Advocates of plant-based diets suggest they can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and help the environment. Now, new research suggests they may provide another health benefit: lowering COVID-19 severity. A plant-based diet was associated with 73% lower odds of moderate to severe COVID-19 infection in the study. A pescatarian diet,…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease in nearly two decades, in a controversial decision that left the agency defending its reputation and its science. Aduhelm (aducanumab) treats Alzheimer’s by clearing out amyloid beta, a sticky protein known to form plaques in the brains of early-stage…  read on >  read on >

Women whose diets tend to feed inflammation may have a heightened risk of breast cancer, a preliminary study suggests. The study, of more than 350,000 women, found that the more “pro-inflammatory” foods women consumed, the higher their breast cancer risk. The term refers to foods thought to contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body…  read on >  read on >

A twice-daily pill can dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women who are genetically prone to the disease, researchers report. The pill — olaparib (Lynparza) — works by blocking a natural enzyme called PARP that normally fixes DNA damage in healthy cells, but in these women actually promotes the growth of cancerous…  read on >  read on >

Want to lower your risk of diabetes? Eat plenty of fruit. An Australian study suggests that two servings a day could lower the odds of developing type 2 diabetes by 36%. “A healthy diet and lifestyle, which includes the consumption of whole fruits, is a great strategy to lower your risk of developing type 2…  read on >  read on >

If you’re planning to get pregnant or already “eating for two,” sticking to a healthy diet may reduce the risk of several common pregnancy complications, researchers say. The new study included nearly 1,900 women who completed diet questionnaires at eight to 13 weeks of pregnancy, along with estimates of what they ate in the previous…  read on >  read on >