
Health Studies Hub
Your go-to source for daily breakdowns of the latest health, fitness, and nutrition research.
Ultra-Processed Foods Double Fat Gain Without Extra Calories.
In 2025, Jessica M. Preston and Romain Barrès from the University of Copenhagen studied 43 men aged 20-35 in a crossover trial. Participants spent three weeks on ultra-processed diets (like processed meats and snacks) and three on unprocessed diets (whole foods), with equal calories, followed by a washout period. They measured weight, hormones, and pollutants in blood.
Soy Consumption Linked to Digestive and Thyroid Risks.
In 2007, Begoña Cerdá and a team studied six volunteers whose fecal samples were incubated with ellagic acid, a soy polyphenol. They found gut bacteria turned it into urolithin, a compound tied to gut inflammation and potential cancer risk in animal studies, with 30-50% more urolithin production in some people, suggesting soy may harm gut health in certain individuals.
Toxic Shampoo Ingredients Harm Health and Environment.
In 2023, Carly Fraser from Live Love Fruit reviewed research on harmful chemicals in shampoos, focusing on sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and synthetic fragrances. These are linked to skin irritation, hormone disruption, and environmental damage, with studies showing SLS causes skin sensitivity in 40% of users, and parabens mimic estrogen, raising breast cancer risk by 10-20% in some lab tests.
Your Favorite Scented Candle Might Be as Toxic as Car Exhaust.
Scented candles—especially paraffin-based—don’t just smell cozy. Multiple studies show they release toxic chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, carbon monoxide, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—many of which are carcinogenic, hormone-disrupting, or linked to respiratory disease.
That “Fresh” Car Smell Could Be Harming Your Health.
New research reveals that car air fresheners—especially tree-shaped ones like Little Trees—emit dangerous chemicals such as VOCs and phthalates, which have been linked to respiratory issues, hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer. In a confined space like a car, exposure can be intense and long-lasting.