Medical Bulletin 28/October/2025 - Video

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Study explores health risks of ultra-processed plant foods vs meat

An in-depth narrative review in Current Nutrition Reports addresses the major debate around unprocessed animal foods and ultra-processed plant-based foods, exploring their impacts on cardiometabolic health, chronic disease, and mortality.

The NOVA classification system, central to this review, sorts foods into unprocessed, culinary ingredient, processed, and ultra-processed categories, with UPFs—including both animal- and plant-based products—making up a significant portion of modern diets.

Ultra-processed plant foods like plant milks, meat analogs, and margarine are designed to provide sustainable and health-focused options, but their overall nutritional value is debated. Plant-based UPFs are generally lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron, and free of bioavailable estrogens, unlike most animal-based foods. They often contain added fiber, plant protein isolates, and healthy polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) but may also include additives and sugars.

The review drew on randomized trials, cohort data, and dietary composition analysis. Substituting animal with plant-based UPFs—such as soymilk for dairy, Beyond Meat for red meat, or soft margarine for butter—yielded reductions in LDL cholesterol, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, body weight, and TMAO, a compound linked to heart disease.

Plant-based alternatives, especially when minimally processed, boosted fiber intake and anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, countering some risks associated with animal products like elevated cholesterol and inflammation.

The evidence highlighted product-specific nuances: while replacing some animal foods with certain plant-based UPFs brings cardiometabolic benefits, these foods are not as healthful as whole plant foods. Soft margarine, made with non-hydrogenated oils, notably lowered cardiovascular risk compared to butter.

The review advocates for a pragmatic approach—using plant-based UPFs as transition tools in diets, with public health guidance tuned to nuanced product attributes and calling for further research on health effects by UPF subtype and context.

Reference: Fernández-Fígares Jiménez MDCF & López-Moreno M. (2025). Ultra-processed Plant Foods: Are They Worse than their Unprocessed Animal-Based Counterparts? Current Nutrition Reports, 14:115. doi: 10.1007/s13668-025-00704-6, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-025-00704-6

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic may help reduce drug and alcohol addiction risks: Study

Researchers have identified Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RAs)—medications already used for diabetes and obesity—as promising potential treatments for alcohol and drug addiction. Published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, the study explores how GLP-1RAs modulate brain circuits linked to addiction, reducing cravings and substance use while also addressing related metabolic issues.

GLP-1RAs work by activating receptors in the central nervous system that regulate hunger but also impact reward pathways involved in addiction. They influence neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine, glutamate, and GABA within the mesocorticolimbic circuit, which plays a pivotal role in reinforcing addictive behaviors. Additionally, these drugs communicate via the gut-brain axis through vagal afferents, integrating energy balance and motivational signals to curb substance-seeking behavior.

The study reviewed preclinical animal research and early clinical trials. One randomized controlled trial found that semaglutide reduced alcohol self-administration and craving in individuals with alcohol use disorder, especially those with obesity. Rodent models demonstrated that GLP-1RAs reduced heroin, fentanyl, and nicotine self-administration and relapse behavior. Initial clinical data on tobacco use disorder suggests these drugs help decrease cigarettes per day and prevent post-cessation weight gain.

Despite such encouraging findings, challenges remain including variability in drug penetration into the brain and potential side effects like nausea or mood changes. Researchers emphasize the need for larger, well-controlled human trials to establish efficacy, dosing, safety, and long-term outcomes. Lead researcher Dr. Lorenzo Leggio highlighted the importance of these agents as potential game-changers in addiction treatment, offering a novel, neurobiologically based approach that intersects metabolic and psychiatric care.

Overall, GLP-1RAs represent a hopeful new class of addiction therapeutics, targeting core brain mechanisms to reduce substance use and improve overall health outcomes.

Reference: Nirupam M Srinivasan, Mehdi Farokhnia, Lisa A Farinelli, Anna Ferrulli, Lorenzo Leggio. GLP-1 Therapeutics and Their Emerging Role in Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders: An Endocrinology Primer. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2025; 9 (11) DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvaf141

Study reveals fat-fueled neurons may unlock new brain disease treatments

Scientists from the University of Queensland and University of Helsinki have uncovered a groundbreaking discovery that neurons use fat, not just sugar, as a crucial energy source. Traditionally, brain energy metabolism was believed to rely solely on glucose, but these researchers demonstrated that neurons can burn fat by producing fatty acids themselves through a recycling process regulated by a protein called DDHD2. This metabolic flexibility supports neuronal activity, especially when energy demands increase.

The research is published in the journal Nature Metabolism.

For a long time, it was believed that the brain relies almost entirely on glucose, a type of sugar, for its energy needs. However, new research shows that neurons—the brain's nerve cells—can also use fat as a fuel. They do this by making their own fatty acids through a recycling process controlled by a special protein called DDHD2. This protein helps neurons break down parts of their own cells to produce fat molecules, which provide energy, especially when the brain's demand for fuel increases. This discovery reveals that neurons have a flexible energy system, allowing them to burn fat as well as sugar, which could be important for brain health and function.

Their research employed advanced biochemical assays and imaging techniques to study isolated neurons and animal models. When glucose availability dropped, or energy demand rose, neurons tapped into lipid droplets—energy-rich fat stores—to sustain mitochondrial function and ATP production. The key protein DDHD2 facilitates this fat metabolism. Mutations in DDHD2 cause the rare neurological disorder Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia 54 (HSP54), where impaired fat metabolism leads to neuronal energy failure, cognitive deficits, and mobility problems.

Remarkably, supplying damaged neurons with specific fatty acid supplements restored energy production and normalized cellular activity within 48 hours in laboratory settings. This points to therapeutic potential for fat-based interventions in neurodegenerative diseases lacking effective treatments.

Lead researcher Dr. Merja Joensuu called the findings “a game-changer,” emphasizing that recognizing fat as a vital brain fuel opens new research and treatment avenues. The team plans to test fatty acid therapies' safety and efficacy in preclinical models and use innovative noninvasive brain imaging to speed therapy development.

Reference: Saber H. Saber, Nyakuoy Yak, Xuan Ling Hilary Yong, Yih Tyng Bong, Hannah Leeson, Chuan-Yang Dai, Tobias Binder, Siyuan Lu, Reshinthine Purushothaman, An-Sofie Lenaerts, Leonardo Almeida-Souza, Lidiia Koludarova, Safak Er, Irena Hlushchuk, Arnaud Gaudin, Sachin Singh, Tuula A. Nyman, Jeffrey R. Harmer, Steven Zuryn, Ernst Wolvetang, Gert Hoy Talbo, Mikko Airavaara, Brendan J. Battersby, Ashley J. van Waardenberg, Victor Anggono, Giuseppe Balistreri, Merja Joensuu. DDHD2 provides a flux of saturated fatty acids for neuronal energy and function. Nature Metabolism, 2025; 7 (10): 2117 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-025-01367-x