Group activities (such as team building exercises) among co-workers can help improve employee performance, but new research suggests that even the simple act of breaking bread together can also have positive effects. To study how shared workplace meals affect job performance and cooperation, Cornell researchers surveyed 244 fire department officers, and visited 13 firehouses for in-person interviews. They found that cooking together and eating together were both significantly linked with better measures of work-group performance, and in some instances, better unit-level performance. There was no significant relationship between eating and cooking together and cooperative behavior, although better cooperative behavior was related to better work-group performance.
Human Performance. 2015 July 10;28(4):281-306. (Kniffin KM et al.)

While most whole grains are naturally gluten free (like quinoa, millet, and rice), many gluten-free packaged foods are made with refined, starchy flours, such as potato flour or white rice flour. To see how gluten free products stack up, researchers analyzed the nutrition on over 3200 food products in Australia, comparing the health of gluten free items to items containing gluten. Gluten free products were found to have significantly less protein across all major food groups, and gluten free pasta was found to be significantly less healthful than regular pasta (based on the Australian government’s “Health Star Rating”). Other than that, the researchers found no significant health differences between gluten free (GF) and gluten-containing products, concluding that “the consumption of GF products is unlikely to confer health benefits, unless there is clear evidence of gluten intolerance.”
British Journal of Nutrition. 2015 Jun 29:1-7. [Epub ahead of print]. (Wu JH et al.)

It seems that comfort foods like refined sweets might not be so comforting in the long run. Scientists in New York analyzed the eating patterns of nearly 70,000 women without depression across the U.S. , then tracked their health records over three years to see how diet relates to developing depression. The researchers found that both refined grains and added sugars were significantly tied to a higher risk of developing depression over the three year study, while fiber, vegetables, fruit (excluding juice), and lactose (a sugar found in milk) was linked with a significantly lower risk of depression. A higher intake of whole grains was also related to a lower risk of depression, although this relationship was not statistically significant. Overall, foods that contributed to a high glycemic index diet were associated with increased odds of developing depression. 
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015 Jun 24. [Epub ahead of print] (Gangwisch JE et al.)

Spicy foods are prominent in many traditional cultures throughout the world. To see if spicy food consumption is related to death risk, scientists asked over 487,000 Chinese adults about their spicy food intake, and then monitored their death rates over the next 7 years. Compared to those eating spicy foods (mostly chilli peppers) less than once per week, those eating spicy foods once or twice a week had a 10% lower risk of death from all causes, while those eating spicy foods 3-7 times per week had a 14% lower risk of death from all causes. Spicy foods were also linked with a lower risk of death from cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease, specifically. This association might possibly be related to capsaicin, a beneficial compound in chilli peppers that has antioxidant properties.
British Medical Journal. 2015 August 4;351:h3942. (Lv J et al.) 

Given the prevalence of large portion sizes and high caloric meals at restaurants, cooking more meals at home may be a helpful strategy to eat healthier. In a study of more than 9,500 adults, researchers analyzed the relationship between the frequency of home-cooked dinners, and diet quality. Those who cooked dinner 6-7 days per week had a better diet quality than those who cooked dinner at home 0-1 nights per week, averaging 1g more fiber, 16g fewer sugars, 5g less fat, and 137 fewer calories per day. There was no significant relationship between home-cooked dinners and body weight. The researchers conclude that “if a person or someone in their household cooks dinner frequently, regardless of whether or not they are trying to lose weight, diet quality improves.”
Public Health Nutrition. 2015 Jun;18(8):1397-406. (Wolfson JA et al.)

Healthy diets are an effective way to help prevent diseases, like cancer, but emerging research shows that they can also improve survival in people who have already been diagnosed. In a study of over 900 male physicians diagnosed with prostate cancer, Harvard researchers analyzed their eating patterns and followed their health records for 14 years after diagnosis. They found that men who ate a typical “Western diet” (high in red and processed meat, high fat dairy foods, and refined grains) had more than twice the risk of prostate-cancer related death, and a 67% increased risk of death from all causes. On the other hand, those who ate a healthy diet (with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, and healthy oils) had a 36% lower risk of death from all causes. This study affirms that nutritious, balanced diets promote the best health outcomes, and that whole grains are an integral component of an overall, healthy diet.
Cancer Prevention Research. 2015 June 1. [Epub ahead of print] (Yang M et al.)

Studies have shown that fiber (especially from whole grains) may lower diabetes risk in Americans, but researchers wanted to know if the same was true in Europe. Analyzing the eating patterns of over 26,000 participants from 8 nations in Western Europe, the scientists found that total fiber was associated with a lower risk of diabetes, along with fiber from whole grains and vegetables (but not fruit). The researchers then combined these results with the results of 18 additional studies, following over 617,000 participants, and found that fiber from whole grains was the most protective. Indeed, for every additional 10g of total fiber or cereal fiber (the fiber in whole grains), the risk of type 2 diabetes was 9% or 25% lower, respectively. However, these results were not significant after adjusting for weight, meaning that whole grains and fiber likely play an important role in weight maintenance, another risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Diabetologia. 2015 May 29. [Epub ahead of print] (InterAct Consortium).

Endometrial cancer, also known as womb cancer, is largely determined by hormone levels in the body. However, new research shows that diet can play an important role in prevention. Combining the results of three large studies, Italian researchers analyzed the eating patterns of over 5,000 women in Europe (1411 with endometrial cancer, and 3668 controls) for their adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Those most closely following the Mediterranean diet were over 50% less likely to develop endometrial cancer than those with the lowest adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Additionally, researchers found that “the Mediterranean diet as a whole is a stronger determinant of endometrial cancer risk than the single dietary components,” emphasizing the importance of overall diet.
British Journal of Cancer. 2015 May 26;112(11):1816-21. (Filomeno et al.) 

Minorities and low-income populations are often underrepresented in nutrition studies, but new research indicates that healthy diets with whole grains can benefit all of us, including underserved populations. In this study, researchers examined the diets and medical records of over 77,000 people from 12 states in the southeastern US, most of whom were low-income and African American. Researchers found that those most closely adhering to a healthy diet (including at least 1 ½ servings of whole grains per day) had a 14-23% lower death rate from all diseases, heart disease, cancer, and more. Additionally, while overall dietary patterns are the best way to assess health, whole grains specifically were associated with a lower death risk (as were dairy, seafood, and plant proteins).
PLOS Medicine. 2015 May 26;12(5):e1001830; discussion e1001830. (Yu D et al.)

Nuts have long been associated with longevity, and new research in diverse populations further supports this relationship. Researchers tracked peanut and nut intake of about 206,000 people in the US (low income blacks and whites) and China for over 5 years. High nut intake was associated with a 21% lower risk of death from all causes among the US participants, and a 17% lower risk in the Chinese participants. High nut and peanut intake was also associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease, especially in ischemic heart disease (the type of heart disease caused by narrowed arteries).
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2015 May;175(5):755-66. (Luu HN, et al.)

The Mediterranean diet has long been studied for its role in heart health and aging, but emerging research suggests that it may also be protective for brain health. In a follow up to the PREDIMED study (where Spanish adults at risk for heart disease were randomly assigned to either a Mediterranean diet with four tablespoons of olive oil daily, a Mediterranean diet with one ounce of nuts daily, or a low fat controlled diet) researchers analyzed the relationship between diet and cognitive function. Of the 334 participants in this study with data on cognitive function, the scientists found that overall brain function significantly improved for both Mediterranean groups over the 4-year experiment, compared with the control group. Specifically, the nuts group significantly improved on tests of memory, while the olive oil group significantly improved on tests of reasoning, planning, and problem solving. This adds to the growing body of research that the Mediterranean diet is an important factor in healthy aging.
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2015 May 11. [Epub ahead of print] (Valls-Pedret C et al.)