Brain Function

Gut-Brain Connection: The Key to Better Mental and Physical Health

August 22, 2024By Kenneth Mittelstadt There’s a reason why we use phrases like “trust your gut” and “I had a gut feeling.” These expressions hint at a deeper, intuitive connection between your gut and brain that science is just beginning to unravel. Recent research has sparked widespread interest in what we’re calling “the gut-brain axis,”
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12 ways to keep your brain young

Every brain changes with age, and mental function changes along with it. Mental decline is common, and it’s one of the most feared consequences of aging. But cognitive impairment is not inevitable. Here are 12 ways you can help maintain brain function. 1. Get mental stimulation Through research with mice and humans, scientists have found
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10 Ways You’re Exposed to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals — And How to Avoid Them

There may be no safe level of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which interfere with development, reproduction, neurological functioning, metabolism, satiety, immune system function — and much more. By  Dr. Joseph Mercola Miss a day, miss a lot. Subscribe to The Defender’s Top News of the Day. It’s free. Story at-a-glance: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are similar in structure
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7 Incredible Benefits of Lifting Weights That Have Nothing to Do With Building Muscle

Boost your mood, reduce back pain, and much more! By Tiffany Ayuda Mike HarringtonGetty Images We hate to sound like a broken record, but it really is crucial to incorporate lifting weights into your workout regimen. In fact, when it comes to exercise for older adults, strength training actually trumps cardio because preserving muscle is
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Self-Control Is Just Empathy With Your Future Self

The same part of the brain that allows us to step into the shoes of others also helps us restrain ourselves. Ed Yong Advertisement Photo by Archi Trujillo / Getty You’ve likely seen the video before: a stream of kids, confronted with a single, alluring marshmallow. If they can resist eating it for 15 minutes,
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How Bacteria Are Changing Your Mood

With a growing body of research, microbial medicine is entering the mental health conversation. Advertisement Illustrations by Katie Horwich. If anything makes us human it’s our minds, thoughts and emotions. And yet a controversial new concept is emerging that claims gut bacteria are an invisible hand altering our brains. Science is piecing together how the
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Psychological Reactance: Why We Sabotage Our Own Goals

Nir Eyal How one of the most underrated, underappreciated concepts in psychology is holding you back. When researchers make a joke in the title of an academic paper, you know what’s inside is going to be good. Here’s the title I’m referencing: “A 50-year review of psychological reactance theory: Do not read this article.” How
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