Food stamps and food banks can be key to healthy pregnancies. Food assistance programs are effective in helping hungry women avoid pregnancy complications, researchers say in a new study published Jan. 23 in JAMA Network Open. Food insecurity in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth and newborn admission…  read on >  read on >

People can reverse their type 2 diabetes through a combination of calorie cutting and medication, a small clinical trial says. Overweight and obese adults caused their diabetes to go into remission by following a calorie-restricted diet and taking the prescription diabetes drug dapagliflozin, researchers reported Jan. 22 in The BMJ. After a year, about 44%…  read on >  read on >

Patients can improve their odds for a successful surgery by actively preparing for the procedure through diet and exercise, a tactic called “prehabilitation,” a new evidence review shows. Surgical patients who prehabbed had fewer complications and shorter hospital stays, also recovered better and had a higher quality of life, researchers reported Jan. 22 in The…  read on >  read on >

Chalk up a partial win for health influencers who tout the slimming benefits of sparkling waters. New research out of Japan affirms that carbonated water may, indeed, promote weight loss by lowering blood sugar levels, allowing cells to burn fat between meals for energy more efficiently. But don’t buy a smaller wardrobe just yet. The…  read on >  read on >

A well-marbled steak is highly prized for grilling, but those sort of fat deposits in human muscles can be deadly, a new study says. People with pockets of fat hidden within their muscles have a higher risk of dying from heart-related health problems, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 20 in the European Heart…  read on >  read on >

Could eating more fiber be the key to a healthier gut? Research suggests the answer is yes. The findings, published recently in the journal Nature Microbiology, analyzed gut microbiomes from more than 12,000 people in 45 countries. It found that individuals with higher levels of beneficial gut bacterium called Faecalibacterium also had fewer harmful bacteria…  read on >  read on >

With a sweep of the pen, President Donald Trump has ended a Biden administration effort to lower the cost of prescription drugs for people on Medicare and Medicaid. Trump’s order, signed shortly after his inauguration on Monday, targets policies his administrations calls “deeply unpopular” and “radical,” NBC News reported. One of those now-cancelled policies directed…  read on >  read on >