Scientists say just 7 days of meditation can rewire your brain
A week of intensive meditation and other mind and body practices may be capable of producing measurable changes far beyond simple relaxation. In a recent study, researchers at the University of California San Diego found that a seven-day retreat was associated with changes in brain activity, blood chemistry, immune signaling, metabolism, and the body's natural pain control systems.
A drug already used for osteoporosis blocked spinal damage in a new study
Changes in gene activity may contribute to neck and back pain by damaging the discs that act as the spine's natural shock absorbers, according to new research.
A study using zebrafish found that altered gene activity can cause minerals to accumulate within the spine. This process resembles bone forming where it should not, eventually making spinal tissue unusually hard.
Rice bran compound may help ease irritable bowel symptoms
A naturally occurring compound found in rice bran may influence how strongly the intestines contract, according to new research from Toho University.
The study, led by Dr. Keisuke Obara, Dr. Kento Yoshioka, and Professor Yoshio Tanaka of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, found that ferulic acid (FA) can reduce intestinal smooth muscle contractions by blocking voltage-dependent calcium channels. The discovery could eventually support new dietary approaches for intestinal motility disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Eating within 8 hours may help keep the aging brain sharp
A small clinical trial suggests that limiting food intake to fewer hours each day could provide modest cognitive benefits for older women, beyond those associated with weight loss alone.
The pilot study followed women with overweight or obesity who were participating in a six-month weight loss program. Those who ate within a daily window of roughly eight to nine hours showed greater improvement on certain thinking tests than participants who spread their meals across about 12 hours.
Why the same DNA damage causes cancer in some people but not others
Scientists have uncovered the first direct evidence that inherited genetics can strongly influence cancer risk and help determine how tumors develop over time. The results show that the genes a person is born with can interact with mutations acquired later in life, shaping the evolutionary path a tumor follows.
Scientists just debunked a dangerous baby rattlesnake myth
A common belief that baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous than adults has been overturned by a new study from Loma Linda University. After reviewing the history and spread of the myth, researchers concluded that bites from adult rattlesnakes are generally more dangerous because adults carry and inject much larger amounts of venom.
New weight loss pill beats oral Ozempic in major trial
A new type of daily pill has proven more effective for weight loss and blood sugar control for people with type 2 diabetes than its currently available counterparts, according to a recent trial. The drug, known as orforglipron, could be a game-changer in the rapidly expanding oral weight-loss drug market.
Millions may be getting the wrong cholesterol test
Millions of Americans have a blood test every year to measure LDL, often called "bad" cholesterol. But new research from Northwestern Medicine suggests that another test may do a better job of identifying who needs more aggressive treatment to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Scientists found 45 chemicals in pregnant women and many were linked to birth risks
One of the largest investigations ever conducted into chemical exposure during pregnancy has found that pregnant women regularly encounter dozens of chemicals found in everyday life. Researchers say many of these substances may influence how early a baby is born and how much the baby weighs at birth, both of which can affect health well beyond infancy.
Scientists find the “Achilles’ heel” of deadly gut bacteria
Enterotoxigenic E. coli and Shigella are responsible for hundreds of millions of infections worldwide each year and remain among the leading causes of fatal diarrheal disease, particularly in children. Despite decades of research, scientists have not yet developed effective vaccines against either pathogen. One major challenge is that the bacterial features typically targeted by vaccines vary widely between strains.