Physiology News

Nighttime Exposure to Blue Light Increases Sugar Consumption, Animal Study Finds

Nighttime exposure to blue light causes glucose intolerance in diurnal rodents, with a stronger effect in males when they were fed high caloric diet. Image credit: Nicholas Robb.
Jul 10, 2019 by News Staff

Nocturnal exposure to light containing short wavelength emissions (450-500 nm) — the kind of light produced by the screens of many devices — raises blood sugar levels and increases sugar intake, according to a study performed on Sudanian grass rats (Arvicanthis ansorgei). Nighttime exposure to blue light causes glucose intolerance in diurnal rodents, with a stronger effect in males when they were fed high caloric diet. Image credit: Nicholas...

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Nolden et al assessed the ability of common beverages to reduce oral burn from capsaicin. Image credit: Jill Wellington.

Milk is Best Choice to Mitigate Oral Burn from Chili Peppers: Study

Jul 4, 2019 by News Staff

Capsaicin, a chemical compound derived from chili peppers, is classically considered an irritant, due to the warming and burning sensations it causes....

Scheiman et al found Veillonella bacteria in the microbiome of elite athletes. Image credit: Composita.

Researchers Find Performance-Enhancing Bacteria in Gut Microbiome of Marathon Runners

Jul 3, 2019 by News Staff

In a study published online in the journal Nature Medicine, an international team of researchers identified a link between members of the bacterial genus...

Regular coffee consumers can sniff out even small amounts of coffee and are faster at recognizing the aroma. Image credit: StockSnap.

Coffee Directly Stimulates Your Body’s Brown Fat, New Study Finds

Jun 26, 2019 by News Staff

Drinking a cup of coffee can stimulate brown adipose tissue (also known as brown fat), an important part of the human body which plays a key role in how...

Mycobacterium vaccae. Image credit: Christopher Lowry, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Novel Anti-Inflammatory Molecule Isolated from Soil-Dwelling Bacterium

Jun 19, 2019 by News Staff

About three decades after scientists coined the term ‘hygiene hypothesis’ to suggest that increased exposure to microorganisms could benefit health,...

Chang & Kajackaite suggest that gender-mixed workplaces may be able to increase productivity by setting the thermostat higher than current standards. Image credit: Rawpixel.

Study: Working in Warmer Temperatures Improves Women’s Cognitive Performance and Productivity

May 29, 2019 by News Staff

In a study published in the journal PLoS ONE, a team of researchers from the United States and Germany found that women performed better on math and verbal...

Farmer et al used genetic techniques to make glowing brain cells or rendered them sensitive to laser light to alter their activity; these brain cells are now thought to coordinate activity across the cardiovascular system. Image credit: Farmer et al, doi: 10.1113/JP277661.

Researchers Find Blood Flow Command Center in Brain

May 20, 2019 by News Staff

A research team led by Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health and Macquarie University scientists has discovered a group of cells in the...

Regular coffee consumers can sniff out even small amounts of coffee and are faster at recognizing the aroma. Image credit: StockSnap.

Regular Coffee Drinkers Have Higher Sensitivity to Coffee Odor, Study Says

May 15, 2019 by News Staff

In a study published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, a team of researchers found that habitual coffee consumers were more...

Weekend recovery sleep doesn’t prevent weight gain or reduce insulin sensitivity. Image credit: Wok & Apix.

Study: Weekend Snoozes Don’t Fully Make Up for Weekday Sleep Loss

Mar 25, 2019 by Sam Sander Effron

Sleeping in a few extra hours on the weekends might not be enough to combat the self-incurred damage from weekday sleep deprivation. According to a study...

Christou et al conducted the first ever analysis of circadian rhythms in human fat taken from people isolated from daily environmental changes. Image credit: Bruce Blaus, Blausen.com / CC BY 3.0.

Study: White Fat Cells Have Their Own Internal Clocks

Feb 26, 2019 by News Staff

White fat cells (white adipose tissue) in the human body exhibit circadian rhythms affecting critical metabolic functions, according to a new study from...

Exercise elicits circadian phase-shifting effects.

Exercise Can Help You Counter Effects of Shift Work, Jet Lag, Other Disruptions to Circadian Clock

Feb 21, 2019 by News Staff

The circadian clock is the 24 hour cycle that regulates many physiological processes including sleeping and eating. Many factors affect this internal clock...

The rocking bed used by the researchers. Image credit: Laurence Bayer and Aurore Perrault.

Rocking Boosts Deep Sleep and Memory Consolidation, Two New Studies Show

Jan 30, 2019 by News Staff

Two new studies, one of which was conducted in young adults and the other in mice, add to evidence for the benefits of a rocking motion during sleep. In...

Smokers have biological ages that are higher than their chronological ages. Image credit: Insilico Medicine.

Smoking Speeds Up Aging, Says New Study

Jan 18, 2019 by News Staff

By employing age-prediction models developed using supervised deep learning techniques, a research team at Insilico Medicine, Inc. — one of the leaders...

Wedell-Neergaard et al show that in abdominally obese people, exercise-mediated loss of visceral adipose tissue mass requires interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor signaling. Given that abdominal fat is metabolically harmful to health, the study raises a potentially important side effect of IL-6 receptor antibodies, such as tocilizumab. Image credit: Wedell-Neergaar et al.

New Study Shows How Exercise Reduces Abdominal Fat Mass

Dec 31, 2018 by News Staff

Abdominal (belly) fat is harmful to metabolic health. Exercise training reduces abdominal fat mass, but the underlying mechanisms have not been clear....

Exercising on a regular basis over a lifetime may help keep the body decades younger. Image credit: Michael de Groot.

Lifelong Aerobic Exercise May Help Keep Body Young, Says New Study

Dec 10, 2018 by News Staff

In an analysis of septuagenarians who have been exercising for decades, researchers from Ball State University found that they have heart and lung capacities...

He et al found that a single workout can activate POMC neurons (shown in green in yellow) for up to 2 days; these neurons are important regulators of blood glucose levels and energy balance. Image credit: He et al, doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.08.011.

Exercise Can Boost Metabolism, Animal Study Shows

Dec 7, 2018 by News Staff

A new study shows neurons in mice that influence metabolism are active for up to two days after a single workout. The study, published in the journal Molecular...

Short sleep duration was associated with higher odds of inadequate hydration. Image credit: Photo-Shot.

Sleeping Less Than Eight Hours Increases Risk of Inadequate Hydration in Adults

Nov 14, 2018 by News Staff

A study led by Pennsylvania State University’s Dr. Asher Rosinger suggests that those who don’t feel well after a night of poor sleep may want to consider...

This study by Leyh et al is one of the first nutrition studies where participants consumed a whole food as opposed to a protein shake or some form of supplement. Image credit: Diana Lavrova.

Pre-Sleep Consumption of Cottage Cheese Supports Metabolism, Muscle Recovery, Study Shows

Oct 29, 2018 by News Staff

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition has found that consuming 30 grams of whole-food protein (cottage cheese) about 30 min before...

Flavor influences diet, but diet may also influence saliva, which in turn may influence flavor. Image credit: Silvia Rita.

Could Saliva Influence What We Like to Eat?

Aug 20, 2018 by News Staff

Saliva is necessary for digestion. It lubricates the throat to make swallowing easier and contains chemicals that break down food. It also assists with...

Using light-emitting tablet computers in the late evening can postpone our decision to go to sleep, and make us more sleepy the next morning. Image credit: Stock Snap.

Evening Use of Light-Emitting Electronic Devices Disrupts Healthy Sleep: Study

May 30, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

Evening use of light-emitting electronic devices such as tablet computers can induce delays in desired bedtimes, suppress secretion of the sleep-promoting...

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