A Good Kind of Fat Cell, A Surprising Superfood for Diabetics and more

Move on, Anxiety

The activity with the biggest benefits for alleviating anxiety was exercise, according to a June 2024 study based on two surveys of nearly 9,000 participants, which was published in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Public Library of Science. In the first survey, 24.4 per cent of those who regularly exercised reported that they did not experience moderate to severe anxiety, compared to 17 per cent who did. In the second survey, the figures were 19 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. Communication with friends and family came in close behind. Meditation, surprisingly, came in last.

A Natural Cure for Baldness

While researching wound healing, a team of Turkish and British researchers noticed increased hair growth around the areas on mice that had been treated with 2-­deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), a sugar naturally found in both mice and humans. The researchers tested 2dDR against medical baldness treatments like minoxidil, and found that the sugar was 80 per cent to 90 per cent as effective, without some of the side effects. The sugar seems to boost the blood supply to the scalp, revitalizing dormant hair follicles and encouraging growth. According to the results, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, more research is needed before a treatment can be made available to the public, but the results are very promising.

A Good Kind of Fat Cell

Scientists have discovered a new fat cell—one we might all want. The newly discovered beige cell lacks a protein present in the previously discovered brown, beige and white cells. People with a high number of beige fat cells tend to be thinner and less prone to metabolic disorders like diabetes. The scientists, led by researchers at the University of Basel, the University of Leipzig Medical Center and Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, say that the discovery may lead to new treatments such as transplanting the cells or developing medications that help to activate them.

Turn Off the TV and Live Longer

A new study by Harvard University and Chinese scientists underscores how important it is not to be overly sedentary. The study, which followed more than 45,000 participants for two decades, showed a marked association between TV viewing habits and rates of advanced ageing. Every additional two hours per day spent watching TV was linked to a 12 per cent reduction in the odds of reaching age 70 free of chronic disease or mental impairment. Ideally, give up an hour or two of TV each day in favour of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

A Surprising Superfood for Diabetics

People with diabetes are often leery of eating potatoes, a high-glycemic food that can raise blood sugar. But research done at the University of Nevada Las Vegas on behalf of the Alliance for Potato Research and Education, found that, far from being problematic, potatoes are full of nutrients and can improve heart health for people with type 2 diabetes. Scientist Neda Akhavan asked a dozen subjects with type 2 diabetes to eat a small baked potato with skin every day, while another group ate white rice instead. After 12 weeks, the potato eaters showed a small decrease in fasting blood glucose, as well as improvements in body composition, waist circumference and resting heart rate. “A potato, when prepared correctly, can be both functional and healthy,” says Akhavan.

Are you a City Mouse or a Country Mouse?

People can be lonely and depressed no ­matter where they live. But a study of more than 5,000 older adults in China found that the rate of depressive symptoms among those who lived in rural areas was 1.37 times higher than in the city dwellers. Of course the solution isn’t for everyone to move to the city, but the study, published in the journal Psychology Research and Behavior Management, points to the importance of participating in social activities. People in rural areas were less likely to do so very often, but those who played cards or mahjong at least once a week, or parti­cipated in other organized social activities at least once a month, were at less risk of depression. 

‘Dancing Molecules’ for Osteoarthritis

Dancing might be the last thing that comes to mind when you think about treatments for osteoporosis. But researchers at Northwestern Uni­versity in Illinois have created a gooey substance made from ­special molecules, nicknamed ‘dancing molecules’, which could be the key to boosting cartilage production and helping to reverse the osteo­porosis that so ­often causes painful joints as people age. The researchers designed the molecules to ‘dance’, because the motion ­incites them to produce more of the cartilage components. So far the molecules have shown promise when tested on human cells in the lab, and on live sheep. The ­scientists are hoping that clinical trials with people will happen soon.

An Easier OB-GYN Appointment

Women now have an alternative to the dreaded Pap smear. Your gynaecologist can just hand you a swab that you can use yourself in the doctor’s ­office to screen for ­cervical cancer. The swab will collect cells from the vaginal wall that will then be sent to a lab for testing. ­Research shows that the results of this testing method are comparable to the Pap smear for preventing cervical cancer. The next step: The FDA is currently reviewing data to see if an at-home test can be approved.

SOS for MS

An experimental new treatment for multiple sclerosis can stop and even potentially reverse some nerve damage by regenerating myelin, the insulating layer that protects nerves. Multiple scle­rosis (MS) occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks this fatty, protective substance. The new drug, called PIPE-307, was developed at the University of California, San Francisco, and has shown promise but must be studied in clinical trials on people with MS.

The Best Diet for Losing Weight?

The Mediterranean diet is touted as one of the healthiest ways to eat, as it is ­associated with greater health and longevity. But when it comes to losing weight, a low-fat vegan diet gets better results, while still ­being a great way to maintain metabolic health. The research, headed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, looked at data collected from people who were divided into two groups. Each group ate either a Mediterranean or low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks, then switched to the other. The researchers found that the low-fat vegan diet resulted in more weight loss and had a better cardio­metabolic health outcome—meaning protection against conditions such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and fatty liver disease.

Research by Meaghan Cameron, MS, and Patricia Varacallo, DO