Hot Peppers, Ancient Alcohols + Other Stories
We’ve corralled all the best wellness reads for the week of January 16—just in time for your weekend bookmarking. This week: how artificial intelligence could predict heart failure, the health benefits of spicy foods like hot peppers, and a fascinating breakdown of our historical relationship with alcohol.
How Exercise May Help the Brain Grow Stronger
Scientists call brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) “Miracle-Gro” for the brain, and a new study out this month confirms that vigorous exercise in mice increased BDNF levels and, as a consequence, boosted ketones in the brain. Those ketones can be used as brain fuel when blood sugar gets low.
Eat Hot Peppers for a Longer Life?
It’s widely known that spicy foods have positive health effects, and according to a new study, eating hot red chili peppers led to a 13 percent reduction in mortality. Let’s just say we’ll be making Som Tum Thai this weekend.
Antibody Can Protect Brains from the Ageing Effects of Old Blood
Compelling insights from a Stanford researcher experimenting with the effects of a compound that blocks VCAM1, a protein that increases in the blood as we age.
Artificial Intelligence Predicts When Heart Will Fail
Amazingly, researchers at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences have developed a software that can predict heart failure based on blood tests and scans of beating hearts—at 20 percent higher accuracy than doctors.
New System Could Connect Cell Phones to Real Cells and Treat Disease
As it turns out, controlling our physical cells via electricity (which could be dictated through a cell phone) may not be that far off—and the implications for therapies are enormous.
Our 9,000-Year Love Affair With Booze
This National Geographic deep-dive examines ancient drinking practices, including a myriad of health benefits (each of which has varying levels of relevancy in our current booze culture).