Credit: iStock As soon as the calendar turns over to October (and sometimes even before!) retail and media outlets remind us Halloween is coming. Wherever we look, it seems to be costumes, candy and scary movies abound. But did you know that many of the things that come to mind when we think of Halloween … Continue reading Halloween, Physiology Style
Brain Physiology
Cutting Back on Added Sugar: Your Brain Will Thank You
Credit: iStock I spy too much sugar in the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. Unlike naturally occurring sugars in foods such as fruit, added sugars and syrups are included during the preparation or processing of our food and drink. While sugar does provide our body with energy, the problem is that too … Continue reading Cutting Back on Added Sugar: Your Brain Will Thank You
How Drugs Change the Way Your Brain Works
Credit: iStock Drug addiction, also known as substance abuse disorder, is a very serious disease that affects people of all ages around the world. When a person is addicted to a drug, they have an uncontrollable craving for the drug because it becomes the only thing that makes them feel good. Without it, they feel … Continue reading How Drugs Change the Way Your Brain Works
Spotlight On: Alzheimer’s Disease
Credit: iStock As we age, the risk of developing dementia increases. Dementia is basically losing the ability to think and remember clearly, though it is a general term, not a specific disease. There are many diseases that fall under the umbrella term of “dementia.” One of the most common is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease was … Continue reading Spotlight On: Alzheimer’s Disease
Could Anti-Inflammatory Medications Reduce Heart Disease Risk in People With Depression?
Credit: iStock Major depressive disorder, which occurs in about 15% of adults worldwide at some point in their life, is a staggering public health challenge. It’s projected to be the leading cause of global disease and disability burden by 2030, with an associated annual economic burden of more than $210 billion. Alarmingly, the number of … Continue reading Could Anti-Inflammatory Medications Reduce Heart Disease Risk in People With Depression?
Brain-Lung Crosstalk: How the Brain and Lungs Communicate with Each Other
Credit: iStock As the body’s “command center,” the brain’s job is to communicate with other organs to make sure all our body systems are in proper working order. But you may not know that people who have brain injuries are also more likely to develop respiratory disorders. This is due to the brain-lung axis—how the … Continue reading Brain-Lung Crosstalk: How the Brain and Lungs Communicate with Each Other
Making Sense of Salt Sensing
Credit: iStock Sodium, or salt, content varies greatly in different foods. Last month in Philadelphia, many Experimental Biology conference attendees may have noticed something unique on restaurant menus: sodium warnings. These warnings caution diners about meals that have more than the recommended daily amount of sodium of 2,300 milligrams (mg). Wonder how the body regulates … Continue reading Making Sense of Salt Sensing
New Research on Weight Cycling, Chemotherapy Side Effects, COVID-19 Severity and Concussion Presented at Experimental Biology 2022
Credit: American Physiological Society Scientists who study physiology and other biomedical research fields—including anatomy, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology—network, collaborate and communicate about the latest research at the APS annual meeting at Experimental Biology (EB). Read on to learn more about how food insecurity affects the heart, why taking vitamin C may counter chemotherapy side effects, how saliva could be … Continue reading New Research on Weight Cycling, Chemotherapy Side Effects, COVID-19 Severity and Concussion Presented at Experimental Biology 2022
Why Are We Afraid of Shadows in the Night? Because of Our Brains.
Credit: iStock Does being in the dark ever send a shiver up your spine? Have you ever hurried down a hallway after turning out the light? You may get spooked by suspicious shadows in a dark room only to turn on the light and realize it is just an innocent chair. Then, you might wonder … Continue reading Why Are We Afraid of Shadows in the Night? Because of Our Brains.
New Thoughts on Why You Can’t Sleep
Credit: iStock This month, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Physiological Society journal Physiological Reviews, we are highlighting recent research published in the journal. Interested in reading more in celebration of Physiological Reviews’ birthday? Read our spotlight on migraine, about bariatric surgery’s effect on hunger and about targeting the immune system to treat cancer. It’s the … Continue reading New Thoughts on Why You Can’t Sleep