Rude Health News & Events

The latest news, research and events from the world of natural health

Ireland’s biggest household food study needs volunteers

Researchers from University College Dublin, University College Cork, Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast have launched the Household Food and Health Study, which is the largest household-level food study ever conducted on the island of Ireland.

The study aims to recruit around 1,500 households, involving approximately 5,000 participants across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It forms part of the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, a collaborative research partnership between Ireland and the UK.

Researchers will explore eating habits, food waste and health measures such as body weight and blood pressure. They also hope to understand how different policies north and south of the border, including healthy eating guidance and school meal provision, influence dietary habits. Participants will complete online questionnaires over a two- to three-week period. Optional elements, including a finger-prick blood test or cheek swab, are entirely voluntary. All data will be kept confidential and anonymised. Households taking part will receive personalised nutrition reports and invitations to webinars sharing study findings.

For more information or to take part, visit householdfoodstudy.org. Participation is open to households across Ireland, with people aged 16 and over, and children aged four and above, eligible to participate.

Sustainable pregnancy diet linked to higher nutrient intakes

New research from University College Dublin has revealed that women who eat more sustainably while pregnant may have higher intakes of several nutrients that are vital during pregnancy.

Conducted by the UCD Perinatal Research Centre, the study looked at the outcomes for 678 women who followed the Planetary Health Diet while pregnant. This is a way of eating designed to be both healthy for humans and sustainable for the planet.

The main focus is on plant-based foods, with a reduction in animal-based food products such as red and processed meats.

The researchers found that the women who most closely followed the Planetary Health Diet in early pregnancy had daily higher intakes of key nutrients such as dietary folate, iron, calcium and fibre.

They concluded that although intakes were higher in the Planetary Health Diet Index scores for many nutrients, it is still advised that additional supplements of folate, vitamin D and iodine are taken during pregnancy to meet the extra nutritional needs.

The findings were published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Ultra-processed foods linked to poorer focus

Eating more ultra-processed foods could make it harder to concentrate and may increase factors associated with dementia, according to a new study.

Researchers from Monash University, the University of São Paulo and Deakin University analysed dietary and cognitive data from more than 2,100 middle-aged and older adults in Australia. They found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with poorer attention and slower mental processing speed, even among people who otherwise followed a healthy Mediterranean-style diet.

Ultra-processed foods include products such as soft drinks, packaged snacks and ready meals. Researchers suggest that the industrial processing involved may alter the natural structure of foods and introduce additives that could affect brain health.

The study also linked higher intakes of ultra-processed foods with increased dementia risk factors, including obesity and high blood pressure. Researchers say reducing consumption of these foods may help support long-term cognitive health. The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.

Study reveals heart health benefits from flavanol-rich foods

Adding foods such as blueberries, blackberries, plums, cherries and broad beans to your diet could help support heart health, according to new research.

The international study, led by researchers from the University of Reading, Harvard Medical School and the University of California Davis, analysed dietary data from more than 30,000 people in the UK and US. It found that fewer than 20% consumed enough flavanols, which are natural compounds linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers say that many people fail to reach beneficial flavanol levels, even when eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Foods found to be particularly rich in flavanols include blackberries, plums, apples, broad beans and green tea. The findings suggest that choosing specific flavanol-rich foods could provide additional heart health benefits alongside a balanced diet. The findings were published in Food & Function.

Strength training is key to long term-health

According to a new study, between 90 and 120 minutes of strength training a week may result in some of the biggest long-term health benefits.

The study, which tracked more than 147,000 people for 30 years, found that the benefits were even greater when strength training was combined with aerobic exercise. Every two years, throughout the course of the study, the participants reported how much time they spent each week doing strength training and aerobic exercise. Aerobic activities included brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis, squash, strenuous outdoor work, and stair climbing. Strength training included exercises using weights or body weight, such as press ups, squats, and lunges.

The results showed that 90 to 120 minutes of strength training per week was linked to lower risks of death overall, particularly from cardiovascular and neurological diseases. The findings were published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Early diet may shape lifelong eating habits

Only around one in four adults in Ireland eats the recommended five or more portions of fruit and vegetables each day, according to the latest Healthy Ireland Survey findings.

What children eat in their early years could influence their food choices well into adulthood, according to new research from University College Cork (UCC). Scientists at APC Microbiome Ireland found that a diet high in fat and sugar during early life caused long-lasting changes in the brain’s appetite control systems in a preclinical study, even after a healthier diet was introduced later on.

Encouragingly, the researchers also found that beneficial gut bacteria and prebiotic fibres helped reduce these effects. Foods naturally rich in prebiotic fibre include onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus and bananas. The team says the findings highlight the importance of establishing healthy eating habits from an early age to support lifelong health and wellbeing. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

July events

Restival 2026
The 50+ Show 1 July, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Sligo Ballincar, Rosses Point, Sligo
seniortimes.ie

Yoga Fest
25–26 July, Ballinacourty House, Co Tipperary
www.yogafest-ireland.com

Find more natural health events here...