Relationships are often described as the merging of two lives - emotionally, physically, and practically. We accept the idea that couples influence each other’s habits, moods, and routines. But what if those changes extend far beyond conscious behaviors?



What if even depression could shift between partners - not just through shared struggles, but through the very bacteria in your body beginning to mirror those of your spouse?



A new study led by Iranian researcher Reza Rastmanesh presents a surprising theory: depression and anxiety might be contagious among couples - not just through shared <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-adult-depression-linked-to-worse-memory-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional experiences</a>, but through oral bacteria.



After six months of marriage, healthy spouses living with a partner suffering from both depression and insomnia began to show measurable changes in their mood, sleep, and microbiota.



“Oral microbiota transmission between individuals in close contact partially mediates symptoms of depression and anxiety,” noted the authors of the study. 



This research, while preliminary, opens a new frontier in how we understand emotional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-related-brain-inflammation-linked-to-depression/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">well-being</a> within intimate relationships.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marriage-might-shift-mental-health">Marriage might shift mental health</h2>



The researchers focused on couples married for under a year, recruited from two private sleep clinics in Tehran. They selected 268 couples in which one spouse exhibited the “depression-anxiety phenotype” - defined by moderate depression, moderate anxiety, and significant sleep issues.



Each of these individuals lived with a partner who was initially healthy, free from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-with-problematic-smartphone-use-suffer-from-depression/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional</a> and sleep disturbances.



The study measured mental health using validated Persian versions of standard questionnaires: the <a href="https://naviauxlab.ucsd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BDI21.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beck Depression Inventory-II</a>, <a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpmykpsih/image/upload/great-plains-health-site-358/media/1087/anxiety.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beck Anxiety Inventory</a>, and <a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/cbti/assets/user-content/documents/Pittsburgh%20Sleep%20Quality%20Index%20(PSQI).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index</a>. The researchers collected saliva to assess cortisol - a stress hormone - and mouth swabs to analyze bacterial composition.



Six months later, the healthy spouses had changed. Their depression, anxiety, and sleep scores increased, and their oral bacteria began to resemble those of their affected partner. Even more revealing, women appeared to be more vulnerable to these shifts than men.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-couples-may-pass-on-depression">Couples may pass on depression</h2>



Mouth-to-mouth bacterial transfer sounds unusual, but it is a daily part of close contact. Whether through kissing, sharing food, or simply breathing the same air, couples swap millions of microbes. 



In most cases, this poses no risk. But the Iranian study suggests that these exchanges may influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-americans-have-lost-years-of-time-to-poor-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a>.



The microbiota of a healthy spouse started to show elevated levels of bacterial groups previously linked to mental illness. 



These included Clostridia, Veillonella, Bacillus, and Lachnospiraceae. The researchers used advanced DNA sequencing and linear discriminant analysis to track these shifts.



The findings suggested a microbial convergence. The oral ecosystems of the healthy partners grew more similar to those of their depressed and anxious spouses. Over time, emotional and biological states seemed to synchronize as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cortisol-rises-with-partner-s-depression">Cortisol rises with partner’s depression</h2>



The team measured cortisol, a hormone known to spike under stress. Cortisol can indicate how the body reacts to emotional burdens. 



At the start of the study, healthy partners had low levels. But after living with a troubled spouse, their cortisol levels rose dramatically.



Female spouses saw particularly steep increases. In one part of the analysis, women’s cortisol nearly doubled. These hormonal changes paralleled shifts in depression and anxiety scores, reinforcing the theory that stress responses are shared on a physiological level in close relationships.



This adds weight to the idea that psychological synchrony in couples may not just be behavioral - it might also have microbial and hormonal dimensions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-certain-bacteria-might-worsen-sleep">Certain bacteria might worsen sleep</h2>



The oral microbiome is more than just an ecosystem of bacteria. It communicates with the brain through what scientists call the oral microbiota-brain axis. 



Changes in this microbial network may influence neurological pathways, potentially altering mood and cognitive states.



Insomnia severity in this study correlated with the presence of certain bacterial groups. Higher levels of Fusobacteria and Spirochaetota, for example, tracked closely with disrupted sleep. Healthy spouses began to show increased levels of these microbes after six months.



One especially interesting find was that a bacterium called Dialister - belonging to the Firmicutes family - was more abundant in women than men. 



This suggests that women may absorb and reflect microbial changes more intensely than their male counterparts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-couples-might-share-depression">Couples might share depression </h2>



Scientists have long known that couples synchronize in fascinating ways. They may mirror each other’s heart rates, align their sleep cycles, or even exhibit similar cortisol rhythms. 



This new research suggests that oral bacteria may form another point of connection, influencing depression among couples.



The study discusses “social closeness” as a factor in microbial exchange. This refers not just to physical proximity but emotional bonds that enable deeper contact. 



The closer the relationship, the more likely it becomes for microbial and emotional states to influence one another.



This may explain why couples often seem to echo each other’s mental states over time. Depression and anxiety could ripple through households, not just via conversations and behaviors, but via silent bacterial messengers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mood-and-bacteria-in-newlyweds">Mood and bacteria in newlyweds</h2>



This research was conducted with care. The team excluded any participants taking antibiotics, pregnant women, or couples that had separated during the study period. 



Oral samples were collected from the palatine tonsils and throat. The DNA was extracted and sequenced using industry-standard protocols.



Participants provided samples at the start and again six months later. Cortisol was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. 



Statistical analyses included logistic regression, correlation testing, and microbial diversity evaluation. All procedures followed ethical guidelines set by the Iran National Science Foundation.



Despite these strengths, the researchers acknowledge limitations. They only collected morning saliva, didn’t account for shared dietary changes, and relied on self-reported mental health scores. Still, the trends they uncovered were consistent and compelling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-all-of-this-mean">What does all of this mean?</h2>



One implication is clear: emotional health within a couple may be more interconnected than we realized. Traditionally, doctors treat individuals. 



But this study raises the possibility that treating both partners may be more effective when mental health symptoms appear in one.



The study references animal research that supports this view. Transferring gut bacteria from depressed mice into healthy ones produced depressive behaviors. Similarly, probiotics have improved sleep and mood in mice exposed to stress. 



The findings suggest that microbial environments might trigger emotional shifts, at least under certain conditions.



“Fecal microbiota-induced insomnia and depression-like behaviors in mice can be alleviated by microbiota-modulating probiotics,” wrote the researchers.



If this effect translates to humans, we may need to rethink mental health therapy - not just for individuals, but for families.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-holistic-medicine">Future of holistic medicine</h2>



This study hints at larger networks. The oral microbiome is linked to both the gut and ocular microbiomes. 



People suffering from dry eye syndrome, for example, often have depression or anxiety. These conditions may share more than emotional roots - they may share microbial ones.



Such overlaps suggest that personalized medicine could one day include microbiome mapping. Couples might receive probiotic therapies together or undergo screenings that look at bacterial harmony in addition to emotional wellness.



This idea aligns with the goals of predictive and personalized care. If bacterial shifts can predict emotional changes, then we might have a new tool for early diagnosis and intervention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-love-health-and-invisible-influence">Love, health, and invisible influence</h2>



Relationships, as it turns out, are not just a merging of hearts. They're also a merging of ecosystems. When one partner carries the emotional burden of depression or anxiety, the other may feel it not just psychologically, but biologically.



This research does not suggest people should avoid relationships with depressed partners. Instead, it encourages a more compassionate and scientifically informed view of mental health. 



If bacterial imbalances contribute to emotional distress, then treating those imbalances could offer hope.



Future studies will need to confirm whether these effects are causal. But if they are, they could shift how we define and support emotional health - not only in individuals, but in the shared space between them.



In the end, couples may influence each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand - and some of those influences might be microscopic.



The study is published in the journal in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2472-0712/ERHM-2025-00013" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine</a>.



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These common mental disorders seem to be contagious, transmitted by kissing

Relationships are often described as the merging of two lives - emotionally, physically, and practically. We accept the idea that couples influence each other’s habits, moods, and routines. But what if those changes extend far beyond conscious behaviors? What if even depression could shift between partners - not just through shared struggles, but through the very bacteria in your body beginning to mirror those of your spouse? A new study led by Iranian researcher Reza Rastmanesh presents a surprising theory: depression and anxiety might be contagious among...

A new study has revealed that people who are carrying a genetic mutation that causes <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-increase-alzheimers-risk/">Alzheimer's disease</a> could greatly benefit from exercise. Among these individuals, a minimum of 2.5 hours of physical activity per week was found to positively influence the markers of Alzheimer's disease brain changes and to delay cognitive decline. 

According to the study authors, the results “show a significant relationship between physical activity, cognition, functional status and Alzheimer's disease pathology even in individuals with genetically-driven ADAD.”

“The officially recommended physical activity duration of 150 minutes per week was associated with significantly better cognition and less Alzheimer's disease pathology in ADAD. From a public health perspective, this amount of physical activity was achieved by 70% of all ADAD individuals participating at the DIAN study. Therefore, a physically active lifestyle is achievable and may play an important role in delaying the development and progression of ADAD.”

A research team led by Dr. Christoph Laske at the <a href="https://www.medizin.uni-tuebingen.de/en/Homepage.html">University Hospital of Tübingen</a> reviewed data from 275 adults who carry a genetic mutation for ADAD. The individuals are participating in the <a href="https://dian.wustl.edu/">Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network</a> (DIAN), an international study led by researchers at <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a> in St. Louis.

For the current study, the experts set out to investigate if at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week would produce cognitive benefits. Among the study participants, 156 were classified as high physical activity - logging more than 150 minutes of physical activity per week - while 68 were classified as low physical activity individuals. 

The study revealed that individuals who engaged in more physical activity scored higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB), which are standard measures of cognition and function. 

Furthermore, the participants who exercised more had lower levels of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid. This included lower tau, a protein that builds up in the brains of people living with Alzheimer's disease. 


‘A physically active lifestyle is achievable and may play an important role in delaying the development and progression of ADAD. Individuals at genetic risk for dementia should therefore be counselled to pursue a physically active lifestyle,” wrote the study authors.

Dr. Maria C. Carrillo is the Chief Science Officer for the <a href="https://www.alz.org/">Alzheimer's Association</a>.

“The results of this study are encouraging, and not only for individuals with rare genetically-caused Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Carrillo. “If further research confirms this relationship between physical activity and later onset of dementia symptoms in ADAD, then we need to expand the scope of this work to see if it also is true in the millions of people with more common, late onset Alzheimer's.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.alzheimersanddementia.com/">Alzheimer's &amp; Dementia</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exercise has significant benefits for people with Alzheimer’s

A new study has revealed that people who are carrying...

In 2008 and 2018, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) used scientific research on the health benefits of exercise to establish the <a href="https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf">Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans</a>. The latest recommendations by the ODPHP report that, in order to reap the most substantial health benefits, adults should be doing at least 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise each week. 

Many of the major health advantages associated with exercise are highlighted in the guidelines, including those related to brain health, sleep, heart health, and overall well-being. Despite these implications, however, researchers at the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> have found that many Americans are not changing their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sedentary-behavior-cardiovascular-trouble/">sedentary ways</a>.

"We were curious about whether the guidelines released in 2008 led to an increase in physical activity over time,” study lead author Dr. Wei Bao told <a href="https://time.com/">Time</a>.

Based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, the researchers analyzed the health, nutrition,  and exercise status of more than 27,000 adults. The study revealed that the rate of exercise among Americans did not change much from 2007 to 2016. 

In the 2007 survey, 63 percent of the respondents met the amount of physical activity recommended by the ODPHP, yet this number had only risen to 65 percent by 2016. Meanwhile, sedentary behavior was also on the rise, increasing from an average of 5.7 hours per day in 2007 to an average of 6.4 hours in 2016.

A growing collection of studies has shown that, regardless of physical activity, sedentary behavior can be a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

"We hoped the guidelines (in 2008) would be something that gave people a new message about recognizing the importance of being more physically active," Dr. Bao told Time. “But it turned out that there wasn’t much change. And we found a clear increase in the sitting time. This means we need to be more aggressive in finding ways to provide people opportunities to sit less.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images

Sedentary behavior poses major health risks for Americans

In 2008 and 2018, the Office of Disease Prevention and...

Both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-treat-anxiety/">meditation</a> and focused breathing practice have been long-claimed to increase one’s ability to focus more clearly on tasks. Breath-focused meditation and yogic breathing practices are known to have a number of cognitive benefits, ranging from increased focus and positive emotions to decreased emotional reactivity and improved arousal levels. Despite this, no direct neurophysiological link has been found between respiration and cognition… until now. 

New research has shown for the first time that meditation and breathing exercises directly affect the levels of a natural chemical messenger in the brain called noradrenaline. 

Noradrenaline is released when we are focused, challenged, curious, exercised, or emotionally aroused — although hopefully not all at the same time. If produced at the right levels, it can help the brain develop new connections. This means that the way we breathe has a direct effect on our brain chemistry, and can enhance our attention as well as improve our brain health.

The research was done by scientists at <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/Neuroscience/">Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience</a> and the <a href="http://www.gbhi.org/">Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity</a>. They looked to measure study participants’ breathing, reaction time, and brain activity in an area of the brain stem called the locus coeruleus – where noradrenaline is made. The researchers discovered that participants who focused well while doing a task that necessitated a lot of focus had greater synchronization between their breathing patterns and their attention, compared to those who focused poorly.

“This study has shown that as you breathe in locus coeruleus activity is increasing slightly, and as you breathe out it decreases,” explains Michael Melnychuk, a PhD candidate at the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, and lead author of the study. “Put simply this means that our attention is influenced by our breath and that it rises and falls with the cycle of respiration. It is possible that by focusing on and regulating your breathing you can optimize your attention level and likewise, by focusing on your attention level, your breathing becomes more synchronized.”

The findings, published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14698986">Psychophysiology</a>, give a deeper look into the neurophysiological mechanisms that are behind ancient meditation practices. Additional research may help with the development of non-pharmacological therapies for people with attention compromised conditions like ADHD and traumatic brain injury.

“Our findings could have particular implications for research into brain ageing. Brains typically lose mass as they age, but less so in the brains of long term meditators,” says Ian Robertson, Co-Director of the <a href="http://www.gbhi.org/">Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity</a> and Principal Investigator of the study. “More ‘youthful’ brains have a reduced risk of dementia and mindfulness meditation techniques actually strengthen brain networks. Our research offers one possible reason for this - using our breath to control one of the brain's natural chemical messengers, noradrenaline, which in the right ‘dose’ helps the brain grow new connections between cells. This study provides one more reason for everyone to boost the health of their brain using a whole range of activities ranging from aerobic exercise to mindfulness meditation.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Meditation, breathing exercises noticeably improve brain health

Both meditation and focused breathing practice have been long-claimed to...

A new study has found that the way people experience happiness can actually depend on their age.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania </a>discovered that young people tend to link happiness with excitement and people in older age groups are happiest when they feel content. 

“The research does not determine a relationship between age and levels of happiness,” Cassie Mogilner, who led the research, told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2022133/Are-feeling-young-happy-old-happy-Generations-feel-pleasure-different-ways.html">Daily Mail</a>. “However, it does identify a relationship between age and the meaning of happiness. When a 20-year-old and a 60-year-old express feeling ‘happy,’ they are likely feeling quite different things.”

Mogilner conducted five studies examining the motivations and priorities of different age groups from teens to people in their 50s. 

The results, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, show two different types of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/good-friends-key-happiness/">happiness</a>. 

For one of the study, Mogilner along with a team of researchers analyzed millions of blog posts by writers of various ages using a computer program to identify the words in the blogs that were related to happiness and other emotions. 

In another study, participants were asked to listen to a calm or energetic song and the researchers recorded emotional responses in a survey. 

A third experiment involved asking participants from different age groups how they would spend money received as a gift.

The researchers found through the different studies that for young people excitement is a key driver of happiness. For people in older age groups, excitement was replaced with contentment.

One explanation is that younger people are more geared to look towards the future but older people are firmly set in the present. 

 “We are talking about two distinct types of happiness, one associated with peacefulness and one associated with being excited,” Mogilner told the Daily Mail. “Whereas younger people are more likely to associate happiness with excitement, as they get older, they become more likely to associate happiness with peacefulness.”

The research shows that our definition of happiness, our values, and priorities all change as we age. The findings are important to consider for people who find themselves experiencing joy differently and potentially confusing this with unhappiness. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How we experience happiness changes with age

A new study has found that the way people experience...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/Congress-Home">European Society of Cardiology</a> has revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/yoga-pain-depression-arthritis/">yoga</a> can significantly lower the risk of death among patients recovering from a heart attack. Stretching and breathing exercises were found to boost circulation and strengthen the heart.

The study was focused on 2,470 patients who had suffered the most serious type of heart attack, where one of the major arteries is blocked. The individuals were receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at three different centers in India. The patients were randomly assigned to either post-procedure yoga and pranayam or no further intervention. 

The research was led by Professor Naresh Sen from Hridaya Ganesha Sunil Memorial Super Speciality Hospital in Jaipur.

"Patients in the yoga arm undertook three months of a new daily one-hour program specifically designed for cardiac patients, incorporating yoga and meditation in the morning and a pattern of breathing exercises, comprising slow- and fast-breathing elements, in the evening,” explained Professor Sen.

The researchers found that patients who engaged in a daily hour of breathing exercises and gentle stretching were less likely to die over the next five years. According to tests, the hearts of these participants were more efficiently pumping blood throughout the body.

"Potential explanations for the beneficial effects of yoga and breathing may include reductions in the pressure in the pulmonary and coronary circulation, reduced remodelling of the left ventricle, improved oxygen tension of the blood and also reduced endothelial damage of coronary vessels with decreased release of inflammatory mediators, such as interleukins and C-reactive protein," noted Professor Sen.

"Practicing yoga can help to control risk factors, such as high blood pressure, which increase our risk of heart and circulatory diseases," said Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation. "There's also a lot of evidence that yoga can help to relieve stress and improve mental health, giving us less of a reason to make unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking."

"It's not much of a stretch to see why this might improve survival if you've suffered a heart attack. Whatever way you choose to do it, taking regular time to exercise and reduce stress is good for your heart."

The research was presented at the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/Congresses-&amp;-Events/ESC-Congress">European Society of Cardiology Congress</a> in Paris.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/4 PM production

Yoga and breathing exercises could save your life after a major heart attack

A new study from the European Society of Cardiology has...

When it comes to protecting children from a house fire, a standard fire alarm may not be enough. A new study has found that only 28% of children were woken by a standard alarm; the rest slept soundly.

The study, by researchers at the <a href="https://www.dundee.ac.uk/">University of Dundee</a> and the <a href="https://www.derbys-fire.gov.uk/">Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service</a>, has watchdogs warning that parents shouldn’t rely on their fire alarm in an emergency situation.

“Our research has shown that current smoke alarms are not very good at waking up children,” lead author Dr. Niamh Nic Daeid told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “We would ask manufacturers of existing smoke alarms to alter their packaging so that they reflect the outcomes of our work.”

The researchers worked with more than 640 children to determine whether a standard fire alarm will actually wake them up. They found that the majority slept through the alarm, or woke only briefly before falling back to sleep.

The <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcone">BBC One</a> television show “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74">Watchdog</a>” repeated the experiment with eight children under the age of 10. Nine of the children didn’t wake at all. The tenth woke up briefly, but retrieved a teddy bear and then went back to sleep. The segment was supervised by David Coss, a fire investigator from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue who worked on the study.

The good news? The team of researchers found that a fire alarm that uses a lower frequency, different tone, and recorded voice was effective in waking children 75% of the time.

“We have now identified an alarm sound which is much more effective at waking children and our next aim is to develop innovative devices which will link to existing smoke alarms to improve fire safety for children,” Nic Daeid said.

Daeid and the parents from the BBC One segment are now calling for fire alarm makers to warn buyers of the risk and consider changing their products.

“Smoke alarms are vital life-saving tools but manufacturers, fire services, local authorities, regulatory bodies and others with responsibility for fire safety must assert the message that they do not always wake young children and, as such, people must be advised to wake their children if their fire alarm sounds,” he told the Mail.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Study: most children would sleep through a fire alarm

When it comes to protecting children from a house fire,...

A new study funded by the <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/">National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute</a> (NHLBI) has revealed that a sporadic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-deprivation-reckless-sexual-behavior/">sleep schedule</a> can lead to a higher risk of obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, high blood sugar, and other metabolic disorders. For every hour of variability in bedtime and in the amount of sleep, an individual was found to have a greater risk of metabolic problems by up to 27 percent.

Study co-author Tianyi Huang is an epidemiologist in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"Many previous studies have shown the link between insufficient sleep and higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders," said Huang. "But we didn't know much about the impact of irregular sleep, high day-to-day variability in sleep duration and timing. Our research shows that, even after considering the amount of sleep a person gets and other lifestyle factors, every one-hour night-to-night difference in the time to bed or the duration of a night's sleep multiplies the adverse metabolic effect."

The study was focused on 2,003 men and women between the ages of 45 and 84 who were participating in the NHLBI-funded Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). 

The participants were analyzed for an average of six years to identity the potential connection between irregular sleep patterns and metabolic abnormalities. The individuals wore sleep trackers for seven consecutive days, kept a sleep journal, and reported on sleep habits and other lifestyle and health factors between 2010 and 2013. 

The study revealed that greater variations in bedtimes and in the number of hours slept were linked to a higher prevalence of metabolic problems. According to the researchers, this provides evidence to support a causal link between irregular sleep and metabolic dysfunction.

The participants whose sleep duration varied more than one hour were more likely to work non-day shift schedules, smoke, and have shorter sleep duration. These individuals also had higher depressive symptoms, total caloric intake, and symptoms of sleep apnea.

Irregular sleep was strongly associated with multiple metabolic problems, including higher waist circumference, blood pressure, total triglycerides, and fasting glucose.

"Our results suggest that maintaining a regular sleep schedule has beneficial metabolic effects," said study co-author Dr. Susan Redline. "This message may enrich current prevention strategies for metabolic disease that primarily focus on promoting sufficient sleep and other healthy lifestyles."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://care.diabetesjournals.org/">Diabetes Care</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: NHLBI

Irregular sleep patterns linked to higher risk of metabolic disorders

A new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and...

Keto diet may help prevent migraines. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet that is high in proteins and fats. In the absence of the blood sugar that is produced by carbohydrates, the keto diet triggers the body to convert some of its stored fat to highly efficient energy molecules called ketones.

For decades, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/keto-diet-anti-cancer/">keto diet</a> has been used to treat epilepsy in children who do not respond to treatment. Cutting carbs is also associated with a number of health benefits including lower blood pressure, reduced abdominal fat, and improved heart health. 

Studies dating all the way back to the 1920s have found evidence to suggest that a ketogenic diet may help to prevent migraines, yet it was unclear whether this effect was tied to the reduction of carbs or simply to the weight loss. 

To investigate, a team led by Cherubino Di Lorenzo of the <a href="https://www.dongnocchi.it/">Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation</a> compared the results of a keto diet with another low-calorie diet that was high in carbs.

The study was focused on 35 overweight adults with frequent migraines, who spent four weeks on each diet in a randomly assigned order. Meals such as smoothies and soups were prepared for both the keto and non-keto diets that had the same amount of fat and calories but different ratios of protein and carbohydrates.

Overall, the participants lost about the same amount of weight on the diets. However, the keto diet was found to be much more effective in preventing migraines. On the keto diet, nearly 75 percent of participants had migraine days that were reduced by at least half, while only 9 percent of the individuals experienced this level of improvement on the diet that was high in carbs.

To put this into perspective, the best migraine prevention drugs available - CGRP monoclonal antibodies - have been proven to reduce migraine days by at least half for up to 48 percent of users.

According to Di Lorenzo, the keto diet may help prevent migraines because the brain is using ketones instead of glucose for fuel. He explained that in animal studies, ketone bodies were found to reduce brain inflammation and stop the spread of the electrical waves that are thought to cause migraine pain.

Christina Sun-Edelstein at the University of Melbourne said that further research is needed before the ketogenic diet can be recommended for migraine prevention. 

“There are many migraine treatments that seem to work well initially but then are ultimately disappointing," Sun-Edelstein told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. "If it is shown to be effective and safe in larger studies, I think it’s something that many people would be willing to try."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients">Nutrients</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/AlexeiLogvinovich

Keto diet may help prevent migraines

Keto diet may help prevent migraines. The ketogenic diet is...

A team of researchers presented various styles of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pottery-developed-fishing/">ceramics</a> to 113 individuals and analyzed their visual response. The ceramics represented different societies over thousands of years from 4.000 B.C. to the change of era. 

The study revealed that the same evolutionary trends that had driven the emergence of the societies associated with the ceramics could be observed in the visual behavior of the participants.

Study co-author Felipe Criado-Boado is a researcher at at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_National_Research_Council">Spanish National Research Council</a> (CSIC).

“We hypothesized that culture and social life influence cognition in a highly stereotyped fashion. Eye movements are the most objective proof of a parallel evolution between the cognitive process, material development and changes in social complexity,” said Criado-Boado.

The research is part of a new scientific field that combines neuroscience with human palaeontology, archaeology, and other social and human sciences called neuroarchaeology.

[caption id="attachment_1869325" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ceramic-changes.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869325" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ceramic-changes.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="185" /></a> The main ceramics analyzed in the experiments and heat map of the visual fixations in each one of them. Image Credit: CSIC[/caption]

“The visual prominence of each ceramic style produces a distinct visual response,” said Criado-Boado. “Prehistoric ceramics comprise an important part of the material world that surrounded the individuals of that time. This is why an analysis of this kind is not only feasible, but also provides very significant results.”

Luis M. Martínez is a researcher at the Institute of Neurosciences in Alicante. He explained that there are neural circuits in our brains which are like maps that represent our personal and peripersonal space. “These circuits determine the way in which we relate socially, and also with the world around us.” 

“With experiments of this kind, we are demonstrating that these representations are modified by the use and making of tools and other cultural artifacts; what we are discovering is that they are quickly incorporated into these neural maps, becoming part of our body schema as if they were an extension of it.”

“These experiments unequivocally demonstrate that there is a very close interaction between cultural changes and brain plasticity, which provides a new perspective on how the brain governs for the transmission of cultural values, beliefs and customs.”

The results of the study suggest that the human visual system internalizes objects as they are viewed, demonstrating that there is a perceptual engagement between individuals and the material structures in their environment. 

“This is why perception cannot be separated from form. Seen from this perspective, it could be proposed that the shape of objects (pottery, in this case) and the pattern of visual exploration they produce have changed over history, and are connected with behavior in the same way as they are with the social realm, including social complexity,” said Criado-Boado.

The findings also indicate that technology is an important factor in the mental aspects of human life. This offers new insight into the processes of innovation throughout history, aa well as the technological changes that are taking place today. 

“It is believed that by 2020 there will be 100 billion sensors around the world capturing information of all kinds and processing it digitally, all connected to each other and functioning like an enormous human mind. If this prediction is fulfilled, research in the field of cognitive processes and material culture throughout history may be useful for the future, since it can show how humans rely on images that symmetrically help them to shape a collective consciousness of the world.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main image credit: CSIC

Cultural changes are closely tied to cognitive changes

A team of researchers presented various styles of ceramics to...

Alternate-day fasting is a safe alternative to caloric restriction, study finds. Calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, and alternate-day fasting (ADF) have all been under recent scrutiny by researchers investigating the biological effects of fasting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/keto-diet-prevent-migraines/">diets</a>. 

But now, a new study from the <a href="https://www.uni-graz.at/en/">University of Graz</a> in Austria is the first of its kind to find numerous health benefits of strict ADF in healthy people. 

"Strict ADF is one of the most extreme diet interventions, and it has not been sufficiently investigated within randomized controlled trials," said Frank Madeo, a professor of the Graz <a href="https://molekularbiologie.uni-graz.at/en/">Institute of Molecular Biosciences</a>. "In this study, we aimed to explore a broad range of parameters, from physiological to molecular measures. If ADF and other dietary interventions differ in their physiological and molecular effects, complex studies are needed in humans that compare different diets."

Over the course of four weeks, 60 healthy participants of normal weight were divided up into either ADF or an ad libitum control group. Those in the latter could each at much as they wanted, whereas those in the ADF program alternated 36 hours of zero-calorie intake with 12 hours of unlimited eating. Those in this group also took part in glucose monitoring to ensure they did not take in calories during fast days.

The researchers also studied a group of 30 people who had already partook in strict ADF for more than six months prior to the study enrollment. These participants were compared to normal, healthy controls who had no fasting experience.Alternate-day fasting is a safe alternative to caloric restriction, study finds

"We found that on average, during the 12 hours when they could eat normally, the participants in the ADF group compensated for some of the calories lost from the fasting, but not all," said Harald Sourij, a professor at the <a href="https://www.medunigraz.at/en/">Medical University of Graz</a>. "Overall, they reached a mean calorie restriction of about 35% and lost an average of 3.5 kg [7.7 lb] during four weeks of ADF."

In the ADF group, the researchers found several biological effects from the fasting regimen. The ADF participants had fluctuating downregulation of amino acids, specifically the amino acid methionine, which has been shown to cause lifespan extension in rodents. 

Furthermore, these participants had continuous upregulation of ketone bodies, reduced levels of sICAM-1 (a marker linked to age-associated disease and inflammation), lower levels of triiodothyronine without impaired thyroid gland function (linked to longevity in humans), lowered levels of cholesterol, and reduction of belly fat.

[caption id="attachment_1877059" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ADF.png"><img class="wp-image-1877059" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ADF.png" alt="" width="650" height="640" /></a> Image Credit: Stekovic et al./Cell Metabolsim[/caption]

"Why exactly calorie restriction and fasting induce so many beneficial effects is not fully clear yet," said Thomas Pieber, head of endocrinology at the Medical University of Graz. "The elegant thing about strict ADF is that it doesn't require participants to count their meals and calories: they just don't eat anything for one day."

"The reason might be due to evolutionary biology," Madeo explained. "Our physiology is familiar with periods of starvation followed by food excesses. It might also be that continuous low-calorie intake hinders the induction of the age-protective autophagy program, which is switched on during fasting breaks."

Even though ADF shows health benefits, the researchers note that they do not recommend ADF as a general nutrition plan for everyone.

"We feel that it is a good regime for some months for obese people to cut weight, or it might even be a useful clinical intervention in diseases driven by inflammation," Madeo said. "However, further research is needed before it can be applied in daily practice. Additionally, we advise people not to fast if they have a viral infection, because the immune system probably requires immediate energy to fight viruses. Hence, it is important to consult a doctor before any harsh dietary regime is undertaken."

This study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(19)30429-2">Cell Metabolism</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Oleksandra Naumenko

Alternate-day fasting is a safe alternative to caloric restriction, study finds

Alternate-day fasting is a safe alternative to caloric restriction, study...

New research from scientists at the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a> has revealed a link between a plant compound found in red wine, called resveratrol, and anti-stress effects. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/red-wine-lung-cancer-prevention/">Resveratrol</a> can effectively block the expression of a stress-control enzyme in the brain, and therefore, the compound may be useful in future depression treatments.

This study is published in <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuropharmacology">Neuropharmacology</a>.

"Resveratrol may be an effective alternative to drugs for treating patients suffering from depression and anxiety disorders," said co-lead author Ying Xu, MD, PhD, a research associate professor in the <a href="http://pharmacy.buffalo.edu/">UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences</a>.

Resveratrol, found in the skins and seeds of grapes and other berries, was already known to have antidepressant effects, however its relationship to phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), an enzyme influenced by stress hormone corticosterone, which regulates the body’s response to stress, was unknown. 

When too much corticosterone is released, a person can develop depression and other mental disorders. However, as this study shows, resveratrol inhibits the expression of PDE4, and therefore provides neuroprotective effects against corticosterone. 

Although prescribing red wine for depression is certainly not the answer, the researchers hope that their discovery can help scientists develop depression treatments from a new angle.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Artemidovna

Resveratrol found in red wine offers new methods for treating depression

New research from scientists at the University of Buffalo has...

Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful. As <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/work-stress-sleep-hypertension/">Earth.com has reported</a>, stress can have a harmful impact on your health and wellbeing and has been linked to poor sleep and high blood pressure.

But according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/lisa-damour">Lisa Damour</a>, a psychologist and columnist for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>, not all stress is bad for you. Damour led a presentation about the potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/certain-stress-boost-longevity/">benefits of stress</a> and anxiety at the annual convention of the <a href="https://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>. 

Damour notes that some stress is helpful, and as we learn to manage stress, we become stronger and more resilient when future stressful situations arise. 

People may want to reframe how they think about stress, instead of seeing all stress and anxiety as bad and unhealthy. Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful

“It’s important for psychologists to share our knowledge about stress with broad audiences: that stress is a given in daily life, that working at the edge of our abilities often builds those capacities and that moderate levels of stress can have an inoculating function, which leads to higher than average resilience when we are faced with new difficulties,” said Damour. 

While research has shown that too much can be toxic, there are positive benefits that are often overlooked.  

Anxiety, for example, serves as an internal alarm and if it is viewed as something protective and helpful, people may be able to decipher these warnings and act accordingly.  

“As all psychologists know, anxiety is an internal alarm system, likely handed down by evolution, that alerts us to threats both external - such as a driver swerving in a nearby lane - and internal - such as when ’we’ve procrastinated too long and it’s time to get started on our work,” said Damour.

Damour counsels her clients to pay attention to those nervous, anxious feelings. A teen who suddenly feels anxious at a party may be feeling wary for a reason, so it’s important to listen to what your nerves are telling you. 

Having anxiety about a test because you haven’t studied is also normal, according to Darmour. 

“Similarly, if a client shares that ’she’s worried about an upcoming test for which she has yet to study, I am quick to reassure her that she is having the right reaction and that ’she’ll feel better as soon as she hits the books,” said Darmour. 

How do we decipher between what is healthy and unhealthy stress and anxiety? In other words, how do we learn not to be stressed about being stressed? 

Chronic or traumatic stress can be unhealthy, and too much stress may make it impossible for a person to cope or build up a tolerance. 

Anxiety can also be unhealthy when the alarm system overreacts to a threat or ‘goes off’ for no reason. 

When left untreated, stress and anxiety can be a serious detriment to health and well-being, which is why Damour is adamant about rethinking our relationship with stress. 

“Psychologists are good at taking a more measured approach to thinking about the human experience,” said Damour. “We want to support well-being, but ’don’t set the bar at being happy nearly all of the time. That is a dangerous idea because it is unnecessary and unachievable,” she said. “If you are under the impression that you should always be joyful, your day-to-day experience may ultimately turn out to be pretty miserable.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Aaron Amat

Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful

Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful. As Earth.com...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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