The Gary Null Show

HEALTH NEWS Flavonoid found in citrus slows lung cancer cell growth in lab tests Prenatal supplement linked to improved child cognition and social behavior Antibiotic use from childhood linked to higher odds of IBS in young adulthood Pure cranberry juice may help protect teeth from decay Smartphones are wrecking teens' sleep, study indicates   Flavonoid found in citrus slows lung cancer cell growth in lab tests Friedrich–Alexander University Erlangen–Nurnberg (Germany), October 20 2026 (Medical Xpress) Quercetin is found in citrus fruits, onions and buckwheat and is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Now researchers at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have investigated how the plant compound could help treat lung cancer. In the lab, experiments showed that quercetin slows the division of lung cancer cells and almost completely stops their migration. The results have appeared in the journal Cell Death Discovery. Quercetin led to the tumor cells dividing more slowly in the experiments. In one of the two types of lung cancer cells studied, the plant compound also reduced oxidative stress. This stress is caused by reactive oxygen compounds in cells and can lead to the development of cancer. Quercetin had a particularly pronounced effect on the migration of cancer cells—a key prerequisite for them to form metastases. The higher the quercetin dose, the fewer cancer cells migrated. At the highest dose, the migration almost completely stopped,. In the studied cancer cells, the amounts of EGFR and PD-L1 decreased. EGFR takes up growth signals and transmits them into the cell. PD-L1 can help cancer cells hide from the body's own immune defenses.\   Prenatal supplement linked to improved child cognition and social behavior University of Colorado, October 20 2026 (Medical Xpress) A nutritional supplement taken during pregnancy may support fetal brain development and improve children's cognitive performance and social behavior, according to new research from the University of Colorado. The randomized clinical trial, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that children whose mothers took phosphatidylcholine, a form of choline found naturally in foods, had fewer social withdrawal problems and scored higher on cognitive tests than children whose mothers received a placebo. This is the largest randomized clinical trial of prenatal choline supplementation ever conducted. What this study showed that we have not observed before was an increase in the overall IQ of about eight points when measured at age 4. That put significantly more children into the higher IQ percentile on the test we used. Researchers enrolled 206 pregnant women, randomly assigning them at 16 weeks of pregnancy to receive either 9,000 milligrams of phosphatidylcholine daily or a placebo until delivery. Researchers assessed children's behavior from 18 months to 4 years of age and measured cognitive performance at ages 3 and 4. Among children whose parents completed behavioral assessments, 4% in the supplement group had elevated social withdrawal problems, compared with 24% in the placebo group. These behaviors can include limited interest in other people, withdrawing from social activities and reduced eye contact. Children in the supplement group also scored an average of nearly eight points higher on standardized cognitive tests than children in the placebo group. Researchers also observed significantly fewer children with behavioral profiles and language difficulties commonly associated with autism spectrum disorder in the supplement group.   Antibiotic use from childhood linked to higher odds of IBS in young adulthood   University of Gothenburg (Sweden), October 19 2026 (Eurekalert) IBS is a common digestive disorder that affects more than 60 million people across Europe, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. Whilst previous research has suggested a link between antibiotic use and IBS, evidence on whether childhood exposure is associated with IBS in adulthood remains inconsistent. Researchers analysed data from 2,853 participants in the population-based Swedish birth cohort. Antibiotic prescriptions were obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, when participants were aged 9–11 years, until one year before IBS was assessed at age 24. The researchers examined whether participants had received antibiotics, the total number of prescriptions received, and the classes of antibiotics prescribed. At age 24, 10.0% of participants had IBS, of whom 79.4% were female. Antibiotic use was more common among those with IBS, with 87.8% having received antibiotics during the study period compared with 80.2% of those without IBS. After accounting for sex and family socioeconomic status, those who had received antibiotics had 1.5 times the odds of IBS (95% CI 1.0–2.2) compared with those who had not. The odds of IBS increased progressively with the number of antibiotic prescriptions. Compared with those who received no antibiotics, participants receiving one or two prescriptions had 1.3 times the odds of IBS, rising to 1.6 times (95% CI 1.0–2.4) with three to five prescriptions and 1.7 times (95% CI 1.1–2.6) with six or more. When individual antibiotic classes were examined, tetracyclines and cephalosporins remained significantly associated with higher odds of IBS after adjusting for sex and family socioeconomic status. Any use of tetracyclines was associated with 1.4 times (95% CI 1.1–1.8) the odds of IBS, while three or more prescriptions of cephalosporins were associated with 6.0 times the odds (95% CI 1.9–18.8).   Pure cranberry juice may help protect teeth from decay University of Illinois, Oct 21 2026 (News-Medical) Boil them, mash them, simmer them in a sauce. UIC College of Dentistry researchers found another reason to add these tart berries to your grocery cart: oral health. Medicinally speaking, cranberry juice is often used to ward off urinary tract infections. That’s because the crimson berries contain anti-inflammatory compounds called proanthocyanidins that unstick bacteria, like E. coli, from cells. 14 children and eight adults were randomly assigned to drink either unsweetened pure 100% cranberry juice, a cranberry juice cocktail containing 27% juice with added sugar, or water. On the morning of the study, participants arrived with a night’s worth of plaque buildup on their pearly whites. Thirty minutes later, the researchers collected plaque samples from the participants’ unswabbed teeth. They’d assess the beverages’ effects on these samples compared to those collected before the experiment. Sure enough, the plaque exposed to pure cranberry juice appeared to be growing more slowly than the unexposed samples. Swishing with pure cranberry juice was also linked to less acid production in both adults and children — a key factor for healthy enamel.   Smartphones are wrecking teens' sleep, study indicates Seattle Children's Research Institute, October 21 2026 (Medical Xpress) Teens who use their phones late into the evening suffer from delays in falling asleep, shorter total sleep time and sleep that's more restless and broken, researchers report in JAMA Pediatrics.   These findings suggest that reducing evening smartphone use, particularly after 10 p.m. and immediately before bedtime, may help improve sleep health in adolescents. For the study, researchers analyzed data on 425 kids with an average age of nearly 15 who were participating in an ongoing study of adolescent brain development. They gathered nearly 7,600 nights of data from the participants. Results showed that on nights when teens used their phone longer than their personal average after 10 p.m., they slept an average of 20 minutes less and fell asleep more than an hour (64 minutes) later. Teens glued to their phones also were more likely to wake up again within a half-hour after they nodded off, researchers said. There also was a dose effect, in that every extra minute of smartphone use past 10 p.m. above a teen's own average added to later sleep onset and reduced total sleep time, the study said.

HEALTH NEWS     Fermented tea kombucha shows promise in reducing depression-like behaviors, animal study reveals Brief self-care meditation delivers body confidence boost, study shows Researchers Discover What Reading for Pleasure May Be Doing to Your Brain Popular sports supplement may help shield the brain from damage linked to gut inflammation The Gut-Muscle Connection: Fermented Foods May Influence Muscles Via Gut, Review Says       Fermented tea kombucha shows promise in reducing depression-like behaviors, animal study reveals University of Minnesota, October 20 2026 (Natural News)     Researchers found kombucha consumption linked to fewer depression-like behaviors in mice across different diets.   The fermented tea altered gut bacteria composition, affecting pathways involved in tryptophan metabolism and serotonin production.   Behavioral benefits varied by diet type, with Western-diet mice showing additional anxiety reduction and brain chemistry changes.   Mice on standard diets experienced increased short-chain fatty acids, supporting gut barrier function.   Brief self-care meditation delivers body confidence boost, study shows La Trobe University (Australia), October 18 2026 (Eurekalert) A three-week online self-compassion meditation program can produce improvements in body appreciation and positive wellbeing, while reducing body dissatisfaction.   Australian adults who completed the self-compassion meditation training reported significantly increased body appreciation, positive wellbeing and lower self-judgement. The benefits were still evident six weeks after the program concluded and frequency of practice alone did not drive the size of change.   The randomised controlled trial, published in the journal Mindfulness, involved 227 people, aged 18 to 39 years. Participants in the intervention group undertook 20 minutes of daily self-compassion, while those in the control group remained on the waitlist.  Many body image interventions focus directly on appearance concerns, but the study found that simply encouraging people to treat themselves with greater kindness and understanding can improve how they feel about their bodies.  Fostering self-compassion, which encourages individuals to respond to personal difficulties with greater kindness and mindful awareness rather than harsh self-criticism, may be key to enhancing body appreciation rather than mindfulness practice alone.    Researchers Discover What Reading for Pleasure May Be Doing to Your Brain University of Cambridge, October 19, 2026 (Scitech Daily) Reading for pleasure may do far more than provide entertainment. A scientific review published in Psychological Medicine links the habit to better mental health, stronger cognitive abilities, and a lower risk of dementia. Research also suggests that reading is associated with measurable differences in brain structure, although scientists are still investigating whether reading directly causes these changes. Researchers from the University of Cambridge examined evidence spanning childhood through old age. Their findings suggest that reading for enjoyment, whether alone or with others, may support brain health in several ways, with some benefits potentially appearing after just a few minutes. Reading may also provide psychological benefits throughout adulthood. Surveys associate reading for enjoyment with lower stress, greater relaxation, stronger empathy, and more openness to different perspectives. In one survey, nearly two in five adults (38%) identified reading as their preferred way to unwind. A neuroscience study reported that just five minutes of reading fiction could reduce stress by up to 20%. The potential benefits of reading extend into later life, when preserving memory and thinking abilities becomes increasingly important. In a study of nearly 5,500 adults aged 55 and older, participants who frequently engaged in mentally stimulating activities, including reading, were significantly less likely to develop cognitive impairment during five years of follow-up.   Popular sports supplement may help shield the brain from damage linked to gut inflammation Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), October 15 2026 (Medical Xpress) The gut-brain axis is a two-way biochemical hotline, with messages zipping back and forth all day long. When the gut is chronically inflamed, inflammatory signals travel through the body to the brain and trigger neuroinflammation. The hippocampus, which governs memory, learning and mood, is especially vulnerable, so its disruption can affect how you think, remember and feel.   A recent study published in Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity investigated how chronic ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, impacts the brain and whether oral intake of creatine, a popular supplement in sports nutrition, can protect against brain damage. The researchers chemically induced chronic colitis in rats and observed their recovery with or without creatine. The creatine group received the supplement in drinking water, starting 10 days before colitis induction and continuing throughout the experiment. In rats given daily oral creatine, hippocampal creatine concentrations increased by 20%–30%, reaching normal levels in both sexes. In males, creatine prevented structural neuron loss, stopped electrical membrane leaks and normalized the neuron firing threshold.     The Gut-Muscle Connection: Fermented Foods May Influence Muscles Via Gut, Review Says Teagasc Food Research Centre & University College York (Ireland), October 19 2026 (Natural News)      A review published in the journal Communications Biology examines whether microbes in fermented foods influence muscle through the gut-muscle axis, which the paper describes as a two-way chemical communication network between the digestive tract and skeletal muscle. According to the paper, gut bacteria release byproducts that travel through the bloodstream and may influence muscle tissue, while exercise sends signals back that can alter the gut. The review describes this bidirectional network as the gut-muscle axis, or GMA. Skeletal muscle has a profound influence on metabolic health, functional capacity, and resilience across the lifespan, the review states [2].   The clinical stakes center on sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle, which is linked to frailty and loss of independence. Muscle also helps control blood sugar. The review cites a study linking one gut bacterium to muscle strength in people and lower levels of that bacterium in older adults. In mouse findings described in the review, front-leg grip strength improved, and muscle fibers changed when the bacterium was administered   Protein and exercise remain the established defenses, though older muscles respond less to protein. The review notes that beyond dietary protein and physical activity, the gut microbiome may have the capacity to impact skeletal muscle mass and function.   Fermented foods deliver these compounds directly, and some contain live microbes that interact with existing gut bacteria, according to the authors. The review states that fermentation modifies the nutritional and microbial characteristics of dietary protein in ways that may influence microbial metabolite production.

Do You Hesitate to Engage in Your Dreams? Do you dream about something all the time but fail to engage in it? What do you have that's so important that you're afraid of losing it? Why do you hold on to old habits? How do they serve you?

HEALTH NEWS   Study Reports Natural Compound Shows Anticancer Activity in Preclinical Models Ultra-processed food intake linked to silent strokes in healthy middle-aged adults, study finds Study Finds Lower Magnesium Levels in Adults With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes This New Research About Microplastics Is Pretty Damn Scary Mindfulness exercises can support psychotherapy for adolescents       Study Reports Natural Compound Shows Anticancer Activity in Preclinical Models University of Windsor (Canada), October 15 2026 (Natural News)     A study published in Oncotarget reports that an aqueous dandelion root extract inhibited colorectal cancer cell proliferation and survival in laboratory and animal models, according to the paper. The research describes a preclinical investigation of a compound derived from a common flowering plant long used in traditional medicine. The study states the extract was derived from the root of the dandelion plant. The paper reports the extract was tested in several cancer cell models with no toxicity to non-cancerous cells.   The study found that the aqueous dandelion root extract triggered programmed cell death in more than 95% of colorectal cancer cells tested in the laboratory.   The paper reports the extract activated multiple death-signaling pathways. The researchers reported no toxicity to non-malignant cells at the doses tested.   Ultra-processed food intake linked to silent strokes in healthy middle-aged adults, study finds McMaster University (Canada), October 15 2026 (Eurekalert) Healthy adults who eat high amounts of ultra-processed food, like packaged snack foods, sugary breakfast cereals, soft drinks, instant noodles, and ready-to-eat frozen meals, are more likely to have signs of damage to the brain that may increase the chances of clinical stroke and future memory problems. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of nearly 9,000 people between the ages of 35 and 69 with no history of heart disease from communities across Canada and detected tiny areas of damage more frequently in participants who ate the most ultra-processed food compared to those who ate the least.  Participants with the highest intake were 40 per cent more likely to show these changes, which produce no obvious symptoms but are considered early warning signs that can appear years before a stroke or memory problems begins. In this study, ultra-processed foods made up an average of about 25 per cent of participants' daily food servings. For the heaviest consumers, that increased to 45 percent of everything on their plates, compared with just 16 per cent for those who ate the least.   Study Finds Lower Magnesium Levels in Adults With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Kunming Medical University (China), October 17 2026 (Natural News)     A study of 68 adults with type 2 diabetes found that median blood magnesium levels were lower in participants with higher HbA1c, a marker of average blood sugar over the past two to three months. The median magnesium level was about 2.1 mg/dL in the higher HbA1c group compared with 2.3 mg/dL in the better-managed group, the study stated. The findings add to a body of research examining the relationship between magnesium status and glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Researchers split the 68 participants into two groups based on HbA1c and compared blood magnesium levels alongside other markers of metabolic health. Magnesium levels were lower in participants with higher blood sugar, and low magnesium levels were found only in the higher HbA1c group. Lower magnesium levels also were associated with higher triglycerides, suggesting a potential relationship between magnesium status and other markers of metabolic health, according to the study.   Within the higher HbA1c group, magnesium was not significantly linked to HbA1c, although researchers observed a trend toward lower magnesium alongside higher HbA1c. Medical literature has documented that magnesium status is frequently altered in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and the mineral serves as a critical cofactor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions, many of them involved in glucose metabolism. A separate report listed magnesium among the essential minerals involved in muscle and nerve function, blood sugar regulation, and bone development, and cited National Institutes of Health recommended daily amounts of 400 to 420 milligrams for adult men and 310 to 320 milligrams for adult women.   This New Research About Microplastics Is Pretty Damn Scary Columbia University, October 19 2026 (Futurism) A new piece of research is pushing back on the long-held belief that plastic is a harmless and chemically inert material. The new study, published in the journal Nature, took a look at the way micro and nanoplastics interact with water-rich environments such as the human body. It found that typical consumer-grade microplastics exhibit “intrinsic physicochemical activity” there, indicating that the tiny chunks of plastic do indeed react chemically inside our bodies. As plastic fragments into smaller and smaller particles, its surface area increases enormously. Then microplastics change the water that surrounds them, generating high-energy, reactive radicals that very likely contribute to biological damage that we see in animals and potentially in humans as a result of microplastic exposure.” An earlier Columbia study found that the average liter of bottled water contains upward of 240,000 tiny microplastics, a much higher count than previously known. Combined with the new research, it looks like those untold thousands of plastic bits are capable of causing much more chemical harm than scientists had given them credit for. It’s estimated that food packaging accounts for 40 percent of the world’s total plastic production.   Mindfulness exercises can support psychotherapy for adolescents Heidelberg University (Germany), October 16 2026 (Eurekalert)   A brief mindfulness exercise at the beginning of a psychotherapy session can have a positive effect on psychological symptoms in adolescent patients.  Adolescents who completed a mindfulness exercise at the beginning of each session experienced a greater reduction in symptoms than those in the comparison group, who received psychotherapy without a standardized session-introduction. The researchers also found that patients perceived a greater improvement in the therapeutic alliance. The study involved 90 adolescents aged 11 to 19 who were receiving outpatient treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, or ADHD and were randomly assigned to one of three groups. In the mindfulness group, each of the 24 therapy sessions began with a corresponding five- to ten-minute intervention. A second group completed relaxation exercises of the same duration at the beginning of each session, while the third group received no standardized session-introduction. In the field of mindfulness, various types of exercises were used, including breathing exercises, a body scan, and mindful walking. The analysis showed that psychological symptoms decreased over the course of therapy in all three groups. However, the reduction was greater in the mindfulness group than in the group without a structured session-introduction. According to the adolescents, the quality of the therapeutic alliance also improved over time in the mindfulness group, while it declined slightly in the group without a structured session-introduction.  

Gary reads Part 2 of How To Make Your Life More Manageable And Less Chaotic