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Air Pollution, Insulin Resistance, and BMI
In April 2025, JAMA Network Open published the results of a unique long-term cohort study (Meta-Air2) designed to unravel the connections between air pollution, insulin resistance, and body mass index (BMI). Traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) have previously been associated with an increase in risk for type 2 diabetes, but the mechanism has not been entirely…