Poor diet can be a risk factor for certain types of liver diseases, so researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies to see how whole grain intake might relate to liver disease risk. Those eating the most whole grains had a 10% lower risk of developing any chronic liver disease than those eating the least. The results were especially pronounced for a certain subgroup of serious liver diseases. Eating whole grains was linked with a 35% lower risk of developing cirrhosis (a potentially fatal form of liver damage) and a 63% lower risk of chronic liver disease mortality.
Food Funct. 2024 Sep 30;15(19):9707-9717. doi: 10.1039/d4fo03077j. (Zhang Y et al.)

China is the second most populous country in the world, meaning that dietary shifts at a national level could have drastic health, climate, and even financial impacts. In this modeling study, researchers estimated that if all adults in China were to eat about 1 more ounce of whole grains per day, the total indirect and direct healthcare savings related to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and colorectal cancer alone would be an estimated $56.37 billion annually. Further, because whole wheat flour and brown rice tend to have lower carbon footprints than their refined counterparts, eating 1 more ounce of whole grains per day is projected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 5.72 million tons.
Journal of Integrative Agriculture. 2024 Aug. 23(8):2842-2852. doi: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.006. (Zhang X et al.)

Because respiratory diseases like COVID-19 can be characterized by inflammation, researchers wonder if a naturally anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet might be related to COVID-19 risk. In a systematic review of 6 studies covering 55,489 people total, researchers found that higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet is linked with a lower risk of COVID-19. However, more research is needed on the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and COVID-19 symptoms and severity.
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 21;19(8):e0301564. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301564. eCollection 2024. (Halim C et al.)

Gestational diabetes, the type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, can lead to health complications for both the mother and her baby. In a review of 10 studies, researchers found that consuming a Mediterranean diet before or in early pregnancy is linked with a 36% lower risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Nutr Diabetes. 2024 Jul 23;14(1):55. doi: 10.1038/s41387-024-00313-2. (Nasab SJ et al.)

Self-reported nutrition questionnaires are the most commonly used tool in nutrition research, but blood biomarkers indicating consumption of certain foods are emerging as an intriguing way to measure people’s diets. In this study, 418 older adults in Bordeaux and 422 older adults in Dijon, none of whom had dementia, were followed for 12 years. Their diet was monitored using blood biomarkers indicating intake of common Mediterranean diet foods (for example, using oleic acid levels as a marker of olive oil intake). In the Dijon group, those most closely following a Mediterranean diet were 10 percent less likely to experience cognitive decline than those not following a Mediterranean diet. In the Dijon group, the results were comparable but not quite statistically significant.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2024 Jul;68(13):e2300271. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202300271. Epub 2023 Oct 24. (Tor-Roca A et al.)

Early-onset (diagnosed before age 50) colorectal cancer risk is thought to be influenced by diet and lifestyle factors, so researchers wanted to find out which foods might be involved with colorectal cancer risk. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, scientists found that a diet low in whole grains is one of the leading dietary risk factors for early onset colorectal cancer, ahead of diets high in red and processed meat and even diets low in fiber.
Frontiers in Nutrition. 2024 May 31:11:1384352. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1384352. eCollection 2024. (Su J et al.)

Healthy carbohydrates like whole grains are part of the solution, not the problem, when it comes to diabetes. In this study, researchers analyzed 29 randomized controlled trials (the gold standard of nutrition research) to see how whole grains and ancient grains might impact health outcomes in people with diabetes. They found that brown rice significantly improved HbA1c (a measure of blood sugar control over time) and BMI (a measure of weight based on height), that oats significantly improved cholesterol, and that millet significantly improved body weight. However, given the different grains and research methods used, it was difficult for the researchers to draw broad conclusions across the whole group of grains, indicating that more research is needed to understand these effects. 
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2024 May;34(5):1110-1128. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2024.03.005. Epub 2024 Mar 7. (Magi CE et al.)

Could a spoonful of olive oil keep dementia-related deaths at bay? In a study of 92,383 adults (average age 56), those eating at least half a tablespoon of olive oil per day had a 28 percent lower risk of dementia-related death compared with those who never or rarely consumed olive oil over the 28-year study period. These results remained consistent even after adjusting for genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease.
JAMA Netw Open. 2024 May 1;7(5):e2410021. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021. (Tessier AJ et al.)

The Mediterranean diet is known for its link with longevity, so researchers wanted to quantify the lower risk of mortality in American women and look for potential mechanisms. In a study of 25,315 women in the US followed for 25 years, those most closely following a Mediterranean diet had a 23 percent reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Most of this lower risk seems to come from improved inflammation, reduced insulin resistance, improved BMI, and a few other health markers.
JAMA Netw Open. 2024 May 1;7(5):e2414322. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14322. (Ahmad S et al.)

Replacing traditional foods with highly processed, Western-style foods has been linked with decreased diet quality around the world in a phenomenon known as the nutrition transition. In this study, researchers analyzed the eating habits and microbiome of healthy urban and rural Xhosa people in South Africa. The urban population ate more calories, fat, and animal protein and had gut microbiomes characterized by qualities linked with higher colorectal cancer risk (such as higher levels of deoxycholic acid). The authors conclude that “rural-urban dietary transition in South Africa is linked to major changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome,” and that more research is needed to “identify whether restoration of specific components of the traditional diet will arrest the accelerating rise in [non-communicable diseases] in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 20;15(1):3379. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46265-0.

Psychosocial stress, a type of stress caused by changes in social situations (such as death of a loved one, prolonged illness, or a move) can make people feel left out or make it difficult to cope. As people age and begin to face big life changes, managing psychosocial stress is of the utmost importance. In a study of 1,656 baby boomers in Korea, those most closely following a Mediterranean diet were 39-41 percent less likely to report high levels of psychosocial stress.
Nutr Res Pract. 2024 Apr;18(2):257-268. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2024.18.2.257. Epub 2024 Mar 27. (Jang EH et al.)

The Mediterranean diet is widely studied and promoted, yet research on traditional cuisines from other corners of the globe have not been investigated to the same extent. In this perspective article, researchers highlight the key elements of traditional Latin American, Asian, and African heritage diets and their link with nutrition and health outcomes. Because one diet does not fit all, this research also highlights how Oldways’ heritage diet pyramids illustrate the substantial variation of foods and flavors that exist within these broader eating patterns.
Adv Nutr. 2024 Apr 9:100221. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100221. (LeBlanc KE et al.)