Author: Andrew Rogers

A return to traditional Nepali foods could help tackle the country’s growing type 2 diabetes crisis, researchers say. In Nepal, where one in five people over 40 has diabetes and medication is often unaffordable, doctors are testing whether simple diet changes can reverse the condition. Studies in Kathmandu and surrounding communities show promising results. A pilot programme using a calorie-controlled traditional diet helped 43% of long-term diabetes patients into remission. An expanded trial has seen about half of participants free from diabetes after four months, with modest weight loss. The research is led by University of Glasgow in partnership with…

People who drink tea or coffee daily may face a lower risk of dementia, researchers say.A US study tracked more than 130,000 people for up to 43 years.Those drinking two to three coffees or one to two teas daily showed a 15–20% lower dementia risk. Caffeinated coffee drinkers also showed slightly less cognitive decline than non-drinkers.Decaffeinated coffee showed no such link.The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Lead author Yu Zhang said the findings cannot prove cause and effect.Caffeine drinkers may differ in other ways that protect brain health. Coffee and tea contain caffeine and polyphenols…

BP faces mounting pressure from shareholders as it prepares to publish full-year results expected to show weaker profits. Analysts forecast earnings of about $7.5bn, down from nearly $9bn last year, after oil prices fell for a third straight year. Crude prices dropped below $60 a barrel late in 2025, hitting fourth-quarter results. Incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill will face calls to outline a clear long-term strategy. Investor groups want BP to explain how it will manage spending on oil and gas as demand declines. Activists from Follow This and the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility have filed resolutions demanding greater…

Researchers say menstrual blood testing could provide a simple alternative to cervical screening.A sanitary pad with a sample strip can detect human papillomavirus, the main cause of cervical cancer. Scientists in China compared period blood tests with clinician-collected cervical samples.The study involved more than 3,000 women aged 20 to 54.Results appeared in BMJ. Menstrual samples detected serious cervical cell changes with 94.7% sensitivity.Clinician samples showed similar accuracy.Both methods reliably ruled out disease when results were negative. Researchers said the test could offer a non-invasive, home-based screening option.Experts welcomed the findings but urged further trials. Cancer Research UK said the approach…

A major review published in The Lancet finds that most statin side-effects are not caused by the drugs. Researchers analysed 19 trials involving 124,000 people followed for more than four years. Of 66 side-effects listed on labels, evidence supported only muscle pain, diabetes risk, and four minor effects linked to liver tests, urine changes, or tissue swelling. The study found no strong evidence that statins cause memory loss, depression, sleep problems, or nerve damage. Lead author Christina Reith said the benefits of statins greatly outweigh the risks for most patients. Senior author Rory Collins called for updated labels to reflect…

Sellers promote unlicensed weight-loss drugs through WhatsApp and Telegram competitions.They offer injectable medicines as prizes to attract customers. The Guardian found groups advertising retatrutide, an unapproved experimental drug.Posts pressure users with 24-hour deadlines. Experts warn these tactics are extremely dangerous.They apply aggressive marketing to unlicensed pharmaceuticals. One group offered retatrutide, Glow pens, and melanotan II as prizes.None of these injections hold UK approval. UK law restricts weight-loss drugs to prescription-only supply.Unapproved medicines cannot be legally sold or advertised. Another seller disguises drug sales as fitness coaching.Researchers say this approach bypasses safeguards and increases health risks.

Ultra-processed foods resemble cigarettes more than fresh food and need tougher regulation, researchers say.Scientists from Harvard, the University of Michigan, and Duke University say UPFs are engineered to drive addiction and overconsumption.They cite design tactics that maximise reward responses and speed of intake.The study, published in Milbank Quarterly, links UPFs to widespread health harm.Researchers compare “health washing” claims to past cigarette marketing tactics.They argue regulation should target industry practices, not individual choice.Experts say lessons from tobacco control could reduce diet-related disease burdens.

Toto Wolff dismissed rival complaints about the legality of Mercedes’ 2026 engine.He said competitors should “focus on themselves” after missing a regulatory opportunity.Rivals questioned engine compression methods used by Mercedes and Red Bull Racing.Other manufacturers raised concerns with the FIA.Wolff insisted the engine meets regulations and said the FIA agreed.He did not rule out protests after the Australian Grand Prix.

Researchers recreated cosmic dust in a Sydney lab to study how life’s building blocks reached Earth.Cosmic dust from dying stars contains organic CHON molecules linked to early life.University of Sydney PhD candidate Linda Losurdo produced dust using plasma in vacuum conditions.The method mimics gases and energy found around dying stars.Scientists hope the work explains why meteorites contain organic matter.The findings appear in the Astrophysical Journal.

The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply warned that soaring shipping costs could push up prices for consumer goods in 2026.CIPS said rising transport, energy, and raw material costs are creating cracks in global supply chains.Procurement bosses reported growing disruption risks, the highest level in two years.Shipping and logistics face the steepest increases, with 22% seeing costs rise more than 10%.Prices for computers, transport equipment, and electrical machinery are already climbing.CIPS said volatility now looks permanent, driven by geopolitics, tariffs, and trade tensions.