Health News

A six-month study of more than 120 adults in their 70s found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may offer a key advantage over other forms of exercise: it helped reduce body fat while preserving valuable muscle mass. While moderate and low-intensity workouts also led to some fat loss, only HIIT maintained lean muscle, which becomes increasingly important with age.

Scientists at UCLA have linked long-term exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos with a sharply increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. People exposed to the chemical near their homes were more than twice as likely to develop the condition. Laboratory studies showed that chlorpyrifos damages dopamine neurons and interferes with the brain’s ability to remove toxic protein buildup.

Teens who use cannabis may face a substantially greater risk of developing serious mental health conditions, including psychotic and bipolar disorders, according to a study of more than 463,000 adolescents. Researchers found cannabis use often preceded these diagnoses by nearly two years, strengthening concerns about its long-term effects on developing brains.

Researchers have identified a vitamin B12–based compound that can cross the blood-brain barrier and home in on glioblastoma tumors. In animal studies, the compound accumulated preferentially in tumor tissue and delivered sustained nitric oxide directly to cancer cells. It also worked synergistically with existing glioblastoma treatments, significantly enhancing their tumor-fighting effects.

Aging may trigger the appearance of specialized stem cells that supercharge the body’s ability to create new belly fat. The discovery reveals a potential biological driver of middle-age weight gain and a promising target for future anti-obesity treatments.

The battle between butter and margarine comes down to chemistry. Butter’s naturally occurring fats create rich flavors, golden browning, and flaky baked goods, while margarine’s modified plant oils offer consistency and a longer shelf life. Although both contain mostly fat, their different structures influence how they behave in recipes. Understanding those differences can help you choose the right one for cooking, baking, or health goals.

A new study found that fructose and glucose may look the same on a nutrition label, but the brain treats them very differently. In mice, glucose strongly reduced activity in hunger-promoting brain cells, while fructose had a much weaker effect. High-fructose corn syrup triggered a stronger response and was preferred by the animals. The findings suggest that the type of sugar—not just the calories—can influence appetite and food preferences.

Vitamin B12 is needed in microscopic amounts, but a shortage can have major effects on health and energy. The vitamin was first linked to a lifesaving liver treatment for pernicious anemia nearly 100 years ago. Today, researchers are finding that B12 may also help keep cellular powerhouses called mitochondria functioning properly. This could explain why some people experience fatigue and brain fog even before traditional signs of deficiency show up.

Researchers found that a rare liver cancer evades immunotherapy by luring immune T cells away from the tumor and trapping them in nearby fibrous tissue. An FDA-approved drug called AMD3100 freed those T cells to attack the cancer, significantly improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy in tumor samples.

How does a single cell build a brain with billions of precisely organized neurons? Researchers suggest that brain cells use their lineage—their cellular family tree—as a kind of positional map. Cells that come from the same ancestor stay near one another, helping the brain organize itself without relying solely on chemical signals.