Summary: Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods not only influences food choices and weight gain but can also alter the brain’s microstructure. Researchers found that poor food quality, high-calorie intake, and inactive environments common in such areas disrupt brain regions crucial for emotion, cognition, and reward processing. A direct link was established between brain cortex changes and high trans-fatty acid intake, prevalent in such neighborhoods. These findings emphasize the urgent need to improve dietary quality in deprived areas for better brain health. Key Facts: Disadvantaged neighborhoods can lead to changes in the brain’s cortex related to reward, emotion, and cognition due to…

Shades? SPF50 suncream? Wide-brimmed hat? For decades, it has been drilled into us that if the sun is out, we’d better slip on protective clothing, slop on suncream and slap on a hat to stay safe. There’s little doubt that too much sun exposure – and particularly sunburn – increases our risk of developing skin cancer. It also prematurely ages the skin. But scientists are increasingly questioning the mantra that sunlight is an evil to be avoided at all costs, and investigating the brighter side of sun exposure. It’s not just about vitamin D. Though important for strong bones and…

The chances of developing dementia increase if you spend the day sedentary Experts say this risk increases the longer you spend at a desk or driving Spending more than 10 hours a day sitting down in front of the TV or driving increases the risk of dementia, a study suggests. Researchers have discovered the chances of developing the condition increase dramatically among adults who spend the majority of their day engaged in sedentary behaviours. A team from the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona analyzed data on more than 50,000 British adults aged 60 and over. They…

A third of trans children treated with puberty blockers had their mental health deteriorate while on the medication, a new analysis of a landmark study reveals. The original study found that 44 children, aged 12 to 15, who took the controversial drugs experienced no change — good or bad — to their mental health. This report, produced by experts from the NHS's Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at Tavistock and University College LondonHospitals (UCLH) in 2021 eventually led to a lowering of the age children could access puberty blockers. But a fresh analysis of the data used in the report …