The Medical News

1. New microscopy technique reveals how drugs affect living cells

   How do cells respond to drugs? A new microscopy technique could provide more precise answers to this question in the future.

2. Southern Europe eats closest to the planetary diet, so why is diabetes so high?

   Researchers comparing temperature trends, food supplies, and diabetes prevalence across Europe found that Southern Europe had the closest alignment with Planetary Health Diet recommendations, yet also recorded the highest and fastest-rising diabetes prevalence. The exploratory study found inconsistent relationships between warming, dietary composition, and diabetes across regions, suggesting that multiple environmental, lifestyle, and demographic factors warrant further investigation.

3. The Mediterranean diet has a modern problem, and it isn't just about food

   A narrative review published in Applied Sciences examined how urbanisation, time constraints, food costs, and changing lifestyles have contributed to declining adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Drawing on 116 references, the authors identified workplace and school interventions, nutrition education, physical activity, and Mediterranean-inspired convenience foods as potential strategies for adapting this dietary pattern to modern life.

4. A simple salt swap could prevent nearly 3 million deaths a year, researchers estimate

   A global modelling study covering 193 countries and territories estimated that replacing regular salt with a potassium-enriched substitute containing 25% potassium chloride could prevent 2.96 million deaths, 10.17 million new cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease cases, and 69.43 million disability-adjusted life years annually. Although the researchers projected an increased risk of hyperkalemia-related deaths among people with impaired kidney function, the estimated cardiovascular benefits substantially outweighed these potential harms.

5. Struggling with constipation? Two green kiwifruits a day may help

   A narrative review of 33 publications found that consuming two fresh green kiwifruits daily for approximately four weeks can improve bowel movement frequency and gastrointestinal comfort in adults with functional constipation or constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Clinical studies reported broadly similar improvements with kiwifruit, psyllium, and prunes, although more research is needed to establish long-term benefits and differences between kiwifruit varieties.

6. Hidden genetic differences in gut bacteria may hold clues to aging

   Researchers analyzed approximately 12.8 million gut microbial genetic variants in 10,781 individuals across six cohorts, identifying 940 independent associations with 69 human health characteristics and environmental exposures. Nearly two-thirds of these associations were not accompanied by significant differences in bacterial species abundance, suggesting that microbial genetics can reveal relationships overlooked by conventional microbiome analyses, although causality remains unproven.

7. Review examines translational bottlenecks for plant-derived anti-inflammatory compounds

   A review led by Professor Weidong Zhang at the School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, was published in Volume 2 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation on October 27, 2026. The article systematically examines the translational bottlenecks and potential solutions for plant-derived anti-inflammatory compounds.

8. New AI e-nose device brings digitized smell to wearable technology

   Our sense of smell shapes how we navigate our environment, but it's a sensation that's notoriously difficult to recreate in the digital world.