The phageome: A hidden kingdom within your gut
By Amber Dance You’ve probably heard of the microbiome — the hordes of bacteria and other tiny life forms that live in our guts. Well, it turns out those bacteria have viruses that…
The link between aging and disease
Melanie R. McReynolds, Penn State Aging is a biological process that no one can avoid. Ideally, growing old should be a time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Aging also…
Microplastics are in our brains. How worried should I be?
Sarah Hellewell, Curtin University; Anastazja Gorecki, University of Notre Dame Australia, and Charlotte Sofield, University of Notre Dame Australia Plastic is in our clothes, cars, mobile phones, water bottles and food containers. But…
WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency.
C Raina MacIntyre, UNSW Sydney The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, after rising cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the potential…
Food and exercise can treat depression
Adrienne O’Neil, Deakin University and Sophie Mahoney, Deakin University Around 3.2 million Australians live with depression. At the same time, few Australians meet recommended dietary or physical activity guidelines. What has one got…
The impact of vegan and omnivorous diets on ageing
A recent study conducted by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine has shed light on the potential benefits of a vegan diet on biological aging. The research, which involved 21 pairs of…
Meditation can be harmful
Miguel Farias, Coventry University Since mindfulness it’s something you can practice at home for free, it often sounds like the perfect tonic for stress and mental health issues. Mindfulness is a type of…
Test predicts future cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s
One of the most frightening aspects of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is the lack of knowledge about what lies ahead. Both patients and caregivers face the uncertainty of the disease’s progress, but…
Cognitive disengagement syndrome
Sofia Barbosa Boucas, Brunel University London Do you find that you daydream a lot? Are you often sluggish and tend to disengage easily when doing a task? You might have cognitive disengagement syndrome,…
Facial heat patterns reveal vital health clues
A quick examination of the face can reveal whether we are ageing well and our risk of developing certain diseases. Chinese scientists have found that comparing the heat coming off the nose, cheeks…