Human Quirks: Health & Medicine

August 14, 2025

Top Headlines

How Cats with Dementia Could Help Crack the Alzheimer’s Puzzle

Aug. 14, 2025 — Cats can naturally develop dementia with brain changes strikingly similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans, including toxic amyloid-beta buildup and loss of synapses. A new study shows these similarities could make cats valuable natural models for ...

Cutting Sugar Won’t Curb Your Sweet Tooth, Scientists Say

Aug. 12, 2025 — A six-month randomized trial challenges the idea that eating more sweet foods increases a person’s preference for sweetness. Participants on diets with high, low, or mixed sweetness levels showed no changes in their sweet taste preferences, energy ...

Scientists Discover Brain Layers That Get Stronger with Age

Aug. 12, 2025 — Researchers have discovered that parts of the human brain age more slowly than previously thought—particularly in the region that processes touch. By using ultra-high-resolution brain scans, they found that while some layers of the cerebral cortex ...

The Parasite That Turns Off Your Body’s Pain Alarm and Sneaks In

Aug. 12, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a parasite that can sneak into your skin without you feeling a thing. The worm, Schistosoma mansoni, has evolved a way to switch off the body’s pain and itch signals, letting it invade undetected. By blocking certain ...

What Scientists Discovered About French Fries and Diabetes

Aug. 11, 2025 — French fries may be more than just a guilty pleasure—they could raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by 20% if eaten three times a week, while the same amount of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes doesn’t appear to have the same ...

Can a Diet Really Ease Lipoedema? Sunniva’s Journey to Pain Relief and Weight Loss

Aug. 10, 2025 — Sunniva Kwapeng struggled with lipoedema, a painful condition causing disproportionate fat accumulation, until finally being diagnosed in her 40s. An NTNU study found that a low-carb diet helped ...

Scientists Find Brain Cell Switch That Could Reverse Obesity’s Effects

Aug. 8, 2025 — High-fat diets and obesity reshape astrocytes—star-shaped brain cells in the striatum that help regulate pleasure from eating. French researchers discovered that tweaking these cells in mice not only impacts metabolism but can also restore ...

Scientists Discover Amino Acid Switch That Turns Fat Into a Calorie-burning Furnace

Aug. 8, 2025 — Cutting calories doesn’t just slim you down—it also reduces cysteine, an amino acid that flips fat cells from storage mode to fat-burning mode. Researchers found that lowering cysteine sparks the ...

This Common Fruit Has over 1,600 Compounds That Boost Brain, Heart, and Gut Health

Aug. 5, 2025 — Fresh grapes contain a potent mix of over 1,600 compounds that benefit heart, brain, skin, and gut health. New evidence suggests they deserve official superfood recognition, with benefits even at the ...

Johns Hopkins Scientists Grow a Mini Human Brain That Lights Up and Connects Like the Real Thing

Aug. 4, 2025 — Scientists at Johns Hopkins have grown a first-of-its-kind organoid mimicking an entire human brain, complete with rudimentary blood vessels and neural activity. This new "multi-region brain ...

This Vaccine Uses Dental Floss Instead of Needles

Aug. 3, 2025 — Scientists have discovered that flossing between your teeth could one day help vaccinate you. By targeting a uniquely permeable gum tissue called the junctional epithelium, this new method stimulates immunity right where many infections enter: the ...

This Sugar Molecule Could Stop Type 1 Diabetes, by Fooling the Immune System

Aug. 2, 2025 — In a fascinating twist, Mayo Clinic researchers discovered that a sugar molecule cancer cells use to hide from the immune system might also protect insulin-producing beta cells in type 1 diabetes. By ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:13am EDT

Nature’s Anti-Aging Hack? Jewel Wasp Larvae Slow Their Biological Clock

Aug. 7, 2025 — Scientists discovered that jewel wasp larvae that undergo a developmental "pause" live longer and age more slowly at the molecular level by nearly 30%. This slowdown is tied to conserved biological ...

Scientists Found the Gene That Makes Aussie Skinks Immune to Deadly Snake Venom

Aug. 6, 2025 — Australian skinks have developed a remarkable genetic defense against venomous snake bites by mutating a key muscle receptor, making them resistant ...

Hidden Gene in Leukemia Virus Could Revolutionize HIV Treatment

Aug. 2, 2025 — Scientists in Japan have discovered a genetic "silencer" within the HTLV-1 virus that helps it stay hidden in the body, evading the immune system for decades. This silencer element essentially turns ...

Did Drunk Apes Help Us Evolve? New Clues Reveal Why We Digest Alcohol So Well

Aug. 1, 2025 — Ape behavior just got a name upgrade — “scrumping” — and it might help explain why humans can handle alcohol so well. Researchers discovered ...

Unwanted Pregnancies Surge With Alcohol, but Not With Cannabis, Study Finds

Aug. 1, 2025 — Women who drank heavily, even though they strongly wished to avoid pregnancy, were 50% more likely to become pregnant than those who drank little or not at all, according to new research. ...

4,000-Year-Old Teeth Reveal the Earliest Human High — Hidden in Plaque

Aug. 1, 2025 — Scientists have discovered the oldest direct evidence of betel nut chewing in Southeast Asia by analyzing 4,000-year-old dental plaque from a burial in Thailand. This breakthrough method reveals ...

Pain Relief Without Pills? VR Nature Scenes Trigger the Brain’s Healing Switch

July 31, 2025 — Stepping into a virtual forest or waterfall scene through VR could be the future of pain management. A new study shows that immersive virtual nature ...

Why Cold Feels Good: Scientists Uncover the Chill Pathway

July 30, 2025 — A newly mapped neural circuit shows how our skin senses cool temperatures and sends that info to the brain, revealing an unexpected amplifier in the spinal cord and offering insight into cold-related ...

The Pandemic’s Secret Aftershock: Inside the Gut-Brain Breakdown

July 30, 2025 — A new global study reveals a striking post-pandemic surge in gut-brain disorders like IBS and functional dyspepsia. Researchers compared data from 2017 and 2023 and discovered sharp increases IBS up ...

Columbia Scientists Turn Yogurt Into a Healing Gel That Mimics Human Tissue

July 29, 2025 — Scientists at Columbia Engineering have developed an injectable hydrogel made from yogurt-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) that could revolutionize regenerative medicine. These EVs serve both as ...

Walk Faster, Live Longer: How Just 15 Minutes a Day Can Boost Lifespan

July 29, 2025 — Fast walking, even just 15 minutes a day, can dramatically reduce the risk of death, especially from heart disease, according to a large study involving nearly 80,000 low-income and predominantly ...

This Gut Hormone Could Explain 40% of IBS-D Cases—and Lead to a Cure

July 29, 2025 — A mysterious gut hormone may be behind many cases of chronic diarrhea, especially in people with undiagnosed bile acid malabsorption, a condition often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. ...

Scientists Just Invented a Safer Non-Stick Coating—and It’s Inspired by Arrows

July 27, 2025 — Scientists at the University of Toronto have developed a new non-stick material that rivals the performance of traditional PFAS-based coatings while using only minimal amounts of these controversial ...

Millipedes Make Ants Dizzy — and Might Soon Treat Human Pain

July 25, 2025 — Millipedes, often dismissed as creepy crawlies, may hold the secret to future painkillers and neurological drugs. Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered unique alkaloid compounds in the defensive ...

The Plant Virus That Trains Your Immune System to Kill Cancer

July 25, 2025 — A virus from humble black-eyed peas is showing extraordinary promise in the fight against cancer. Unlike other plant viruses, the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) can awaken the human immune system and ...

Cancer Cells Go Up in Flames—thanks to This Deep-Sea Sugar

July 23, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a sugar compound from deep-sea bacteria that can destroy cancer cells in a dramatic way. This natural substance, produced by microbes living in the ocean, causes cancer ...

Even Without Catching COVID, the Pandemic May Have Quietly Aged Your Brain

July 24, 2025 — Even people who never caught Covid-19 may have aged mentally faster during the pandemic, according to new brain scan research. This large UK study shows how the stress, isolation, and upheaval of ...

A Deadly Virus No One Talks About — and the HIV Drugs That Might Stop It

July 24, 2025 — HIV antivirals may be the key to stopping HTLV-1, a deadly virus with no cure. In a decade-long study, researchers successfully suppressed the virus in mice and discovered a way to kill infected ...

This Sugar Substitute Does More Than Sweeten — It Kills Cancer Cells

July 25, 2025 — Fermenting stevia with a banana leaf-derived probiotic turns it into a powerful cancer-fighting agent that kills pancreatic cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. The secret lies in a metabolite ...

CRISPR Uncovers Gene That Supercharges Vitamin D—and Stops Tumors in Their Tracks

July 18, 2025 — A gene called SDR42E1 has been identified as a key player in how our bodies absorb and process vitamin D. Researchers found that disabling this gene in colorectal cancer cells not only crippled their ...

Eggs Are Off the Hook—study Reveals Bacon’s the Real Heart Risk

July 27, 2025 — Eggs are finally being vindicated after decades of cholesterol-related blame. New research from the University of South Australia reveals that eggs, despite their cholesterol content, aren't the ...

Walk Faster, Age Slower: The 14-Step Boost That Builds Strength

July 28, 2025 — Walking just a bit faster could be the key to aging well. Researchers found that older adults who upped their walking pace by just 14 steps per minute significantly improved their physical ...

Three-Person DNA IVF Stops Inherited Disease—eight Healthy Babies Born in UK First

July 18, 2025 — In a groundbreaking UK first, eight healthy babies have been born using an IVF technique that includes DNA from three people—two parents and a female donor. The process, known as pronuclear ...

Science Tested 64 Natural Remedies for Depression—only a Few Actually Work

July 28, 2025 — Over-the-counter (OTC) products like St John’s Wort and omega-3s have long been touted for helping with depression, but new research reveals that 64 different OTC products have been tested in ...

Cognitive Collapse and the Nuclear Codes: When Leaders Lose Control

July 17, 2025 — A shocking study reveals that many leaders of nuclear-armed nations—including US presidents and Israeli prime ministers—were afflicted by serious health problems while in office, sometimes with ...

Tai Chi, Yoga, and Jogging Rival Pills for Beating Insomnia

July 17, 2025 — Yoga, Tai Chi, walking, and jogging may be some of the best natural remedies for improving sleep and tackling insomnia, according to a large analysis comparing various treatments. While cognitive ...

1,000-Year-Old Health Hacks Are Trending—and Backed by Science

July 16, 2025 — Medieval medicine is undergoing a reputation makeover. New research reveals that far from being stuck in superstition, early Europeans actively explored healing practices based on nature, ...

New Study Cracks the “tissue Code” — Just Five Rules Shape Organs

July 16, 2025 — Scientists have uncovered a surprisingly simple “tissue code”: five rules that choreograph when, where, and how cells divide, move, and die, allowing organs like the colon to remain flawlessly ...

Scientists Just Resurrected the 1918 “Spanish Flu” Virus—here’s What They Found

July 24, 2025 — Scientists in Switzerland have cracked open a century-old viral mystery by decoding the genome of the 1918 influenza virus from a preserved Zurich patient. This ancient RNA revealed that the virus ...

July 19, 2025 — Erythritol, a widely used sugar substitute found in many low-carb and sugar-free products, may not be as harmless as once believed. New research from the University of Colorado Boulder reveals that ...