Eating Together for Better Health, the Unexpected Edge of Weighing Extra, the News on Grey Hair, and More

The latest in health and medical research you need to know

By Molly Jasinski and Kristine Gasbarre Published Nov 13, 2026 18:42:26 IST
2026-11-13T18:42:26+05:30
2026-11-13T18:42:26+05:30
Eating Together for Better Health, the Unexpected Edge of Weighing Extra, the News on Grey Hair, and More All Photos: Adobe Stock

Craving Conection

Keeping a seat at the ­table for friends or ­family can improve key markers of healthy ­ageing, while eating alone showed the opposite ­effect. After reviewing data collected across 10 countries, Australian nutrition researchers determined that those who routinely ate alone consumed less food—specifically, fewer fruits and vegetables and less protein.

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Part of the research suggested that those who consistently ate alone were more than twice as likely to drop significant weight, a risk factor linked to higher rates of chronic illness and increased mortality in seniors. Cooking for (and eating with) others naturally encourages better habits, the team theorized, because “social cues can be beneficial in facilitating eating behaviours.”
Shot at Prevention
Only a few cancer types are currently preventable by a vaccine—and an aggressive breast cancer may soon be joining them. In November 2025, Anixa Biosciences announced it had secured a patent for a vaccine that trains the immune system to attack alpha-lactalbumin, a protein typically present during late pregnancy and ­lactation, and also expressed in the majority of triple-negative breast cancer cases. The idea was first developed at the Cleveland Clinic, where phase one of the trial is projected to be completed this summer. If additional trials confirm its efficacy, the vaccine could be available by 2030.
More Mangoes, Please!
A study at the University of California, Davis, found that two servings of ­mangoes a day can help postmenopausal women keep their hearts healthy by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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The study included 24 women aged 50 to 70 who were overweight or obese. For two weeks, the women ate approximately one-and-a-half cups of mangoes each day. Two hours after eating mangoes, the women’s systolic blood pressure dropped by about six points. By the study's end, participants reduced their total cholesterol and LDL  (‘bad’) cholesterol levels by about 13 points.

A Protective Cushion

Carrying extra kilos is often associated with all sorts of health issues. But as per a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, being overweight offers an unexpected benefit: better outcomes after surgery for older adults. In a study of 414 adults 65 and older, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles saw that those whose body-mass index (BMI) classified them as overweight or obese had the fewest complications after major elective procedures, and had the lowest death rates after 30 days, at less than one per cent. Risks of post-surgical issues did rise among the severely obese (BMI of 40 or higher) to 21 per cent.

Brush Up

A new study from New York University found that certain microbes in the mouth were linked to a sharply higher risk of pancreatic cancer. By analyzing saliva samples from over 1,20,000 adults and tracking their health for nearly a decade, the team compared results from 445 participants who were diagnosed with 445 who were not.

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A total of 27 oral bacteria and fungi were linked to having three-and-a-half times greater risk of pancreatic cancer. The study was also the first to identify a type of candida yeast that can be found in both the mouth and in pancreatic tumours. Good oral hygiene can protect you against periodontal disease, and now, possibly cancer.

Silver Lining

Rather than curse grey hair, consider that it might indicate the body’s built-in defence against melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Scientists from the University of Tokyo examined stem cells responsible for hair and skin colouring and found that when these stem cells experience a type of DNA damage, they are removed from the body instead of continuing to divide. This causes hair to turn grey. In contrast, cancer-­causing chemicals can block this ­protective greying response, keeping the cells in self-renewal mode and opening the door for potential cancer formation.

 

Research by Lauren Grey

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