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A study following nearly 10,000 older women for a decade suggests that excessive coffee consumption may be linked to lower bone density. Researchers found that moderate coffee intake did not appear to significantly harm bone health, but women who drank more than five cups a day had lower hip bone density. In contrast, tea consumption was associated with slightly higher hip bone density, suggesting it may offer a modest benefit for maintaining bone health. The findings do not prove that coffee directly causes bone loss, and factors such as diet, lifestyle and overall health may also play a role. For now, moderation remains a sensible approach to coffee consumption.

Protein is not necessarily better at breakfast or dinner—the bigger priority is getting enough throughout the day and spreading intake across meals. Research suggests muscles may benefit from receiving protein several times a day rather than consuming most of it at dinner. Breakfast is often the meal with the least protein, making it a useful opportunity to improve daily intake. Eggs, milk, curd, paneer, tofu, dal, sprouts, besan, nuts and seeds can all help create a protein-rich breakfast. For many healthy adults, around 20–40 g of protein per meal is a practical benchmark, although individual needs vary with age, activity, health status and other factors.

Foods designed for children may offer some useful benefits for adults as well, thanks to their focus on nutrition, simpler ingredients and portion control. Experts note that many kids’ products are formulated with fewer additives, lower amounts of added sugar and salt, and greater nutrient density to meet the needs of growing children. Options such as whole-grain snacks, millet-based foods, fruit spreads and roasted makhana can also provide fibre and essential nutrients. Smaller, pre-portioned packs may help adults manage snacking and avoid overeating. However, not every children’s product is automatically healthier, so checking the ingredient list, added sugar, sodium and overall nutritional value remains important.

A new generation of obesity drugs could shift the focus from simply losing weight to losing fat while preserving muscle. One experimental treatment, survodutide, has shown promising results in clinical trials, with patients losing substantial body weight alongside significant reductions in visceral and liver fat. Importantly, most of the weight lost appeared to come from fat rather than lean tissue. Preserving muscle is important because it supports metabolism, blood sugar control, strength and long-term weight maintenance. Researchers are also exploring combination therapies that pair appetite-suppressing drugs with treatments designed to protect muscle, potentially making future weight-loss approaches more effective, healthier and sustainable.

Antibody engineering is changing how scientists diagnose and treat disease by turning the immune system’s natural targeting ability into powerful biomedical tools. Antibodies can precisely recognize specific molecules, making them valuable in techniques such as ELISA, Western blotting, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Engineered antibodies have also become important medicines for cancer, autoimmune disorders and other diseases. Monoclonal antibodies can block harmful signals or activate immune responses, while antibody-drug conjugates deliver potent drugs directly to targeted cells. Bispecific antibodies can simultaneously recognize two different targets, including tumor cells and T cells, helping the immune system destroy cancer cells. New technologies such as phage display, single B-cell sequencing, transgenic animals and artificial intelligence are accelerating antibody discovery and enabling increasingly precise therapies.

The ear is home to a complex community of bacteria and fungi that may help protect against infections. In healthy ear canals, microorganisms such as Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus species and Malassezia fungi can contribute to a balanced microbial environment. This community works alongside protective earwax, which contains natural antimicrobial substances that help prevent harmful microbes from taking over. When this balance is disrupted by factors such as excessive water exposure, injury or antimicrobial use, organisms including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus may contribute to ear infections. New sequencing technologies are helping scientists better understand these microbial communities. In the future, personalized microbiome-based testing could potentially improve diagnosis and treatment of bacterial and fungal ear diseases.

A new study suggests that nutrition during the earliest stages of life may be linked to mental health more than 50 years later. Researchers analyzed data from 46,448 UK Biobank participants born during Britain’s postwar sugar-rationing period and found that people exposed to rationing for the longest periods during pregnancy and their first two years had lower risks of anxiety and depression in later life. The study also identified differences in several brain regions among people with different levels of early-life rationing exposure. However, adult sugar intake and sweet-food preferences were largely similar across groups. The findings suggest that early-life nutrition may influence long-term brain and mental health, although the observational study cannot prove that sugar restriction directly prevented anxiety or depression.

Scientists have identified a distinct gut microbiome pattern in people with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD). A study published in Scientific Reports found that patients with SUDD had higher levels of the Ruminococcus gnavus group and lower levels of the butyrate-producing genus Coprococcus compared with healthy individuals. Researchers also observed reduced overall microbial diversity and predicted changes in bacterial pathways linked to cell cycle activity and exopolysaccharide production. These findings suggest that an imbalance in gut bacteria, known as dysbiosis, may contribute to SUDD and potentially affect the intestinal barrier and gut environment. However, the study was observational and cannot establish cause and effect. Further research is needed to understand whether these microbial changes could lead to new diagnostic or treatment approaches.

Dengue, malaria, chikungunya and influenza can all begin with fever, headache, body aches and fatigue, making them difficult to distinguish by symptoms alone. During the monsoon, doctors recommend testing based on symptoms, exposure and illness severity rather than waiting for a specific day. Dengue testing may include NS1 during the early stage and IgM after about five days, while malaria can be evaluated using microscopy or rapid tests. Warning signs such as severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding, breathing difficulty, confusion, seizures, very low urine output or severe dehydration require urgent medical attention. Importantly, dengue can become more dangerous as the fever falls. Avoid aspirin and ibuprofen when dengue is suspected and seek medical advice promptly.

Subtle changes in sleep may provide an early clue about Alzheimer’s disease risk, even before memory problems appear. A recent study found that healthy middle-aged adults with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s experienced more frequent micro-awakenings during sleep. These brief disruptions may be difficult to notice and do not necessarily cause a person to fully wake up, but they could reflect early changes in brain function. The findings raise the possibility that sleep patterns might eventually help researchers identify people at increased risk years before noticeable symptoms develop. However, more research is needed to understand whether micro-awakenings directly contribute to Alzheimer’s risk or simply serve as an early marker of underlying changes in the brain.