The United States National Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative estimates that reducing added sugars in packaged food products by 20% and beverages by 40% could prevent 2.48 million cardiovascular disease events and 750,000 diabetes cases over the lifetime of the current population of adults over age 35. Circulation, August 2021

Overweight or obese women who added one avocado a day to their diet experienced a decrease in deep visceral abdominal fat over the course of twelve weeks. Journal of Nutrition, June 2021

New research suggests that a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the inflammation in the lungs that is commonly observed in patients with asthma. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, July 2021

During an experiment on the effect of different diets and obesity on mice, researchers observed that a low fiber intake—regardless of other diet qualities—was associated with a greater risk for developing adherent–invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) infection in the intestinal tract. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, July 2021

The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern focused on eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oil, and whole grains while avoiding red and processed meats, dairy, saturated fats, and refined sugars. The current research notes that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk for both depression and neurodegenerative disease. Nutrients, June 2021

Examinations of nearly 2,400 three year-old children showed that those who were breastfed for any duration—even in just the first days of life — had lower blood pressure than the kids who had never breastfed. Journal of the American Heart Association, July 2021

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet emphasizes eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy while limiting the intake of salt, red meat, sweets, and sweetened beverages. An analysis of blood samples collected from clinical trial participants revealed that greater adherence to a low-sodium DASH diet is associated with a…

According to a study that included 4,100 males, a pro-inflammatory diet—an eating pattern characterized by a high intake of red and processed meat, high-fat dairy products, and refined grains—is associated with an elevated risk for testosterone deficiency, particularly among obese men. Journal of Urology, April 2021

Among a group of 3,660 female breast cancer patients, researchers observed that a healthy eating pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet, was associated with up to a 27% reduced risk of death during the following decade. JNCI Cancer Spectrum, March 2021

According to a study that reviewed brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid samples, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet—an eating pattern focused on eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oil, and whole grains while avoiding red and processed meats, dairy, saturated fats, and refined sugars—is associated with less build-up of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in…