Scientists have peered inside the brain to show how taking DMT affects human consciousness by significantly altering the brain’s electrical activity. DMT (or dimethyltryptamine) is one of the main psychoactive constituents in ayahuasca, the psychedelic brew traditionally made from vines and leaves of the Amazon rainforest. The drink is typically prepared as part of a […]
Drinking tea improves brain health
A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) revealed that regular tea drinkers have better organised brain regions — and this is associated with healthy cognitive function — compared to non-tea drinkers. The research team made this discovery after examining neuroimaging data of 36 older adults. “Our results offer the […]
Laughter may be best medicine — for brain surgery
Neuroscientists at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered a focal pathway in the brain that when electrically stimulated causes immediate laughter, followed by a sense of calm and happiness, even during awake brain surgery. The effects of stimulation were observed in an epilepsy patient undergoing diagnostic monitoring for seizure diagnosis. These effects were then […]
Removing Chemical Used To Make Teflon-Like Coatings Has Led To Fewer Low Birth Weights And Less Brain Damage
Government and industry efforts since 2003 to phase out chemicals used to make non-stick coatings, such as Teflon, have prevented more than 118,000 low-weight births and related brain damage in the United States. This is the main finding of a new report — based on analysis of new mothers’ blood samples gathered for a national […]
Preschoolers Exposed To Nighttime Light Lack Melatonin
Exposing preschoolers to an hour of bright light before bedtime almost completely shuts down their production of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin and keeps it suppressed for at least 50 minutes after lights out, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research. The study, published today in the journal Physiological Reports, is the first to assess the […]
Toxoplasmosis: How A Cat Parasite Exploits Immune Cells To Reach The Brain
Scientists have previously shown that a parasite from cats can infect people’s brain and affect our behavior. Now, researchers at Stockholm University have discovered how the parasite takes control of our cells. “We have decoded how the parasite takes control of immune cells, converting them into moving “zombies” which spread the parasite in the body,” […]
Canola Oil Linked To Worsened Memory And Learning Ability In Alzheimer’s
Canola oil is one of the most widely consumed vegetable oils in the world, yet surprisingly little is known about its effects on health. Now, a new study published online December 7 in the journal Scientific Reports by researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) associates the consumption of canola oil in […]
Olive Oil Nutrient Linked To Processes That Prevent Cancer In Brain
A compound found in olive oil may help to prevent cancer developing in the brain, a study shows. Research into oleic acid — the primary ingredient in olive oil — has shown how it can help prevent cancer-causing genes from functioning in cells. The oily substance — one of a group of nutrients known as […]
Is Soda Bad For Your Brain? (And Is Diet Soda Worse?)
Americans love sugar. Together we consumed nearly 11 million metric tons of it in 2016, according to the US Department of Agriculture, much of it in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages like sports drinks and soda. Now, new research suggests that excess sugar—especially the fructose in sugary drinks—might damage your brain. Researchers using data from the Framingham Heart […]
The Current State Of Psychobiotics
Now that we know that gut bacteria can speak to the brain — in ways that affect our mood, our appetite, and even our circadian rhythms — the next challenge for scientists is to control this communication. The science of psychobiotics, reviewed October 25 in Trends in Neurosciences, explores emerging strategies for planting brain-altering bacteria […]