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Researchers have revealed a novel link between body fat (adipose tissue) and anxiety, shedding light on the intricate relationship between metabolism and mental health. The findings are particularly relevant given the rising rates of anxiety and obesity, highlighting the importance of understanding the underlying biological processes. "Understanding the link between adipose tissue and anxiety opens up new avenues for research and potential treatments," says Gregory Steinberg. "Our findings highlight the complex interplay between metabolism and mental health, and we hope this will lead to better outcomes for individuals suffering from anxiety," says Steinberg. The research team discovered that psychological stress,...

Scientists have long recognized the brain's need for energy, but new research has now illuminated how the brain's energy utilization significantly influences our sleep patterns. The team discovered certain channels in the brain, called ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, act as energy sensors and play a pivotal role in maintaining stable sleep-wake cycles and facilitating smooth transitions between cycles. "Our study shows that even small changes in energy usage can profoundly impact behavior," said Macauley. These changes impact when we sleep, how we sleep and the overall quality of our sleep. The study identified a previously unknown function of KATP channels...

At a meeting in the White House, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the opportunity to chide Vice-President JD Vance for his remarks about the suppression of free speech in Europe, saying "you know we have had free speech longer than America has. I could even say Americans got the idea from us. But we feel we must draw the line somewhere. We can't let people say whatever they wish whenever they wish." "Well, earlier this week you had a man arrested for posting his opinions against policies that favor LGBTQ," Vance pointed out. "How is that not suppression of...

The loss of friendship is measurable, and can be seen in every age group and demographic -- although working-class Americans look to be hardest hit.. Friendship in America is in steep decline: We’re more disconnected from each other than ever, and the gulf between us is only growing. Does it matter? It does. We know that friendships are good for us. People with stronger social interactions live longer than those without, according to a study published last week in the UK’s Nature Medicine journal. Living with a partner, for example, is as good for physical health as regular exercise, researchers...

A clinical trial has shown that an internet-delivered lifestyle intervention has resulted in significantly better cognition in older adults. The researchers recruited over 6,000 participants aged 55–77 for the trial. Participants were without dementia but carried at least two of major risk factors for dementia. Half of the participants received an active intervention that included personalized coaching in two to four modules—physical activity, brain training, nutrition or depression/anxiety—depending on their risk factors, while the control group received publicly available information. A Mediterranean diet with limited meat and dairy, an increase in moderate-vigorous intensity exercises, and specific types of computerized brain...

A type of Trema micrantha. (Daniel Pineda Vera/iNaturalist/CC BY 4.0) Scientists have discovered cannabidiol, a compound in cannabis known as CBD, in a common Brazilian plant, opening potential new avenues to produce the increasingly popular substance. The team found CBD in the fruits and flowers of a plant known as Trema micrantha blume, a shrub which grows across much of the South American country and is often considered a weed, molecular biologist Rodrigo Moura Neto of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro told AFP in 2023. CBD, increasingly used by some to treat conditions including epilepsy, chronic pain and...

The administrative state is petrified that President Donald Trump will fulfill his promise of purging the government of rogue and corrupt actors within the “deep state.” Many establishment media outlets reported Wednesday about Trump’s early stages of the purge with more than 1,000 firings, raising hopes among America First voters that the federal bureaucracy will be accountable to their new boss, who won a landslide election. “Bureaucracies hate the American people,” Trump’s OMB nominee Russ Vought previously told Tucker Carlson. “The American people currently are not in control of their government, and the President hasn’t been either.”

Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern whose affair with President Bill Clinton shook the nation, is now offering 25 ways to “calm the f—k down” before the election — including an eyebrow-raising recommendation to relieve stress by reading literature on feminism and abortion and through having “sex” — a suggestion seen as tone-deaf given her own controversial past. In a recent piece in Vanity Fair, Lewinsky offers a slew of tips to ease election season stress, covering topics from playing board games to spending time outdoors. However, her closing recommendation — a suggestion to use sex as a “distraction”...

Democrats privately fear that Vice President Kamala Harris’s debate performance will not meet the party’s expectations after weeks of media hype. The debate will be the first time many viewers see Harris as the party’s nominee. Harris hid from the media and only sat for one interview. Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, conducted many interviews and is the most experienced debater in the “modern age,” according to CNN. “People are extremely anxious about her performance,” Ray Zaccaro, a Democrat strategist and former Senate aide, told the Hill, noting the showdown could be “catastrophic or monumental … There’s a sense of...

Researchers have found an over-the-counter natural health product may help counteract negative effects of heavy cannabis use among adolescents aged 12 to 17, including depression, anxiety and diminished motivation in adulthood. Marta De Felice and Steven Laviolette demonstrated in animal models that interventions using antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can mitigate the detrimental mental health effects of chronic cannabis use later in life. Sometimes referred to as "amotivational syndrome," chronic cannabis use in adolescents can result in a lack of motivation, diminished enjoyment from daily activities and other depressive effects. Currently, there is no known intervention strategy available. The study found that...

Explosive cross-examination revealed school shooter mom Jennifer Crumbley was caught with $6,000 in cash and a number of burner phones on the day of her dramatic arrest. The Michigan mom, 45, was grilled by prosecutors on Friday over her actions in the aftermath of her son Ethan Crumbley's 2021 massacre at Oxford High School, where he shot 11 people and killed four. After Jennifer and her husband James - set for his own trial in March - fled to Detroit while cops sought them in the days following the shooting, she claimed in her testimony that they each took four...

House Democratic leadership is set to hold a call this afternoon, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill, as anxiety rises over President Biden’s standing as the party’s presumptive nominee. The call — scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT — will include Democratic leadership and members of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, one of the sources said. The discussion comes as questions — and concerns — are rising about Biden’s ability to remain at the top of the Democratic Party’s ticket after his lackluster debate performance last week. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas) on Tuesday became the first...

Fauci said he does not know where the six foot social distancing rule came fromHe also said that he was unaware of studies recommending masks for kids Bombshell testimony from Dr. Anthony Fauci reveals he made up the six foot social distancing rule and other measures to 'protect' Americans from covid.Republicans put out the full transcript of their sit down interview with Fauci from January just days before his highly-anticipated public testimony on Monday. They plan to grill him about covid restrictions he put in place, that he admitted didn't do much to 'slow the spread' of the virus. Kids'...

The new research is more evidence linking cannabis to an increased risk of mental health disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, particularly in adolescence. Teenagers who used cannabis within the last year had a dramatically higher rate of developing a psychotic disorder, according to a study published Wednesday. The study, led by researchers from the University of Toronto, found an 11 times higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder among teenagers who used cannabis compared with those who did not. When the analysis was limited to just emergency room visits and hospitalizations, there was a 27-fold increase in psychotic disorders...

In a recent breakthrough that could pave the way for novel treatments for anxiety and stress disorders, a team of neurobiologists from the University of California San Diego has uncovered a “fear switch” in the brain. This discovery could alter our approach to understanding and handling fear by mastering control over this neural switch, potentially offering relief to millions suffering from generalized anxiety disorders and PTSD. “Our results provide important insights into the mechanisms involved in fear generalization,” said co-author and professor of neurobiology at UC San Diego, Dr. Nicholas Spitzer. “The benefit of understanding these processes at this level...

A new psychological assessment has been developed to measure the endorsement of attitudes related to critical social justice. Findings from its application in a Finnish study reveal that stronger alignment with these so-called “woke” beliefs correlates with heightened instances of anxiety and depression...One of the central revelations of the study was that critical social justice attitudes are not as widespread in Finland as might be inferred from public and media discussions. Overall, the findings suggested a cautious reception towards critical social justice among the general population. This observation was particularly pronounced among male participants, who showed considerably lower agreement with...

President Joe Biden’s remark Thursday that Israel’s response to Hamas terror in Gaza has been “over the top” has caused widespread anxiety in Israel, as Israelis begin to suspect that Biden is no longer as supportive of their fight as he once was. Biden made the remark in a testy exchange with reporters during a press conference in which he responded to claims by Special Counsel Robert Hur that Biden’s memory was failing. (Hur declined to prosecute Biden for mishandling classified documents.) The U.S. media noted Biden’s statement because of the fact that the president — in the course of...

Worry. Anxiety. Depression. These disorders have reached pandemic proportions, afflicting people from all walks of life, worldwide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, here in America, more than one in four adults (26%) suffer from depression or some form of major anxiety disorder, and 52% all adults take some type of anti-anxiety or anti-depression drug daily, and as more and more continue to face unprecedented challenges, the numbers are rising.

For military veterans, many of the deepest wounds of war are invisible: Traumatic brain injuries resulting from head trauma or blast explosions. Now, researchers have discovered that the plant-based psychoactive drug ibogaine, when combined with magnesium to protect the heart, safely and effectively reduces PTSD, anxiety and depression and improves functioning in veterans with TBI. Ibogaine is found in the roots of the African shrub iboga. Since 1970, ibogaine has been designated as a Schedule I drug, preventing its use within the U.S. Before the treatment, researchers gauged the participants' levels of PTSD. Participants then traveled to a clinic in...

This condition is associated with decreased threat-detection abilities and increased anxiety. I bet this doesn’t surprise you. “across the spectrum of anxiety disorders, as well as in other disorders that are often comorbid with anxiety, a relatively consistent pattern of reduced amygdala volume has been found”