What Dreams May Come

Published August 14, 2025

Morning Report — Not Your Typical Medical Newsletter

We get it, you see a lot of medical newsletters, so hear us out. Once a month, we’ll highlight important medical news sprinkled with witty commentary, fun facts, giveaways, and more… because learning should be fun! Subscribe to receive the Morning Report directly.

The H Factor Behind Gastric Cancer Prevention 

GI GIST

A new paper in Nature Medicine does what you wish every intern would do when dropping a catastrophic problem: offer a solution. The authors open with a stark projection—a sharp global rise in gastric cancer among adults under age 50. Then they pivot to an actionable fix to prevent the majority of cases: widespread screening and treatment for Helicobacter pylori. 

Gut check reveals common culprit

Researchers at the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) tapped global cancer and mortality data to project gastric cancer risk for those born between 2008 and 2017. The forecast: 15.6 million new cases worldwide in this group if prevention stays on autopilot. Then they asked the question that might change everything—how many of those cases are driven by H pylori infection? The answer: a staggering 76%. And you know the rest—a short course of antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor can negate 100% of those infections.

There are limits, of course. The models assume H pylori rates stay flat, which may not hold. Data from low-income regions are patchy, and scaling up screening won’t be easy—logistics, resources, and access all get in the way.

Key takeaways 

H pylori is the canary in the coal mine—spot it early, wipe it out, and you can derail the path to gastric cancer, experts suggest. This spiral-shaped menace burrows in stomach linings and lingers for decades before triggering malignancy. The solution? Implement population-based H pylori screening and hit infections with short-course antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor. The authors set out to equip policymakers with evidence strong enough to drive action—a feat with roughly the same success rate as giving a cat a bath. But the case is airtight: catch the infection, stop the cancer, and prevent a surge that doesn’t have to happen. 

The Case for Intermittent Fasting in T2DM 

ENDO END POINTS

It takes two (days) to make a thing go right

Investigators took to ENDO 2025 to show their work comparing three dietary interventions in 90 adults with early-stage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity: (1) intermittent energy restriction (IER), (2) time-restricted eating (TRE), and (3) continuous energy restriction (CER). The IER group followed the 5:2 model—sharply cutting calories two days a week. TRE participants limited eating to a 10-hour window daily, while the CER group took the slow burn of steady, daily calorie cuts. After 16 weeks, all three nudged glycemic control and weight in the right direction and produced similar reductions in HbA1c. But IER carved out significantly better results for fasting glucose, insulin sensitivity, and triglycerides. It also posted the highest adherence, at 85%.

But here come the limitations: a single-center trial, a short follow-up, and a small sample that skewed young, male, and newly diagnosed. Add in close supervision and likely high motivation, and you’ve got results that may not hold up in the wild. 

Key Takeaways

If the bar for behavioral change creeps too high, no one clears it—and IER offers a way to keep that bar practical. Two nonconsecutive fasting days per week, with structured calorie limits rather than total restriction, may be easier to explain, adopt, and sustain—especially for patients overwhelmed by daily tracking or rigid meal windows. For clinicians, this opens the door to a flexible, lower friction option: a plan that patients can fit into real life without overhauling it.

For more education on diabetes management, check out this CME activity: The Weight of Diabetes: A Synergistic Strategy for Better Outcomes in T2DM and Obesity

Will Dietary Choices Literally Come Back to Haunt You?

NEURO NEWS

What dreams may come … from dietary choices

In an online survey study of >1,000 undergrads, researchers set out to untangle the food-sleep-dream connection and found that yes, food does seem to hijack dreams, mostly by aggravating the gut, disrupting sleep, and nudging the brain toward more intense dream activity. Key findings:

1. 40% said food disrupted their sleep—sweets, spicy foods, and dairy took the blame.
2. 5.5% said food warped their dreams, making them more vivid and downright strange.
3. Food allergies and gluten sensitivity tracked with more frequent and intense nightmares.
4. Healthier eating habits boosted sleep quality and brightened dream content.
5. In contrast, poor diets invited nightmares and tilted dreams toward the negative.
   
   

The findings are compelling but squishy: self-reported, correlational, and plagued by confounders. And the sample—college students—brings its own baggage: flexible relationships with dinner time and sleep hygiene that’s often more aspirational than operational.

Key takeaways

The link between food and dreams has long lived in the realm of folklore and midnight speculation, but this study gives it tentative physiologic footing. While causality remains elusive, a consistent pattern emerges: certain foods—especially those tied to sensitivities and sleep disruption—may shape the intensity, tone, and recall of our dreams. Add in the role of gut discomfort and poor sleep hygiene—both linked to certain foods—and the food-dream rumors finally come with receipts.

For more education on sleep, check out this CME activity: Curbside Consults: Top Questions from PCPs on Sleep Disorders

Interested in more healthcare news? Here are some other articles we don’t want you to miss: