3 New Papers: EAT-Lancet Diet Cuts Heart Risk but Has Nutrient Gaps, VR Beats Fear of Falling, Acupuncture Matches CBT for Perimenopause Insomnia
Three PubMed papers indexed May 27–June 1, 2026: a 227-study meta-analysis (>1M participants) finds the EAT-Lancet planetary diet cuts all-cause mortality by 20% and CVD risk by 17%, but predicts B12/calcium/iron/zinc deficits globally; a 34-person RCT finds VR balance training significantly reduces fear of falling in older adults vs conventional training, with higher motivation; and a 160-woman non-inferiority RCT shows electroacupuncture matches CBT-I for perimenopausal insomnia within a pre-specified margin.
Research Brief
Papers indexed May 27–June 1, 2026 • 3-minute read
Nutrition: the planetary health diet reduces cardiovascular risk — but watch for B12 and calcium gaps
The paper: Zhu R et al. "The health and environmental impacts, safety, and affordability of the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet: a multidisciplinary systematic review and meta-analysis." Advances in Nutrition. 2026 May 31. PMID 42225169. 1
Design and scope: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 227 studies identified through searches of six databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov), covering literature from January 2019 to June 2025. Of these, 79 studies with epidemiological data on population health or environmental outcomes entered the meta-analysis; study populations ranged from individual cohorts to multi-country pooled datasets totaling over a million participants.
Core findings: People whose diets aligned most closely with the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet — rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and modest in red meat and dairy — had a pooled 20% lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.76–0.85; 17 studies, n = 1,063,289) and a 17% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74–0.94; 10 studies, n = 1,027,822). The association did not extend to all cancers or dementia.
On the environmental side, adherents produced roughly 1.55 kg CO₂-equivalent less per person per day — real but modest — while evidence on water and land-use benefits was weaker.
The shadow side: on a global average, the diet would leave adults deficient in vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc, with pregnant women at particular risk. And globally, 1.6 to 3.0 billion people cannot afford it.
Peer-review status: Published in Advances in Nutrition, peer-reviewed. The review was pre-registered at PROSPERO (CRD42024540867). No conflicts of interest listed by authors.
Actionable takeaway: The planetary health diet's cardiovascular benefit is well-supported by a large pooled evidence base. If you're moving toward this pattern — more plants, less red meat, limited dairy — consider routine monitoring of B12, iron, calcium, and zinc, especially if you're pregnant or menstruating. Supplementation or fortified foods may be needed to close the gaps the diet itself creates.
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Exercise: a VR balance program cuts fear of falling more effectively than standard training in older adults
The paper: Shamsoddini A, Cheraghifard M. "Impact of virtual reality versus conventional balance training on balance function and fear of falling in older adults: a single blinded, randomized controlled trial." European Geriatric Medicine. 2026 May 31. PMID 42223906. 2
Design and scope: Single-blind RCT in 34 older adults (17 men, 17 women; mean age 71.3 ± 5.4 years). Participants were randomized to either a virtual reality balance program (using Microsoft Kinect combined with a balance board) or conventional balance training. Both groups trained twice per week for 50 minutes per session over six weeks. Assessments occurred at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. No participant dropped out.
Core findings: The VR group showed a statistically significant reduction in fear of falling on the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I mean change: −4.2 points, p < 0.001); the conventional group did not. Both groups improved on the Berg Balance Scale from baseline to follow-up (VR: +6.1 points; conventional: +4.3 points), with no significant between-group difference on balance itself. The VR group reported significantly higher motivation scores — specifically enjoyment (p < 0.001) and perceived competence (p < 0.001) — on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory.
The FES-I shift matters clinically: fear of falling is an independent risk factor for actual falls and for self-imposed activity restriction in older adults, so reducing it has behavioral knock-on effects beyond what balance scores capture.
Peer-review status: Published in European Geriatric Medicine, peer-reviewed. Sample size is small (n = 34); the authors explicitly note that causal claims are limited and results require replication.
No conflicts of interest declared.
Actionable takeaway: If you're helping an older parent or patient engage with fall-prevention exercise, VR-based balance training may be more compelling than floor exercises not just because it's more fun, but because it directly addresses fear of falling — something standard programs often leave untouched. The modest sample size warrants caution, but motivation effects this large are rarely noise.
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Sleep: electroacupuncture matches CBT-I for perimenopause-related insomnia in a 160-person non-inferiority trial
The paper: Yu XT et al. "Effect of electroacupuncture versus cognitive behavioral therapy for perimenopausal insomnia: a non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial." Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2026 May 27. PMID 42224778. 3
Design and scope: Two-arm, non-inferiority RCT. 160 perimenopausal women with insomnia were randomized 1:1 to electroacupuncture (EA) or CBT-I (the established first-line psychological treatment for chronic insomnia). The pre-specified non-inferiority margin was −4 points on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The primary outcome was ISI score change from baseline to week 8. Follow-up extended to week 20. Retention was 95% in the EA group and 89% in the CBT-I group.
Core findings: At 8 weeks, ISI scores declined by a mean of 6.80 points in the EA group (95% CI 5.84–7.77) and 9.16 points in the CBT-I group (95% CI 8.14–10.17). The between-group difference was −2.36 points (95% CI −3.77 to −0.94), comfortably within the non-inferiority margin. CBT-I produced numerically larger ISI improvements, but the gap was not large enough to declare CBT-I superior by the trial's own standards. No serious adverse events occurred in either arm.
This is a clinically important finding: CBT-I access is constrained by therapist availability, cost, and wait times. If EA can reliably produce substantial sleep improvements in perimenopausal women — a population where hormonal fluctuations complicate pharmacological options — it expands what practitioners and patients can realistically reach for.
Peer-review status: Published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, peer-reviewed. Non-inferiority trials have inherent design complexity; the margin choice (−4 ISI points) was predefined, which is methodological good practice.
No competing interests declared by authors.
Actionable takeaway: Perimenopausal women struggling with insomnia who can't access or prefer not to start CBT-I have evidence-backed grounds to try electroacupuncture. Based on this trial, the realistic expectation is a meaningful ISI reduction (~7 points over 8 weeks) that falls somewhat short of what CBT-I produces, but is clinically significant and durable through 20 weeks. Discuss with a licensed acupuncturist who has experience with perimenopausal patients.
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