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The American Red Cross declared Monday the second national blood supply crisis in its history, as the nonprofit says blood donations fell to a four-year summer low. The organization, which supplies roughly 40% of the nation’s blood, said it’s looking for all types of blood—with an emphasis on type O blood—to prevent treatment delays. Donations this summer are not “keeping pace with hospital demand,” with the Red Cross citing extreme heat, poor air quality and foodborne illnesses as factors in the low donor turnout. (Gleeson, 7/28)

Four out of five foods sold for toddlers in the United States are ultraprocessed, according to research that analyzed more than 2,700 products on grocery store shelves. Nearly half of those items also failed to meet at least one nutritional benchmark for children set by the World Health Organization. (LaMotte, 7/28)

People who experience severe heart attacks may have higher concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics in their blood, according to a recent study. Researchers in Italy analyzed blood samples from the coronary arteries of 61 patients undergoing angiograms and found that 84 percent of patients experiencing an active, severe heart attack had detectable levels of microplastics and nanoplastics in their blood. By comparison, plastic particles were found in 40 percent of patients with chronic heart disease and just 32 percent of those with normal coronary arteries. (Perkins, 7/28)

A social media trend urging people to finish dinner by 5 p.m. is getting a second look from doctors, after a randomized trial found that adults who confined their eating to an eight-hour daily window for 12 weeks kept off several more pounds a full year later, compared to those who ate on a normal schedule. The concept of eating dinner early is not new -- the "early bird special" has been around for decades. What's changed is the volume. (Daniel, 7/28)