Health & Fitness

Negative self-talk is a common, counterproductive habit that can send you on a downward spiral physically, mentally and emotionally. Self-talk is often critical in nature and may be associated with negative events in your life, which may range from major events, like losing an important account at work, or everyday habits, like eating poorly or not exercising.

As you might suspect, correlations exist between self-critical self-talk and self-esteem,¹ such that the more negative thoughts you have about yourself, the more your self-esteem suffers. In the video above, Julie Schiffman demonstrates a simple technique to gain control of negative mental chatter related to weight management or body image.

Schiffman is a practitioner of the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), which is a form of psychological acupressure that involves tapping with the fingertips on specific meridians in order to clear negative emotions and thought patterns.

You can use EFT to help silence your inner critic and give yourself a figurative bear hug instead. The fact is, many of us engage in negative self-talk and are overly critical of ourselves, but you deserve better.

Self-Forgiveness Is Key to a Positive Mind

If you have trouble stopping negative self-talk, self-forgiveness may be the missing prerequisite. This is an area where EFT can prove to be invaluable as well, and one that's associated with positive emotions, high self-esteem, low neuroticism and low levels of anxiety and depression.²

What exactly does it mean to forgive yourself, whether it be from a mistake you made, a time you behaved badly or an instance when you offended or harmed someone else? Researchers explained in PLOS One:³

"Self-forgiveness has been defined as a positive attitudinal shift in the feelings, actions, and beliefs about the self, following a self-perceived transgression or wrongdoing committed by the self.

Thus, forgiving the self can be considered as an adaptive mechanism of humans that helps them to restore a positive sense of the self and safeguards their overall well-being against the toxic effects of guilt, shame and regret.

A transgression from normative rules or offences toward other people with unwanted consequences may in fact elicit psychological distress that needs to be reduced. Self-forgiveness may help to achieve such a restoration by limiting self-punishment, self-condamnation, and, instead, increasing benevolence towards the self."

Importantly, self-forgiveness is also associated with self-acceptance, an important part of psychological health that involves accepting all of your attributes, both positive and negative. "Self-acceptance enables an individual to appropriately evaluate his/her efficient and inefficient features and accept any negative aspects as parts of their personality," researchers wrote in the journal PLOS One.⁴

Self-acceptance includes three main attitudes, including love for your body — even if you're not completely satisfied with your weight, fitness level or any other physical attribute. It also involves the ability to protect yourself from other's negative judgments, such that you don't let it phase you if other people judge you.

Self-acceptance also involves recognizing and appreciating your own capabilities and believing in yourself. People who have high levels of self-acceptance tend to also have higher levels of self-esteem and interpersonal satisfaction. They're also less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and obesity.⁵

Regulatory Modes Affect Self-Forgiveness

Goal-directed behaviors, such as stopping negative mental chatter, may exist in two dimensions known as assessment and locomotion. During the assessment function, you select the best course of action to pursue the goal. During locomotion, you move on or act on the goal to effect change and reach the desired goal.

The problem with those wrapped up in assessment function is that they may focus on past experiences and consequences of past actions that keep them from moving forward. Locomotors, on the other hand, may stay more future-focused or centered on present possibilities. According to researchers in PLOS One:⁶

"Empirical evidence shows that assessment positively correlates with fear of invalidity, discomfort with ambiguity, neuroticism, low self-esteem, and negative mood. Locomotion, on the other hand, positively correlates with psychological vitality, self-esteem, optimism, and being decisive, and it negatively correlates with social anxiety and depression.

The above regulatory concerns can have secondary consequences: assessment may leave people confined in the current state, evaluating the past and comparing it with the present, potentially creating repercussions for self-forgiveness; whereas locomotion may help to overcome the past mistakes and effectively move forward, potentially more easily leading to self-forgiveness."

Indeed, in a study looking into this association, researchers found that those with a strong locomotion orientation were more inclined toward self-forgiveness due to their desire for change and future focus, while those with strong assessment orientation were more focused on evaluating the past and therefore more likely to refrain from self-forgiveness.⁷

If you know you fall into the assessment tendency, you may use EFT to tap on your tendency to focus on the past and instead be present and look toward the future.

Self-Forgiveness Boosts Physical and Mental Health

A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology revealed that self-forgiveness can help to boost physical health and psychological well-being.⁸ It's more strongly associated with mental health outcomes, particularly for depression and positive relationship outcomes.

Such associations make sense, as positive thoughts and attitudes are able to prompt changes in your body that strengthen your immune system, boost positive emotions, decrease pain and chronic disease, and provide stress relief.

One study found, for instance, that happiness, optimism, life satisfaction and other positive psychological attributes are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.⁹ It's even been scientifically shown that positivity can alter your genes.

A team of researchers at UCLA showed that people with a deep sense of happiness and well-being had lower levels of inflammatory gene expression and stronger antiviral and antibody responses.¹⁰ While it's previously been suggested that self-forgiveness could have negative outcomes by enabling bad behaviors to continue, the meta-analysis found this wasn't the case.

The Importance of Self-Compassion

Self-forgiveness goes hand in hand with learning to be kind and loving to yourself, i.e., having self-compassion. Kristin Neff, Ph.D., an associate professor with the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology, defined self-compassion as having three primary components, as follows:¹¹

• Self-kindness versus self-judgment — When you're in a self-compassionate frame of mind, you soothe and comfort yourself in times of need; you do not regard yourself in a harsh, critical or judgmental way, or take a "stiff upper lip" approach when you're suffering.
• Common humanity versus isolation — This allows you to understand that being human is to be imperfect and failing and making mistakes are common to humanity. This gives you a broader perspective when evaluating your own shortcomings.
• Mindfulness versus overidentification — Being mindful means being present in the current moment and accepting it at face value, not giving too much weight to negative thoughts or experiences (but not ignoring them either).

Self-compassion can act as a buffer to your emotional health and recovery during stressful times like divorce. People who had higher levels of self-compassion at the beginning of one study were less negatively affected emotionally by the divorce on a daily basis.¹²

Even among college students, taking a short two-week self-compassion course led to gains in healthy impulse control and self-growth and decreases in self-judgment, habitual negative self-directed thinking, anxiety and depression.¹³

In the video below, Schiffman demonstrates how to use EFT to help you love and accept yourself — something most of us can benefit from and that can also naturally help to limit your negative mental chatter.

Get Rid of the 'Shoulds'

Negative views about your body or weight, or the tendency to criticize yourself for not making healthier eating choices or exercising is common. How many times a day do you think, "I should have gone to the gym," or "I should have stuck to my diet"?

Schiffman recommends that you take "should" out of your vocabulary altogether, because whenever you say, "I should do this or that," you're setting yourself up for a great deal of disappointment, guilt and shame.

By saying "should," you're giving false power to an imaginary authority figure that's essentially standing over you and demanding that you must do something. This is hardly a motivating mindset and the rebellious side of you is likely to push back and say, "I don't want to." Then, when you choose not to, you feel guilty and like you've failed.

"So," Schiffman says in the featured video, "either do it or don't do it. But stop 'shoulding,' as it puts you on your own personal guilt trip. Try replacing it with 'could' or 'will' … 'I could exercise' … at least it makes us feel like we have our power back."

At the same time, if you're feeling disappointed with how you look or your weight, tapping with EFT can help you change your thought process by calming your mind and the negative mental chatter.

As Schiffman says, people have, on average, 70,000 thoughts in a day, 40,000 of which are repetitive. This means you could be telling yourself over and over again that you're not good enough or not worthy. "No wonder you're feeling stuck," Schiffman says. With EFT, you can shut down the negative voice and free your mind for more positive thoughts.

A Quick Guide to EFT

If you're facing a serious mental health issue, I recommend you recruit the help of a professional EFT practitioner. However, you can use the following resource to learn the mechanics of EFT, as well to help you gain an appreciation for its wide-ranging application, including to free your mind from negative mental chatter.

• EFT: Basic Steps to Your Emotional Freedom

There are two basic areas to learn in order to use EFT: the tapping locations and technique, and the positive affirmations. Tapping is done with your fingertips, solidly but not so hard that it hurts. Ideally, remove any glasses or watch (which could interfere electromagnetically with the process) prior to tapping, and tap each point five to seven times. The tapping points are below; it's easiest to start at the top and work your way down.

While tapping, you'll want to hold the problem or negative emotions in your mind while saying (ideally out loud) your positive affirmations, which can take on any number of forms.

A basic phrase to use would be, "Even though I have this [you fill in the blank], I deeply and completely love and accept myself." Sometimes one round of tapping is enough to clear up an issue while others repeated rounds are necessary. The great thing about EFT is that it costs nothing and you can use it as often as necessary to support your emotional health.

You can also perform EFT on children (or teach them how to do it themselves) during stressful situations or to help stop negative self-talk and gain positive attributes like a positive mindset, self-forgiveness and self-compassion.

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According to statistics released in 2019, Alzheimer’s disease — the most common form of dementia for which there is no effective conventional treatment or cure — affects an estimated 5.8 million Americans,¹ up from 5.4 million in 2016.

Progression of Alzheimer’s disease varies, but often begins with short-term memory lapses that later progress to speech problems and trouble with executive functions.

Your Diet Plays a Significant Role in Dementia

While it’s never too early to start, if your memory slips frequently enough to raise even an inkling of concern, it's time to take action. A high-fat, moderate-protein, low net-carb ketogenic diet is crucial for protecting your brain health and preventing degeneration that can lead to Alzheimer’s.

One of the most striking studies² showing the effects of a high-fat/low-carb versus high-carb diets on brain health revealed that high-carb diets increase your risk of dementia by 89%, while high-fat diets lower it by 44%.

According to the authors, “A dietary pattern with relatively high caloric intake from carbohydrates and low caloric intake from fat and proteins may increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in elderly persons.” Other research^3,4 highlights the importance of eating a diet rich in flavonols — antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables and tea. As reported by Reuters:⁵

“Researchers followed 921 people without dementia for about six years, starting when they 81 years old, on average. During the study, 220 people were diagnosed with probable Alzheimer’s disease.

People who had the most flavonols in their diet were about half as likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who consumed the least … While 15% of people who ate the most flavonol developed Alzheimer’s disease, this rose to 54% among those who consumed the least.

This difference remained even after researchers accounted for other risk factors for Alzheimer’s like diabetes, a prior heart attack or stroke, or high blood pressure …”

Overall, people in the lowest quintile got about 5.3 milligrams of flavonols per day on average, while the highest intake group got about 15.3 mg per day. Those who got the highest amounts of flavonols had a 48% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those getting the lowest amounts.

Some Flavonols Are More Potent Than Others

The researchers were particularly interested in whether specific flavonols might offer better protection than others. To determine this, they tallied participants’ intake of:

• Kaempferol
• Quercetin
• Myricetin
• Isorhamnetin

Kaempferol came out a clear winner in this regard. Those with the highest consumption of kaempferol had a 51% lower risk of dementia, while the highest intakes of isorhamnetin and myricetin were linked to a 38% lower risk. Quercetin, a powerful antiviral and immune booster, did not appear to have any impact on Alzheimer’s risk.

Tea Drinkers Live Longer

In related news, a January 2020 study⁶ in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found habitual tea consumption (three times or more per week) helps lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Overall, the findings suggest a 50-year-old who drinks tea at least three times a week would develop heart disease and/or have a stroke 1.41 years later than someone who drinks it less frequently. Overall, they’d also live 1.26 years longer than someone who didn’t regularly drink tea. As reported by Science Daily:⁷

“Compared with never or non-habitual tea drinkers, habitual tea consumers had a 20% lower risk of incident heart disease and stroke, 22% lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke, and 15% decreased risk of all-cause death.”

How Ketogenic Diet Protects Your Brain Function

Getting back to the ketogenic diet, it has the ability to lower your dementia risk in a number of ways. For starters, a cyclical ketogenic diet will improve your insulin sensitivity, which is an important factor in Alzheimer’s.⁸ The link between insulin sensitivity and Alzheimer’s is so strong, the disease is sometimes referred to as Type 3 diabetes.

Even mild elevation of blood sugar is associated with an elevated risk for dementia.⁹ Diabetes and heart disease¹⁰ are also known to elevate your risk, and both are rooted in insulin resistance. For optimal health, you’ll want to keep your insulin level below 3 mcU/ml (fasting).

The connection between high-sugar diets and Alzheimer’s was highlighted in a decadelong study published in the journal Diabetologia in January 2018,¹¹ which showed that the higher your blood sugar, the faster your rate of cognitive decline.

Studies have also confirmed that the greater an individual’s insulin resistance, the less sugar they have in key parts of their brain, and these areas typically correspond to the areas affected by Alzheimer’s.^12,13

A cyclical ketogenic diet will also trigger your body to produce ketones, an important source of energy (fuel) for your brain¹⁴ that have been shown to help prevent brain atrophy and alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s.¹⁵ Ketones may even restore and renew neuron and nerve function in your brain after damage has set in.

Last but not least, a cyclical ketogenic diet helps reduce free radical damage and lower inflammation in your brain. This too is largely the result of ketones, as they generate fewer reactive oxygen species and less free radical damage than carbohydrates.

A ketone called beta hydroxybutyrate is also a major epigenetic player, stimulating radical decreases in oxidative stress by decreasing NF-kB, thus reducing inflammation and NADPH levels along with beneficial changes in DNA expression that improve your detoxification and antioxidant production.

I explain the ins and outs of implementing this kind of diet, and its many health benefits, in my “KetoFast” book. In it, I also explain why cycling through stages of feast and famine, opposed to continuously remaining in nutritional ketosis, is so important.

(For clarity, a ketogenic diet tends to be very high in both healthy fats and vegetables. There is in fact no limit to the vegetable carbs you can eat. There’s also no restriction on tea.

The only area where prudence might be needed is when it comes to fruits, as some are very high in fructose. Fructose, even from fruit, needs to be restricted in the earlier stages until you’ve successfully transitioned into burning fat as your primary fuel. For guidance on what fats to eat more of, see the Fats section of my free nutrition plan.)

Trans Fats Raise Your Risk of Alzheimer’s

While diets high in healthy fats and antioxidants can go a long way toward warding off dementia, diets high in trans fats, refined sugar and grains do the opposite. Research¹⁶ published in the October 2019 issue of Neurology found a strong link between trans fat consumption and incidence of dementia and its various subtypes, including Alzheimer’s.

The study included 1,628 Japanese seniors aged 60 and older. None had dementia at the outset of the study, which went on for 10 years. Levels of elaidic acid — a biomarker for industrial trans fat — in the participants’ blood were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Based on those levels, the hazard ratios for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia were calculated using Cox proportional hazards model. As reported by the authors:¹⁷

“Higher serum elaidic acid levels were significantly associated with greater risk of developing all-cause dementia and AD [Alzheimer’s disease] after adjustment for traditional risk factors.

These associations remained significant after adjustment for dietary factors, including total energy intake and intakes of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.”

This increase in risk was not slight. As reported by CNN,¹⁸ people in the highest quartile of elaidic acid levels were 74% more likely to develop dementia. Those in the second-highest quartile had a 52% higher risk.

Of the various processed foods found to contribute to elevated elaidic acid levels, pastries were the biggest contributors, followed by margarine, candy, caramels, croissants, nondairy creamers, ice cream and rice crackers.¹⁹

Oxidized Omega-6 — Another Harmful Fat to Stay Clear Of

While it’s clearly important to avoid trans fat, Dr. Chris Knobbe presents compelling evidence showing processed oils are the primary culprit in most Western diseases.

This is largely related to the oxidized omega-6 fat found in them, which may actually be even worse than trans fat. Now, omega-6 fat (linolenic acid) in and of itself is not the problem. Linoleic acid is also found in foods such as nuts, seeds and eggs, and is important for health.

The problem is oxidized omega-6 fat, and the fact that most people eat far too much of it. I discuss some of the most significant hazards of omega-6-rich vegetable oils in “This Fat Is Actually Worse Than Trans Fat.”

For years, I’ve stressed the importance of balancing your omega-3 to omega-6 intake to protect your health. Ideally, get an omega-3 index test done once a year to make sure you’re in a healthy range. Your omega-3 index should be above 8% and your omega 6-to-3 ratio between 0.5 and 3.0. To correct a lopsided omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, you typically need to:

Low Cholesterol Can Impact Your Dementia Risk

Another dietary factor that has been shown to influence your risk for Alzheimer’s is low cholesterol. While there are many warnings about high total cholesterol, low levels can have equally serious repercussions. In fact, a number of studies have demonstrated the importance of higher cholesterol for the prevention of Alzheimer’s specifically.

According to senior research scientist Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., insufficient fat and cholesterol in your brain play a crucial role in the Alzheimer’s disease process, detailed in her 2009 paper²² “APOE-4: The Clue to Why Low Fat Diet and Statins May Cause Alzheimer’s.” A 2014 study²³ in JAMA Neurology came to a similar conclusion, stating that:

“Cholesterol, vital to neuronal structure and function, has important roles in the synthesis, deposition, and clearance of β-amyloid (Aβ) and may have a pathogenic role in Alzheimer disease (AD) … There are also important connections among apolipoprotein E (APOE), Aβ, and cholesterol.

A strong genetic risk factor for AD, the APOE ε4 allele is associated with earlier and higher deposition of Aβ. APOE is the primary transporter of cholesterol in the brain, and its isoforms differentially modulate brain cholesterol levels.”

Here, the researchers found that higher levels of HDL and lower levels of LDL were associated with a reduced risk for amyloid plaque deposits in the brain, and these findings were independent of age and presence of the APOE4 gene. Study co-author Dr. Charles DeCarli, a professor of neurology at UC Davis and director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center, offered the following advice, based on the results:²⁴

“If you have an LDL above 100 or an HDL that is less than 40 … you want to make sure that you’re getting those numbers into alignment. You have to get the HDL up and the LDL down.”

That said, research²⁵ published in 2008 found that elderly individuals who were not genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease who had the highest levels of cholesterol — including the highest levels of LDL — had the best memory, so the verdict is still out on whether high LDL is a significant risk factor.

Healthy Eating Habits Protect Your Brain Function

To summarize the key dietary factors reviewed here, diets high in healthy fats, omega-3 DHA bound to phospholipids, and flavonols from fruits, vegetables and tea, will help protect against Alzheimer’s.

Dietary factors that deteriorate brain health and raise your dementia risk include diets high in refined sugar, grains, trans fats, industrially processed vegetable oils (high in damaged omega-6) and insufficient cholesterol.

Aside from diet, there are many other environmental factors that can influence your risk as well, so for other preventive strategies, see “Lifestyle Factors Linked to Alzheimer’s,” “How to Decrease Your Risk for Dementia by 90%” and “Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts.”

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As the name suggests, this two-in-one product is the love child of the tampon and panty liner.

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From your sex life to what you’ll be munching on, we’ve enlisted the experts to map out your year ahead in health.

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Kate Beckinsale’s body is banging.

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If you want something healthy, yet quick, add this one to your dinner or lunch menu during the week. 

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If you want something healthy, yet quick, add this one to your dinner or lunch menu during the week. 

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The keto diet has gone from being a fad to a stayer.  

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Researchers have lifted fertility rates in older female mice with small doses of a metabolic compound that reverses the ageing process in eggs, offering hope for some women struggling to conceive.

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Scientists devise an elastic and durable skin-contact patch for measuring the electromyographic activity of the palm muscle inspired by ancient Japanese paper crafts.

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Optimistic stroke survivors had lower inflammation levels, reduced stroke severity and less initial physical disability after three months compared to less optimistic survivors, according to the findings of a small study. Previous studies have associated optimism with improved health outcomes for other medical conditions, however, no studies previously assessed if this association exists among stroke patient.

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Promising new stimulation treatment increases blood flow to the brain, improves hand strength in patients with minor stroke and may decrease disability in many patients with stroke. Nerve cluster stimulation could provide a new treatment option to stroke patients who aren't eligible for clot-dissolving drugs or clot removal.

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Regularly golfing, at least once per month, was found to lower the risk of death among older adults. While the protective effects of playing golf have not been linked to reduction of heart attack and stroke risk, researchers note the positive effects of exercise and social interaction for older adults unable to participate in more strenuous exercise.

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One of the central questions in neuroscience is clarifying where in the brain consciousness, which is the ability to experience internal and external sensations, arises. Researchers report that a specific area in the brain, the central lateral thalamus, appears to play a key role. In monkeys under anesthesia, stimulating this area was enough to wake the animals and elicit normal waking behaviors.

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A professor calls for someone to carry on a global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases via sewage.

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Circular RNA may play a role in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

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It’s common for girls and their parents to wonder if the bleeding with their periods is too often or too much. Especially in the first few years of having a period, any bleeding can feel like too much. Usually, it’s not — but sometimes it is, and it’s important for parents to know what to watch for, and when to call the doctor.

In the first couple of years after periods begin, it’s really normal for periods to be irregular — and for some of them to be heavy. At the beginning, periods aren’t associated with ovulation, and the hormones and hormonal patterns that help regulate periods haven’t fallen into place yet. If it’s just the occasional period that is heavy, that’s usually nothing to worry about.

It’s not always easy to know what counts as a “heavy” period. As I said, for some girls anything is too much. And while we doctors often ask how often the girl changes her pad or tampon, that’s very subjective and dependent on personal preference. Some girls change as soon as there is any blood present or every time they use the bathroom. Others wait until they are completely soaked.

Signs to watch for with heavy periods

Here are some signs that menstrual bleeding may be too heavy, and that you should call the doctor:

• The girl is looking pale and feels dizzy and/or weak. If this is happening, you should call your doctor immediately.
• She needs to change her pad or tampon during the night.
• She is bleeding through her clothes.
• She is passing clots that are bigger than an inch wide.
• Her periods are interfering with her ability to go to school, play sports, or otherwise engage in regular activities.

There are many reasons why girls may have heavy periods. The most common reason is simply that the body is just getting started and getting regulated. If that is the case, it usually gets better with time. However, there are other causes as well, which is why it’s important to see the doctor.

What will the doctor do?

After listening to the story and doing a physical examination, the doctor generally will do some screening blood tests. Basic tests recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists include a complete blood count and some tests to look for bleeding problems. Along with checking to see if her bleeding has caused her to be anemic, it’s important to check to see if there might be a problem such as low platelets, or Von Willebrand disease, or some other condition that might cause her to bleed more heavily than normal. Some of these conditions don’t become apparent until a girl starts menstruating. In retrospect, there is often a history of easy bruising and bleeding, or a family history of heavy periods or other bleeding.

In most cases, doctors will also do a pregnancy test. This may seem like a strange or silly test to do in a young teenager, but pregnancy can cause heavy bleeding — and the reality is that we can never entirely know everything about the lives of young girls. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

There are many other causes of heavy periods. If initial tests don’t show anything and the bleeding doesn’t get better, the doctor may want to check thyroid function as well as some other hormones, and also do some tests to check overall health. Most of the time, though, more tests aren’t needed.

The treatment of heavy periods depends on the cause — and on whether the bleeding is bad enough to cause anemia. Most of the time, all that’s needed is some extra iron and some patience. So, a multivitamin with iron isn’t a bad idea for any menstruating girl whose diet isn’t always great. Occasionally, more is needed. If there are any warning signs, or if you have any questions, call your doctor.

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire

The post When is a heavy period too heavy? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

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When scientists and others use their specialized jargon terms while communicating with the general public, the effects are much worse than just making what they're saying hard to understand. In a new study, people exposed to jargon when reading about subjects like self-driving cars and surgical robots later said they were less interested in science than others who read about the same topics, but without the use of specialized terms.

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Mice fed a high-fat, high-protein diet were more likely to develop and die from antibiotic-driven Clostridioides difficile infections than mice fed a standard diet. In the same study, published in the journal mSystems, a high-carbohydrate diet was protective against severe C. difficile infection--but the researchers suspect that such a diet could produce healthy, asymptomatic carriers that can spread the pathogen.

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The shingles vaccine appears to reduce stroke risk by about 16% in older adults. In addition, the shingles vaccine may offer the strongest protection against stroke for people younger than 80.

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Too much time sitting still -- sedentary behavior -- is linked to an increased risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents, finds a new study.

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Mice fed a high-fat, high-protein diet were more likely to develop and die from antibiotic-driven Clostridioides difficile infections than mice fed a standard diet. In the same study, published in the journal mSystems, a high-carbohydrate diet was protective against severe C. difficile infection--but the researchers suspect that such a diet could produce healthy, asymptomatic carriers that can spread the pathogen.

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To better understand the relationship between physical activity and Parkinson's Disease (PD) investigators in Sweden analyzed medical records of nearly 200,000 long-distance skiers who took part in the Vasaloppet cross-country ski race. They established that a physically active lifestyle is associated with close to a 30% reduced risk for PD, which might be explained by a motor reserve among the physically active, however, this dissipates as individuals age.

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In order to provide the best medical care for newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, a method of predicting their cognitive and motor progression, beyond using purely clinical parameters, would have major implications for their management.

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Rabies is still responsible for approximately 60,000 human deaths per year mostly in Asia and Africa and affects especially underserved people. Prophylactic measures have significantly improved. They are now composed of the vaccine allied to purified human or equine rabies immunoglobulins. However, these immunoglobulins are expensive and not easy to reach in developing settings. Researchers have visualized one of the most potent and most broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibody in interaction with the rabies glycoprotein.

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Information gathered from routine visits to the doctor is enough to accurately predict a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, according to new research. The researchers developed and tested machine learning algorithms using data from electronic medical records to identify patients who may be at risk for developing the dementia.

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