MDPI Articles Cited in the News: UK Highlights
- meganlucius
- Dec 23, 2025
- 4 min read
MDPI publishes research across a breadth of topics, boasting over 490 diverse, Open Access journals.
The research published across MDPI is frequently mentioned in well-known news outlets. This helps to improve the credibility of their story.
Across 2025, the top 13 UK news channels mentioned MDPI papers over 2,000 times. This includes media outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, New Scientist, and more.
Below, we explore some of the top articles, originating from UK research institutions, that have been mentioned by these news sources. We will visit topics ranging from the impact of a plant-based diet on children’s nutrition, to the importance of natural environments in early development, and the pandemic experiences of animal caregivers and their animal companions.
Mentioned in The Guardian and featured in MDPI’s November Round-Up
Published in Education Sciences
Early childhood development is a critical period of physical, cognitive and social development for children, and can be impacted by many factors, including their physical environments.
Exposure to natural environments is important for children and can be immensely beneficial for their health and well-being during their early development.
This collaborative article published by researchers from Australia and the UK emphasises the importance of instilling nature-based practices and exposing children to natural environments. Here, they discuss how this interaction with the environmental microbiota can support and optimise human health.
They provide practical methods of integrating nature interactions and environmental knowledge into education settings for children in their early years. Additionally, the authors urge the relevant bodies to adopt a ‘One Health Perspective’ – this is a holistic approach ensuring that human and animal health and the environment are interconnected, to ultimately benefit all.
This approach encourages children to develop a sense of connection and care for the environment, also fostering an awareness of their own health and nutrition to benefit their later years and future communities.
Mentioned in BBC Future
Published in Animals
Over half of the world’s population has an animal companion at home. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the relationship between these animals and their caregivers changed. The effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on this relationship must be understood to help inform responses to future crises.
This review cited by BBC Future and published in the MDPI journal Animals analyses one hundred and twenty-two studies to explore the positive, negative, and neutral psychological effects of having an animal companion during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Throughout the study, animals were found to provide their caregivers with a sense of purpose and direction, as well as a source of emotional support. That said, they were shown to be a source of extra financial strain and worry, specifically regarding what would happen to the animal companions if their caregivers were to be hospitalised.
The animals were also observed to experience some benefits from companionship with their owners during the pandemic. This includes an increased sense of closeness and calmer moods. Conversely, there is the risk that increased stress and anxiety within the caregivers could cause a spike in those feelings in their companion animals.
Mentioned in BBC Future and featured in MDPI’s August Round-Up
Published in Nutrients
Plant-based diets have grown massively in popularity over the past decade, particularly in western countries.
Increased awareness of the various harmful environmental and health impacts associated with consuming high quantities of animal products may have contributed to the rise in popularity of plant-based and animal-free lifestyles.
Despite their growing popularity, there is little research exploring the impact of plant-based diets on children. This is in contrast to the growing body of research into the diet that suggests plant-based diets are both more sustainable and reduce the risk of developing major health conditions in adults.
An Editor’s Choice systematic review published in the Open Access journal Nutrients and cited by BBC Future looks at the previous and current trends in giving children plant-based diets. The review analysed studies across the UK and Poland, which demonstrated health trends amongst children with different diets and their related outcomes.
Some of the evidence suggested that compared to omnivores (a diet consisting of food of both plant and animal origin), a vegan diet in children may restrict growth and increase the risk of the child being stunted and underweight. On the other hand, children with vegan diets had a more favourable lipid profile.
The article highlights the current lack of consistent study results and contradicting evidence on the impact of both vegan diets on children’s health. The article, therefore, lays out an essential roadmap for future studies for the development of cohesive dietary recommendations for children, their caregivers, and health professionals, aiming to improve the diet, health, and safety for children globally.
MDPI publishes a variety of diverse research across all scientific disciplines. The UK is a hub for this research, with over 60 institutions partaking in our Institutional Open Access Program. To read these articles for free, access the full MDPI journal list.
