In today’s pet food market, there are products to match nearly every lifestyle, value system, and price point pet owners demand, including vegan formulations. New University of Illinois research shows at least two human-grade, lightly cooked vegan diets provide adequate nutrition for dogs. “The trends of vegan foods and human grade foods are increasing for...
Health
Picture a Dream: Dream Collaboration’ for Neuroscientists and Artists
Dreams are being turned into reality as new research investigating the unusual experiences of people with depersonalisation symptoms is being brought to life in an art exhibition at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England. ARU neuroscientist Dr Jane Aspell has led a major international study into depersonalisation, funded by the Bial Foundation. The “Living...
Use of Melatonin Linked to Decreased Self-Harm in Young People
Medical sleep treatment may reduce self-harm in young people with anxiety and depression, an observational study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests. The risk of self-harm increased in the months preceding melatonin prescription and decreased thereafter, especially in girls. The study is published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Melatonin is a hormone that controls...
Mocktails or Cocktails? Having a Sense of Purpose in Life Can Keep Binge Drinking at Bay
A new study reveals that having a sense of purpose in daily life can influence college students’ decisions on day-to-day alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol use is common among college students—and as a consequence, it puts young adults at risk for a wide range of health issues, from cardiovascular disease to cancer. Day in and day...
Using Running to Escape Everyday Stresses May Lead to Exercise Dependence Instead of Mental Wellbeing
Different kinds of escapism can motivate people to take part in running, but using running to escape from negative experiences rather than using it to escape to positive ones may lead to exercise dependence. Recreational running offers a lot of physical and mental health benefits – but some people can develop exercise dependence, a form...
Could Altering Vaginal Microbiome Treat Vaginal Dryness and Painful Sex During Menopause?
As women age, they are more susceptible to vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse because of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA). A new study suggests that ospemifene and systemic hormone therapy both result in improving VVA symptoms and likely improve the vaginal microbiome by reducing potentially harmful bacteria and increasing health-promoting microorganisms. Study results are published online...
Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories That Spread Fastest Focused on Evil, Secrecy
In the early pandemic, conspiracy theories that were shared the most on Twitter highlighted malicious purposes and secretive actions of supposed bad actors behind the crisis, according to an analysis of nearly 400,000 posts. In the study, researchers identified commonalities in five of the most popular conspiracy theories: those related to Bill Gates, 5G Networks,...
Plague Trackers: Researchers Cover Thousands of Years in a Quest to Understand the Elusive Origins of the Black Death
Seeking to better understand more about the origins and movement of bubonic plague, in ancient and contemporary times, researchers at McMaster University, University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne, have completed a painstaking granular examination of hundreds of modern and ancient genome sequences, creating the largest analysis of its kind. Despite massive advances in...
New App to Help People Eat the Right Portion Sizes to Get to 5 a Day
A new app has been developed to help people reach the recommended target of eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. It tells users whether they are eating the right portion sizes, as well as the right foods, to meet the recommended guidelines from Health Authorities in the UK. Previous studies from Bournemouth University found...
Calmness and the Common Good, Anyone? Mindfulness Can Help Deal with Challenges in Working Life
At work, mindfulness, ’present-moment awareness’, benefits not only the individual but the whole work community, comes up in Laura Urrila’s doctoral dissertation in human resource management. When an individual participates in mindfulness training, the implications spill over to the wider work community. – Leaders who practise mindfulness are more present, give others space, seek to...