A recent study found that daily probiotic supplements reduced sick days among workers. The study, which involved 181 staff members, showed that workers taking L. reuteri probiotics reported significantly fewer sick days compared to those taking a placebo.
Studies on laboratory rats reveal that mixing stress, deprivation, and tempting foods leads to overeating. The brain's opioid system plays a key role in regulating food intake, especially when food is highly palatable. This knowledge may help non-stressed individuals avoid overeating and improve their health.
A study by Romo and de Lafuente found that the medial premotor cortex plays a crucial role in sensory perception, particularly in touch. The researchers used macaque monkeys as subjects and found that activity in this region correlated with the intensity of the stimulus, regardless of whether the monkey consciously felt it or not.
Researchers found that drugs inhibiting MEK selectively inhibit growth of cancer cells with BRAF and RAS mutations, leading to clinical trials for patients with melanoma, colon, breast, and lung cancers. The study identifies a novel class of targeted therapies, which may be more effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapies.