Plastic Additives Affect Nerve Cells
Razi Berry The plasticizers contained in many everyday objects can impair important brain functions in humans. Biologists from the University of Bayreuth warn of this danger in an article in Communications Biology. Their study shows that even small amounts of the plasticizers bisphenol A and bisphenol S disrupt the transmission of signals between nerve cells […]
Cannabis Use in Youth Could Lead to Heart Disease
Razi Berry Smoking cannabis when you’re young may increase your risk of developing heart disease later, according to a recent University of Guelph study. In the first study to look at specific risk indicators for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in young, healthy cannabis users, researchers found subtle but potentially important changes in heart and artery function. […]
Aluminum and Alzheimer’s Disease
Razi Berry A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports continues to support a growing body of evidence that aluminum contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Researchers found aluminum co-located with phosphorylated tau protein, which is an early initiator of AD. This study builds upon two earlier published studies (including […]
Stress and Anxiety Major Factors for People Not Exercising
Razi Berry New research from McMaster University suggests the pandemic has created a paradox where mental health has become both a motivator for and a barrier to physical activity. People want to be active to improve their mental health but find it difficult to exercise due to stress and anxiety, say the researchers who surveyed […]
Cognitive Struggles as a Child Could Mean Mental Health Issues as an Adult
Razi Berry Children experiencing cognitive problems such as low attention, poor memory or lack of inhibition may later suffer mental health issues as teenagers and young adults, a new study reveals. Targeting specific markers in childhood for early treatment may help to minimize the risk of children developing certain psychopathological problems in adolescence and adult […]
Stress May Not Lead to Loss of Control in Eating Disorders
Razi Berry A unique residential study has concluded that, contrary to perceived wisdom, people with eating disorders do not lose self-control — leading to binge-eating — in response to stress. The findings of the Cambridge-led research are published today in the Journal of Neuroscience. People who experience bulimia nervosa and a subset of those affected […]
Sugar is a Toxin to a Child’s Brain
Razi Berry Sugar practically screams from the shelves of your grocery store, especially those products marketed to kids. Children are the highest consumers of added sugar, even as high-sugar diets have been linked to health effects like obesity and heart disease and even impaired memory function. However, less is known about how high sugar consumption […]
Why People Never Think to Take Something Away as a Solution to a Problem
Razi Berry If, as the saying goes, less is more, why do we humans overdo so much? In a new paper featured on the cover of Nature, University of Virginia researchers explain why people rarely look at a situation, object or idea that needs improving — in all kinds of contexts — and think to […]
Muscle Signals are Important to a Healthy Brain
Razi Berry How do different parts of the body communicate? Scientists at St. Jude are studying how signals sent from skeletal muscle affect the brain. The team studied fruit flies and cutting-edge brain cell models called organoids. They focused on the signals muscles send when stressed. The researchers found that stress signals rely on an […]
Failed New Year Resolution? You’re in Good Company
Razi Berry New Edith Cowan University (ECU) research has found that despite having the best intentions, most people give up on their New Year resolutions within the first month. The study also revealed that approximately half the people surveyed had the same, or nearly the same, resolution as in the previous year, and more than […]