Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DbluW27AORk/

French fries with less oil, faster cooking, and still plenty of crunch? Food scientists think microwave energy could help make that possible.

Researchers at the University of Illinois studied what happens inside French fries during conventional and microwave-assisted frying. As potatoes cook, water escapes and can create negative pressure inside tiny pores—essentially sucking cooking oil into the fry. 

Microwave energy changes that process. It heats water throughout the potato, generating vapor and higher internal pressure that helps keep oil from penetrating. Experiments found microwave frying could substantially shorten cooking time and reduce oil absorption compared with conventional frying. 

But there’s a catch: microwave frying alone can produce soggy fries. That’s why researchers propose a hybrid fryer. Microwave energy would reduce cooking time and oil uptake, while conventional hot-oil frying would provide the browning and crisp texture consumers expect. 

And this isn’t something to try by simply putting fries in your kitchen microwave. The research used specialized microwave-frying equipment, and the technology is being considered primarily for commercial food production. Researchers say existing continuous fryers could potentially be modified with microwave generators. 

References on my website.

#FrenchFries #Nutrition #FoodScience #HealthyEating #MedicalResearch

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbltrdvt-Rz/

University of Toronto nutritionists working with the Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologists followed 25,749 Americans who were ages 9 to 16 when they entered the study, tracking their diets and health for as long as 25 years.

Those drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day had a 52% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared with those drinking fewer than three a week.

The type of drink mattered. Each daily soda was associated with a 23% higher risk, while each daily sports drink was associated with a 36% higher risk. Surprisingly, heavy fruit-juice consumption wasn’t necessarily harmless either. Drinking at least one-and-a-half servings a day was associated with a 35% higher risk of hypertension compared with less than one serving a week.

There was some encouraging news. Replacing one sugary drink each day with whole fruit was associated with a 22% lower risk. Substituting milk or water was also associated with lower risk, while replacing fruit juice with whole fruit was associated with a 19% reduction.

This was an observational study, so it cannot prove these drinks caused hypertension, and blood-pressure diagnoses were self-reported. But the message is worth considering: whole fruit, milk, and water are better everyday choices than soda, sports drinks, or frequent fruit juice.

References on my website.

#ChildrensHealth #BloodPressure #SugaryDrinks #HeartHealth #Nutrition

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbls4oWvzKX/

Why younger adults? Colorectal cancer is no longer just an older person’s disease. It is now the leading cause of cancer death among Americans younger than 50, and incidence in people under 50 has been rising by nearly 3% a year. 

So know the warning signs: recurring rectal bleeding; persistent constipation or diarrhea; newly thin or narrow stools; abdominal pain or bloating; unexplained weight loss; and persistent fatigue or weakness. These symptoms often have causes other than cancer, but new or continuing symptoms deserve medical attention. 

Routine colorectal cancer screening generally begins at age 45 for average-risk adults, but symptoms shouldn’t wait for your 45th birthday. People with a family history, inflammatory bowel disease, or certain hereditary conditions should have earlier screening. 

Back to warning signs.  Rectal bleeding deserves particular attention. A study of adults younger than 50 undergoing colonoscopy found that rectal bleeding was associated with 8.5 times the odds of colorectal cancer. And 70% of the younger patients diagnosed with cancer had no family history of the disease. 

The message is simple: don’t automatically assume persistent bleeding or bowel changes are hemorrhoids or something harmless. Get them evaluated. Colorectal cancer, like all cancer, is much more treatable when detected early.

References on my website.

#ColorectalCancer #ColonCancer #CancerWarningSigns #CancerScreening #EarlyDetection

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DblsKPMu7JK/

Could something naturally found in wheat germ, mushrooms, and aged cheese help those with aging or otherwise weakened immune systems respond better to vaccines?

Rheumatology researchers at the UK’s University of Oxford studied spermidine, a naturally occurring compound that has been linked to the immune cellular recycling processes that become less efficient with age. In a double-blind randomized pilot trial, 40 adults over 65 received either 6 milligrams of spermidine daily or placebo for 13 weeks after their third COVID vaccine dose. 

The most interesting results occurred among the roughly one-quarter of participants who initially responded poorly to vaccination. In these vaccine non-responders, spermidine increases spike-specific antibodies, improves memory B-cell responses, and strengthens neutralizing antibody activity. Researchers also find reductions in markers of immune-cell aging and increased activity of genes that trigger immunity. 

Now this was a small pilot study, so it does not definitively prove that spermidine supplements will make vaccines work better for older adults generally. Larger trials are needed to confirm the effect and determine whether it works with other vaccines, including influenza vaccines, and for other age groups.

References on my website.

#Spermidine #Vaccines #HealthyAging #ImmuneSystem #MedicalResearch

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DblrZZ2h8r0/

Collaborators at the Brazilian Biomedical Research Institute, Canada’s McMaster University, and Stanford tested fluvoxamine, also known as Luvox, in 399 adults whose fatigue had persisted for at least 90 days after COVID. Participants separated into 3 groups received either fluvoxamine, the diabetes drug metformin, or placebo for 60 days. 

Fluvoxamine produced a statistically significant improvement. At 60 days, fatigue scores were 0.43 points lower than placebo, with the benefit increasing to 0.58 points at 90 days. Participants taking fluvoxamine also reported improvements in quality of life.  Metformin did not improve established long COVID fatigue in this trial.

These findings are promising, but the improvement was relatively modest. Confirmation and additional studies will be needed to see if these results can be repeated and even improved. Currently, fluvoxamine is not yet an established or an FDA approved treatment for long CoVid. It may be someday.

References on my website.

#LongCOVID #Fluvoxamine #COVID19 #MedicalResearch #ChronicFatigue

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DblqV-ghrIP/

The United States has now reported more measles cases in the first seven months of 2026 than during all of last year.

The CDC reports 2,371 confirmed measles cases as of July 30th, compared with 2,289 during all of 2025. Cases have been reported across 45 U.S. jurisdictions, plus 16 infections among international visitors. 

The outbreak numbers are particularly striking. There have already been 37 new measles outbreaks this year, and 94% of all confirmed cases—2,219 people—are associated with outbreaks. Some of those cases are linked to outbreaks that actually began in 2025. 

Why is measles spreading again? The CDC points to declining vaccination coverage and increasing measles activity worldwide. U.S. kindergarten MMR vaccination rates have fallen from 95.2% in 2019–2020 to 92.5% in 2024–2025, leaving more than a quarter million (286,000) kindergarteners at risk. Studies show that a vaccination rate must be at least 93% in order to assume community protection.

Measles is extraordinarily contagious, but vaccines are highly protective. The CDC confirms that 2 MMR doses are 97% effective at preventing measles, while one dose is 93% effective. 

Over decades, the MMR and other approved vaccines have been proven to be both safe, effective, and lifesaving.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

References on my website.

#Measles #MMRVaccine #Vaccines #PublicHealth #HealthNews

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Dblpk4BMBcC/

A new pill could halt measles transmission if given shortly before or even after a person is exposed.

Georgia State University virologists tested an experimental oral antiviral called GHP-88310 in ferrets infected with canine distemper virus, which produces a measles-like disease. The drug blocks both direct-contact and airborne transmission when used around the time of exposure by inhibiting viral polymerase, the enzymatic machinery these viruses require in order to reproduce. 

When the drug was given to animals that were already infected, it did reduce illness severity and shortened the period during which animals could transmit the virus.

The investigators envision this antiviral as a complement to vaccination, not replacing it. It could help to rapidly contain outbreaks after cases appear. 

But there’s an important limitation: this has not yet been demonstrated in humans infected with the hyper-contagious measles virus. On the drawing board: formal clinical testing of GHP-88310.  Meanwhile, the best protection for you and your children is the time-tested safe and effective MMR vaccine.

References on my website.

#Measles #Antiviral #InfectiousDisease #MedicalResearch #PublicHealth

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Dblo_NQtnsz/

A few seconds with a tiny brush stops many childhood cavities while sparing drills, shots, or sedation.

University of Michigan researchers now report that brushing on a liquid called 38% silver diamine fluoride, or SDF, successfully stopped decay in 54% of treated cavities after six months, compared with only 22.5% brushed with a placebo liquid . The Phase III randomized trial included 830 children ages 1 through 5 with severe early childhood tooth decay. 

The SDF is simply brushed onto the cavity. No need for drilling or removal of the damaged tooth. This approach will be especially valuable for very young children, people with disabilities or severe dental anxiety, and those with limited access to dental care. The bad news: SDF does permanently turn the decayed portion of the tooth dark.

SDF is already FDA-cleared for tooth sensitivity and has been used off-label for cavities. These new results should lead to full FDA approval for arresting tooth decay in young children. 

References on my website.

#ChildrensHealth #DentalHealth #Cavities #SilverDiamineFluoride #PediatricDentistry

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbloKgyMuAP/

Did your parents warn you that too much television could rot your brain? A new study confirms their wisdom.

University of Southern California researchers analyzed 1,712 adults in the long-running Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Participants were about 53 years old when they reported their television viewing and work-related sitting habits. More than 20 years later, researchers examined their brains with MRI scans.

Those who reported watching television “very often” in midlife had smaller brain volumes in areas involved in memory, decision-making, and visual processing. They also had more white-matter abnormalities associated with small-vessel disease, cognitive decline, and dementia. The associations persisted even after researchers accounted for physical activity and several other health factors. 

Being a couch potato doesn’t seem to be the problem. Those who spent considerable time sitting at mentally engaging jobs actually showed healthier brain measures. 

Now, before you pull an Elvis and shoot your screen, know that this study only demonstrates an association rather than proof positive that television viewing causes brain shrinkage. Study shortcomings? The amount of viewing was self-reported, and participants didn’t have brain scans at the beginning of the study.

So…….Consider replacing some of your passive TV time with reading, puzzles, conversation, or hobbies. Any mentally engaging activity seems to beat staring at the “boob tube” or, updated, the “scene screen.”

References on my website.

#BrainHealth #AlzheimersResearch #DementiaPrevention #SedentaryBehavior #TVWatching

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DblnjWjs6wq/

Researchers from Duke University and the University of North Carolina now report a wastewater technique that detects DNA fragments from the foods we’ve eaten. The concept is similar to the wastewater surveillance that became an important tool for tracking COVID-19.

In North Carolina wastewater representing some 2.1 million people, the technique identified hundreds of foods, including fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, herbs, and spices.

This is a new day for nutrition research. Traditional diet surveys are expensive, slow, and depend on people accurately remembering what they ate. Wastewater surveillance can collect information anonymously from entire communities—and it costs less than one cent per person.

Scientists can watch community diets change after new nutrition policies, economic disruptions, or changes in food-assistance programs.

But this technology doesn’t reveal what an individual person ate. It measures dietary patterns across populations, and additional work is needed to improve accuracy, determine which foods can be reliably detected, and address privacy and ethical concerns.

The bottom line: tomorrow’s nutrition research may begin not with a questionnaire—but with what’s flowing beneath our streets.

References on my website.

#Nutrition #PublicHealth #Wastewater #FoodScience #MedicalResearch