UF Health Podcasts

Several years ago, researchers at the University of Oxford studied the relationship between people’s self-reported alcohol intake and their brains. They concluded that, when it comes to brain health, there is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol to drink.

More bad news to follow: At the end of the day, alcohol is alcohol, and any amount is bad for our health. Part of this is due to what happens when you have a drink. Your body turns ethanol from alcohol into a substance that can damage your DNA.

Many tissues in our body — including those in the mouth, throat, liver and breasts — can be harmed by this process. In most cases, our body repairs the damaged DNA, but sometimes cancerous mutations can occur. Consequently, excessive drinking ups the risk for developing certain cancers.

As if that weren’t enough, excessive alcohol use is also linked to heart and liver disease, depression, anxiety and memory problems.

Although no alcohol is better than some, there are factors to keep in mind when trying to reduce your exposure to ethanol while drinking responsibly. Beer has less ethanol than wine per ounce, and wine has less than liquors such as vodka and tequila.

Choosing drinks with lower alcohol by volume is a better bet, as is avoiding mixed drinks like cocktails that make it difficult to calculate how much ethanol you’re consuming. Ordering an alcoholic drink that is mixed with caffeine, like an espresso martini, is also not recommended — the energy boost may trick you into misjudging how inebriated you are, leading to overconsumption.

More often than not, opting for something like a diet soda or seltzer can be a much simpler choice.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, went from a science-fiction trope to a pervasive phenomenon found in people’s daily lives in the blink of an eye. And while this new, digital-based intelligence may be artificial, the impact it can have on developing brains is very real.

That’s why the American Psychological Association recently issued a report calling for education on the potential dangers of AI and for guardrails to be put into place. The report focuses on young people, ages 10 to 25, and points out that while AI offers exciting new opportunities and efficiencies, its impact on adolescents is nuanced and complex.

The report compares the realm of emerging AI to social media, stating that neither are inherently good nor bad. But proper safeguards were not in place to protect adolescents during the early days of social media, and the APA believes there is an opportunity to avoid making the same mistakes with AI.

The report recommends that adolescents be taught how to maintain healthy boundaries with AI bots, which often simulate real human relationships. It also calls for privacy settings, including age-appropriate limits on the types of interactions young people can have within AI platforms. This includes protecting adolescents from harmful and inaccurate content.

The report also states the importance of protecting young people’s data and likenesses, including limiting the use of targeted data for advertising purposes.

Overall, education is key for all involved. The development of AI offers a world of new possibilities, but it’s important to remember that it is, well, artificial, and humans should play a very real role in shaping this new technology.

Much like feeling behind in class, comparing how hard you work to everyone else doesn’t always help — and a new study suggests it might even hurt.

Researchers at The Ohio State University surveyed nearly 700 students in an introductory chemistry course and found something surprising: Students who believed they had to work harder than their peers were less likely to believe they were good at science. This effect, called comparative effort, was harmful for both men and women, especially when it made students question whether they truly belonged in science.

But here’s a twist: When students thought they were working hard without comparing themselves to others — referred to as criterion effort — it helped, especially for women. In fact, women who believed in their effort and its merit tended to perform better and develop a stronger science self-concept over time.

Why the difference? Well, researchers suggest that for women, working hard may feel like pushing back against stereotypes — so effort becomes empowering.

For men, on the other hand, confidence seemed to come more from previous performance, not effort alone. Notably, this study is the first of its kind to look at these two types of effort in real classrooms. It shows how students think about effort can shape how they perform, and how they see themselves, in science.

The takeaway? Believing your hard work matters is good. Believing it means you’re worse than everyone else? Not so much.

The next time you feel like you’re trying harder than everyone else, try not to take it personally. It might just mean you’re doing the work that matters.

Do you feel that?

It starts with a throbbing pain in your head and becomes so much more. The headache leads to nausea, a ringing sensation in your ears, maybe even a sensitivity to light. You might feel like you’re going to vomit.

The only way to tamp down these symptoms is to go to a dark room and get horizontal, an ice pack on your head.

The Cleveland Clinic says somewhere between 1 and 2% of people worldwide suffer from chronic migraines. More women get them than men.

But there are several steps to take to lessen their severity.

The American Migraine Foundation says stress triggers nearly 70% of migraines. Breathing exercises and physical activity can help. A 2011 study found that 40 minutes of exercise three days a week was just as effective in helping adults with migraines as relaxation therapy.

Most of us don’t get enough sleep, and if your sleep schedule is irregular, you could be more prone to migraine attacks. Try to be consistent with how much you sleep and what time you go to bed.

Keep tabs on foods you’ve eaten shortly before your migraines begin. Cured meats, pickled items, anything with MSG, chocolate and aged cheeses are among many culprits.

Cutting back on coffee and alcohol might also help. Certain types of alcohol are more likely to cause a headache than others. Looking at you, red wine.

Some people find a cup of coffee can help fight off a migraine. But overdoing it on caffeine, for some, can cause migraines.

And lastly, drink plenty of water. Dehydration can trigger migraines for some. Our bodies need water to move nutrients, eliminate waste, protect our joints and maintain the right temperature. So, drink up!

Some people are just built differently. In the case of the Haenyeo [hen-yeo], however, the formula is a little nature, a little nurture and a whole lot of cold water.

The Haenyeo are all-female divers from Jeju [jee-joo] Island, South Korea, known for freediving in frigid seas without any breathing gear. Sometimes, they even do it during pregnancy. A new study looked at why their bodies can do this, and found the answer lies in their DNA — and a lifetime of practice.

Researchers compared 30 Haenyeo divers with similarly aged women from Jeju and mainland Korea, measuring heart rate and blood pressure during “simulated dives.” In these simulations, participants were asked to hold their breath while dunking their face in cold water as a stand-in for what the Haenyeo typically experience during one of their excursions.

Everyone’s heart rate slowed down, but the Haenyeos’ dropped much more, decreasing by nearly 19 beats per minute, on average. One diver’s heart rate fell by over 40 bpm in just 15 seconds.

That heart-slowing reflex, known as bradycardia, seems to come from decades of daily diving. But genetics plays a role as well. Notably, two gene variants stood out in the Haenyeo: one linked to cold tolerance and one to lower blood pressure. Both could help protect against the physical strain of diving, especially during pregnancy.

According to the study, all Jeju islanders, divers or not, seem to share a distinct genetic background. However, only the Haenyeo push their bodies to these frigid limits.

The takeaway? Evolution and endurance make a powerful pair — especially when your job is at the bottom of the sea.

We’ve all been there. You climb into bed, needing to sleep before a big day at work. Your mind races, one thought interrupting another. Hours go by while you toss and turn, but your mind is still running like a treadmill. Will your thoughts ever cease?

Some doctors say there may be a solution and a way to turn your brain off, so you can get some much-needed shut-eye. It’s called cognitive shuffling.

Cognitive shuffling is essentially a word game, created by a cognitive scientist in 2009 who had his own bouts with insomnia.

You pick a word at random and for each letter of that word, you think of as many words as you can for 5 to 10 seconds before moving to the next letter.

For example, if you chose the word “baseball,” you might start with brave, bottom, Baltimore … before moving on to ace, angel, athletic — which all start with the letter ‘A’. Then, you’d go to the letter ‘S’ and so on, until you’ve gone through all the letters in the word.

The method might sound strange, but it can take your mind off lingering thoughts and intrusive worries so you can get some rest.

People who try cognitive shuffling typically report falling asleep within five to 15 minutes. Some people may take longer if they’re highly stressed or if they are someone who chronically overthinks.

You shouldn’t only rely on cognitive shuffling. By sticking to a bedtime routine … think a warm shower, limited screen time, no alcohol a few hours before sleep and a bedroom that’s quiet, dark and cool, you increase your chances of a full night’s sleep.

So, give cognitive shuffling a try. You may be out like a light before you know it.

You do it at work. You do it at home. Sometimes you even do it while out with friends or family.

Everyone knows that yawning is a common sign of sleepiness, but you may not know it can also be a sign of a serious sleep deficit that may jeopardize your long-term health.

When you fail to get a good night’s sleep of at least seven hours, experts say you increase your likelihood of several conditions, including diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, obesity and even stroke.

The truth is our body does some peculiar things when it’s continually sleep-deprived. It’s more than dozing off and staring off into space. Your brain might take microsleeps, which are brief mini naps spanning a handful of seconds. The frightening part is you might not even realize you’re doing it, and it could happen at a crucial time, like when you’re behind the wheel.

But how do you know if your drowsiness has entered the danger zone? Droopy eyelids, slumping and the inability to stay upright are tell-tale signs. Shaky hands and feeling like the room is spinning are severe symptoms.

Of course, sleep disorders like apnea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome all contribute to sleepiness. So do lifestyles.

Too much caffeine, alcohol and marijuana can negatively impact your sleep. To be clear, alcohol and marijuana do not improve sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but you won’t get good rest. Marijuana can cause insomnia.

If you suspect you might be nearing the too-little-sleep danger zone, search the internet for the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a quick quiz that gauges problematic patterns.

Close your eyes. When you think of the word “vacation,” where are you?

A tropical island, lying on the beach with a drink in your hand as waves gently wash ashore? Maybe you’re on the trails, hiking through nature at a national park. How about another country, soaking in the history and sampling decadent cuisine?

From planning your itinerary to the expense and then the avalanche of emails and work when you return, sometimes a vacation can seem like too much trouble.

But your health depends on it.

The Journal of Applied Psychology recently published a review on the immediate and long-lasting impact of going on vacation.

Among the findings: people who take vacations not only reduce their stress and levels of exhaustion and depression, but they lower their overall risk of death as well as complications from heart disease and metabolic issues, such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar. And, of course, you rest more, which is beneficial if you find yourself sleep-deprived.

There are several ways to maximize the positive effects of taking a trip.

It all starts with unplugging from work. That means deleting your email app on your phone if need be. You should limit the time you spend taking work calls or answering emails to once a day or better yet, not at all.

Be active on vacation. The more physical activity you get, the better the health outcomes.

It’s about living in the moment, making memories and cherishing the time you spend with loved ones. Even if it’s hard to get away for one long vacation, schedule several short ones throughout the year.

Your family will thank you, and so will your body.

Join us on Animal Airwaves-Live as we welcome Dr. Chi-Yen Wu, a veterinary dermatology specialist, to discuss ear infections in dogs. Dr. Wu will explore why dogs suffer from itchy, painful ears, focusing on allergies as the primary trigger. He’ll help pet owners recognize signs of ear trouble and explain when to seek veterinary care and how specialists can help with persistent cases. Listeners will learn about advanced treatment options for chronic ear problems that haven’t responded to standard approaches.

Anybody who’s ever tried to rouse a sleeping teenager (or who has been a teenager themselves) is probably aware that it can be a tough task. But it’s not without good reason. Research has shown that adolescents require more sleep than adults and children.

Now, a new study drives home just how crucial the amount and quality of sleep is to teens’ brain health.

The sleep patterns of more than 3,000 adolescents were studied, with researchers classifying the teens into three categories. The first included teens who stayed up the latest, had the highest sleeping heart rates and slept the least. The second category featured teens who had a moderate amount of sleep and sleep quality. And the third included teens who went to bed early, had lower sleeping heart rates and slept longest.

The teens with the earliest bedtimes and longest sleep duration consistently displayed better cognitive performance than other participants.

Those who slept least fared the worst in cognitive performance and were shown to have weaker connections between key parts of the brain, and smaller brain volume, in general.

The study showed these results remained consistent as researchers followed the adolescents from ages 9 to 10 through age 14. Researchers said this suggests the sleep patterns established during these years can shape brain function for years to come, so developing and maintaining healthy habits in early adolescence is extremely important.

This research offers clear evidence of how vital sleep is to teens. Perhaps future studies can explore ways to safely wake a sleeping teenager.