10 Surprising New Nutritional Discoveries

You are what you eat is technically true because we’re made of the same elements as our favorite snacks, including hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and Cool Ranch seasoning.

However, the intricacies extend beyond mere elements and tangy yet smooth chip dust, as various foods and drinks can affect us in wildly different and oftentimes counterintuitive ways. These processes can be confusing and overwhelming, so, luckily, this article distills the most interesting discoveries about how foods affect our bodies, and vice versa.

Related: 10 Biggest Health Benefits of Eating Fermented Foods

10 Why Obesity Makes Food Taste Worse

UC Berkeley scientists have discovered why obesity makes food taste worse, courtesy of a well-fed mouse model and optogenetics, the science of controlling brain processes with light, which sounds like an advance from 1984 (the book, not the year).

It turns out that chronically eating high-fat foods, and gaining weight, can take away the “pleasure of eating” by blunting neurotensin, a substance that’s involved in the dopamine network that controls our inner reward system. Counterintuitively, obese individuals (as well as animals) display reduced activity in the pleasure centers of the brain in response to food.

Though some may argue that this loss of pleasure could help prevent overeating, it does the opposite, potentially as individuals perennially chase the culinary dragon, as it were. However, restoring brain levels of neurotensin through healthier eating or other means can help “reinstate pleasure” and initiate weight loss. As a bonus, anxiety was also reduced.

More importantly, this research provides a discrete target for helping individuals struggling with obesity—by focusing only on neurotensin, as per this proof-of-concept study, new therapies could improve outcomes without “broad systemic effects,” meaning undesired side effects.^[1]

9 “Oral Tolerance” Decides Whether a Peanut Kills Us

Food allergies can be majorly annoying and even tragically lethal. If eating a little peanut can lead to death, you may say the immune system isn’t doing its job. But in fact, it is, kind of—just overzealously so, by freaking out over an otherwise harmless foreign substance.

However, the immune system is also very accommodating. It allows us to eat and drink an immense variety of things without issue. These substances can be foreign “invaders” with their own chemicals and DNA and perhaps a few remnants from the packaging plant.

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute have used mouse models to glean the cells responsible for this “oral tolerance,” and they’re called “ROR-gamma-t cells.” The resultant process is complicated but essentially involves the aforementioned cells presenting food particles to other immune cells. This triggers a signaling cascade that reaches the immune system’s militant killers: CD8 cells, which await orders on whether to attack other cells or to initiate inflammation.^[2]

8 Men and Women Should Eat Different Breakfasts

So, you’re trying to lose weight. It can be one of the most daunting and dreaded health initiatives that many people will have to undergo, either voluntarily or because they’re coerced into it. But it’s easier when armed with practical knowledge.

Knowing how much to eat is vital, but it’s also essential to know what to eat—it’s not sustainable to starve yourself on celery soup all day just to relapse with an entire bag of midnight Doritos and handfuls of shredded cheese.

So the University of Waterloo used mathematical modeling to show that women and men should eat different breakfasts when trying to slim down. The models suggest that women store fat quicker after a meal, but also that they burn fat quicker during a fast. Therefore, the study suggests that women should opt for a breakfast rich in fat, such as omelets and/or avocados. Men’s metabolisms respond better to carbs, suggesting oatmeal or grain-based breakfasts.^[3]

7 Drinking Sugar May Be Worse Than Eating It

Certain foods are often vilified, but no basic food is inherently evil—if enjoyed in moderation. Sugar, for example, powers our brains and muscles, but overconsumption is linked to the global rise in type 2 diabetes.

This is a complex issue, but BYU and German researchers have just told us it’s even more complicated. Because it’s not just the amounts of sugar we consume but the type that matters. Through a comprehensive meta-analysis, the researchers concluded that liquid sugars, such as those found in soda and fruit juice, are more strongly associated with the development of type 2 diabetes.

Drinkable sugars may have a more significant impact due to their resultant metabolic effects. By supplying simple sugars and nothing else, they cause a greater glycemic spike, which drives insulin resistance and increases liver fat. Sugars in food, however, elicit a lower blood-glucose response because they’re accompanied by, well, solids, such as proteins and fibers, and perhaps a bit of nacho cheese dust.^[4]

6 Morning Coffee Drinkers Less Likely to Die

Recently, researchers have been discovering the mostly negative aspects of our favorite habits, and this one is a double-edged sword. Yes, morning coffee sippers (or slurpers) seem to have lower mortality and a reduced cardiovascular death risk… compared to those who drink coffee all day.

This study comprised nearly 41,000 people who were asked about their dietary habits (including coffee) on at least one day of the week. It also included about 1,500 participants who kept a weeklong food and beverage diary. More than one-third of the people were morning coffee guzzlers, 16 percent imbibed all day, and the rest were coffee teetotalers.

The morning consumers, whether light or heavy coffee drinkers, were up to 31% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and 16% less likely to die of any cause. Interestingly, this is a novel coffee-timing study, so the biological reasoning isn’t certain; it’s possible that drinking coffee later in the day disrupts circadian rhythms, causing a cascade of harmful effects, such as hormone disruption and inflammation. Or maybe it’s all the espresso martinis that are skewing the data.^[5]

5 Battling Obesity with Bento Boxes

In a finding that may not have needed an entire study behind it, breaking research says that to conquer obesity, we should try eating more bento boxes. Maybe not surprisingly, the study was carried out by Japanese scientists from the Fujita Health University.

The researchers recruited 41 people to eat food on their behalf, comprising 18 men and 23 women aged 20 to 65. The participants received either pizza or a hamburger steak bento meal; one bento meal was eaten with vegetables first and the second with vegetables last. The scientists equipped the eaters with wearable chew sensors and also watched them, learning how many bites they took and their chewing tempo.

Unsurprisingly, the bento eaters took longer and chewed more because the bento meal is separated into little boxes and also eaten with chopsticks. The older folks ate faster than the younger ones, possibly due to “chewing ability.” Also, surprisingly, people with a higher BMI (body mass index) did not eat faster than their skinnier counterparts. Overall, the point is poignant: for those wanting (or needing) to lose weight, a slow-eating meal choice can help.^[6]

4 Even Chewing Gum Is Full of Microplastics

Microplastics are everywhere, it seems. Now, a new pilot study has found another source of these potentially harmful compounds: add chewing gum to the list.

In a harsh blow to the large population of people who like to chew things, the American Chemical Society suggests that each piece of gum releases “hundreds to thousands of microplastics” into our saliva and potentially into our bloodstream. Potentially, it’s a lot of microplastics. At up to 3,000 plastic particles per piece of gum, chewing 180 pieces per year could yield 30,000 bits of ingested microplastics.

And since scientists estimate that an average person ingests tens of thousands of microplastics per year, this could be a substantial amount. Surprisingly, both natural and synthetic gums released similar amounts of microplastics, so you may as well save your money and get the kind that actually tastes good.^[7]

3 Unbeatable Beets and the Nitrate Myth

You may have heard that nitrates are bad, but that’s only when they’re sourced from salami or sausage segments of the Food Pyramid. When they’re “natural,” they’re great and even the basis of some cardiovascular medicines.

So, where to get the “good” nitrates? One underrated item that fits the bill is the beet! Non-bacon-derived nitrates can actually be quite good for cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure and increasing blood flow. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the antioxidants in beets help repair cell damage, thereby maintaining cellular health. Nitrate-rich foods like beets also have anti-inflammatory properties that are linked to reduced risk for various chronic diseases.

Overall, beets are low in fat, high in fiber, and packed with the B vitamins as well as the vitamins A, C, and K. Potential benefits of hitting the beet portion of the salad bar (hard) include cellular growth, higher oxygen uptake (for exercise), blood cell formation, and possible protection from neurological diseases. Therefore, load up your plate for a better chance of beeting (sorry) adverse health effects!^[8]

2 Dropping Carbs Eases Bipolar Symptoms

Ketogenic diets may be painful, especially in the bathroom, but science has known for some time that going low-carb helps with certain brain disorders. And that makes sense, as entering ketosis changes the way the brain sources its energy.

Now, new science shows the benefits of ketogenic diets for bipolar disorder, which is also linked to metabolic problems. Yet going low-carb seems to ameliorate both the bipolar issues and the metabolic dysfunction. However, it should be noted that ketogenic diets aren’t just low-carb and high-fat—they must also be low-protein to force the body into ketosis. This metabolic pathway uses ketones as a fuel source.

In the study, scientists saw that a ketogenic diet reduced the action of “excitatory neurotransmitters [brain chemicals, basically]” in two brain areas linked to bipolar disorder. Intriguingly, this is another piece of the puzzle that bridges metabolic and mental disorders. The next step is to mimic the effects of ketosis without the torture of avoiding carbs, arguably the tastiest of the food groups.^[9]

1 We’ve Reached Impressive Levels of Junk-Eating

We humans have reached an impressive (yet troubling) level of dependence on highly palatable junk foods. We’re all eating vast amounts of ultra-processed foods, even at home, and it’s not great for our collective health.

A 2003–2018 study tracked the eating habits of 34,000 adults and found that fast food and prepackaged foods comprised 54% of all calories eaten at home in 2018, compared to 51% in 2003. There were only minor differences between people of diverse ages, races, sexes, incomes, or educations.

Calorie-wise, away-from-home consumption of processed foods rose more sharply, from 59.2% in 2003 to 67.1% in 2018 for those without a high school degree. However, it remained at around 60% for those with a high school degree. Yet the percentage of total calories from minimally processed foods dropped from 33.2% in 2003 to 28.5%.

Minimally processed foods, such as fruits and veggies, are no longer on many menus, unfortunately. Or they’re featured less often because foods without additives are no longer sought out by eaters, whether at home or away from their abodes.

Quite a bummer since ultra-processed foods are higher in calories and deficient in nutrients. Grabbing the occasional burger is no big deal, but preparing healthy food at home is becoming a lost art, whether due to expenses, lack of expertise, food spoilage, or time restraints. In fact, even writing this makes me crave a pizza. An entire one. And then maybe something a little sweet.^[10]

fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen