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In contrast to annual plants, perennial wheat offers a more diverse microbiome and has a significantly lower impact on soil and environment - as has just been proven by researchers at TU Graz's Institute of Environmental Biotechnology. From an ecological point of view, the cultivation of annual cereal crops is a burden on nature.

Irrigation with treated wastewater and sewage sludge brings tire additives into the leafy vegetables Car tires contain hundreds of chemical additives that can leach out of them. This is how they end up in crops and subsequently in the food chain. Researchers at the Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have now detected these chemical residues in leafy vegetables for the first time.

Aloe vera, chia, ginger, blueberries, avocado and the like: the title "superfood" has already been awarded to many foods. It stands for fruits, seeds, vegetables and more that are said to have a particularly health-promoting effect in one or more areas due to their ingredients. One of these superfoods was researched as part of a study at the Medical University of Graz by Sandra Holasek from the Department of Immunology at the Otto Loewi Research Center: the local aronia berry and its juice.

At least 75 per cent of type 2 diabetes cases could be avoided by adopting a healthy lifestyle. A plant-based diet has been shown to play a key role in this. With limitations - as demonstrated in a study led by Tilman Kühn from MedUni Vienna's Center for Public Health: A more plant-based diet only develops its protective effects if not only the consumption of animal-based foods, but also industrially processed and highly sugary foods is reduced.

Many people want to eat healthily, but also value the sustainability of their food . Intuitively, healthy is often equated with sustainable. A study by scientists from the Johannes Kepler University Linz, the University of Constance and the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences has investigated whether this perception corresponds to reality.

Scientists at the University of Innsbruck have been studying the water cycle and glaciers in the Andes near Huaraz in northern Peru for a long time. They recently documented a previously unreported rainfall phenomenon. These light rainfalls, known locally as "Pushpa", mark the beginning of the sowing season.

High consumption of highly processed animal products and soft drinks containing sweeteners and sugar increases the risk of multimorbidity In a groundbreaking multinational study involving 266,666 participants from seven European countries, nutrition scientists from the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), have found that a high consumption of highly processed foods, also known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), is associated with a higher risk of multimorbidity from cancer and cardiometabolic diseases.

In a meta-study, a research team from the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology at TU Graz has provided evidence that the consumption of fruit and vegetables contributes positively to bacterial diversity in the human gut. Bacterial diversity in the gut plays an important role in human health. The crucial question, however, is where are the sources of this diversity? It is known that an important part of the maternal microbiome is transferred to the baby at birth, and the same happens during the breastfeeding period via breast milk.

It is impossible to imagine modern agriculture without plastics. 12 million tonnes are used every year. But what about the consequences for the environment? An international team of authors led by Thilo Hofmann from the Division of Environmental Geosciences at the University of Vienna addresses this question in a recent study in Nature Communication Earth and Environment .

A study with BOKU participation shows that biodiversity in intensive agriculture is not economically profitable for farmers. Measures for more sustainable agriculture can increase the number and diversity of wild bee species in grassland and thus increase pollination and crop yields in neighboring fields.

Vegans are considered health-conscious both in the public and in their own perception. Researchers at the Centre for Public Health have now examined the dietary patterns and physical activity behaviour of vegans and found a discrepancy between appearance and reality in many cases. Although many vegans exercise more than the average person, the widespread consumption of industrially processed foods in this group cannot be classified as beneficial to health.

International survey shows different perceptions in science and practice To minimize negative impacts of agriculture on biodiversity and related ecosystem services, "biodiversity-friendly" management is needed. Why scientific results are rarely translated into agricultural practice could be explained by their different perceptions of agricultural biodiversity, according to the results of a recent survey of European scientists and farmers.

Agriculture and climate experts have warned for some years that extreme climate events including severe droughts with frequent heatwaves drop the production of major staple food crops like wheat causing a severe threat to food security.