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Can A Keto Diet Help Treat Depression?

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A “keto” diet might help people with depression, a small-scale pilot study suggests. Depression symptoms decreased by about 70% among a small group of college students who followed a ketogenic diet for at least 10 weeks, researchers reported in the journal Translational Psychiatry. “So many people are suffering right now, so it’s rewarding to potentially bring forward a solution,” said lead researcher Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences at Ohio State University in Columbus. “There is more science yet to do, but because there is evidence of a benefit, expanding accessibility to a well-formulated ketogenic diet as an augmentation to treatment for depression is something to think about,” he said in a news release. Ketogenic diets focus on replacing carbohydrates with fats, so that the body starts burning fats for fuel rather than blood sugar, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Ketones are the energy-providing acids released by fats that the body and brain start using as fuel as an alternative to glucose, researchers said. When the body has adapted to using ketones, it is said to have entered a state of nutritional ketosis. For the new study, 24 college students with diagnosed depression were asked to adopt a keto diet. Of those, 16 completed the entire study. In the diet, they were asked to consume fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day, combined…  read on >  read on >

Can A Keto Diet Help Treat Depression?

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A “keto” diet might help people with depression, a small-scale pilot study suggests. Depression symptoms decreased by about 70% among a small group of college students who followed a ketogenic diet for at least 10 weeks, researchers reported in the journal Translational Psychiatry. “So many people are suffering right now, so it’s rewarding to potentially bring forward a solution,” said lead researcher Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences at Ohio State University in Columbus. “There is more science yet to do, but because there is evidence of a benefit, expanding accessibility to a well-formulated ketogenic diet as an augmentation to treatment for depression is something to think about,” he said in a news release. Ketogenic diets focus on replacing carbohydrates with fats, so that the body starts burning fats for fuel rather than blood sugar, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Ketones are the energy-providing acids released by fats that the body and brain start using as fuel as an alternative to glucose, researchers said. When the body has adapted to using ketones, it is said to have entered a state of nutritional ketosis. For the new study, 24 college students with diagnosed depression were asked to adopt a keto diet. Of those, 16 completed the entire study. In the diet, they were asked to consume fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day, combined…  read on >  read on >

Inmates Less Likely To OD After Release If Provided Opioid Addiction Meds In Jail

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County jail inmates who receive medication to treat their opioid addiction have a lower risk of overdose after their release, a new study reports. They’re also significantly more likely to continue their addiction treatment, researchers reported Sept. 10 in The New England Journal of Medicine. “These findings demonstrate the importance of providing medications to treat opioid use disorder in correctional settings,” Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in a news release. “Offering effective opioid treatment to people in jail is a critical step toward addressing the opioid crisis, promoting recovery, saving lives and reducing reincarceration,” added Volkow, whose agency funded the research. “It’s a win-win for public health.” The opioid epidemic contributed to more than 80,000 deaths in 2024, and there tends to be a higher proportion of people with opioid abuse disorder in jail compared to the general population, researchers said in background notes. Medications like buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone are known to be effective in helping people break their opioid addiction, but they are available in only about 13% of U.S. jails, researchers said. For this study, researchers analyzed data from 6,400 people with probable opioid use disorder incarcerated in seven Massachusetts county jails between September 2019 and December 2020. In 2018, Massachusetts passed a law enacting a four-year pilot program to provide opioid addiction medications to…  read on >  read on >

Inmates Less Likely To OD After Release If Provided Opioid Addiction Meds In Jail

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County jail inmates who receive medication to treat their opioid addiction have a lower risk of overdose after their release, a new study reports. They’re also significantly more likely to continue their addiction treatment, researchers reported Sept. 10 in The New England Journal of Medicine. “These findings demonstrate the importance of providing medications to treat opioid use disorder in correctional settings,” Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in a news release. “Offering effective opioid treatment to people in jail is a critical step toward addressing the opioid crisis, promoting recovery, saving lives and reducing reincarceration,” added Volkow, whose agency funded the research. “It’s a win-win for public health.” The opioid epidemic contributed to more than 80,000 deaths in 2024, and there tends to be a higher proportion of people with opioid abuse disorder in jail compared to the general population, researchers said in background notes. Medications like buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone are known to be effective in helping people break their opioid addiction, but they are available in only about 13% of U.S. jails, researchers said. For this study, researchers analyzed data from 6,400 people with probable opioid use disorder incarcerated in seven Massachusetts county jails between September 2019 and December 2020. In 2018, Massachusetts passed a law enacting a four-year pilot program to provide opioid addiction medications to…  read on >  read on >

Insomnia Might Increase Dementia Risk Among Seniors

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Your beauty rest might be protecting your brain health as well, a new study says. Seniors with chronic insomnia might experience a faster decline in their memory and thinking skills as they age, researchers reported today in the journal Neurology. Chronic insomniacs had a 40% higher risk of developing dementia or suffering a decline in their cognitive skills, compared to those who get better sleep, the study showed. That’s the equivalent of an additional 3.5 years of brain aging, researchers said. “Insomnia doesn’t just affect how you feel the next day — it may also impact your brain health over time,” said lead researcher Dr. Diego Carvalho, a sleep medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “We saw faster decline in thinking skills and changes in the brain that suggest chronic insomnia could be an early warning sign or even a contributor to future cognitive problems,” he said in a news release. For the new study, researchers tracked for more than five years 2,750 seniors (average age: 70), all of whom started out in good brain health. About 16% of the participants had chronic insomnia, defined as trouble sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more. The participants took thinking and memory tests each year. Some also had brain scans to look for signs of brain aging, including damaged…  read on >  read on >

Insomnia Might Increase Dementia Risk Among Seniors

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Your beauty rest might be protecting your brain health as well, a new study says. Seniors with chronic insomnia might experience a faster decline in their memory and thinking skills as they age, researchers reported today in the journal Neurology. Chronic insomniacs had a 40% higher risk of developing dementia or suffering a decline in their cognitive skills, compared to those who get better sleep, the study showed. That’s the equivalent of an additional 3.5 years of brain aging, researchers said. “Insomnia doesn’t just affect how you feel the next day — it may also impact your brain health over time,” said lead researcher Dr. Diego Carvalho, a sleep medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “We saw faster decline in thinking skills and changes in the brain that suggest chronic insomnia could be an early warning sign or even a contributor to future cognitive problems,” he said in a news release. For the new study, researchers tracked for more than five years 2,750 seniors (average age: 70), all of whom started out in good brain health. About 16% of the participants had chronic insomnia, defined as trouble sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more. The participants took thinking and memory tests each year. Some also had brain scans to look for signs of brain aging, including damaged…  read on >  read on >

Household Items Tied to Sharp Increase in Self-Harm Cases in Teens

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Cases of self-harm involving 6- to 12-year-olds have risen sharply, and researchers warn that common household products are often involved. Their findings appear in the Sept. 8 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Researchers analyzed more than 1.5 million reports made to U.S. poison control centers from 2000 to 2023.  While overall substance exposures in kids rose more than 50%, the number of cases linked to suspected suicide or self-harm intent increased up to fourfold, said study co-author Dr. Hannah Hays, chief of toxicology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center. “These cases were far more likely to result in serious medical outcomes or hospitalization for these children,” Hays told CNN. Reports of suspected self-harm among 11-year-olds increased by 398% since 2000, and by 343% among 12-year-olds, the study found. The products most often involved? Pain relievers, antihistamines, cold medicines, vitamins and other available household substances were commonly used. “With increased access comes increased exposures to all things,” Hays said, noting that the presence of more medications and toxic substances in homes raises potential risks. Hays also said the decision-making and planning parts of a child’s brain are still developing, which can make kids more impulsive.  That, combined with easy access to medications and other toxic substances, can increase the likelihood…  read on >  read on >

Household Items Tied to Sharp Increase in Self-Harm Cases in Teens

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Cases of self-harm involving 6- to 12-year-olds have risen sharply, and researchers warn that common household products are often involved. Their findings appear in the Sept. 8 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Researchers analyzed more than 1.5 million reports made to U.S. poison control centers from 2000 to 2023.  While overall substance exposures in kids rose more than 50%, the number of cases linked to suspected suicide or self-harm intent increased up to fourfold, said study co-author Dr. Hannah Hays, chief of toxicology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center. “These cases were far more likely to result in serious medical outcomes or hospitalization for these children,” Hays told CNN. Reports of suspected self-harm among 11-year-olds increased by 398% since 2000, and by 343% among 12-year-olds, the study found. The products most often involved? Pain relievers, antihistamines, cold medicines, vitamins and other available household substances were commonly used. “With increased access comes increased exposures to all things,” Hays said, noting that the presence of more medications and toxic substances in homes raises potential risks. Hays also said the decision-making and planning parts of a child’s brain are still developing, which can make kids more impulsive.  That, combined with easy access to medications and other toxic substances, can increase the likelihood…  read on >  read on >

Wireless Ultrasound: A Potential Revolution In Assessing On-Field Sports Injuries?

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The collegiate sports season is upon us, and with it the inevitable bruises, sprains and strains that come from tough competition. Portable wireless ultrasound devices could be key to getting fast, reliable assessment of on-the-field sports injuries, researchers say. These wireless devices deliver results faster and at lower cost, while making it easier to examine an injury on the sidelines or in a dugout, researchers report in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation. “This study helps lay the groundwork for using wireless ultrasound more widely in sports medicine,” lead researcher Jessica Tolzman, a doctoral student in kinesiology at Michigan State University, said in a news release. Ultrasound imaging is often used to assess muscle and tendon characteristics involved in sports injuries, researchers said in background notes. For example, the quadriceps are critical for knee stability. Using ultrasound to assess their size and quality tracks a player’s recovery from injury, researchers said. Standard ultrasounds use panoramic, real-time imaging to capture entire muscle groups, researchers said. This involves large and expensive machines typically found in hospitals or labs. By comparison, small wireless ultrasound devices are more affordable and easier to use, but also more limited. They can only capture a single image at a time. Researchers decided to see whether these single images produced by wireless ultrasound could nevertheless provide meaningful muscle measurements. “We wanted to see if…  read on >  read on >

Wireless Ultrasound: A Potential Revolution In Assessing On-Field Sports Injuries?

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The collegiate sports season is upon us, and with it the inevitable bruises, sprains and strains that come from tough competition. Portable wireless ultrasound devices could be key to getting fast, reliable assessment of on-the-field sports injuries, researchers say. These wireless devices deliver results faster and at lower cost, while making it easier to examine an injury on the sidelines or in a dugout, researchers report in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation. “This study helps lay the groundwork for using wireless ultrasound more widely in sports medicine,” lead researcher Jessica Tolzman, a doctoral student in kinesiology at Michigan State University, said in a news release. Ultrasound imaging is often used to assess muscle and tendon characteristics involved in sports injuries, researchers said in background notes. For example, the quadriceps are critical for knee stability. Using ultrasound to assess their size and quality tracks a player’s recovery from injury, researchers said. Standard ultrasounds use panoramic, real-time imaging to capture entire muscle groups, researchers said. This involves large and expensive machines typically found in hospitals or labs. By comparison, small wireless ultrasound devices are more affordable and easier to use, but also more limited. They can only capture a single image at a time. Researchers decided to see whether these single images produced by wireless ultrasound could nevertheless provide meaningful muscle measurements. “We wanted to see if…  read on >  read on >