Category: Health

Can the effects of the ketogenic diet help prevent epilepsy after traumatic brain injury? Mouse study

Tom Patriot

Neuroscientists led by Chris Dulla at Tufts University School of Medicine prevented the development of epileptic activity in mice after traumatic brain injury by using a drug that mimics the metabolic effects of the ketogenic diet. An advance copy of the study is published today in JCI Insight. The ketogenic diet was originally developed in the 1920s to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children. By limiting carbohydrates in the diet, the body is forced to burn fat rather than glucose, the usual source of energy in the body. Although researchers do not…

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Obesity and emotional problems appear to develop together from age 7

Tom Patriot

Obesity and emotional problems, such as feelings of low mood and anxiety, tend to develop hand-in-hand from as young as age 7 years, according to new research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow, UK (28 April-1 May). The analysis of a large nationally representative sample of over 17,000 children in the UK finds that regardless of their socioeconomic status, girls and boys with obesity at age 7 were at greater risk of emotional problems at age 11, which in turn, predicted high body mass…

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Scratching the skin primes the gut for allergic reactions to food, mouse study suggests

Tom Patriot

Scratching the skin triggers a series of immune responses culminating in an increased number of activated mast cells — immune cells involved in allergic reactions — in the small intestine, according to research conducted in mice. This newly identified skin-gut communication helps illuminate the relationship between food allergy and atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema), a disease characterized by dry, itchy skin. The study was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and led by researchers at Boston Children’s…

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BODY LOTION 101: EXACTLY HOW (AND WHEN) TO APPLY IT

Tom Patriot

Ever wonder how and when to put on lotion and moisturizer? Does it have to be after every shower or wash? We wondered the exact same thing, so we turned to an expert to find out. Want to know the answer? Keep reading to find out how and when to apply lotion and moisturizer.   After a long work week, I always look forward to a warm bath. As relaxing as it is, though, it’s always bittersweet. As soon as the water shuts off, relaxation mode comes to an abrupt…

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New research reviews the state of vaccine safety science

Tom Patriot

A new systematic review provides a succinct summary of the scientific evidence for and/or against causal associations for 47 adverse events following immunization (AEFI). Findings from the study will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2019 Meeting, taking place on April 24 – May 1 in Baltimore. “Health care providers desire objective and clear information on a broad range of vaccine safety issues to assist them in answering patient questions,” said Matthew Dudley, PhD, MSPH, one of the authors of the study. “There have been no recent comprehensive…

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