Health & Fitness

A low-carb diet may raise LDL cholesterol much more sharply in people who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, particularly when they consume lots of saturated fat. The findings could help explain why people following seemingly similar diets can have dramatically different results.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/gXj3axD

People who reach 110 and beyond appear to have unusually large numbers of rare immune cells capable of killing abnormal cells. These CD4 cytotoxic T cells became more common with age and often expanded into large groups of nearly identical cells, suggesting the immune system was repeatedly responding to persistent threats.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/TlqEbco

Gut bacteria can transform nitrate and plant-based iron from vegetables and other foods into protective molecules that may benefit the heart and metabolism. In experimental models, higher levels of these compounds were linked to lower blood pressure, better blood sugar control, healthier blood vessels, and less liver fat.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/XKRn9Ga

Researchers have uncovered a possible reason why the Alzheimer’s risk gene APOE4 can disrupt the brain long before memory problems begin. In mice, APOE4 increased a protein called Nell2, shrinking neurons and making memory circuits unusually active. That early hyperactivity predicted worse memory later in life. Reducing Nell2 in adult mice reversed the abnormal changes, raising hopes for a new way to intervene before Alzheimer’s progresses.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/z6UOfZc

Greenland sharks may live for 400 years without suffering the kind of retinal decline normally associated with aging. Researchers found healthy eye tissue and active proteins specially adapted for seeing blue light in the dim Arctic depths. DNA repair mechanisms may help keep their eyes functioning across centuries. The discovery could eventually offer new clues for protecting human vision as we age.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/CQEfHWx

Scientists have linked a specific gut bacterium, Roseburia inulinivorans, to stronger muscles in both humans and mice. Older adults who carried it had 29% greater handgrip strength, while treated mice gained about 30% more grip strength and developed larger, more fast-twitch muscle fibers. The bacterium was also less common in older people. Researchers say it could eventually become a probiotic candidate for helping combat age-related muscle loss.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/IbjJW6z

Ozempic may work in the brain in almost the opposite way scientists expected, activating hunger-linked neurons that appear essential for sustaining fat loss. The surprising discovery in mice could reveal new targets for developing even more effective obesity drugs.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/kyAvsLd