Loneliness is becoming especially prevalent in the digital age. With our faces glued to computer and smartphone screens, face-to-face time with friends and family has fallen.

Being lonely is about more than social isolation. It can be a health threat, contributing to depression, heart problems, cognitive decline and premature death.

Add one more thing to the potential risk of ills: hearing loss.

A recent Chinese study found that loneliness increased the risk of hearing loss by 24%. That figure holds even after considering factors like age, income, depression and chronic disease. The risk is higher for lonely women, with a 30% higher risk.

The study’s large size bolsters its findings. Researchers tapped data from the nearly half-million adults in the United Kingdom Biobank, a massive repository of health information.

Respondents in the UK Biobank were asked, “Do you often feel lonely?” Nearly 1 in 5 people answered affirmatively. The biobank tracked individuals for 12 years, so scientists were able to see who would later be diagnosed with hearing loss.

Why would loneliness affect your hearing? Researchers suggest that isolation triggers a stress response in the body that increases inflammation and blood pressure. Other physical responses in the body’s stress system are also implicated. That, in turn, can damage the structures of the ear.

The study also notes that lonely people engage in riskier behaviors like smoking and are more sedentary.

This research offers a good reason to get out of the house to mingle in a nondigital environment. You should hear what you’ve been missing.

You use it to freshen your breath. Baseball players blow big bubbles between pitches on the baseball diamond. Kids swap it between classes. But each stick of chewing gum has a benefit — and a downside.

A positive: Gum promotes oral health. As you work the wad between your teeth, the sticky texture removes food and plaque from your mouth. Clearly, sugar-free options are better when it comes to preventing tooth decay. In fact, research shows that gum with xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol, reduces cavities by 17%.

You’ve also probably heard that nothing good comes from swallowing gum. But if you do accidentally gulp a piece down, the extra saliva from chewing can neutralize acid in the esophagus, which can lessen heartburn episodes.

Other evidence suggests chewing gum can even improve your mood and alleviate stress in the short term. Like bouncing your leg or twirling your hair, the repetitive action burns off nervous energy.

Of course, there are some concerns. Chewing gum could worsen jaw problems if you are prone to jaw issues like TMJ. The same effect can apply to people who are predisposed to grinding or clenching their teeth throughout the day. Ultimately, chewing gum frequently can wear on jaw muscles, leading to a host of issues like jaw popping, headaches and facial fatigue.

And, to preserve their elasticity, many gums are made from different plastics. One study found these can be released into our mouths while we chew. While the impacts of this are still unclear, don’t hesitate to toss your gum once the flavor ebbs away, or when 20 minutes are up. After all, nothing good lasts forever.

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what about an apple, some berries, a cup of tea and a piece of dark chocolate?

As nutrition science continues to advance, we can gain deeper insights into exactly how certain foods contribute to our well-being, like preventing aging, protecting against chronic disease or boosting brain health.

A new study published in Nature Food turned its attention to flavonoids, which are naturally occurring compounds found in fruits, vegetables, tea, chocolate and wine, and their impact on the human lifespan.

Now, flavonoids are already known to be beneficial due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, the first-ever dietary guidance on flavonoid consumptions was released in 2022 — but only focused on the amount. This new study reveals that not only is it important to consume a high quantity of flavonoids, it’s also best to consume a diverse range of flavonoid-rich foods.

The study specifically calls attention to tea, berries, dark chocolate and apples. The results illustrate how eating a diverse range of these flavonoid-fueled foods can help prevent conditions like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological disease.

Keep in mind, however, that not all flavonoids are created equal. In fact, researchers emphasize that it’s important to not just consume one or two types of the recommended foods. Eating and drinking a wide variety of these foods will provide the most positive benefits, including a potentially longer lifespan.

And with so many delicious flavonoid-rich foods out there, why limit ourselves to apples anyway?

Quick bites, fast action. Snake bites are one of the most common occurrences in veterinary hospital emergency rooms through the summer months, and prompt medical attention can make the difference between life, death and/or a lengthy and expensive hospitalization. Dr. Michael Schaer, UF CVM professor emeritus of emergency medicine and critical care, joins Animal Airwaves Live to talk all things snake bites, discuss an update on recent lessons learned from several severe cases of pit viper envenomation, and to share an update on a promising new clinical trial drug used to treat coral snake envenomation.

In June, the United States Army adopted new fitness standards for its combat soldiers.

The biggest change? The new standards are the same for men and women. The test has been around for more than 100 years.

Even if you have no reasonable expectation of ever donning a military uniform, the test is a great gauge of overall fitness. Think you can hang?

The first part of the test is deadlifts. The Army’s test uses a hexagonal bar with weights on each end. Soldiers must lift 150 pounds off the ground three times, putting it down under control — distinct from just letting it fall because they can’t take the weight.

Next are pushups. The Army’s test contains a slight twist in that they call them “hand-release pushups,” which means you start from a plank position, lower your chest to the ground, then stretch your hands out to your sides before starting the next pushup. In two minutes, do at least 14.

The sprint-drag-carry event is done between two lines, 82 feet apart. You’ll also need a 90-pound “sled,” which is a tire with straps attached, so that it can be dragged behind you, and 40-pound weights. Sprint between the two lines, down and back. Grab your sled and drag it down and back. Side shuffle down and back. Run down and back, carrying the two weights and then — finally — sprint down and back again. Easy, right? Do all of it in less than 2 minutes and 32 seconds.

The next part of the test is a plank, which you’ll do with your arms and elbows on the ground. Hold it at least 1 minute and 20 seconds.

The final test is a 2-mile run over flat terrain. You have 19 minutes and 45 seconds to meet the minimum standard for combat — and win some bragging rights.

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.