Author: healthtost
From tickling monkeys to laughing children, a new study traces how the rhythm of laughter can reveal the deep evolutionary roots of human speech. Study: Rhythm and timing in laughter reveal that human vocal plasticity falls on an anthropoid continuum. Image credit: Andrea Izzotti / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Communications Biology, researchers conducted a comparative analysis of laughter in representatives of all great living great ape lineages, including humans. Because sounds do not fossilize, tracing the phonetic origins of language, speech, and song remains difficult. While the major branches of the Hominoid family have distinct…
Thinning hair is one of those things that many women quietly notice – more strands in the pad, a wider part, a ponytail that looks thinner than it used to. It often starts gradually, which makes it easy to dismiss. But when it goes on month after month, it becomes hard to ignore. Understanding why it happens is the first step to doing something about it. Why thinning hair in women is different from men Most people think of hair loss as something that happens to men. But thinning female hair follows a different pattern and has different triggers. Women…
Today, Tropic is one of the UK’s fastest growing beauty brands. But it all started 22 years ago with a homemade body scrub and a 15-year-old Susie who just wanted to help her mom pay the bills. The Story Of Body Smooth Susie grew up in Australia, where mosquito bites were a part of life. Her grandmother, a pharmacist and toxicologist by trade, had the answer: a homemade body scrub made with lemon myrtle as the hero ingredient. Native to Australian rainforests and a natural insect repellent, it kept mosquitoes at bay while softening Susie’s skin. It’s also what gives…
On busy days, lunch can be difficult – these recipes fix that. Healthy ingredients, really simple to make and worth sitting down for. No shortcuts to quality or nutrition, just time! Enjoy, Jess xx Crackers with tuna Filled with tuna spread, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard and chopped vegetables on top of smashed avocado and crunchy crackers. mmm! Time to make: 10 minutes Serves: 1 Ingredients: 1 95 g (3.3 oz) tin tuna, drained 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 stalk celery, diced 1 tablespoon chopped red onion 1 diced pickle 1 tablespoon chopped chives 3 crackers,…
Most people think of anxiety as a feeling—that tight, overwhelmed feeling before a difficult conversation or a busy to-do list. But for many adults, stress has quietly shifted from something that comes and goes to something that just runs through the body. And when that happens, he stops feeling anxious. It starts to feel like something else entirely. Chronic stress can feel like waking up tired, no matter how much sleep you’ve had. It can feel like a body that won’t lose weight no matter what you try. You may feel like you lash out at the people you love…
The development of a pioneering gene therapy to treat a devastating, rare immune system disorder led by UCL scientists is to move into its next phase after promising early preclinical studies. CTLA-4 deficiency is a rare disease of the white blood cells that normally help control the immune system – known as regulatory T cells – and those that protect the body from recurrent infections and cancer – known as effector T cells. It is caused by a lack of the CTLA-4 protein produced by a particular gene – most people have two working copies of this gene, but those…
We’ve all heard it: “It’s only in your head.” When work deadlines pile up, financial worries persist, or an unexpected public speaking obligation arises, we often treat stress as a purely psychological challenge – something that must be overcome with a little willpower. But our body does not separate the psychological from the physical. Your brain is not an island and stress is not trapped between your ears. It triggers a rapid cascade of biochemical changes that travel through the bloodstream and affect the body in measurable ways. New research of my colleagues and I captured this mind-body connection in…
Microplastics and their potentially harmful effects on human health (and the world) have been in the spotlight in recent years. Now, a new study may have found a mechanism to remove them from our bodies, hidden in a popular fermented food: kimchi. The study, conducted by the Global Kimchi Institute in South Korea, found that a probiotic bacterium found in kimchi can help the body rid itself of microplastics naturally. The bacteria attach to the particles in the gut and remove them from the body through the feces. Could it be that simple? Related story Flesh-eating bacteria are on the…
Pregnancy causes a huge physical, anatomical and psychological change in mothers-to-be. As a mother’s body changes to accommodate her growing baby, her physical health and emotional well-being must be a top priority. Prenatal yoga is one of the most popular forms prenatal exercises. This article provides a comprehensive, evidence-based review of the benefits of prenatal yoga. It provides a list of exercises for each trimester and clearly outlines the key safety considerations required for the mother and her baby. Trimester-by-Trimester Guide to Safe Prenatal Exercise Each trimester is characterized by its own physiological stages and limitations. A safe prenatal workout…
Stanford researcher Ellen Kuhl estimates there are about 1043 possible burger recipes in the world. And with BurgerAI, a new tool developed in its lab, AI can now design the best for you based on your age, taste, nutritional needs and even your sustainability goal. But BurgerAI’s ability to recommend a great-tasting, nutritionally complex, sustainably produced burger is only part of the story. More broadly, this innovation heralds a change for AI itself: moving AI from prediction to design. “Most AI systems are trained to predict what’s already there. We wanted AI to do that invent what should be next,”…