UF Health Podcasts

In today’s world, flashy apps, social media platforms and bingeable shows are constantly vying for our attention. And they often succeed. But there’s a tradeoff — quality sleep.

A night of tossing and turning can lead to a day of grogginess and irritability. Even our cave-dwelling ancestors, far removed from viral digital trends, were likely aware of this cause-and-effect pattern.

Thousands of years later, humans are still learning how lack of sleep impacts the body, and a recent study from Kuwait has identified an important piece of that puzzle. Researchers discovered that just one night of poor sleep can trigger the same inflammation response in the body as obesity.

The study, which focused on sleep, body weight and inflammation, revealed a direct link to how poor sleep impacts immune cells, called nonclassical monocytes, that are known to amplify inflammation.

Study participants who experienced bad sleep, whether they were obese or at typical weight, had an elevated number of nonclassical monocytes, resulting in an inflammatory immune response.

Chronic inflammation can lead to conditions such as autoimmune diseases, heart disease, mental health conditions and gastrointestinal disease, among others.

The study demonstrates the important role sleep quality — not just quantity — plays in maintaining a healthy immune system and overall health.

As our attention is increasingly pulled in different directions, studies like this can serve as a healthy reminder to give our bodies and minds proper time to recharge. By way of reminder, that’s 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep you’re shooting for.

Love the skin you’re in … by eating more fruits and vegetables.

While it may not be the most intuitive treatment for a condition like psoriasis, a new study from researchers in London suggests it might be the key to relief.

The chronic inflammatory skin disease causes scaly, flaky patches across the body and affects millions of people around the world. While psoriasis is primarily associated with immune system dysfunction, recent research suggests that what we eat could influence the severity of the discomfort.

The study analyzed data from 257 adults with psoriasis, looking at their adherence to popular diets like the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, and the Healthy Plant-Based Diet Index. Participants self-reported their psoriasis severity — and revealed some telling trends. Those who stuck closely to the DASH and Healthy Plant-Based Diet programs reported less severe symptoms, while those with lower adherence experienced the opposite effect.

One thing to note: Higher consumption of red and processed meats was linked to more intense psoriasis, even when factors like body mass index were considered. In contrast, eating more fruits, nuts and legumes seemed to reduce psoriasis severity, although BMI still played a role in this relationship.

This research adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests dietary changes can help manage a variety of diseases — including this itchy one.

After all, when you’re confronted with a never-ending parade of lotions claiming to provide relief, reaching for an apple or handful of nuts may be a welcome change of pace.

In a world where ease often surpasses healthier choices, ultra-processed foods, or U-P-Fs, have become an unfortunate, if tasty, diet staple.

These mass-produced, packaged products, like chips and candy, are engineered to be delicious and convenient, but at a cost: increased risks of disease and early death.

Now, new research from Drexel University explores a diet intervention specifically aimed at tackling the uniquely addictive nature of your standard gas station snack.

The two-month program recruited overweight or adults with obesity who regularly consumed at least two UPF items a day. Study participants learned mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies to manage cravings, received one-on-one meal planning help and support for improving their home food environment. To ease the financial burden of healthier choices, participants were given a $100 grocery store gift card.

The results were promising. By the program’s end, participants reduced their UPF intake by nearly half, cutting calories an average of 600 per day.

Sugar, saturated fat and sodium consumption all dropped significantly, and participants lost an average of 7.7 pounds.

However, fruit and vegetable consumption didn’t see much of a boost, suggesting that more encouragement might be needed for folks to improve their diets even more, rather than just avoiding the least healthy items.

The program’s success shows that support and strategies are crucial when it comes to kicking tasty snacks to the curb.

The best part? The participants reported improved mood and energy levels, suggesting that eating well positively affects not just how we look, but how we feel.

The magnificent human brain is the most complex machine in the known universe. It’s more than the sum of its 86 billion neurons. Forget your outer appearance and beating heart. Our brain and mind define us.

Now throw a bunch of microplastics in it.

That, unfortunately, is what humanity is doing at an ever-increasing pace. A new study by scientists at the University of New Mexico found extraordinarily high concentrations of microplastics in human brain tissue examined after death.

How much? The equivalent weight of four to five paper clips. Worse still, the amount of microplastics entering this exquisite human organ is growing rapidly. The study shows their accumulation has surged 50% in less than a decade.

Microplastics originate in many consumer products like plastic water bottles and food packaging.

As bits of plastic are shed, they make their way into our food, water and environment.

Scientists looking at the brain found plastic particles 200 nanometers or less in size. That’s about twice as big as a virus, making them able to jump the blood-brain barrier. The pieces tend to lodge in the fatty layer that wraps around nerve cells and helps the cells communicate.

Microplastics’ impact in the brain isn’t yet clear. But researchers found a much higher percentage in the brains of those with dementia. The study cannot establish a correlation, but the finding is concerning.

Microplastics are being found in other human organs, from the liver to the lungs. But they are accumulating faster in the brain.

Some suggest limiting plastic use as a protective measure. That can be a tall order in the modern age. But it’s good food for thought.

Having your horse vaccinated routinely is important to ensure it stay protected against infectious diseases. However, each horse’s immune system is different, so horse owners should talk to their veterinarian about which immunization program makes the most sense for their animal. On this show, Dr. Martha Mallicote, an equine internal medicine specialist, will discuss the importance of vaccination as a part of routine health care for horses. She’ll also address why keeping your horse healthy involves more than just adhering to a vaccination protocol, and why good nutrition, deworming, pasture management and minimizing stress and overcrowding are also important factors.

Much like the taste of cilantro, the way we feel pain is not one-size-fits-all.

Sometimes, we might feel pain from an injury more intensely than expected. Other times, a similar injury won’t hurt as much.

Now, a new study from Japanese researchers explores why that is by looking at how our expectations and uncertainty about a situation can influence the pain we experience.

Two theories help explain how the brain processes pain: the Estimate Hypothesis and the Surprise Hypothesis.

The Estimate Hypothesis suggests that the brain “guesses” what sort of pain intensity is appropriate. The Surprise Hypothesis says pain is perceived as the difference between what we expect to occur and what actually occurs. Think of a time you expected to stub your toe hard, only felt a glancing blow, but yelled anyway.

Scientists used these hypotheses to examine how the brain responds to pain when the element of surprise is introduced.

In the study, healthy participants were exposed to pain in the form of heat while they used virtual reality goggles to view painful or non-painful scenarios.

When a visual threat, such as a knife, unexpectedly disappeared in some scenarios, pain intensity increased significantly. Especially when the difference between prediction and reality was large — indicating that the Surprise Hypothesis better explains how we perceive pain.

In short: The greater the discrepancy between expectation and reality, the worse our pain feels. That means shrinking the gap between pain expectation and “surprise” is important in reducing pain.

So when your doctor says “you’ll feel a small pinch,” let’s hope she’s right.

Parents who want to serve the healthiest beverages possible for their children and teens should stick to the basics.

A panel of experts, hailing from the national academies in nutrition, pediatrics, pediatric dentistry and the American Heart Association, say parents should think as hard about what their children drink as what they eat.

Here are the beverages they recommend for those ages 5 to 18: Tap water, plain pasteurized cow’s milk and, in limited amounts, 100% fruit or vegetable juice.

By way of warning, your children may not jump for joy at this news.

In a report, the health experts advise limiting other types of beverages, including plant-based milks, flavored milk, caffeinated drinks and beverages sweetened with sugar or other sweeteners.

Water, they concluded, is the best way for all of us to stay hydrated. Children should drink between 16 and 88 ounces of it every day, depending on age and gender.

Tap water is preferred, unless it is unsafe in your area.

The panel said unflavored, fat-free or low-fat pasteurized cow milk is a nutritious choice. Beverages made from 100% real fruit or vegetable juices are safe but should not be the go-to because they can add extra calories.

Plant-based milks are fine for those whose diets require it. But they don’t pack the nutritional punch of cow’s milk.

Sugary drinks are an unwise choice thanks to their tendency to give us cavities and unneeded calories. And caffeine or energy drinks can affect children’s cardiovascular system, sleep and mental health.

Think your kids will balk? Experts say if you model the behavior you want, your children will follow suit. So, go grab that water bottle.

Before you spend a week gulping green juice, you might want to consider its impact on your health.

A new study has found that just a three-day juice cleanse can significantly alter the beneficial bacteria in your mouth and gut, leading to potentially harmful consequences.

“Unhealthy juice cleanse” might sound odd, but modern juicing techniques strip fruits and vegetables of some of their health benefits. Juices often don’t include the insoluble fiber that is key to gut health, and they also contain highly concentrated natural sugars.

Researchers from Northwestern University studied a small group of healthy adults ranging in age from 18 to 35. Each participant was randomly placed on one of three diets for three days. The diets included a juice-only fast, a diet with a combination of juice and regular food, and a plant-based, whole food diet. The researchers collected saliva, inner cheek and stool samples four times during the study to track changes in bacteria.

They found that those on a juice-only diet saw a significant increase in oral bacteria associated with inflammation and a decrease in bacteria that benefit oral health. Their gut bacteria did not change much, but they did see a slight increase in bacteria linked to leaky gut and inflammation. These participants also saw an increase in bacteria linked to cognitive decline.

On the other hand, those who followed the plant-based, whole food diet saw beneficial bacterial changes in their guts, including increases in bacteria that maintain gut health and reduce inflammation.

So, the next time you want to grind your fruits and veggies into liquid form, consider skipping the juicer and grinding them with your teeth instead.

Have you ever felt like the more effort you put toward being “happy,” the less happy you become? You’re not alone. It’s a known phenomenon called the happiness paradox.

While this paradox has been acknowledged, it hasn’t been fully understood. But a new study from the University of Toronto has shed some light on this contentment conundrum.

For the study, researchers surveyed participants and discovered that those who reported habitually pursuing happiness also demonstrated less self-control in their daily lives. Researchers then conducted experiments that focused on tasks considered to be happiness-seeking, as well as mundane tasks not associated with happiness.

Researchers concluded that the energy expended in the pursuit of happiness puts a unique strain on mental resources. In turn, those who focus on being happy end up with depleted willpower and self-control.

The result is that they are too mentally exhausted to do the things that make them happy, or they end up making choices that deplete rather than build happiness.

Those who actively pursue and constantly monitor their own happiness can end up left without the mental resources to do things that make them happy. The drain comes from trying to actively make yourself feel different, rather than going with the flow.

Researchers said this doesn’t mean people should never try to be happy. But they said happiness is less like money — something you can acquire and hoard — and more like sand on the beach. You can grab a handful of sand and hold it but the tighter your grip, the more it slips away.

So, to be happy, simply stop trying so hard to be happy. Happy?

Maintaining your muscle strength and health as you age may be as simple as adding a bunch of grapes to your daily diet.

A new study suggests that grapes can cause changes in muscle-related genes, helping to prevent age-related muscle loss, especially in women.

Researchers from Western New England University studied 480 mice over 2½ years to determine how grape consumption might affect muscle gene expression.

The mice were separated into four groups: Females on a standard diet, females on a grape-supplemented diet, males on a standard diet and males on a grape-supplemented diet.

The study began when the mice reached one year of age. Those on the standard diet ate their regular food, while those on the grape-supplemented diet ate food with 5% grape powder, the equivalent of two servings of grapes for humans.

The researchers analyzed muscle tissue samples of representative mice from each group after a year and a half, when the mice reached an age equivalent to 80 years in humans.

The results for the grape-eating mice showed that 11 muscle-related genes out of 25 increased in activity, suggesting improved muscular health.

Both males and females on the grape diet saw genetic shifts, though the effects were more pronounced in females.

The genetic patterns of female mice on the grape diet were more like males than females on the standard diet, which suggests that adding grapes may help women’s muscles genetically function more like men’s.

While more research is needed to confirm the results, older adults who want to give their muscles a boost might want to consider adding a handful of grapes to their lunch.