Newsletter Archive

Sometimes we avoid exercise when we are sore from a prior workout.  Recovery from exercise makes it easier to be active more regularly. Researchers gave 14 healthy males in their 20s an omega-3 supplement (7) or a placebo (7).  After 4 weeks, all participants undertook a downhill running workout.  Muscle

This Valentine’s Day week we focus on the heart. Energy drinks may boost performance, but recent research suggests they have a negative impact on the heart.  Energy drinks have caused improper heartbeat and increased blood pressure in consumers.  Researchers examined the effect of 17 different energy drinks on cardiomyocytes, the

Marijuana is legal for recreational use in 15 states and Washington, D.C.  A scarcity of cannabis research has made potential harm difficult to assess, but several recent studies have made more data available.  Cannabis impacts numerous parts of the brain and body.  There are cannabinoid receptors in the cerebral cortex

Winter is here.  We are exhausted from social isolation.  We face more uncertainty while we wait for the vaccine.  Many of us fall somewhere on the mental health spectrum between anxiety and depression because our brain’s panic button has been working overtime. The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure in the

Mental fatigue occurs when you spend sustained attention on demanding cognitive tasks.  Mental fatigue can cause attention and efficiency declines, slower reaction times, and poorer decisions.  Researchers fed one group of rats a high fat diet and the other group of rats a standard diet for 6 weeks.  All the

Cheat days that include foods prevalent in the Western Diet can diminish the cognitive benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.  A recent study involving 5001 Chicago Health and Aging Project participants, over age 65, examined the cognitive health and diet choices of participants every three years from 1993 to 2012.  Researchers

It’s the holiday season and we are socially isolated due to the pandemic, yet we need social support to thrive. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that make us feel good.  The word endorphin comes from a combination of endogenous (made within the body) and morphine (an opioid pain reliever).  When endorphins activate

Food can help our immune system successfully fight off a pathogen.  A strong immune system requires the interaction of numerous micronutrients in a large variety of healthy food, especially a colorful brainbow of fruit and vegetables.  One study compared immune responses in three groups of animals who were fed 2