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UCL researchers' new tool spots and evaluates nutrition misinformation’s potential for harm

Unlike existing tools, which offer binary judgements of whether content is ‘true’ or ‘false’, this first-of-its-kind tool addresses misinformation that is not overtly false, yet still has the potential to dangerously mislead, especially among vulnerable groups.  

The research team identified that ‘true’ or ‘false’ assessments fail to capture the cumulative and contextual ways in which misleading health information can influence behaviour and decision-making.  

Health misinformation spread online presents a major public health threat, according to the WHO. From restrictive diets and extreme fasting to the unsafe use of dietary supplements (estimated to account for 20 per cent of drug-induced liver injuries in the US), misinformation can have harmful, and even fatal, consequences.

Food fortification prevents seven billion nutrient gaps annually –but could triple its impact

A new study in The Lancet Global Health contains the first comprehensive global analysis of the impact of current food fortification programs, both in terms of health benefits and costs. 

An international team of researchers found that large-scale food fortification programs currently prevent around seven billion cases of micronutrient inadequacies worldwide annually, with the cost just 18 cents per person.

Despite the success of current programs, an estimated 38.6 billion micronutrient inadequacies persist globally. The number reflects that some people have inadequacies in more than one micronutrient.

The study identified three priority actions that could dramatically expand impact.

Adults who follow more routine eating patterns, such as repeating the same meals, may lose more weight

Sticking to the same meals and eating a consistent number of calories each day may help people lose more weight, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

The study, published in Health Psychology, found that adults who followed more routine eating patterns, such as repeating the same meals and keeping calorie intake steady over time, lost more weight during a 12-week behavioural weight loss program than those who ate a more varied diet.

The research findings suggest that simplifying food choices, such as rotating go-to meals and maintaining a steady calorie intake, may help people build sustainable habits in a challenging food environment. Researchers caution that the study shows a correlation, rather than cause and effect, and that factors like motivation or self-discipline may also play a role.

Thermal processing of tomatoes by air frying and baking: effects on coloured and colourless carotenoid bioaccessibility

The study evaluated the effects of air frying and baking on the concentration and bioaccessible content of carotenoids in cherry tomatoes. Researchers focused on coloured and colourless compounds. Tomatoes were cooked at 180–200 °C for 2–20 min and carotenoids quantified by rapid-resolution liquid chromatography. 

Both air frying and baking improved total bioaccessible content of carotenoids compared to raw tomatoes. Maximum bioaccessible content of carotenoids was achieved at 190 °C/10 min airy frying and 180 °C/20 min baking, with no significant differences. 

Colourless carotenoids were more thermally stable and bioaccessible than coloured ones. Phytoene and phytofluene retained high bioaccessible content of carotenoidseven after prolonged cooking, while lycopene was heat-sensitive. Air frying reduced energy consumption by 78.6% versus baking. These results suggest that air frying is a sustainable and efficient method for enhancing carotenoid bioaccessibility in tomatoes.

Good Food Bill: strengthening national food policy

More than 100 major UK supermarkets, food businesses, investors, NGOs and academics have put their names to a joint statement calling for the Government to introduce a new ‘Good Food Bill’ to transform the UK’s food system and ensure food and nutrition security for current and future generations.

This would be a piece of legislation and an opportunity for the UK Government to set out a visionary plan to transform the food system. It would enshrine in law policies, targets and ambitions to improve public health, reduce inequalities, protect the environment and improve UK resilience. It would also safeguard progress from short-term political cycles.  

This comes in the context of government research released last month warning that in the increasingly likely event of continued biodiversity loss and the collapse of vital ecosystems, the UK could face food shortages, increased food prices and a threat to national security.

US weight-loss drugmakers slash prices in fight to win customers

A starting dose of Wegovy is now available to self-pay patients for $149 per month, compared with a list price of more than $ 1,600 per month when it first launched in the US in 2021.

The competition occurring publicly between weight-loss drug makers in the US is unusual in the sense that normally price negotiations would occur behind closed doors; however, as many private and government insurers have refused to cover the medicines to treat weight, pharmaceutical firms have launched direct-to-consumer sales websites, struck distribution deals with retail giants and launched court battles against off-label rivals.

Although prices remain higher than in many other countries, they are expected to continue to fall in the years to come as patents expire and new offerings enter the market, including lower-priced alternatives such as pills.

Lab-grown food pipe could offer a new treatment for young patients in future

Scientists from UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital have created the first lab-grown oesophagus. It was shown to safely replace a full section of the organ and restore normal function, including swallowing, in a growing animal, all without the need for immunosuppression.

This is a big step towards personalised regenerative treatments for children born with life-threatening oesophageal conditions and could pave the way for translation to other disease areas, say researchers. Other studies have previously shown parts of the technology, but this is the first time that the full process has been completed so successfully.

Researchers are now refining the process and carrying out further safety testing. Future studies will focus on tracking the cells on the tissue, optimising blood flow and preparing the therapy for first-in-human trials. The team hope to be able to offer this as a research trial in the next five years.

Fatty liver breakthrough: common vitamin shows promise

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) impacts around 30% of people globally and has, for a long time, lacked effective, targeted therapies. Now, researchers have uncovered a key genetic factor that worsens the condition. Remarkably, the most effective way to target this factor may be an already approved and widely available treatment: vitamin B3.

The international research team led by Professor Jang Hyun Choi at UNIST, working with Professor Hwayoung Yun at Pusan National University (PNU) and Professor Neung Hwa Park at Ulsan University Hospital (UUH), identified microRNA-93 (miR-93) as a central regulator in MASLD. This marked the first time this molecule had been clearly linked to how the disease develops and progresses.

The researchers then screened 150 FDA-approved drugs to see if any could reduce miR-93 levels. Niacin (vitamin B3) stood out as the most effective. In mice treated with niacin, miR-93 levels dropped sharply, while SIRT1 activity increased. This helped restore normal fat-processing pathways in the liver and improved overall lipid balance.