Diabetes was already known to increase the risk of severe acute COVID-19.

A new study suggests its impact may continue long after discharge from hospital.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo followed 870 people for up to seven months after COVID-19 hospitalisation.

The group included 320 patients with diabetes and 550 without.

Seven months after discharge, people with diabetes were less likely to report full recovery.

Among those without diabetes, 94.3% reported full recovery.

Among those with diabetes, the figure was 89.8%.

That difference may look modest, but the wider pattern was more concerning.

People with diabetes had a higher risk of cardiovascular complications such as heart attack and angina.

They also had greater frailty, more falls and poorer quality of life.

Mobility was particularly affected.

Twenty-one percent of patients with diabetes reported falls after discharge, compared with 11.1% of those without diabetes.

The researchers suggest several mechanisms may be involved.

Diabetes is associated with chronic inflammation, vascular stress and metabolic dysfunction.

COVID-19 adds another inflammatory hit.

Together, they may place extra strain on the heart, muscles and recovery systems.

Hospital stays were also longer among people with diabetes.

That can worsen muscle loss and make it harder to regain independence.

The study also found that 7.3% of participants without diabetes developed diabetes after COVID-19 infection.

That does not prove the virus directly caused it.

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The infection may have revealed pre-existing risk, or the pandemic environment may have worsened diet, stress, inactivity and weight gain.

Still, the finding deserves attention.

For people with diabetes, the message is that recovery from COVID-19 may need more than a discharge letter and a few weeks of rest.

Cardiovascular health, mobility, frailty, glucose control and quality of life all need monitoring.

Long COVID care should not treat diabetes as background noise.

It may be one of the factors shaping who struggles to recover fully.

Statins reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

That benefit is well established.

But some people taking statins develop muscle pain, weakness or reduced tolerance, even when standard blood tests do not show obvious muscle injury.

A new study in Science Advances explores why that may happen.

The researchers developed experimental models of mild statin-related muscle problems.

They found that statins affected more than cholesterol production.

Statins block the mevalonate pathway, which helps produce cholesterol, but also produces molecules called isoprenoids.

These isoprenoids are needed for protein prenylation, a process that helps certain proteins function properly.

When isoprenoid production and prenylation fell, muscle cells entered a stress state.

That stress appeared to activate NLRP3 inflammasomes.

These are inflammatory danger-sensing complexes involved in immune signalling.

In the models, this pathway increased markers linked with muscle atrophy, including atrogin-1.

It also reduced muscle cell size and impaired muscle function.

The effect was stronger when cells were first exposed to an inflammatory trigger.

That is interesting because it suggests some people may be more vulnerable when muscle cells are already primed by inflammation, infection, gut-barrier signals or other stressors.

In mice, deleting NLRP3 reduced abnormal muscle changes by about half.

Adding back an isoprenoid also reduced some of the muscle atrophy signals in cell experiments.

The researchers also found changes in YAP, a protein involved in maintaining muscle mass and function.

This gives a more detailed picture of statin-associated muscle symptoms.

The problem may not be cholesterol lowering itself.

It may be collateral disruption of isoprenoid-related muscle pathways and inflammatory danger signalling.

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That distinction matters.

If confirmed in human studies, it could lead to ways of reducing muscle side effects without losing the cardiovascular protection statins provide.

For now, no one should stop statins because of this study.

But people with muscle symptoms should discuss them properly with a clinician.

The goal is not to dismiss symptoms or abandon treatment.

It is to understand the biology well enough to manage both.

A major analysis of NHS records suggests obesity in England is now affecting around one in three adults.

Researchers examined linked electronic health records covering more than 54 million adults between 2019 and 2025.

By April 2025, recorded obesity prevalence had risen to 30.3%.

That is up from 26.3% in 2019.

The study also found 4.1 million people were newly recorded as having obesity during the period.

But the headline number hides major inequalities.

Recorded obesity was 35% higher in the most deprived groups compared with the least deprived.

The increase was especially marked among women, Black women and adults aged 20 to 39.

Non-White groups also tended to have obesity recorded up to 14 years earlier than White groups.

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Some of the most striking figures were seen among older Black women.

Among Black women over 40, obesity prevalence exceeded 40% regardless of deprivation level.

Using ethnicity-specific BMI thresholds pushed estimates even higher in some groups.

Regional differences were also sharp.

Some areas had recorded obesity prevalence below 10%, while others were close to 50%.

The largest increases were seen in less affluent areas, where obesity was already more common.

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have distorted diagnosis patterns.

Recorded obesity diagnoses fell temporarily during the pandemic, probably because people had fewer routine healthcare contacts.

They then rebounded as services resumed.

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That matters because the study relies on routine health records.

People who see their GP less often may be under-recorded, particularly younger adults.

Even so, the researchers found that the broad inequalities remained consistent.

The message is hard to dodge.

Obesity in England is not rising evenly.

It is being shaped by poverty, ethnicity, sex, geography and access to care.

Medication can help some people, but it does not fix the conditions that drive obesity in the first place.

If prevention does not tackle food environments, income, housing, work, transport and local access to healthy options, the gap will keep widening.

The most useful exercise is not always the one that looks impressive.

Sometimes it is the movement that helps you stay upright on a packed bus, lift a child without hurting your back or get off the floor without a struggle.

Here are 10 practical exercises that carry over into everyday life.

1. Side plank with movement

A side plank trains the body to resist being pulled sideways.

That helps with public transport, carrying a bag on one side or staying steady when someone bumps into you.

Start on one forearm with feet staggered, then add small hip dips or leg lifts when you feel stable.

2. Suitcase carry

Hold a heavy weight in one hand and walk tall.

This trains the core to stop you tipping sideways, which is exactly what you need when carrying shopping, luggage or a toolbox.

3. Thoracic rotations

The mid-back often gets stiff from sitting.

Practising controlled rotations helps with turning in the car, reaching behind you or moving without dumping all the twist into your lower back.

Sit tall, keep the hips still and rotate from the chest.

4. Cossack squat

This is a side-to-side squat that builds hip mobility, ankle mobility and lateral strength.

It is useful for stepping sideways, recovering from a stumble or moving across uneven ground.

5. Wood chops

Wood chops train rotation under control.

They help prepare the body for lifting and turning, such as putting luggage in an overhead locker or moving a child from one side to another.

Use a resistance band, cable or light weight.

6. Glute bridge

Bridges wake up the glutes and hamstrings, which often switch off after too much sitting.

Strong glutes support the lower back and make walking, gardening, lifting and climbing stairs easier.

7. Bear crawl

Crawling reconnects the shoulders, hips, trunk, hands and feet.

It looks simple, but it quickly exposes weakness in coordination and core control.

It is also very useful if you ever need to get down to a child’s level without feeling ancient.

8. Slow step-downs

Most people train going up but ignore coming down.

Slow step-downs build the braking strength needed for stairs, hills and awkward descents.

Step onto a low box, then lower one foot to the floor slowly and with control.

9. Turkish get-up

This movement trains the journey from lying down to standing.

It builds balance, coordination, shoulder stability and practical strength.

You can start without weight, or balance a shoe on your fist to keep the movement controlled.

10. Sandbag bear hug carry

Real life loads are rarely neat dumbbells.

A sandbag, rucksack or bag of compost forces the body to manage awkward weight.

Hug it to your chest and walk, squat or lunge.

This is the kind of strength that actually shows up when life demands it.

The point is not to do all 10 every day.

Pick a few that match the tasks you want to feel better at.

A stronger body is useful, but a more capable body is better.

Health misinformation about supplements has become a routine problem in NHS consultations.

A survey for the World Cancer Research Fund found that two in five frontline health workers encounter misleading supplement claims from patients at least once a week.

Among nurses and midwives, the figure was even higher.

The problem is not simply that people are curious about vitamins or herbal products.

It is that many arrive with claims from TikTok, wellness websites, social media influencers and newspaper headlines that sound confident but are not backed by good evidence.

Cancer specialists are especially concerned.

Patients facing cancer are often frightened, exhausted and searching for control.

That makes them vulnerable to promises of miracle cures, detoxes, superfoods or supplements that claim to boost recovery.

Some of these claims are merely useless.

Others can be dangerous.

Apricot kernels, for example, can cause cyanide toxicity.

St John’s wort can interact with medicines.

Turmeric supplements have been linked with liver injury in some cases.

Magnesium is not one single thing either.

Different forms behave differently, and some can cause diarrhoea.

The wider misconception is that over-the-counter products are automatically harmless.

That is not true.

If a supplement has an active effect, it can also have side effects, interactions and risks.

The concern is that false claims may pull people away from the changes that genuinely reduce cancer risk.

These include not smoking, keeping a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, eating a balanced diet and being physically active.

Clinicians are now spending precious appointment time undoing misinformation rather than focusing on care.

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That is a problem for patients and for an already pressured NHS.

None of this means every supplement should be dismissed.

Vitamin D, folic acid in pregnancy and clinically recommended supplements can be important.

But the decision should be based on need, evidence and safety, not online hype.

The simplest rule is still the best one.

If you have cancer, take regular medication or have a long-term condition, speak to a qualified health professional before starting supplements.

Your health is too important to outsource to an algorithm.

GLP-1 drugs were developed for type 2 diabetes and then transformed weight loss treatment.

Now they are raising another question.

Could the same drugs also help reduce addictive behaviours?

Human studies suggest GLP-1 agonists may reduce alcohol consumption.

Animal studies suggest they may also reduce use of cocaine, amphetamines, opiates and nicotine.

That has forced researchers to look again at how the brain links craving, reward and behaviour.

The obvious place to look would be the classic dopamine reward system.

This includes areas such as the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens.

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These regions are heavily involved in pleasure, motivation and reinforcement.

But they do not appear to have many GLP-1 receptors, which makes them unlikely to be the whole explanation.

Attention is now shifting upstream to a brain region called the lateral septum.

This area has historically been linked to emotion, but newer research places it in a much more interesting role.

It receives information from the hippocampus, the brain region involved in memory, context and place.

The hippocampus helps answer “where am I?” and “when is this happening?”

The lateral septum seems to add another layer: “what is rewarding here?”

That matters for craving.

A person does not just want alcohol, food or nicotine in the abstract.

Craving is often tied to place, memory, routine and mental imagery.

The lateral septum may be one of the regions that links those pieces together.

It is also rich in GLP-1 receptors.

That makes it a strong candidate for explaining why GLP-1 drugs can reduce consumption.

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Recent animal studies show that activating GLP-1 receptors in the lateral septum can reduce food and alcohol intake.

This is still early neuroscience, not a ready-made treatment plan.

But it is an important shift.

The effect of GLP-1 drugs may not simply be about feeling full.

They may also quieten the mental pull of reward itself.

That could have major implications for obesity, alcohol dependence and other substance use disorders.

The hard part now is proving what applies to humans, who benefits and how to use these drugs safely outside their current indications.

Fresh fruit and vegetables have a healthy image, but they are not always the most practical option.

They can be expensive, spoil quickly and take time to prepare.

Frozen and canned produce often gets treated as second best, but that is not really fair.

For many households, it can be the easiest way to eat more fruit and vegetables without wasting food or money.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are usually picked and processed quickly, which helps preserve many nutrients.

Canned produce also retains much of its nutritional value, even though some heat-sensitive vitamins can be reduced during processing.

In real life, the comparison is not always fresh from the field versus frozen from a bag.

It is often frozen vegetables versus fresh vegetables that have been sitting in a fridge for a week.

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On that basis, frozen and canned options can compete very well.

They are also convenient.

Frozen peas, edamame, spinach and mixed vegetables can be added straight into meals.

Canned beans, lentils and chickpeas can bulk out soups, stews, pasta sauces and salads.

That adds fibre and protein without much extra effort.

Canned fruit can also be useful, especially with yoghurt, porridge or cereal.

The key is choosing it in juice rather than syrup.

For canned vegetables and beans, salt is the main issue.

Look for “no added salt” or lower-salt options where possible.

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Draining and rinsing canned beans and vegetables can also reduce sodium.

There are some safety points.

Frozen vegetables should be cooked if the packet says they are not ready to eat, because contamination with bacteria such as listeria is possible.

Dried beans and lentils can be even cheaper than canned ones, but they take longer to prepare.

Dried fruit is different again.

It is concentrated in sugar, so it is better as an occasional snack rather than a straight replacement for fresh, frozen or canned fruit.

The practical takeaway is simple.

If cost, time or waste are stopping you eating enough fruit and vegetables, frozen and canned options are not a compromise.

Used well, they are part of the solution.

A red heat warning is not normal summer weather.

It means dangerous conditions are expected and there is a real risk to life, disruption to travel and pressure on services.

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Here are 10 practical ways to reduce the risk over the next few days.

Avoid the hottest part of the day

Try to stay out of direct sun between 11am and 3pm.

If you need to go out, move slowly, use shade and keep the trip as short as possible.

Treat public transport as a heat risk

Buses, trains and platforms can become brutally hot, especially if services are delayed.

Carry water, avoid crowded journeys where possible and give yourself permission to abandon a trip if the heat feels unsafe.

Keep your home cooler before it heats up

Close curtains or blinds in rooms facing the sun.

If the air outside is hotter than inside, keep windows closed during the hottest hours and open them later when temperatures fall.

Drink before you feel thirsty

Thirst is not a perfect warning system.

Sip water regularly and be cautious with alcohol, which can worsen dehydration and judgement.

Eat lighter food if heavy meals feel too much

Cold meals, fruit, yoghurt, salads and smaller portions may be easier in extreme heat.

The priority is keeping fluids and salts balanced, not forcing a normal routine.

Cool your skin directly

A cool shower, damp cloth, spray bottle or wet towel can help bring your temperature down.

Cooling the neck, wrists and feet can feel especially effective.

Do not exercise in the peak heat

Move workouts, dog walks and gardening to early morning or late evening.

If you feel dizzy, weak, nauseous or unusually breathless, stop immediately.

Check on people who may struggle

Older adults, babies, people with long-term conditions and those living alone are at higher risk.

A quick call or visit can catch problems before they become emergencies.

Know the danger signs

Heat exhaustion can cause headache, dizziness, weakness, cramps, heavy sweating, thirst and feeling sick.

Move somewhere cool, drink fluids and cool the skin.

Treat heatstroke as an emergency

If someone becomes confused, very drowsy, unconscious, has a seizure or is hot but not sweating, call 999.

Heatstroke is not something to “sleep off”.

The main message is simple.

Do less, cool down early and take the warning seriously.

A heatwave at this level is not just uncomfortable.

It can be dangerous even for people who usually consider themselves fit and healthy.

Nordic walking may look like ordinary walking with poles, but it is much more physically demanding than it seems.

Because the poles recruit the arms, shoulders and trunk as well as the legs, Nordic walking turns a simple walk into a full-body aerobic workout.

A new randomised controlled trial suggests that this form of exercise may also have a strong antidepressant effect.

Researchers recruited 64 adults with moderate to severe depression who were not already exercising regularly.

Participants were split into two groups.

One group joined supervised Nordic walking sessions twice a week for 10 weeks, while the control group did not take part in exercise.

Each walking session lasted one hour and was led by a trained instructor.

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Heart rate monitors were used to make sure participants were exercising at a moderate intensity.

Depression symptoms were assessed before the programme, halfway through and at the end.

The results were striking.

People in the Nordic walking group improved much more than those in the control group.

Most of the improvement happened early, within the first five weeks.

That matters because many exercise programmes are framed as something people need to keep up for months before they feel a meaningful benefit.

This study suggests some people may notice a change much sooner.

Participants with severe depression improved especially quickly during the first half of the programme.

By the end, between 35% and 53.6% of those in the Nordic walking group had reached remission, meaning their symptoms had fallen below the threshold for clinical depression.

No injuries or health problems were reported during the programme.

That makes the findings even more useful from a public health point of view.

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Nordic walking is relatively cheap, low-tech and easy to run in community settings.

It will not replace therapy, medication or crisis care for people who need them.

But it does strengthen the case for prescribing structured physical activity as part of depression treatment.

The real lesson is that exercise should not be treated as a vague wellbeing suggestion.

Done properly, with supervision and enough intensity, it can be a legitimate clinical tool.

Most people know exercise is good for them.

That knowledge alone is not enough.

Many people start an exercise routine with good intentions, then stop within weeks.

Research suggests the difference between stopping and sticking with it often comes down to motivation, enjoyment and support.

People are more likely to keep exercising when they feel in control of the activity.

That means choosing something that fits their preferences, their body and their life.

Exercise driven only by guilt or external pressure is harder to maintain.

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It may work briefly, but it rarely builds a long-term habit.

Enjoyment matters more than people admit.

If a workout feels miserable every time, the brain learns to avoid it.

If it leaves someone feeling better, more confident or more connected, they are more likely to return.

Self-belief also matters.

People need to feel that they can keep going, even after a missed session, a bad week or a dip in progress.

That is why rigid plans often fail.

Real life is messy.

Work, family, fatigue, stress and health problems all get in the way.

A good exercise plan has enough structure to build routine, but enough flexibility to survive normal life.

Social support helps too.

Training with a friend, joining a group or having encouragement from others can make exercise feel less isolating.

For beginners, gradual progression is usually better than going too hard too soon.

The goal is to build confidence, not prove a point.

Digital tools can help by tracking progress and giving reminders.

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But they should support motivation, not create shame or pressure.

The best approach is simple.

Choose something you can repeat, make it manageable and build from there.

Long-term exercise is not about perfect discipline.

It is about making movement feel worthwhile enough to come back to.

Potatoes often get blamed for raising diabetes risk, but a new study suggests the cooking method matters.

Researchers analysed data from more than 205,000 US health professionals followed for nearly 40 years.

At the start, participants did not have diabetes, heart disease or cancer.

Their diets were assessed every four years.

During follow-up, 22,299 people developed type 2 diabetes.

Overall, every three servings of potatoes per week were linked with a 5% higher rate of type 2 diabetes.

But when researchers looked at preparation method, French fries stood out.

Three weekly servings of French fries were linked with a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

Boiled, baked or mashed potatoes were not linked with a statistically significant increase.

That is an important difference.

A boiled potato and a portion of fries are not the same food in practice.

French fries are usually cooked in oil, often eaten with salt and may come as part of a wider fast-food pattern.

The study also looked at what people ate instead of potatoes.

Replacing potatoes with whole grains was linked with lower type 2 diabetes risk.

Replacing French fries with whole grains was linked with a 19% lower rate.

But replacing potatoes with white rice was linked with higher diabetes risk.

This suggests the question should not just be “are potatoes good or bad?”

It should be “how are they cooked and what are they replacing?”

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The study was observational, so it cannot prove French fries directly cause diabetes.

But the pattern is plausible.

For people worried about diabetes risk, the advice is not to fear all potatoes.

It is to keep fries occasional and prioritise whole grains, vegetables and less processed carbohydrate sources.

Ultra-processed foods may affect focus and mental processing, even in people who otherwise eat fairly well.

Researchers from Monash University, the University of São Paulo and Deakin University analysed data from more than 2,100 middle-aged and older adults without dementia.

They looked at diet quality, ultra-processed food intake and cognitive performance.

Participants got around 41% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.

That is close to the Australian national average.

The researchers found that every 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake was linked with lower scores on tests of attention and processing speed.

A 10% increase is roughly equivalent to adding a standard packet of crisps to the daily diet.

The finding is important because attention is not a minor function.

It underpins learning, problem-solving, decision-making and everyday concentration.

The study also found that the association appeared regardless of overall diet quality.

Even people following a Mediterranean-style diet showed poorer attention scores when ultra-processed food intake was higher.

That suggests the issue may not simply be missing out on healthy foods.

The processing itself may be part of the problem.

Ultra-processed foods often contain additives, altered food structures and processing by-products.

They are also frequently high in salt, sugar and unhealthy fats.

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The researchers also found higher ultra-processed food intake was linked with dementia risk factors such as obesity and high blood pressure.

This does not prove that ultra-processed foods cause dementia or directly damage attention.

The study was observational.

But it adds to a growing picture.

Ultra-processed foods may affect health in ways that go beyond weight and blood sugar.

They may also be linked to how clearly we think and how well we focus.

A small study from King’s College London suggests a fasting-style diet may help reduce inflammation linked to gum disease.

The research looked at periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease that can damage the tissues supporting the teeth.

Gum disease is usually treated through plaque control, professional cleaning and good oral hygiene.

But researchers are increasingly interested in whether diet and inflammation also play a role.

The study recruited 28 patients from hospitals in Spain.

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One group followed a calorie-restricted diet, while the other continued eating as usual.

The fasting-style diet lasted five days at a time.

Participants consumed 1,100 calories per day for the first two days, then 750 calories per day for the next three days.

They then gradually reintroduced food before returning to their usual diet.

This cycle was repeated three times over six months.

At the end of the study, researchers tested blood and gum fluid samples.

The fasting group had lower levels of inflammation-related markers than the control group.

They also had lower C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation across the body.

The researchers think fasting may help by reducing oxidative stress and lowering inflammation.

It may also affect the oral microbiome, although that needs more research.

This is interesting because gum disease is not just a mouth problem.

It has been linked with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

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That does not mean fasting is a treatment for gum disease.

The study was small and needs to be repeated in larger groups.

It also will not be suitable for everyone.

People with diabetes, a history of eating disorders or certain medical conditions should not attempt fasting-style diets without clinical advice.

The practical message is that oral health is shaped by more than brushing alone.

Diet, inflammation and wider metabolic health may all matter.

A new weekly injection for type 2 diabetes has shown strong results in a phase 3 trial.

The drug, retatrutide, is designed to lower blood sugar, reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure.

It works differently from current GLP-1 drugs because it targets three hormone pathways.

These are GLP-1, GIP and glucagon.

Ozempic and Wegovy mainly target GLP-1, while Mounjaro targets GLP-1 and GIP.

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Retatrutide adds glucagon receptor activity, which may help the body burn more energy.

In the trial, 930 adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive weekly retatrutide or placebo.

None were already taking diabetes medicines.

All had inadequately controlled blood sugar and a body mass index of at least 23.

After 40 weeks, people taking retatrutide had average HbA1c reductions of around 1.7 to 1.9 percentage points.

That compared with a 0.8 percentage point fall in the placebo group.

Weight loss was also substantial.

Participants taking retatrutide lost around 11.5% to 15.3% of body weight, compared with 2.6% on placebo.

Cholesterol and blood pressure also improved in those taking the drug.

Most side effects were mild to moderate and tended to ease over time.

As with other drugs in this class, gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common issue.

That usually means nausea, diarrhoea, constipation or vomiting.

The results are encouraging, especially for people living with both type 2 diabetes and obesity.

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But there is an important caveat.

This study compared retatrutide with placebo, not with semaglutide or tirzepatide.

So it cannot prove from this trial alone that retatrutide is better than existing treatments.

Head-to-head trials will be needed.

Even so, the data suggest triple-action drugs may become a major next step in diabetes and obesity care.

The UK has approved its first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet for weight loss and weight management.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has authorised a semaglutide tablet under the Wegovy brand.

Until now, GLP-1 weight loss treatment has largely been associated with injections.

This approval means some adults may eventually have an oral option.

The tablet may be prescribed to adults with obesity, defined as a BMI of 30 or above.

• Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator

It may also be prescribed to adults with a BMI between 27 and 30 if they have at least one weight-related condition.

As with other GLP-1 treatments, it is intended to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

The starting dose is 1.5mg once a day.

This is then increased step by step to 4mg, 9mg and 25mg, with at least one month at each dose level.

People currently using private 2.4mg weekly semaglutide injections may be able to move directly to 25mg daily tablets.

The way the tablet is taken matters.

It should be swallowed whole on an empty stomach after fasting for at least eight hours.

It should be taken with a sip of water, and no food or drink should be consumed for at least 30 minutes afterwards.

Eating or drinking too soon can reduce absorption.

Semaglutide works by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone released after eating.

It acts on areas of the brain involved in appetite, helping people feel fuller and reducing hunger and cravings.

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The most common side effects are gastrointestinal, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting.

Although the tablet has been approved for use in the UK, it is not currently available through the NHS.

NHS access will depend on the usual evaluation process, including assessment by NICE.

So this is an important regulatory step, but not the same as immediate public access.

Fructose and glucose contain the same number of calories, but the brain may not treat them the same way.

A new mouse study suggests fructose sends a weaker fullness signal than glucose.

Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center looked at how the two sugars communicate with the brain through the gut.

They focused on AgRP neurons, a group of brain cells that help drive hunger.

When these neurons are active, the brain receives a stronger signal to seek food.

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The researchers found that fructose triggered a rise in the gut hormone PYY.

This hormone then acted through the vagus nerve, which connects the gut and brain.

But the effect was modest.

Fructose only weakly reduced AgRP neuron activity.

Glucose worked differently and caused a much stronger suppression of these hunger-related neurons.

That suggests the body may register the two sugars in different ways, even though they provide the same calories.

The researchers also looked at high-fructose corn syrup, which contains both fructose and glucose.

Mice preferred it, and it suppressed AgRP neurons more strongly than fructose alone.

That may help explain why foods and drinks containing high-fructose corn syrup can be especially attractive.

• Fructose may play a bigger role in metabolic disease than previously thought
• Fructose and inflammation: sweetener that may make infections harder to fight

The study challenges the idea that the brain simply tracks calories regardless of the nutrient source.

Instead, the brain seems to detect the type of sugar and respond through different biological pathways.

This was a mouse study, so it cannot be directly applied to humans.

But it adds to growing evidence that fructose may behave differently from glucose in appetite regulation and metabolic health.

The practical message is not that fruit is the problem.

Whole fruit contains fibre, water and nutrients that change how sugar is absorbed.

The concern is more about added fructose in sweetened drinks and heavily processed foods, where sugar is delivered quickly and without the same nutritional package risk.

Calories on food labels look precise, but digestion is not that simple.

A new model from Arizona State University suggests the gut microbiome may affect how much usable energy the body actually takes from food.

The model is called DAMM, short for digestion, absorption and microbial metabolism.

It follows food through the digestive tract and estimates what is absorbed directly, what reaches the colon and what gut bacteria do with the leftovers.

That matters because gut microbes do not just sit there.

They ferment fibre and other food components that escape digestion in the upper gut.

In doing so, they produce short-chain fatty acids, which can be absorbed and used by the body.

The researchers estimate that these microbial products contribute around 140 calories a day on average.

That is roughly 7.4% of usable energy.

Most energy still comes from the upper digestive tract, but the microbial contribution is clearly not irrelevant.

The model was tested against data from a controlled diet study.

People eating a more typical Western diet absorbed about 116 more calories a day than those eating a microbiome-enhancing diet rich in fibre and resistant starch.

Interestingly, the high-fibre group did not feel hungrier.

That is important because it suggests a better gut-focused diet may reduce net calorie absorption without simply making people feel deprived.

The model also showed that high-fibre diets deliver more fermentable material to the colon, increasing microbial activity and short-chain fatty acid production.

• Men and women with obesity may face different hidden health risks
• Mediterranean-style eating linked to lower stroke risk in women
• Forget 10,000 steps: for older women, 4,000 is enough

So the story is not simply “more microbes means more calories”.

It depends on the diet, the gut environment and what is absorbed or excreted.

The practical message is that calories are not just about the food on the plate.

They are also about the gut ecosystem processing that food.

This could eventually help clinicians design more personalised diets, especially for people with obesity, diabetes or metabolic disease.

A new study suggests the same habits that protect the heart may also help reduce type 2 diabetes risk after menopause.

Researchers used data from the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-running study of postmenopausal women aged 50 and over.

They looked at how closely women followed the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8.

These include diet, physical activity, not smoking, sleep, body weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

The researchers gave women a score from 0 to 100, with higher scores meaning better cardiovascular health.

They then followed participants for an average of 16 years to see who developed type 2 diabetes.

Among women assessed using all eight measures, 20% developed type 2 diabetes.

Those in the highest Life’s Essential 8 category had a 57% lower risk than those in the lowest category.

The researchers also looked at a simpler five-factor version covering diet, exercise, smoking, sleep and body mass index.

In that larger group, women with the highest scores had a 40% lower risk of diabetes.

Body mass index had the strongest link with diabetes risk among the lifestyle factors.

Blood sugar was also one of the strongest individual markers in the full eight-factor score.

The findings do not mean diabetes prevention is only about willpower.

Ageing, hormones, genetics, deprivation and access to healthy food all play a part.

• Men and women with obesity may face different hidden health risks
• Mediterranean-style eating linked to lower stroke risk in women
• Forget 10,000 steps: for older women, 4,000 is enough

But they do show that modifiable factors still matter later in life.

The takeaway is practical.

Improving heart health is not just about preventing heart attacks or strokes.

For postmenopausal women, the same package of habits may also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Metformin is one of the most widely used medicines in the world.

It has been used for decades to treat type 2 diabetes, but scientists are still uncovering exactly how it works.

A new study from the University of Montreal suggests metformin directly targets a protein called ATP5I.

ATP5I is part of the mitochondrial machinery involved in producing ATP, the cell’s main energy currency.

The researchers found that cells lacking ATP5I became resistant to metformin.

When ATP5I was restored, the cells became sensitive to the drug again.

That points to ATP5I as an important part of metformin’s action.

This matters because metformin has long been linked with effects beyond glucose control.

Some studies have associated it with lower cancer risk and possible effects on lifespan in animals.

Those findings have always raised a difficult question.

How can one old diabetes drug appear to affect so many biological processes?

The answer may lie in the fact that metformin touches a central part of cellular energy handling.

Mitochondria are not a minor target.

They influence metabolism, cell growth, stress responses and survival.

That makes ATP5I an interesting new research focus.

• Metformin may lower blood sugar mainly through the gut
• Metformin may help some people with type 1 diabetes use less insulin
• Metformin may mimic some exercise-related metabolic effects in prostate cancer care

It may help scientists understand how metformin affects diabetes biology, cancer cell growth and ageing-related pathways.

But this is still mechanistic laboratory research.

It does not prove that metformin prevents cancer or extends life in humans.

Nor does it justify people taking the drug without a medical reason.

What it does show is that metformin still has secrets left, even after decades of use.

Spices are often treated as flavour, not nutrition.

But a new review suggests common kitchen spices may have wider effects on health than many people realise.

Researchers looked at evidence on spices including cinnamon, turmeric, red pepper, black pepper, ginger, rosemary and oregano.

They focused on human studies and lab work, including research from the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

Cinnamon has been studied for its effects on blood sugar and insulin.

Some trials suggest it may help reduce post-meal insulin and glucagon levels, and may influence the gut microbiome.

Turmeric’s main active compound, curcumin, has been linked with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Some studies have explored its possible role in memory, mood, osteoarthritis pain and cholesterol levels.

Red pepper compounds may influence thermogenesis, which is the body’s heat production and energy use.

However, the results are mixed, and higher doses of pungent capsaicin can cause gut side effects.

Spice mixes may also affect gut bacteria.

Some studies suggest polyphenol-rich spices can encourage beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium while reducing certain less helpful bacteria.

Spices may also help reduce salt intake.

That matters because using herbs and spices instead of salt can make food taste better without increasing sodium.

Still, the evidence needs keeping in proportion.

• Four week diet change may shift biological ageing markers in older adults
• Older Americans’ diets fall into five clear patterns and some are far riskier than others

Many lab studies use doses far beyond what people normally eat.

Cooking methods, digestion and food combinations can also change how much of a spice compound is actually absorbed.

So this is not a case for treating spices as medicine.

The better message is simpler.

Using more herbs and spices can make healthier food more enjoyable and may add small biological benefits along the way.