The US National Institute of Health has provided first evidence of the body’s waste system in the human brain. The study was published online in eLife.
By scanning the brains of healthy volunteers, researchers discovered evidence our brains may drain waste out through lymphatic vessels, the body’s sewer system. The results suggest the vessels could act as a pipeline between the brain and the immune system. “We literally watched people’s brains drain fluid into these vessels,” said Daniel S. Reich, senior author of the study.
Exercise can help prevent depression
Regular exercise, even as little as an hour per week, can offer significant protection against depression, an international research team led by the Black Dog Institute has found.
“We’ve known for some time that exercise has a role to play in treating symptoms of depression, but this is the first time we have been able to quantify the preventative potential of physical activity in terms of reducing future levels of depression,” said Samuel Harvey, lead author of the study and Associate Professor at Black Dog Institute and UNSW.
Skipping breakfast linked to atherosclerosis
Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology highlighted that skipping breakfast may increase risk of atherosclerosis.
Researchers examined the diets of male and female volunteers who were free from heart or chronic kidney disease.
Atherosclerosis was found more frequently among participants who skipped breakfast and was also higher in participants who ate low-energy breakfast compared with participants who ate breakfast.