Health One Labs

10/13/2026

Heard of "food noise"? A new Penn State study of 1,000 US adults found nearly 1 in 5 think about food "often or always" — even when not hungry. It's linked to poorer diet quality and mental health. Knowing it has a name is step one.

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10/12/2026

A new 'Food is Medicine' study followed people receiving weekly plant-based grocery boxes for 2.5 years. Result: lower blood pressure and ~6 lbs lost per 100 boxes received. Food really can be part of health care.

Based on an October 2026 Mass General Brigham study in Preventing Chronic Disease

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10/09/2026

On a highly processed diet, the body can absorb about 97% of the calories you eat. On minimally processed food with intact structure, absorption can fall to 85% or lower.

Same 2,500-calorie label. Roughly 300 calories a day never become usable energy.

The nutrition facts look identical. Digestion does not.

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10/07/2026

“Exercise snacks” — short bursts of activity (often under 5 minutes, a few times a day) — can improve cardiorespiratory fitness in inactive adults, with high adherence in trials. Stair climbs, brisk walks, or bodyweight moves count. They won’t replace a full workout, but they’re an easy way to break up sitting.

10/06/2026

Lactose intolerant? You may not need to skip dairy entirely. Aged cheeses like Emmental, Gouda, Edam, and Parmesan are often fine, as are fermented options like yogurt, kefir, and quark—the bacteria have already broken down most of the lactose.

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10/05/2026

Non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS) is often a better label than “gluten sensitivity.” Gluten isn’t the only wheat component linked to symptoms—fructans (a FODMAP) and amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are also suspects. Self-reported rates are ~10% worldwide, but double-blind challenges confirm it in only a minority of cases.

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10/02/2026

A machine learning model using social, political, and behavioral factors explained 78% of the variation in obesity rates across US counties.

The strongest predictor wasn’t diet or income. It was physical inactivity.

Smoking, heavy drinking, political ideology, and regional culture also ranked high. Moving less may matter more for county obesity rates than we usually assume.

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10/01/2026

Carb cycling is alternating higher-carb days (usually around hard training) with lower-carb days. The idea is to fuel workouts and lean more on fat for fuel when demand is lower.

It can work for adherence and for some endurance athletes (periodized carbs match high-carb fueling and beat chronic low-carb for performance). For fat loss, there’s little evidence it beats a calorie-matched diet. Calories, protein, and consistency still do most of the work.

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09/30/2026

Benzyl alcohol is an allergen that hides in plain sight.

It is widely used in consumer and pharmaceutical products, yet labeling often fails to disclose it reliably. That means sensitized patients can meet it again in the very products meant to treat or prevent dermatitis.

09/29/2026

Gastroenterologists now say routine antibiotics for uncomplicated diverticulitis often do more harm than good. RCTs show little/no benefit. However, GI side effects from antibiotics include increased risk of C. diff, and allergies that send people back to the ER. Guidelines recommend selective use only. Adoption still lags. Ask if they’re actually needed.

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