UF Health Podcasts

Does this sound familiar? You’re following a generally healthy diet, eating your vegetables and carefully avoiding unhealthy, fatty foods. The weekend arrives, or maybe a holiday.

Like a reformed card counter at a Las Vegas casino, we might think, “I can cheat this one weekend without causing myself any harm.”

A study by Australian scientists, however, suggests that even an isolated weekend splurge at the fatty food buffet can quickly cause harm to your gut. It can trigger a domino effect, resulting in a breakdown of immune system gut protection.

The consequences can last a week, even if you immediately rush back to the loving arms of a healthy menu.

The study shows that eating a high-fat diet can suppress specialized immune cells that normally work to create a protective substance in the digestive system. The changes begin quickly and lead to a rapid escalation of digestive dysfunction.

The researchers discovered this by feeding two groups of mice different diets. One group was the control, while a second was fed a diet consisting of fat content of up to 60%.

By day seven, all the cells producing that protective gut barrier were compromised in the mice eating the unhealthy diet.

The domino effect creates what is known as a “leaky gut.” This means that the gut becomes more permeable, allowing toxins, microbes and other nasty things into the bloodstream.

Gut health can be restored by resuming a healthy diet. But the lack of caution on a decadent weekend might nonetheless contribute to poor gut health down the road.

The study reinforces the notion that, in matters of the stomach, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Weight loss solutions are a dime a dozen. Some swear by dieting, others by intense exercise. But for those who struggle with feelings of satiety, a new solution may be on the horizon.

In a new study out of Spain, scientists developed a collagen-based protein bar that swells up to 19 times its size once it hits stomach acid. The result? People who consumed it lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t, all without following a calorie-restricted diet.

Participants consumed collagen-enriched protein bars (10 grams of the special collagen, twice daily) before lunch and dinner. After 12 weeks, they lost an average of 6.6 pounds compared to just 3.3 pounds in the control group. But the benefits went beyond a number on the scale.

Those who took the supplement also saw drops in waist size, blood pressure and a marker for fatty liver disease. Muscle mass stayed intact. They also reported feeling less ravenous and more satisfied before meals — not because of willpower, but because they simply weren’t as hungry.

So how does it work? Researchers took standard cow collagen and altered its structure to act more like a sponge than a typical protein. In the acidic, watery environment of the stomach, it expands dramatically and resists digestion, which is crucial in helping you feel full, longer.

In short: This new collagen and protein bar is engineered to slow digestion and physically fill space, leading to natural appetite reduction. Like most newfangled dietary supplements, it might be a minute before this not-so-average snack is available in your local supplement aisle. Ultimately, it could take the guesswork out of dieting … and add a pleasantly full stomach instead.

When it comes to the lifelong pursuit of happiness, dieting rarely comes up.

Now a new study using data from over 28,000 adults finds that calorie-restricted diets may come with unexpected mental health costs — especially for men and people with a higher body weight. Researchers from Toronto analyzed six cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2018, looking at the link between different kinds of diets and depression scores.

Participants were grouped by how they ate: Most, 87%, weren’t dieting, but about 8% were cutting calories, while a smaller percentage followed nutrient-restricted plans or structured eating patterns. Ultimately, those on calorie-restricted diets had depression scores that were, on average, 0.29 points higher than those who weren’t dieting at all. For overweight individuals, those numbers rose even more significantly — by 0.46 points for calorie restriction and 0.61 for nutrient-restricted plans.

Men were especially affected. Restrictive diets showed stronger links to emotional and physical symptoms of depression in men than in women, possibly because men tend to have higher nutritional needs. When people diet outside a clinical setting, meals often lack key nutrients, like glucose or omega-3 fats, that the brain relies on for mood and cognitive function.

In theory, weight loss should make us feel better. But in practice, the stress of chronic restriction, missed nutrients and unmet expectations can come together to create the perfect storm for a decline to our well-being.

After all, how we diet matters — and mental health shouldn’t be starved in the process.

Despite being beloved by most folks with a deadline, caffeine’s effect on the brain when they are asleep is far from universal.

A new study from researchers in Montreal dives into how caffeine transforms our brains during sleep — and why younger people might feel the impact more. Forty healthy adults, ages 20 to 58, spent two nights in a sleep lab after taking either a placebo or 200 milligrams of caffeine (roughly two cups of coffee). Their brain activity was monitored through a 20-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) system as they slept.

As it turns out, caffeine doesn’t just delay sleep — it also changes the brain’s internal rhythm once you are asleep. The brain becomes more “complex,” shifting toward a dynamic, high-efficiency mode known as a critical regime.

It’s like flipping a switch that makes the brain buzz with energy as though it’s awake, hitting it hardest during non-REM sleep. Younger adults ages 20 to 27 were hit hardest by this shift. Researchers believe this is because they have a higher density of receptors caffeine targets. But before you pat yourself on the back for all those espresso-fueled late nights, there’s a catch.

This heightened brain state, while efficient, might interfere with the restorative tasks sleep is meant to handle, like memory consolidation and cellular repair. When comparing brain activity between those who had caffeine and those who did not, scientists noted machine learning could predict who had had caffeine and who didn’t, with up to 75% accuracy. In short: Caffeine doesn’t just keep you awake — it keeps your sleeping brain awake, too. And for younger brains, that could come with hidden costs.

If you’ve read or heard about a dog’s life being saved through a blood transfusion, chances are a blood bank that collects blood and blood products from qualified canine blood donors was involved. On this archived episode, veterinary technician Camille Kelly, CVT, VTS, who manages the canine blood donor program at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, will discuss common conditions that can require a blood transfusion and how to determine if your dog might be suitable as a donor. She’ll also share how blood is collected, processed and stored and why there is an increasing demand for blood products these days to help animals in need.

They creak, they crunch, they catch. But mostly they hurt. Every year, about 800,000 of us have such bad knees that we have them surgically replaced.

That number has been growing. And with a quickly aging population, that trend is expected to continue.

The process of acquiring a new knee is far from simple.

It can take a year to recover. Infection is a worry. And replacement knees don’t last forever, which is why some doctors advise patients to manage their pain as long as possible before opting for surgery.

If you are among the 11% of the U.S. adult population who suffer from knee osteoarthritis, there are some new alternatives on the horizon.

Surgical knee denervation [den-er-vay-shun] is an outpatient procedure. Doctors make a one-inch incision on either side of the knee and use a tiny camera to find the four nerves that send pain signals from the knee. They sever the nerves and reattach them to leg muscles. The process tricks the nerves into acting like motor nerves, so they no longer transmit pain signals.

Radiofrequency ablation [uh-blay-shun] uses radio waves to destroy nerves that send pain signals from the knee. The nerves eventually grow back but patients report relief that lasts up to a year.

Genicular [gin-ick-u-ler] artery embolization uses an injection to block abnormal vessels in the knee that cause pain and inflammation.

Hydrogels and pieces of coral are still being tinkered with to repair damaged knee joints.

None of these newer techniques are in common use yet. And they may or may not be covered by medical insurance.

But if you’re one who dreads standing up after a long sit, it’s good to know new options are on the way.

Before antibiotics became widely available in the first half of the 20th century, we humans were vulnerable to all kinds of ailments.

An infected tooth could take you out. So could minor problems during childbirth. Even a bad case of diarrhea could be fatal, especially in children.

But as the 1980s power-ballad classic goes, “Every rose has its thorn.”

So it is with antibiotics. The miracle medicine that extended human lifespans by decades now often pollutes our waterways.

A new study from Canada’s McGill University finds that more than 9,300 tons of antibiotics — almost one-third of the antibiotics we consume — end up in rivers around the world, even after going through wastewater treatment systems.

Amoxycillin [uh-mock-suh-sill-in], the world’s most-used antibiotic, is the likeliest to be found at higher levels. That’s especially true in Southeast Asia, thanks to increasing use and less-efficient wastewater systems.

The study looked at 40 of the most used antibiotics. It involved sampling of some 900 waterways and a contaminant modeling system.

The study only evaluated human antibiotic use and did not include antibiotics used for lifestock or pharmaceutical factories, both of which are big contributors to environmental contamination.

The researchers said their findings should not be taken to mean that antibiotics are bad. Global health depends on them.

But strategies are needed to avoid unintended, detrimental effects on aquatic life, especially in those areas most at risk.

Living longer is a blessing, but we’ll need the kind of brainpower and innovation it took to make penicillin viable if we hope to keep our water sources clean.

Judging by our dogs’ reactions when they hear the word “walk,” they love their outdoor time — the action, the smells, seeing other animals and being with us. So, it’s important to make walks as safe as possible.

It starts with ensuring that your pet has up-to-date identification — preferably in the form of a microchip — in case you get separated. Always be careful on unfamiliar terrain to prevent falls or other injuries. If it’s hot outside, save walks for cooler parts of the day — and if it’s really toasty, walk on the grass to avoid paw burns from hot surfaces.

Watch your pup for signs of heat or exercise intolerance, especially if your buddy is obese or a short-nosed breed. And never let your dog scarf things up from the ground or drink stagnant water.

Above all, take time to enjoy the walk with your pooch companion.

You may have heard about tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, but not likely in a canine context.

Tularemia is a bacterial disease that often causes liver abscesses in rabbits and rodents. In North America, its most frequently reported in the spring and summer.

Dogs uncommonly develop tularemia when they eat tissues from infected animals, drink contaminated water or suffer bites from carrier insects. Affected dogs may be lethargic and have a poor appetite or — rarely — develop conjunctivitis and abscesses of their own. In those cases, they’ll need medical or even surgical treatment.

Tularemia can affect humans too. That’s why it’s important for you and your pooch to stay away from areas rife with rabbits and rodents and steer clear of carcasses.

Like humans, our pets’ vision worsens with age. But since they can’t tell us what’s happening, we need to watch closely for behavioral cues.

Pets with failing vision may be more hesitant when navigating their usual environment. They might bump into things and misjudge distances due to faulty depth perception. A quieter, less energetic demeanor is also a clue that something’s up. Uncharacteristic behavior to other people or pets may also be a sign of fear or anxiety related to vision loss.

Once we detect a problem, we can make things easier for our pets. That includes maintaining consistency in their environment, keeping them away from potential hazards — like bodies of water and stairways — and providing other sensory cues to alert them or remind them where they are.