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Published on Leave a comment on Useless Female Organ Discovered To Have A Purpose
Ovary Credit: NIH

Well, well, well...it turns out that an organ in women long considered useless ("a vestigial structure") actually has a purpose.  A recent study found that the rete ovarii may have an important role in the function of the ovaries, and therefore fertility.

The rete ovarii has 3 regions and responds to hormonal signals. It is a horseshoe-shaped network of tubes nestled beneath the ovary.

The study used female mice, but the researchers think the results also apply to humans. Other species of  mammals (e.g., cows, sheep, dogs, cats, monkeys) also have a rete ovarii.

From Live Science: 'Useless' female organ discovered over a century ago may actually support ovaries, study finds

An unsung appendage in the female body, which has long been considered useless, may actually be essential for ovary development and fertility, a new mouse study finds. ...continue reading "Useless Female Organ Discovered To Have A Purpose"

Published on Leave a comment on Four Baby Foxes Doing Well
Credit: M Silgailis

This week I find myself looking to see if the 4 baby red foxes and their mother have made it through another day. This is day 3 after emerging from their den.

They now stay close to their den at all times. No sign of a father fox. Single parenthood is tough. (photos from first day)

Published on Leave a comment on Baby Foxes
Credit: M. Silgailis

 

 

Last weekend 4 baby red foxes emerged from their den for the first time. They were so exuberant, running all over the yard, and even up to my house. They had no fear that day.

 

 

Credit: M Silgailis
Credit: M. Silgailis

 

 

Baby foxes are also called kits or cubs. They are about 4 to 5 weeks old.

Published on Leave a comment on Hair Straighteners and Kidney Harm
Natural hair, not straightened Credit: Wikipedia

A number of hair styling products are actually harmful to health. This includes hair straighteners, which contain chemicals hazardous to both the hairdresser applying the products, as well as the woman that is using the product in her hair. These products are especially harmful if the woman using or applying the product is pregnant (it will go to the fetus) or breastfeeding (chemicals get into the mother's breastmilk).

A number of health risks are already known from chemicals (e.g., forever chemicals, formaldehyde) in such products, such as increased risks of certain cancers. But now there is an additional concern.

A  2024 study found that hair-straightening products containing glyoxylic acid was associated with a risk for acute kidney failure. This is because it resulted in the accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys. While the study was done on mice, the researchers thought this could explain cases of renal damage in young women. For example, one woman who became very ill with acute renal damage after each visit to a hair salon - where she had her hair straightened.

Similar cases have been noted elsewhere after women getting their hair straightened in hair salons. Black women are especially at risk because of their frequent use of such products. [Site with more information.]

According to the researchers, it is the glyoxylic acid that is problematic, but not glycolic acid.

Glyoxylic acid is found in some cosmetic products (such as shampoo, styling lotion, and straightening products) - generally as a replacement for formaldehyde (which is irritating and carcinogenic). However, glyoxylic acid is recommended to avoid contact with the scalp. (So why is it in the products!!??)

From Medscape: Hair-Straightening Products Entail Acute Kidney Failure Risk

The use of hair-straightening products containing glyoxylic acid is associated with a risk for acute kidney failure because of the accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys. The observation was made by a team of French researchers who tested the suspected straightening product on animals. The product is believed to be the cause of several episodes of renal damage in a young woman. ...continue reading "Hair Straighteners and Kidney Harm"

Published on Leave a comment on Exercise Is Beneficial For the Kidneys In Older Adults
MALE URINARY SYSTEM Credit: Wikipedia

Our kidneys are incredibly important for our health. Unfortunately, some conditions (e.g., diabetes) and just getting older results in a decline in kidney function. Let's face it - as we age, our organs age.

But there is some good news. A recent study found that moderate and high intensity exercise slows down the risk of rapid kidney function decline in older adults. Exercise actually helps preserve kidney function.

A large study randomly assigned older adults (aged 70 to 77 years) to one of three groups: 1) moderate intensity exercise (peak heart rate 70%) for 50 minutes twice a week, or 2) high intensity interval training (peak heart rate 90%) for four minutes 4 times per week (with first a 10 minute warm-up), or 3) a control group that just received education.

There was a dose response relationship over the 5 years - the more exercise, and the more vigorous exercise - the better kidney function was, and less of a decline from aging. Also, the more exercise, the better the oxygen uptake. There were no heart disease related events (cardiovascular events) during the supervised exercise sessions.

Bottom line: Exercise at all ages, including older adults in their 70s, is good for health, including the kidneys. Move, move, move!

From Medscape: High-Intensity Interval Training Reduces Risk for Kidney Function Decline in Seniors

Supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) over 5 years reduced the risk for rapid decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in community-dwelling adults aged 70-77 years. ...continue reading "Exercise Is Beneficial For the Kidneys In Older Adults"

Published on Leave a comment on Research Finds Lower Risk of Dementia After Receiving Shingles Vaccine

People are always looking for ways to lower their risk of dementia in their senior years. For a while now there has been research suggesting that older adults getting vaccines (e.g., annual flu shots) lower their risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A recent study found that the shingles vaccine (herpes zoster vaccine) has a similar protective effect.

Adults in their 70s who received the shingles vaccine had a lower incidence of dementia. They were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the next 7 years. And the differences in rate of dementia among those who received or didn't receive the vaccine started within 1 1/2 years of getting the vaccine.

The study also showed that the protection against dementia was stronger in women than in men - that is, the shingles vaccine benefited women more than men.

By the way, one could view lower incidence of dementia as a non-target effect. The target was shingles, but other protective health effects are non-target effects.

Excerpts from Science Daily: Study strengthens link between shingles vaccine and lower dementia risk

An unusual public health policy in Wales may have produced the strongest evidence yet that a vaccine can reduce the risk of dementia. In a new study led by Stanford Medicine, researchers analyzing the health records of Welsh older adults discovered that those who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years than those who did not receive the vaccine.

The remarkable findings, to be published April 2 in Nature, support an emerging theory that viruses that affect the nervous system can increase the risk of dementia. If further confirmed, the new findings suggest that a preventive intervention for dementia is already close at hand.

...continue reading "Research Finds Lower Risk of Dementia After Receiving Shingles Vaccine"

Published on Leave a comment on Europeans Live Longer Than Americans At Every Income Level

It's a sad fact, but Americans, even the richest ones, have a shorter life-span than their counterparts in Europe. A large study found that over a 10 year period, people with more wealth tend to live longer in both the EU and the USA, but when comparing different economic levels - at each economic level they live longer in the European Union.

The most shocking finding was that the wealthiest Americans have survival rates at the same level as the poorest Europeans in western parts of Europe, such as Germany, France and the Netherlands. Hmmm... Europeans don't have to worry about paying for medical care (universal health care), while Americans do.

From Medical Xpress: Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Comparing wealth and survival rates in the U.S. with those in Europe, researchers found that over a 10-year period, Americans across all wealth levels were more likely to die than their European counterparts.

The findings were detailed in a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine by a team led by researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health. ...continue reading "Europeans Live Longer Than Americans At Every Income Level"

Published on Leave a comment on Health Benefits From the Traditional African Diet
Tanzanian foods Credit: Wikimedia Commons

What you eat has a major effect on your health. Many studies found benefits to health from diets rich in plant-based foods, such as the Mediterranean diet. A recent study found multiple health benefits from a traditional African diet (rich in vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, fiber, and fermented foods) - even when eaten for as little as 2 weeks.

In comparison, people eating a Western diet had negative health effects.

Changes at all levels occurred in the 2 weeks study participants (77 healthy men in Tanzania) ate either a Western diet (low in fiber, high in calorie dense processed foods), or the African heritage diet, or their regular diet plus a daily fermented banana drink. The Western diet caused inflammation, reduced the immune systems response to pathogens, and activated metabolic processes associated with diseases. In contrast, the traditional African diet resulted in anti-inflammatory effects (a reduction in inflammatory markers).

What did they eat for the 2 weeks? The Western diet consisted of a lot of meat (daily), pizza, white rice, pasta, fries, eggs, white bread, pancakes, and few vegetables and fruits. The traditional (heritage) African diet consisted of plenty of vegetables and fruits, beans, brown rice, limited meat (twice a week), traditional grains (e.g., millet, sorghum), and fermented products - including the fermented drink Mgebe (made with bananas and millet). [2 recipe versions: Ugali Mchicha and Tanzanian recipe]

From Science Daily: Western diet causes inflammation, traditional African food protects

A switch of just two weeks from a traditional African diet to a Western diet causes inflammation, reduces the immune response to pathogens, and activates processes associated with lifestyle diseases. Conversely, an African diet rich in vegetables, fiber, and fermented foods has positive effects. This study, published in Nature Medicine, highlights the significant impact of diet on the immune system and metabolism. ...continue reading "Health Benefits From the Traditional African Diet"

Published on Leave a comment on A Book About the Air We Breathe

An interesting in-depth book about the air we breathe and all the microbes in it was recently published. There are multitudes of microbes (viruses, bacteria, fungi) hidden in our air. We can't see them, but they are there. The book Air-borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe is by award winning author Carl Zimmer.

Zimmer discusses a wide range of topics in this book, including how the virus COVID moves through the air (and its origins), the development of biological weapons (e.g., anthrax, smallpox) meant to spread through the air, the history of what humans know about microbes in the air, how air moves globally for thousands of miles, and the movement of a variety of contagious viruses through air. There is also a reference section at the end of the book.

Carl Zimmer - Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe (published by Dutton, 2025).

By the way, every day we all breathe in about two thousand gallons of air, which contains  bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This is part of life.

Published on Leave a comment on Chewing Gum Is A Source of Microplastics
Chewing gum stick Credit: Wikipedia

Microplastics and our exposure to them is a growing concern these days. Not only do microplastics pollute our environment, including food, but they are also found in all of us. Thus there is interest in how to lower our exposure to them.

A recent small study found that chewing gum can be a source of microplastics. Researchers found that chewing gum releases hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece (depending on the brand) into our saliva in the mouth - which we then swallow. The first two minutes of chewing on a fresh piece of gum is when the most microplastics are released into the mouth.

How could that be? Chewing gums are made from a rubbery base, sweetener, flavorings, and other ingredients. Natural gum products use a plant-based polymer, such as chicle or other tree sap, to achieve the right chewiness. But most gums sold in stores is synthetic gum, which contain petroleum-based polymers (plastic!) to get that chewy effect. In other words, with these gums a person is chewing on plastic!

Gum ingredient lists do not mention that plastics are in them, and may only say "gum based".

In the study, 5 brands of natural gums and 5 brands of synthetic gums were tested. Surprisingly, both natural and synthetic gums released microplastics (up to 3,000 plastic particles per synthetic gum piece). While the results are concerning, note that bottled water releases many more tiny particles of plastic - one study found an average of 240,000 plastic pieces in a liter of bottled water.

From Medical Xpress: Chewing gum releases microplastics into mouth: researchers

Gum gets some of its chewiness from polymers similar to those used in car tires. Chewing gum releases hundreds of tiny plastic pieces straight into people's mouths, researchers said on Tuesday, also warning of the pollution created by the rubber-based sweet. ...continue reading "Chewing Gum Is A Source of Microplastics"