October 23, 2026 · Sports, Health & Nutrition Daily Digest
A digest of sports, fitness, health, and nutrition developments compiled for October 23, 2026, with summaries, links, and commentary.
I. Nutrition and Diet
1. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas: Among 96 adults aged 45 or younger with early-onset type 2 diabetes, a low-energy diet plus supervised exercise produced remission in 27/50 (54%) at 24 weeks, versus 2/46 (4%) with usual care (Nutrition)
Summary:
RESET for Remission, from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and the University of Leicester, is an open-label, blinded-endpoint randomized trial in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, described by the Institute on October 23; from September 24, 2021, to June 6, 2025, three centers enrolled 96 adults aged 18–45 with obesity and early-onset type 2 diabetes who were not using insulin (mean age 38, BMI 35.2), with 12 weeks at 800–900 kcal a day, mostly meal replacements, plus supervised aerobic and resistance training twice a week and one independent session, then 12 weeks of a maintenance diet and independent exercise. Remission at 24 weeks (HbA1c below 6.5% and no glucose-lowering medication for at least 12 weeks, missing data counted as no remission) was 27/50 versus 2/46, a 50-percentage-point difference (95% CI 33–64; adjusted OR 21.6, 6.2–114.5); versus control, weight was 7.5 kg lower, fat mass 16.5% lower, and liver fat fraction 9.1 percentage points lower, fat-free mass did not differ, grip strength was 7.6% higher, fitness relative to body mass was 10.3% higher, and all 14 people who lost at least 10% were in remission. At least one adverse event occurred in 43/50 intervention participants, mostly early constipation, headache, dizziness, and fatigue, with no serious adverse events; there was no diet-only arm (ISRCTN 15487120).
Links:
- The Lancet Regional Health – Americas — RESET: low-energy diet plus supervised exercise and remission of early-onset type 2 diabetes
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre — October 23 account
Commentary:
For early-onset type 2 diabetes under age 45 and not treated with insulin, the protocol here is 24 weeks of 800–900 kcal a day plus supervised aerobic and resistance training, delivered with medical oversight, because early side effects were common and the missing diet-only arm leaves muscle preservation unseparated from the diet.
2. Advances in Nutrition: An international food-guide pyramid puts vegetables, fruit, and intact lower-glycemic-index grains at the base and still allows animal foods by source (Nutrition)
Summary:
Brigham Young University's Karen Della Corte and 22 nutrition scientists in the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium propose a culturally adaptable food-guide pyramid in Advances in Nutrition, carried by Medical Xpress on October 23; the group compared guidelines from Canada, Germany, Australia, China, and the Nordic countries and synthesized more than 250 publications plus shared principles from the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet. The base is vegetables, fruit, and intact low-glycemic-index grains, with plant protein and plant oils emphasized and refined grains, processed meat, and sugary drinks limited; animal foods are not excluded, and fish, poultry, and yogurt come ahead of red and processed meat. The account attributes about 15 million premature deaths averted each year to the existing EAT-Lancet projection, and the practical examples include canola or olive oil instead of butter and tallow, water instead of sugary soda, and local staples such as durum pasta, basmati rice, tortillas, or bulgur.
Links:
- Advances in Nutrition — An international food-guide pyramid for human and planetary health
- Medical Xpress — October 23 Brigham Young University account
Commentary:
A plate can start with vegetables, legumes, and intact grains, with red and processed meat kept from being the largest share and sugary drinks counted separately; this is a synthesis of where national guidelines already agree, and the 15 million premature deaths are the existing EAT-Lancet estimate.
3. PLOS One: In 1,020 adults in Chennai, a higher genetic risk score lined up with higher total and LDL cholesterol only in the low diet-quality band (Nutrition)
Summary:
A cross-sectional analysis from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, the University of Reading, and colleagues appeared in PLOS One on October 14, and The Hindu reported it on October 23; 1,020 adults aged 25–80 in Chennai (452 men, 568 women) were scored on TCF7L2 rs7903146, FTO rs8050136, and FTO rs1588413, with diet quality covering pulses, milk, fruit and vegetables, white rice, fats and oils, added sugar, added salt, and poultry and eggs. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and type 2 diabetes, the score-by-diet interaction remained for total cholesterol (interaction P = 0.003) and LDL cholesterol (interaction P = 0.005), each explaining about 1.1% of log variance; only in the low diet-quality band did people with more than one risk allele have higher levels of both lipids (both P < 0.001). A higher score was also associated with higher fasting glucose (P = 0.005) and HbA1c (P = 0.006), and the authors describe a cross-sectional association.
Links:
- PLOS One — Diet quality and genetic risk of high blood cholesterol in Asian Indian adults
- The Hindu — October 23 report on CURES-165
Commentary:
For carriers of these diabetes-related variants, the cholesterol difference showed up in the low diet-quality band and was absent in the medium and high bands; the interaction explains about 1.1% of variance in one cross-sectional sample, so it is not a reason for a home genetic test or for stopping a prescribed lipid drug.
4. JAMA Network Open: Over a median 9.3 years in 1,861 Korean adults with non-dialysis CKD, protein below 0.6 g/kg/day versus at least 1.2 g/kg/day had a subdistribution hazard ratio of 1.42 for kidney failure and 2.17 for death (Nutrition)
Summary:
A prospective analysis of the Korean CKD outcomes cohort by Soo Wan Kim, Seong Kwon Ma, and colleagues was published in JAMA Network Open alongside ASN Kidney Week 2026, and Renal & Urology News reported it on October 22; 1,861 non-dialysis adults with stage 1–5 disease enrolled in 2011–2016 had protein estimated from 24-hour urinary nitrogen and were followed for a median of 9.3 years. Versus at least 1.2 g/kg/day, intake below 0.6 g/kg/day had a subdistribution hazard ratio of 1.42 (95% CI 1.09–1.85) for kidney failure requiring replacement therapy and 2.17 (1.17–4.03) for all-cause death, with no comparable difference for major cardiovascular events, and kidney-failure risk rose nonlinearly as protein fell. The report cites KDIGO guidance of about 0.8 g/kg/day for non-dialysis stage 3–5 disease; the study could not separate animal and plant protein, did not adjust for calories, and measured intake once.
Links:
- JAMA Network Open — Low daily protein intake and risk of kidney failure and mortality in chronic kidney disease
- Renal & Urology News — October 22 report on the KNOW-CKD analysis
Commentary:
Adults with non-dialysis CKD can keep protein from being cut on their own below 0.6 g/kg/day; the hazard ratios contrast that lowest band with at least 1.2 g/kg/day, while the cited KDIGO figure is about 0.8 g/kg/day, so the gram target still belongs with a nephrologist and a dietitian.
5. JAMA Network Open: Among 46 children aged 7–10 who started at a healthy weight, higher ultra-processed food intake lined up with a stronger dorsal-striatal response to food pictures and with adiposity gain one year later (Nutrition)
Summary:
An observational cohort led by Kathleen A. Page at the Keck School of Medicine of USC was released by the school on October 23, with the paper in JAMA Network Open; 46 children aged 7–10 in BrainChild, all at a healthy weight at entry, viewed food pictures during MRI at baseline and had body composition remeasured one year later. Higher ultra-processed-food intake lined up with a stronger dorsal-striatal response, that response lined up with later gains in BMI and body-fat percentage, and waist, BMI, and body fat were higher overall; after the striatal response was taken into account, the associations with BMI and body-fat percentage weakened by 31% and 44%. The school states that the design is observational and does not establish that ultra-processed food caused the brain responses or the weight gain.
Links:
- JAMA Network Open — Ultra-processed food intake, striatal response to food cues, and adiposity gain in children
- Keck School of Medicine of USC — October 23 news release
Commentary:
Households with school-age children have a reason to keep ultra-processed foods from being the foods constantly in view, while 46 children followed for one year leave the brain finding observational; 31% and 44% are shares of the association accounted for, not drops in BMI.
II. Exercise and Training Science
6. British Journal of Sports Medicine: In 17,088 UK Biobank adults free of heart disease at baseline, 150 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous activity lined up with about an 8%–9% lower cardiovascular risk, and a 30% reduction lined up with about 560–610 minutes (Training)
Summary:
A British Journal of Sports Medicine blog on October 23 explains a cohort and Mendelian-randomization study in the same journal: 17,088 UK Biobank adults free of heart disease at baseline wore a wrist accelerometer for about seven days and completed a fitness test, and 1,233 cardiovascular events occurred over a median 7.85 years, covering atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke. Meeting 150 minutes a week corresponded to a hazard ratio of about 0.91–0.92 versus a sedentary reference across fitness levels (about 8%–9%); the model matrix put a roughly 20% relative reduction at about 340–370 minutes a week and a 30% reduction at about 560–610 minutes, and fitness beyond what activity predicted had a hazard ratio of 0.98 per 1 mL/kg/min (0.97–0.99). Genetically proxied higher fitness was associated with lower heart-failure risk (OR 0.79, 0.63–0.99), genetic evidence for activity traits was weaker, and the blog treats 150 minutes as a starting line.
Links:
- British Journal of Sports Medicine — Joint dose–response of device-measured activity and cardiorespiratory fitness with cardiovascular disease
- BJSM blog — October 23 explanation of the same study
Commentary:
People still short of 150 weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity can close that gap first; the model's roughly 30% relative reduction corresponds to about 80–90 minutes a day, from a wrist-worn cohort plus genetic proxies, and it is not yet a validated personal prescription.
7. The Menopause Society annual meeting: Among 1,808 self-identified perimenopausal Flo users in 87 countries, those active at least 5 days a week had a mean Menopause Rating Scale score of 13.77, versus 17.46 in those who were inactive (Training)
Summary:
A cross-sectional analysis from Flo Health and Mayo Clinic was presented at The Menopause Society 2026 Annual Meeting (October 20–24); the Society's release is dated October 20, and Contemporary OB/GYN published the scores on October 22. The sample was 1,808 Flo users aged 35 or older who self-identified as perimenopausal, were not using hormonal contraception or hormone therapy (mean age 45), and came from 87 countries. Unadjusted Menopause Rating Scale totals were 17.46 (SD 7.79) in the inactive group and 13.77 (7.06) in those active at least 5 days a week, with psychological scores 7.77 versus 6.41, somatic scores 6.06 versus 4.48, and urogenital scores 3.63 versus 2.87. After adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, comorbidities, health-care access, and country Socio-Demographic Index, the coefficient was −0.57 for the total and −0.26, −0.21, and −0.10 for the three domains; intensity, duration, and activity type were not recorded.
Links:
- The Menopause Society — Physical activity frequency and perimenopause symptom burden
- Contemporary OB/GYN — October 22 write-up of the meeting data
Commentary:
In perimenopause, adding more active days in the week is a low-risk place to start, and the score gap was larger for psychological symptoms than for urogenital symptoms; the data are self-reports from app users, without intensity or duration, and they do not replace hormone or non-hormone treatment already in use.
III. Public Health and Disease Prevention
8. ASN Kidney Week: Among 108 adults with stage 3 CKD and metabolic acidosis, halving dietary acid with fruits and vegetables was followed by 14 hospitalizations over 10 years, versus 64 with usual care (Public health)
Summary:
A randomized follow-up led by Nimrit Goraya and colleagues is being presented at ASN Kidney Week (October 22–25), with the Society's account published through Medical Xpress on October 22; 108 adults with stage 3 CKD and metabolic acidosis were split into three groups of 36, using fruits and vegetables or oral sodium bicarbonate to halve dietary acid, or usual care, and were followed annually for 10 years. Across follow-up there were 115 hospitalizations, 166 emergency visits, and 34 progressions to dialysis; versus usual care, the fruit-and-vegetable group had 14 versus 64 hospitalizations, 20 versus 88 emergency visits, and 4 versus 16 progressions to dialysis, and sodium bicarbonate did not differ from usual care. The corresponding author said the fruit-and-vegetable approach lined up with more favorable long-term outcomes and health-care use without a rise in overall health-system or societal costs; what is public so far is a meeting account, not a journal article.
Links:
Commentary:
In stage 3 CKD with metabolic acidosis, fruits and vegetables were a prescribed way to cut dietary acid load in half, with 36 people per arm and results still at meeting stage, so a prescribed sodium bicarbonate course stays in place until the clinician changes it.
9. WHO Europe: On October 23 the office placed this season's influenza vaccine with older adults, pregnant women, children under 5, people with a BMI of at least 40, people with chronic conditions, people with weakened immunity, and health workers (Public health)
Summary:
The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe published an influenza-season note on October 23: about 3–5 million people have severe respiratory illness from influenza each year and about 290,000–650,000 die, and the European season usually starts from mid-November to mid-December and peaks in January or February. People at higher risk include older adults, pregnant women, children under 5, people with a BMI of at least 40, people with chronic conditions, and people with weakened immunity, and annual vaccination is also recommended for health workers; protection from last year's dose wanes even if the strains match. Habits offered to everyone are staying home when unwell, wearing a mask with flu-like symptoms, covering coughs, cleaning hands, and opening windows, and the note does not give a new efficacy figure for this season.
Links:
Commentary:
People in those risk groups, and health workers, can check the national schedule for this season's influenza vaccine, including anyone vaccinated last year; the note has no new efficacy percentage, and staying home when ill, ventilation, and hand hygiene apply to everyone.
10. US CDC: The page updated on October 23 shows 4,588 confirmed measles cases as of noon on October 22, with 4,404 of 4,588 outbreak-associated (Public health)
Summary:
The US CDC measles page is marked updated on October 23, with data as of noon on October 22: 4,588 confirmed cases in 2026, 4,570 from 47 jurisdictions and 18 among international visitors, 43 new outbreaks, and 96% (4,404 of 4,588) outbreak-associated, including 3,020 from outbreaks that started in 2026 and 1,384 from outbreaks that started in 2025. Contagion Live's same-day reading of that dashboard added 178 cases to the 4,410 reported a week earlier, with 479 hospitalizations (10%): 119 of 766 (16%) under age 5, 268 of 1,881 (14%) aged 20 or older, and 91 of 1,914 (5%) aged 5–19. Ninety-six percent were unvaccinated or of unknown status, about 2% each had one dose or two doses, and the death field remained at 3 and may change after review; the page counts confirmed cases notified to CDC.
Links:
- CDC — US measles cases and outbreaks as of October 22
- Contagion Live — October 23 reading of the CDC dashboard
Commentary:
Confirmed cases moved from 4,410 to 4,588 in a week, with a higher share of hospitalizations in young children and in adults 20 and older; people who have not completed two measles-vaccine doses can catch up on the local schedule, and the listed 3 deaths can still change after review.
IV. Sleep and Mental Health
11. The British Journal of Psychiatry: Of 11,380 Australians with severe, recurrent, or persistent depression, 2,604 (23%) met at least three self-reported circadian features (Sleep)
Summary:
A cross-sectional analysis by Emiliana Tonini, Jacob J. Crouse, and colleagues was published online in The British Journal of Psychiatry on October 20; among 11,380 participants of genetically inferred European ancestry in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study, a circadian subtype required at least three of six features: social jet lag, seasonality, a delayed sleep midpoint, an evening chronotype, morning tiredness, and hypersomnia in depression. That subtype included 2,604 people (23%; 80% women, mean age 37.87), with earlier onset (18.68 versus 23.20 years), heavier self-reported symptoms, and more weight gain in episodes; self-reported response odds ratios were 0.88 (0.82–0.94) for SSRIs and 0.89 (0.83–0.97) for SNRIs, and the ADHD polygenic score odds ratio was 1.11 (1.06–1.17). The authors call for independent replication, and the subtype is not in the diagnostic manual.
Links:
Commentary:
People with severe or recurrent depression plus a cluster such as an evening chronotype, heavy morning tiredness, and a large weekday–weekend sleep gap can bring that schedule into the clinical visit; the 23% figure comes from a European-ancestry cross-section with self-reported medication response, and it is not a completed trial of melatonin or light therapy.
V. Evidence and Clarification
12. Health Canada: On October 22 the department proposed a 10 mg per-serving cap for vitamin B6 in supplemented foods and a caution above 2 mg, with comments open until January 20, 2027 (Evidence)
Summary:
Health Canada published proposed notice PASF-2609 on October 22 to cut the per-serving vitamin B6 maximum in caffeinated energy drinks from 11 mg to 10 mg, with a caution above 2 mg, and in other supplemented foods from 38 mg to 10 mg, with the caution threshold moving from 7 mg to 2 mg. The rationale includes EFSA's adult upper level of 12 mg/day and a Canadian assessment that natural health products at 10 mg/day or more may be linked to peripheral neuropathy, while reports below 50 mg are too incomplete for a precise dose curve. If adopted, labeling and reformulation would run to January 1, 2030; comments are open until January 20, 2027.
Links:
Commentary:
Vitamin B6 in energy drinks and supplemented foods is a per-serving milligram question; this Canadian proposal would put a caution above 2 mg and a cap at 10 mg, and it is not in force, so numbness or tingling is a reason to stop non-prescription B6 at 10 mg/day or more and to get clinical advice.
Today's Summary
- Diet: A low-energy diet plus supervised exercise in 96 adults produced 24-week remission of early-onset type 2 diabetes in 54% versus 4%, with fat-free mass preserved; the international pyramid restates a plant-food base and carbohydrate quality; in 1,020 adults in Chennai, the cholesterol difference by genotype appeared only in the low diet-quality band.
- Protein and children's diets: In non-dialysis CKD, protein below 0.6 g/kg/day versus at least 1.2 g/kg/day corresponded to a kidney-failure hazard ratio of 1.42 and a mortality ratio of 2.17; in 46 children, ultra-processed food lined up with adiposity one year later, with dorsal-striatal response accounting for part of that link.
- Training and public health: One hundred fifty weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity corresponded to about an 8%–9% lower cardiovascular risk; perimenopausal respondents active at least 5 days a week scored about 3.7 points lower on symptom burden; halving dietary acid with fruits and vegetables was followed by 14 hospitalizations versus 64, influenza vaccination follows risk group, and confirmed US measles cases rose to 4,588.
- Sleep and supplements: Twenty-three percent of 11,380 people with depression met a circadian subtype and reported a slightly poorer antidepressant response; Canada has proposed a 10 mg per-serving cap for vitamin B6 in supplemented foods, and the proposal is still open for comment.
Daily Framing:
October 23 in the sports, health, and nutrition cycle was a day for writing doses and boundaries in numbers: remission of early-onset diabetes came from 24 weeks of a low-energy diet plus supervised training, very low protein and dietary acid load in chronic kidney disease mapped onto measurable risks and hospitalizations, 150 weekly minutes was the floor for cardiovascular protection, and the vitamin B6 caution is still a proposal.
This digest is compiled from real-time search results and is for reference only.