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44% of frontline NHS staff face weekly nutrition misinformation
Almost half of patient-facing NHS staff (44%) say patients bring up inaccurate or misleading nutrition or supplement information at least once a week, according to new analysis from World Cancer Research Fund.
The charity’s research also reveals a growing mismatch between confidence and understanding among the public, with those who rely on social media for news being more likely to feel confident about finding trustworthy nutrition information online, while at the same time being more likely overall to believe misleading claims about diet, supplements and cancer prevention.
World Cancer Research Fund says the findings highlight the current pressure on healthcare professionals, with confusion online making it harder for people to make informed choices about their health.
In response, the charity is calling on the UK Government to use the NHS Workforce Plan to strengthen support for evidence-based advice on cancer prevention, nutrition and physical activity. Plus, it is launching a simple new TRUST Test to help the public and healthcare professionals spot health misinformation online.
Men's Health Week 2026: men and pharmacy
The theme for Men's Health Week 2026 (15–21 June) is men and pharmacy. As part of this, Men's Health Forum is launching a new report called An Unfilled Prescription, looking at men and pharmacy, specifically how to improve their relationship to improve men's health.
It believes there is a "triple win possible" because "if the government uses pharmacy effectively as part of its men's health strategy, it could boost men's health by improving access, reduce pressure on the NHS and benefit the high-street pharmacy by increasing footfall".
Men's Health Forum also published new resources as part of Men's Health Week, including social media shares and posters encouraging men to use a pharmacy rather than, for example, ask an AI for health information.
You can also view its preview awareness day campaigns and other offerings, such as its new Men and Masculinity workshop by visiting the webpage and clicking the recommended links.
The first GLP-1 receptor agonist pill has been approved by the MHRA for weight loss and weight management in the UK
The UK’s first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet for weight loss and weight management has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as of 11 June 2026.
Alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, the semaglutide (Wegovy) tablet may now be prescribed to adults in the UK with obesity, who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above, or who are overweight with a BMI between 27 and 30 and at least one weight-related comorbidity.
The starting dose for the semaglutide tablet is 1.5 mg once daily, increasing to 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg with a minimum duration of one month at each dose level.
Patients currently treated privately with a 2.4 mg semaglutide injection once weekly can be transitioned straight to semaglutide 25 mg tablets once daily.
Are shoppers being 'protein washed'? New study reveals hidden sugar levels in high-protein snacks
While demand for protein continues to grow alongside wellness trends, a new study suggests that snacks marketed as ‘high protein’ may not always offer the nutritional benefits or value for money consumers expect.
With the increasing use of GLP-1 medications in the UK, users are often advised to consume adequate amounts of protein to help preserve muscle mass during weight loss. However, the research suggests that many products marketed as ‘high protein’ may be misleading.
The study, conducted and funded by Oxford Online Pharmacy, analysed 88 ‘high protein’ snacks available in UK supermarkets. The findings suggest that protein yoghurts are among the most protein-dense and cost-effective options, while protein bars are among the least. Researchers also found that several products contained enough sugar to meet an adult's recommended daily intake in a single serving.
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Not every 'five-a-day' is equal when it comes to flavonoids, say researchers: should guidance be more specific?
According to new research published in the journal Food and Function, fewer than one in five people get enough flavanols (500mg) every day.
These antioxidants may support heart health, circulation and blood vessel elasticity by reducing inflammation.
The study tracked participants' diets and used biomarkers in their urine to monitor intake. In the study of 30,000 people from the US and UK, even in some who regularly ate five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, flavonoids were often lacking.
The researchers, who have been doing flavanol studies with the chocolate manufacturing giant Mars Inc, have said that eating blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad beans and cherries, and drinking green tea, is an ideal way to consume more of them.
While the researchers say being more specific in your five-a-day can improve heart health, other experts are more cautious, saying it is unclear if boosting flavanol levels would prevent heart problems.
Weight loss drugs risk widening health inequalities; researchers warn about the danger of a "two-tier" system
Drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are transforming obesity treatment; however, without affordable, healthy food and appropriate support, they could widen health inequalities in the UK, say researchers at UCL and the University of Cambridge.
In a correspondence published in Nature Medicine, they argue that while weight loss medications have transformed obesity treatment, their long-term benefits may depend on factors beyond the medications themselves.
Access to nutrition advice, healthy food and ongoing healthcare support are all likely to shape whether patients can use the drugs safely and maintain health improvements over time, the team argues.
The authors warn that healthier diets are often more expensive, creating additional barriers for people already facing food insecurity or financial hardship.
Researchers underline the danger of a growing “two-tier system” in obesity treatment, where some people can access medication alongside comprehensive support and continuity of care, while others face significant barriers to both.
Vitamin D levels found to be low year-round in at-risk groups in England, despite a common belief that summer replenishes them
A new study, led by experts at Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre, looked into the vitamin D levels of nearly 300 people from across northern Britain.
The research, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, focused on adults aged 65 and over, as well as people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds of all ages.
The analysis revealed that vitamin D insufficiency was widespread across both groups; more than half of older adults were affected, and rates were even higher among minoritised ethnic participants.
Significantly, vitamin D insufficiency rates didn't improve during the summer months, challenging the common belief that increased sunlight alone is enough to restore healthy levels.
The research was funded by Better You Ltd, a UK-based health and wellness company that makes and sells nutritional supplements.
Inflammation in the Huntington’s disease brain may help identify potential therapeutic targets for treatment
The study was led by the University of Galway and explored whether the degree of inflammation in the midcingulate cortex – a part of the brain involved in emotion processing, decision-making and cognitive control – correlates with the degree of cell death and type and severity of symptoms, particularly mood-related symptoms in Huntington’s disease.
Professor Andrea Kwakowsky, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Galway, and lead author, said: “The results point to a unique involvement of the midcingulate cortex in motor-specific neuroinflammatory pathology, suggesting it may serve as an early marker of disease progression and merits further study.”
Published in the journal Communications Medicine, the research findings suggest a potentially unique role for the midcingulate cortex in motor-specific neuroinflammatory pathophysiology.