By Maria Cohut Fact checked by Isabel Godfrey Scientists have long been aware of the relationship between insufficient sleep and poor cardiovascular health. However, exactly how the lack of adequate sleep can harm circulation has remained unclear. A new study now uncovers some of the potential mechanisms. Having a good night’s sleep, which amounts to an...
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Bacteria in fermented food signal the human immune system, explaining health benefits
by Public Library of Science Researchers have discovered that humans and great apes possess a receptor on their cells that detects metabolites from bacteria commonly found in fermented foods and triggers movement of immune cells. Claudia Stäubert of the University of Leipzig and colleagues report these findings in a new study published 23rd May in PLOS Genetics. Consuming lactic acid bacteria—the kind that turn...
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New study reveals gut segments organized by function
by Daniel Mucida, Rockefeller University As food enters the intestine, it embarks on windy, lengthy journey. For most of the route, its surroundings don’t appear to change much. But new research from Rockefeller’s Daniel Mucida shows that the food-processing canal consists of compartments that pace the immune system’s reactions to the food passing through—with less aggressive defenses in...
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NightWare Gets FDA Breakthrough Status for App to Stop Nightmares of PTSD Sufferers
Nightmares are a regular part of life for many people that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They can be very hard to control, since dreams seem to have a life of their own and arise in our sleep whether we want them to or not. NightWare, a company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, just won FDA Breakthrough Designation for...
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Ultra-Processed foods delay satiety, increase food intake and weight gain
By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MD Eating highly processed foods could be associated with weight gain finds a new study. The study was published in the latest issue of Cell Metabolism and is titled, “Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake.” In the United States at present around 40 percent adults are obese says the 2015–2016 figures from the Centers...
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Growing up high: Neurobiological consequences of adolescent cannabis use
About one in five Canadian adolescents uses cannabis (19% of Canadians aged 15-19), and its recent legalization across the country warrants investigation into the consequence of this use on the developing brain. Adolescence is associated with the maturation of cognitive functions, such as working memory, decision-making, and impulsivity control. This is a highly vulnerable period for the development of...
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Being overweight as a teen may be associated with higher risk of heart muscle disease in adulthood
Circulation Journal Report AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION DALLAS, May 27, 2019 — A large study of Swedish men found that those who were even mildly overweight around age 18 were more likely develop cardiomyopathy in adulthood — an uncommon heart muscle condition that can cause heart failure, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation....
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Antibiotics found in some of the world’s rivers exceed ‘safe’ levels, global study finds
UNIVERSITY OF YORK Concentrations of antibiotics found in some of the world’s rivers exceed ‘safe’ levels by up to 300 times, the first ever global study has discovered. Researchers looked for 14 commonly used antibiotics in rivers in 72 countries across six continents and found antibiotics at 65% of the sites monitored. Metronidazole, which is used to treat bacterial infections including skin...
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Would you eat genetically modified food if you understood the science behind it?
Jonathon McPhetres, a newly minted PhD in psychology from the University of Rochester, admits he’s “personally amazed” what we can do with genes, specifically genetically modified food—such as saving papayas from extinction. “We can makes crops better, more resilient, and more profitable and easier for farmers to grow, so that we can provide more crops around the world,” he...
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Energy drinks may increase risk of heart function abnormalities and blood pressure changes
Journal of the American Heart Association Report AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION DALLAS, May 29, 2019 — Drinking 32 ounces of an energy drink in a short time span may increase blood pressure and the risk of electrical disturbances in the heart, which affect heart rhythm, according to a small study published in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal...