Featured
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Outlook |
Pandemic of hunger
COVID-19 is straining African food security, but also presents an opportunity for change.
- Linda Nordling
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Outlook |
Do the microRNAs we eat affect gene expression?
Studies have suggested that genetic material can be transferred from diet. But some researchers have their doubts.
- Kristina Campbell
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Outlook |
Unravelling the mysteries of microRNA in breast milk
A decade after microRNAs were found in mother’s milk, scientists are still trying to work out why they are there and how they affect health.
- Tien Nguyen
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Outlook |
Dietary RNA is ripe for investigation
Kenneth Witwer says that RNA in food could have profound effects on the human digestive system and on health more generally.
- Kenneth Witwer
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Career Column |
The Olympic sport that influences my lab leadership style
Leanne Hodson sees parallels with rowing and leading her research group: both require adaptability, resilience and clear communication.
- Leanne Hodson
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Editorial |
Imagine a world without hunger, then make it happen with systems thinking
Feeding the world involves tackling all aspects of the food system.
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News & Views |
Food for thought about manipulating gut bacteria
Knowing how dietary fibre nourishes gut microorganisms might suggest ways to boost health-promoting bacteria. A method developed to pinpoint bacteria that consume particular types of dietary fibre could advance such efforts.
- Nathalie M. Delzenne
- & Laure B. Bindels
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News & Views |
From the archive
How Nature reported a ban on artificial sweeteners in 1969, and the growing awareness of vitamins in 1919.
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Editorial |
Counting the hidden $12-trillion cost of a broken food system
The world’s food system costs trillions in poor health and ecological damage. On World Food Day, governments and researchers must commit to more-regular audits of these unseen expenses.
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News & Views |
Early Europeans bottle-fed babies with animal milk
The foods used to supplement or replace breast milk in infants’ diets in prehistoric times aren’t fully understood. The finding that ancient feeding vessels from Europe had residues of animal milk offers a clue.
- Siân E. Halcrow
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News & Views |
How the global fish market contributes to human micronutrient deficiencies
Analysis of the nutrient composition of fish caught around the globe reveals locations where the retention of fish for consumption by local populations could help to tackle human disease caused by nutrient deficiencies.
- Daniel Pauly
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Letter |
Harnessing global fisheries to tackle micronutrient deficiencies
Nutrient content analyses of marine finfish and current fisheries landings show that fish have the potential to substantially contribute to global food and nutrition security by alleviating micronutrient deficiencies in regions where they are prevalent.
- Christina C. Hicks
- , Philippa J. Cohen
- & M. Aaron MacNeil
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Books & Arts |
Synthetic meat, racism at the poles, and the long road to the opioid crisis: Books in Brief
Barbara Kiser reviews five of the week’s best science picks.
- Barbara Kiser
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Editorial |
Pick a leader with vision for the Food and Agriculture Organization
The United Nations body is about to elect a new director‑general. The choice will affect the entire globe for years to come.
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Books & Arts |
Life’s innovations, the enigma of gravity, and how to feed 8 billion: Books in brief
Barbara Kiser reviews five of the week’s best science picks.
- Barbara Kiser
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Research Highlight |
First strict test shows why a junk-food diet packs on weight
A steady repast of pancakes, packaged snacks and processed meats prompted people to consume more calories.
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News & Views |
From the archive
How Nature reported the working conditions of deep-sea fishers in 1969, and the calorific content of German and British diets during the First World War.
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News |
‘Diet drugs’ suppress mosquitoes’ thirst for blood
Method shows promise for disease control, but practical hurdles remain.
- Matthew Warren
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Comment |
Four steps to food security for swelling cities
Combine pockets of rural land, reduce food waste, improve farming and encourage urbanites to eat less meat, urge Baojing Gu and colleagues.
- Baojing Gu
- , Xiaoling Zhang
- & Deli Chen
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Outlook |
The edible skincare diet
Eating well could be better for skin health than applying lotions and potions. But which vitamins and nutrients will yield the healthiest glow?
- Sarah DeWeerdt
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Outlook |
How the evidence stacks up for preventing Alzheimer’s disease
Scepticism towards the idea that lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of dementia is waning.
- Emily Sohn
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Comment |
Reward food companies for improving nutrition
Governments must provide incentives for businesses to fix the global food system, not just punish them for acting irresponsibly, argues Lawrence Haddad.
- Lawrence Haddad
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Outlook |
Perspective: Look beyond production
Malnutrition is the new normal. Addressing it will require changes across the entire food system, says John Ingram.
- John Ingram
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News & Views |
Gut feeling for food choice
One effect of weight-loss surgery is a change in food preferences. An analysis in rats shows that this is caused by altered nutrient signals in the intestine. These activate the vagus nerve to increase signalling in the brain by the neurotransmitter dopamine.
- Darleen A. Sandoval
- & Randy J. Seeley
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Research Highlights |
Low-fibre diet puts gut at risk
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News |
Human age limit claim sparks debate
Analysis suggests people will never live much beyond 115 but some scientists say that it's too soon to assume a fixed shelf-life.
- Linda Geddes
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Outlook |
Diet: Food for thought
Many people with irritable bowel syndrome feel that they benefit from dietary interventions, but researchers still lack a full understanding of how food can inflame this disorder.
- Sarah DeWeerdt
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Outlook |
Brain food: Clever eating
Consumption of animals helped hominins to grow bigger brains. But in a world rich with food, how necessary is meat?
- Sujata Gupta
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News |
Fat mice provide clue to obesity-colon cancer puzzle
Study suggests stem-cell stimulation is behind obesity’s contribution to cancer risk.
- Heidi Ledford
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Research Highlights |
Gut microbes help malnutrition
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Research Highlights |
Personalized diets for health
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News Explainer |
Low-fat diets have low impact
Large analysis finds that decades' worth of medical advice was misguided.
- Heidi Ledford
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Research Highlights |
Diet makes gut change speed
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News |
Simple cooking methods flush arsenic out of rice
Preparing rice in a coffee machine can halve levels of the naturally occurring substance.
- Emily Sohn
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Social Selection |
Dietary data under fire for being unreliable
Food guidelines should not be based on surveys of what people eat and drink, says report.
- Chris Woolston
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Outlook |
Prevention: Tending the gut
Drugs, lifestyle changes and other measures might lower the risk of colorectal cancer — but the evidence is a long time coming.
- Lauren Gravitz
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News |
Food preservatives linked to obesity and gut disease
Mouse study suggests that emulsifiers alter gut bacteria, leading to the inflammatory bowel condition colitis.
- Sara Reardon