by Hannah Smithfigures by Xiaomeng Han If you ask any aging researcher, “What is the easiest way to make an animal in the lab live longer,” they will likely say “change what, or how much, they eat.” However, new research shows that it’s not just the food we eat that changes how we age, but that aging is also affected by the food we smell. … Continue reading The Surprising Influence of Smell on Aging
A new study comparing Velociraptors and their modern counterparts, Komodo dragons and crocodiles, concludes that raptors were unlikely to be social, pack-hunters, in contradiction to their popularized portrayal in the ‘Jurassic Park’ movies. Continue reading ‘Jurassic Park’ was wrong: Study suggests raptors didn’t hunt in packs
Ketones may be the key ingredient to reaping the anti-inflammatory benefits of extreme low-carb low-sugar diets, like the popular ketogenic diet. Continue reading Ketogenic Diets Alter Gut Microbiome and Potentially Reduce Inflammation
by Aditya Misra and Shreya Mathurfigures by Wei Wu and Jovana Andrejevic 117 million U.S. adults have one or more preventable chronic diseases related to diet, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. In an effort to prevent this outcome for themselves, an estimated 45 million Americans try to be healthier by taking up a diet and spending upwards of a … Continue reading How Proper Dieting Can Restrict the Clock of Aging
Is eating vegan really the best dietary way to limit your environmental impact? Study shows that eating sweets and at restaurants is associated with higher carbon footprints than eating meat. Continue reading Beyond Beef: Study finds Sweets, Alcohol and Eating Out Lead to Higher Carbon Footprint in Households
Scientists find that diets high in fats and sugars can disrupt the body’s biological clock, leading to any-time snacking. This overconsumption was found to be dependent on the function of dopamine-regulating neurons in the “biological-clock” region of the brain. Continue reading High fat diets can affect how often you snack
Helping malnourished kids recover means we can’t just feed only them – we also have to feed their bacteria. And the bacteria are picky eaters. Continue reading Malnourished children don’t just need more food—they also need more microbes
In each human gut, a community of trillions of bacteria help digest food and make certain nutrients. Some of these bacteria are associated with disease such as diabetes and Crohn’s, while some prevent disease. The composition of bacteria varies from one person to another, with diet and geographical location contributing to the diversity. In modern times, where millions of people migrate around the globe, their … Continue reading Refugees’ Gut Bacteria Become Westernized After Moving to the US
by Jemila C Kester, PhD figures by Rebecca Clements In the Seinfeld episode “The Stranded,” Jerry is choosing between two cold medicines. “This is quick-acting, but this is long-lasting,” he notes. “When do I need to feel good, now or later?” We often face a similar dilemma when choosing a particular diet as weight-loss “medicine.” With a third of American adults overweight, there’s a veritable … Continue reading Eating for a Trillion: Can your microbiome be the key to long-lasting weight loss?
Women now tend to live longer than their male counterparts in every country in the world, but anatomy alone cannot fully explain why. Looking to solve this riddle, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently studied how the primary causes of death have changed over the past few centuries. They found that men and women had comparable life expectancies during the 19th century and that the … Continue reading Nature or Nurture: Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?