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    The way to Better Mental Health may go through your Stomach

    November 30, 2023, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    A cup of granola and yogurt on a fragmented background of orange, tan, and blue
    Yogurt could help your mood as well as your gut. UVA researchers say a bacterium in fermented foods may help change the way you feel, opening a realm of possible treatments for mental health and other medical issues. (Illustration by Emily Faith Morgan, University Communications)

    University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered how Lactobacillus, a bacterium found in fermented foods and yogurt, helps the body manage stress and may help prevent depression and anxiety.

    The findings open the door to new therapies to treat anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

    UVA researcher Alban Gaultier and collaborators say the discovery is notable because it pinpoints the role of Lactobacillus, separating it out from all the other microorganisms that natura...

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    Long COVID can impact Fatigue and Quality of Life worse than some Cancers, finds new study

    June 10, 2023, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    covid
    Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

    Fatigue is the symptom that most significantly impacts the daily lives of long COVID patients, and can affect quality of life more than some cancers, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Exeter.

    The research, published in BMJ Open , examines the impact of long COVID on the lives of over 3,750 patients who were referred to a long COVID clinic and used a digital app as part of their NHS treatment for the condition.

    Patients were asked to complete questionnaires on the app about how long COVID was affecting them—considering the impact of long COVID on their day-to-day activities, levels of fatigue, depression, anxiety, breathlessness, brain fog, and their quality of life.

    The researchers found that many long COVID p...

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    Whether Physical Exertion feels ‘Easy’ or ‘Hard’ may be due to Dopamine levels, study suggests

    April 17, 2023, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Experimental paradigm. a Association phase; Participants were trained to associate between grip force exerted on a handheld dynamometer and effort levels from 0 to 100 (80% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)). Each trial began with presentation of the target, followed by an effortful grip with real-time visual feedback of the exerted force represented as a bar that increased in height with increased exertion. A target zone was also presented, and participants were asked to maintain their exerted force within this target zone. The target zone turned green when exerted force was within the target and stayed red otherwise. Feedback of success or failure was provided at the end of each trial...
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    Stress-induced depression
    Credit: Getty Images

    In experiments with mice and humans, a team led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers says it has identified a particular intestinal immune cell that impacts the gut microbiome, which in turn may affect brain functions linked to stress-induced disorders such as depression. Targeting changes mediated by these immune cells in the gut, with drugs or other therapies, could potentially bring about new ways to treat depression.

    The findings of the study were published March 20, 2023 in the journal Nature Immunology.

    “The results of our study highlight the previously unrecognized role of intestinal gamma delta T cells (γδ T cells) in modifying psychological stress responses, and the importance of a protein receptor known as dectin-1, found on the surface of immune c...

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