A boy who wondered if snakes flick their tongues to smell prompted a surprising new discovery about how human senses work. Turns out your tongue helps you smell, according to researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia — a team that included the curious 12-year-old’s dad. Taste and smell had been thought to be independent senses that didn’t interact until input from each reached the brain. But senior author Dr. Mehmet Hakan Ozdener said his son’s question prompted him to rethink that belief. Ozdener’s new study found that odor-detecting sensors in the nose (functional olfactory receptors) are also present in the taste cells on our tongue. This suggests that interactions between the senses of smell and taste may begin on the tongue and not in the brain, researchers said. They said their findings could lead to new ways to modify food flavors to promote healthier eating. “Our research may help explain how odor molecules modulate taste perception,” Ozdener, a cell biologist, said in a Monell news release. “This may lead to the development of odor-based taste modifiers that can help combat the excess salt, sugar and fat intake associated with diet-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes.” Results of a series of lab experiments were published April 24 in the journal Chemical Senses. The distinctive flavor of most foods and drinks comes more…  read on >

Despair runs rampant through Generation X as these Americans struggle through middle age, a new study reports. So-called indicators of despair — depression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse — are rising among those in their late 30s and early 40s, and it’s occurring across-the-board, researchers say. “These are getting worse as people age through their 30s,” said lead researcher Lauren Gaydosh, an assistant professor with the Vanderbilt University Center for Medicine, Health and Society. “For example, heavy drinking is really peaking again, almost to levels equivalent to where they were at college age.” Previous studies have drawn attention to these “deaths of despair,” but initially it appeared they were occurring mainly among poorly educated whites, Gaydosh said. These new findings indicate that despair is pervasive throughout Generation X, affecting people regardless of their race, background or family income. “Mortality, particularly for middle-aged people 45 to 54, has actually been increasing for the past several decades,” Gaydosh said. “The fact that indicators of despair are more generalized is concerning. It could mean these increases in mortality might spread more broadly, across all demographic groups.” Gaydosh and her colleagues tracked despair indicators among a group of people who were in grades 7 through 12 in 1994-1995, which places them among the youngest members of Generation X. Gen X is considered to consist of people born from the…  read on >

Think breakfast isn’t the most important meal of the day? Think again, say researchers behind a new study that found the risk of heart-related death rises dramatically for folks who skip the morning repast. Compared to people who always ate breakfast, those who say they never did had a 87% higher odds of dying from heart-related causes, according to a study that tracked the health of 6,550 Americans for about 20 years. The odds for stroke, in particular, were especially elevated if people said they always skipped breakfast. These individuals had more than three times the odds of fatal stroke, compared to people who said they always ate in the a.m. Why is skipping breakfast such a toxic habit? Researchers led by Dr. Wei Bao of the University of Iowa said there could be many reasons. Most notably, skipping breakfast is tied to a boost in appetite later in the day, which “might lead to overeating later,” the research team said. Chronic overeating could bring on obesity. Insulin sensitivity — a hormonal factor that’s linked to obesity and diabetes — is also impaired when the morning “fast” lasts too long, Bao and his colleagues said. Holding back on breakfast might also affect other hormonal processes that could help raise blood pressure, they said. Finally, waiting too late in the day to begin eating has also…  read on >

Even if you love your job, your workspace might not love you back. Because people may spend 40 or more hours on the job, often at a desk, all that exposure to less-than-inspiring surroundings can negatively influence health. While some people suffer emotional and physical problems from a stressful job, for others, it’s the physical environment that can trigger back pain, sleep troubles or even breathing problems. Since you spend so much time at work, it makes sense to do what you can to improve your workspace. Researchers at Central Michigan University found that surrounding yourself with elements from nature can boost your mood and job satisfaction, and even act as a buffer to stress. At the top of the to-do list is getting more exposure to sunlight. Without it, workers are more likely to feel depressed, have lower job satisfaction and less commitment to their company. Having natural sunlight from a window is extremely helpful, but it’s also important to get outside during the day. Being in direct contact with the sun’s rays had the greatest positive influence on workers, researchers found. If your options for getting sunlight are limited, bring nature into your work area with plants. Look for a shade-loving variety if natural light inside the office is limited. Philodendron, pothos, ivy and dieffenbachia are all hardy, low-light plants readily available at…  read on >