Trending Topics
...a hot take on a trending topic
Trending Topics articles are published in timely response to evidence or media publications and may not be consistent with PEN evidence in other content areas. When this occurs, the PEN content will be reviewed and updated in the near future.
Does Scientific Evidence Support Fermented Foods' Popularity?
2026 is the year of the cabbage! This trend is fuelled in part by claims that cabbage in its fermented form, sauerkraut and kimchi, and other fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, tempeh and some kombucha fermented teas can potentially improve digestion, immunity and possibly mood.
The NiMe Diet: What is it, and How Might it Affect Dietetic Practice?
A new diet, the NiMe diet, has been designed to restore our industrialized gut microbiomes to their “ancestral” state. The PEN Team asked: what is this diet, and what does it mean for dietitians in practice?
Do Emulsifiers Affect the Gut Microbiome?
The PEN team was made aware of recent interest in the role of emulsifiers and gut microbiome and health. Dietary emulsifiers help to combine or stabilize substances that usually don’t stay together when mixed. They affect a food’s appearance, texture and shelf-life and are commonly found in processed and ultra-processed foods such as margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressings, sauces, nut butters, chocolate products, milk and dairy including ice cream products and commercially made baked goods.