Dietary patterns stories

Aug 28, 2026

Keto diet reduced liver fat by 67% in clinical trial

A ketogenic diet outperformed Mediterranean and low-fat diets in reducing liver fat and improving metabolic health markers in a clinical trial of people with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease.

Aug 28, 20262 sources

Aug 20, 2026

Mediterranean-style diet shows modest weight loss and improved diet quality in two-year trial

A two-year randomized trial found that adults with obesity following an adapted Mediterranean-style diet program achieved modest, sustained weight loss comparable to commercial programs, with greater improvements in self-reported diet quality. The findings suggest behavioral diet programs may be valuable for modest weight-loss goals beyond just the scale.

Aug 20, 20264 sources

Jul 25, 2026

Italy faces severe childhood obesity crisis despite Mediterranean diet heritage

Italy, once a model for healthy eating with its Mediterranean diet, now confronts a major child obesity problem, with over 40% of children aged 8-9 overweight in some regions of Campania. The crisis represents a stark reversal for a country that inspired global healthy eating standards.

Jul 25, 20267 sources

Planetary Health Diet linked to lower cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women, 20-year study finds

A two-decade study of over 65,000 postmenopausal women found that higher adherence to the Planetary Health Diet was associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure.

Jul 25, 20261 source

Jul 14, 2026

Eating chili peppers linked to substantially higher esophageal cancer risk

A major review found that people who consumed the most chili peppers had a substantially higher risk of esophageal cancer, though evidence was less clear for stomach and colorectal cancers.

Jul 14, 20261 source

Apr 16, 2026

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Linked to Higher Obesity Risk and Muscle Fat in Multiple Studies

New research shows adolescents consuming more ultra-processed foods have significantly higher odds of obesity, while separate studies link UPF consumption to higher muscle fat content in adults at risk for knee osteoarthritis and worse overall muscle health.

Apr 16, 20263 sources

Apr 7, 2026

High-Fat Diets Linked to Rapid Loss of Protective Gut Immune Cells

Mass General Brigham researchers found that even short-term exposure to high levels of dietary fat results in quick and selective loss of critical gut immune cells in preclinical study.

Apr 7, 20261 source

Top claims

▪In the Washington University School of Medicine clinical trial, researchers supplied all food and adjusted calorie intake so that participants in all three diet groups would lose approximately 10% of their body weight over four to five months
▪The Washington University School of Medicine clinical trial enrolled 42 participants with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease, randomly assigning them to follow a ketogenic, Mediterranean, or low-fat, plant-forward diet
▪The ketogenic diet in the Washington University School of Medicine clinical trial supplied 4% of calories from carbohydrates and 73% from fat, compared to 50% carbohydrates and 35% fat for the Mediterranean diet, and 70% carbohydrates and 15% fat for the plant-forward diet

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