Food and nutrition professionals convened recently in Napa, California, at an event sponsored by The Peanut Institute to hear research on a unanimous finding: Peanuts are more nutritious than any other nut and should be categorised as a super food.

Recent studies that examine links between sodium consumption and health outcomes support recommendations to lower sodium intake from the very high levels some Americans consume now, but evidence from these studies does not support reduction in sodium intake to below 2,300 mg per day, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

Microbes in the gut may be a key to helping people lose weight, according to two tantalising new studies.

A guy who's been bragging about finding a way around eating has generated reams of internet headlines. On his blog, American Rob Rhinehart details his two-month experiment consuming mostly 'Soylent', a concoction he invented to provide all the nutrition and none of the hassle of food.

The high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol in red meat have long been blamed for increasing risk of heart disease. But now, new research points a finger at another culprit in meat that may be more closely tied to this leading killer: the nutrient called l-carnitine, which is found in red meat and is also popular as a dietary supplement, may also play a role - according to Cleveland Clinic research published online in the journal Nature Medicine.

In a unique natural experiment, researchers have observed how Cuba lost an average of 5kg per head over five years, a scenario that contributed to a halving of the death rate from diabetes and a one third reduction in deaths from heart disease. [Goodness! Who would've thought? Ed]

In seeking solutions to counter the obesity crisis, many experts from the scientific community and the food industry have shifted their attention to satiety. "Appetite is an important determinant of food intake and is composed of two related but distinct elements: satiation and satiety," says Cathy Arnold, senior formulation scientist for Fortitech.

More on arguably the hottest topic of the year... The anti-sugar forces turn their attention from HFCS to fructose, even at the expense of fruit consumption.