Category Biology/Biotechnology

Health organizations are starting to raise concerns about the potential long-term impacts of artificial sweeteners, which taste sweet but—unlike sugar—contain no calories, suggesting they could interfere with energy metabolism and increase the eventual risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Now a new study in mice indicates that the popular sweeteners sucralose and stevia have negative effects on the gut microbiome and gene expression, potentially compromising metabolic health, which can be transmitted between generations.

“We found it intriguing that despite the growing consumption of these additives, the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance has not declined,” said Dr...

A research team led by scientists from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo, Brazil, has made significant progress in understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and intestinal cells. The study, published in the journal Gut Microbes, showed how microbiota and the compounds it produces, such as butyrate, influence the functioning of cells that line the large intestine...

Most of us have experienced that when our body is still and resting, the mind doesn’t stop. Instead, it takes off on its own journey of generating thoughts about our past, our plans, and the people around us, a process known as mind-wandering. While researchers have learned a lot about these kinds of thoughts, there aren’t many studies that explore how often our attention turns inward, toward sensations in our bodies, such as our breathing, heartbeat, or physical feelings.

This lesser-known side of our inner experience, called body-wandering, is what a recent study by a br...

UCLA scientists have developed a simple and cost-effective blood test that, in early studies, shows promise in detecting multiple cancers, various liver conditions and organ abnormalities simultaneously by analyzing DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream. The test, described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could offer a powerful and more affordable approach to early disease detection and comprehensive health monitoring.

“Early detection is crucial,” said Dr...