“The Johns Hopkins group reported that psilocybin decreased clinician- and patient-rated depressed mood, anxiety and death anxiety, and increased quality of life, life meaning and optimism. Six months after the […]
Year: 2016
Disrupting the brain’s internal clock causes depressive-like behavior in mice
“Our data show that perturbing circadian rhythms in otherwise totally undisturbed animals is enough to cause behaviors similar to human depression,” commented first author Dr. Dominic Landgraf of the University […]
Changes in the diet affect epigenetics via the microbiota
“research in mice is showing that microbes communicate with their hosts by sending out metabolites that act on histones—thus influencing gene transcription not only in the colon but also in […]
Aspartame may prevent, not promote, weight loss by blocking intestinal enzyme’s activity
Aspartame may block the activity of an enzyme (IAP) produced in the small intestine.
Plant compounds may boost brain function in older adults, study says
“In this study, participants with lower levels of lutein and zeaxanthin had to use more brain power and relied more heavily on different parts of the brain in order to […]
High-fiber diet keeps gut microbes from eating colon’s lining
“Starved, [microbes] begin to munch on the natural layer of mucus that lines the gut, eroding it to the point where dangerous invading bacteria can infect the colon wall.”
Rubella virus persists after vaccination in some patients with rare immune disorders
“Some patients with rare primary immunodeficiency disorders may be at risk for infection by rubella virus, and possibly serious skin inflammation, after receiving the rubella vaccine, usually administered as part […]
Stress-induced changes in maternal gut could negatively impact offspring for life
“When pregnant mice were exposed to stress in the study, it appeared to change the makeup of the bacteria in both their guts and placentas, as well as in the […]
Skin bacteria could protect against disease
“…the most common bacteria on human skin secrete a protein which protects us from the reactive oxygen species thought to contribute to several skin diseases.”
Why painkillers sometimes make the pain worse
“At high doses, opioid painkillers actually seem to amplify pain by changing signaling in the central nervous system, making the body generally more sensitive to painful stimuli.”