What does the science actually say about food, metabolism, and the brain-body connection? A working scientist reads the peer-reviewed literature — so you get the real story, not the headlines.
For the first time, researchers can identify which specific lipids bind to specific proteins inside living cells. Lipid-trap mass spectrometry (LTMS) opens a new chapter in understanding disease — and a new field: functional lipid-protein interactomics.
Read articleInhibiting 15-PGDH restores PGE₂ in arthritic joints — regenerating cartilage and reducing pain. The lipid signaling story behind a potential first disease-modifying treatment for osteoarthritis.
The 2025–2030 guidelines rehabilitated butter and beef tallow while keeping the 10% saturated fat limit. A lipid scientist reads the fine print — where the nuance is justified, and where it isn't.
Atomic-scale simulations revealed membrane lipids interact with the most drugged protein family through previously unknown backdoor pathways — opening new avenues for drug discovery.
PPAR agonists delivered via lipid nanoparticle to adipose macrophages reversed obesity and insulin resistance in three rodent models within weeks.
A 2025 review of 18 studies found the Mediterranean diet showed the most consistent cognitive benefits of any dietary pattern. A lipid scientist explains the molecular mechanisms.
A mass spectrometer detects thousands of molecules in a single drop of blood. How it works — and why it's becoming one of the most powerful tools in medicine.
The Mediterranean diet is the most scientifically validated dietary pattern in human history. I grew up eating it in Campania — the region that gave the world mozzarella, ragù, and pizza. These posts pair traditional Southern Italian recipes with the peer-reviewed science behind why they work.
One pot. Six ingredients. Twenty minutes. OEA satiety signaling, resistant starch, odd-chain fatty acids from Pecorino — and my family's recipe.
Resistant starch, bioavailable lycopene, brain-crossing antioxidants, complete plant protein — all in one bowl, under 30 minutes, for five dollars.
In 1945 an American scientist arrived in Naples and found a population eating olive oil and legumes with almost no heart disease. He built a house in Cilento and spent 40 years figuring out why. A Campanian scientist explains what Keys got right — and what the molecular biology reveals that he couldn't see.
Colatura di alici — the amber liquid from salted anchovies in Cetara — is one of the most concentrated sources of EPA and DHA in the Mediterranean diet. Fermentation science, omega-3 biochemistry, and the recipe.
The only nut with significant omega-3 content — plus ellagitannins converted by gut bacteria to urolithins, dietary melatonin, and a polyphenol profile that rivals berries. The science, with a Campanian walnut pasta sauce.
Family recipes from my original Italian cooking blog (2008), now rewritten here in two voices — Campanian kitchen memory and the scientist's eye. Each recipe includes a brief science note explaining what is actually happening in the pot. Browse all posts & recipes →
Potatoes and pasta in the same pot until the starches merge and the broth becomes something creamy without any cream. The Neapolitan word for the right consistency is pippiare — a gentle, lazy bubble.
Garlic, oil, chili, parsley. The simplest pasta there is and one of the best. The late-night dish of Naples — made properly, with patience and good olive oil.
A slow-cooked meat sauce. Not the full Sunday ragù with whole cuts — the quicker version that still requires patience and rewards it. Minimum thirty minutes. An hour is better.
Pasta with butter and Parmesan. The first Italian dish most children eat. The dish adults return to when they need something simple and true.
Lentils look like tiny ancient coins — which is why Italians eat them on New Year's for prosperity. Beyond the tradition, this is a genuine Blue Zones recipe. Molecular sophistication disguised as something a grandmother made.
Every time you eat olive oil, your gut releases oleoylethanolamide. Here's what 20 years of research — including work from my own lab — reveals about how this tiny molecule controls hunger.
The DHA in your brain is largely made by your liver. When that process breaks down — as in Alzheimer's disease — the brain feels it. The liver-brain lipid axis explained.
Anandamide — your brain's natural cannabis-like compound — is significantly reduced in Alzheimer's disease. Here's what that means and where the research is heading.