Science

There are people putting toilet paper in the fridge. What does science say about the trick to eliminate bad odors

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If one day we open our fridge and encounter A roll of toilet paper insidewe might think that we live with a very clueless person who has confused the fridge with the bathroom closet. We would probably be wrong: There is a reason To put toilet paper in the fridge. The question is whether it is a good idea. The first question that comes to mind is: why? What is sought with this strange idea is to reduce the bad odors that are sometimes presented in our fridge. The “trick” also promises to extend the life of our food and even save energy consumption. Ok and work? Although we have not tested the method, the toilet paper could help us Eliminate bad odors from our fridge. Although there are some issues to consider to go for our paper rolls. The logic behind is that the toilet paper can absorb moisture (this paper is absorbent so it is capable of collecting environmental humidity by dehumidifier) ​​and with it the bad smell of our fridge. It would also help to preserve food better, reducing the rhythm to which they spoil and avoid passing that emit new bad odors. Insert paper into the fridge is one of the “tricks” that he proposes The Food Security Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), but not as a way of maintenance but as a way of ending persistent odors in our fridge. In an article dedicated to how to eliminate bad odors from the fridge, the service suggests filling our fridge of Rolled newspaperthen close the door and leave it like this for several days. After taking out the paper, they recommend cleaning the fridge with water and vinegar. Using newspaper has the advantage that this will be a role that will be discarded equally, but it is also an increasingly weird paper to find in our homes. If we use toilet paper we must avoid using paper that we have had stored in the bathroom outside its wrapping since it will have been accumulating moisture and will be more “loaded” from it. Avoiding bad odors It should be noted that the use of paper, whether newspaper or hygienic, is not the first method suggested by the USDA on its page as a way to eliminate bad odors from our fridge. The first thing to do in these cases is to eliminate any food spoiled that could be causing bad smell. Then, remove all the trays and drawers from the fridge and clean them with soap and water. Then we can give them a bath with a “sanitary solution” making a tablespoon of bleach not aromatized in 3.5 liters of water. Also use this solution to clean the interior of the fridge. After that we must leave the appliance open for a quarter of an hour. Appliances manufacturers are also A good source of information when looking for tricks that allow us to improve our use of the devices that manufacture. These methods include several cleaning products, we must be aware of Do not mix them. For example, mixing bicarbonate and vinegar will cause the different levels of acidity of the products to be annulled since vinegar is acid, while bicarbonate is a base. Mix vinegar and bleach, on the other hand, It is a risk to our health since the mixture will release harmful gases. Interestingly, this “trick” could help us save energy. Every time we open the door of the fridge we can generate air currents that introduce warm air from abroad into the fridge. When we close the door, the fridge must renounce this air, spending more energy. The more full the fridge is, the less air it can be exchanged with the outside, so a fridge fills less energy. If we put a roll of toilet paper (as if we put a brick), the fridge will cool it once alone, and not as many times as we open and close the door. This “trick” can be useful in very specific contexts, if for example we have our refrigerator halfway fill more or less constantly. In Xataka | The International Space Station receives its first space refrigerators: with them they hope to improve the astronaut diet Image | Xataka with Gemini

A science fiction novel with mystery elements to the Agatha Christie, ‘Hermes file’ wins the XIX Minotaur

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The novel of Science fiction ‘Hermes file’ wins the Minotaur prize the year in which the dean publishing house dedicated to the fantastic turns 70 and her editorial group, planet, turns 75. The prize has been granted unanimously to a manuscript sent under pseudonym And with another title that has finally stayed aside, ‘Lovebot’, and that referred to an important element of the plot. The jury as always, brings together names from the press and the fandom of the fantastic, to which Asier Moreno Vizuete adds, winner of the XVIII Minotaur Award. Next to him have been part of the jury Isabel Clemente (member of Porticothe Spanish Fantasy, Science Fiction and Terror Association), Fernando Bonete (University Professor, Author and prescriber), Daniel Pérez Castrillón and Alberto Pluled (both booksellers and prescribers). In the contest, 274 manuscripts from different countries have participated this year, mainly Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia, although they have also come from other European and even Asian countries. The winning novel has been praised by its Interesting use of classic elements of science fiction and authors such as Isaac Asimovwith issues on artificial intelligence heirs of those already raised by the author mixed with unusual ingredients in gender, such as agatha Christie -type criminals. In the book we moved to the twentieth century, when vacation cruises, Mars and Jupiter have been popularized. On board the SC Schettino, the head of security has to resolve the murder of Condesa Planck, multimillionaire and influencer. Its main witness is also the great suspect: the Lovebot of the deceased, an artificial humanoid created for pleasure. The trip will become an epic of discovery about what makes us human. Header | Minotaur In Xataka | In 1993, an author predicted devastating fires in Los Angeles of 2025 and the “Make America Great Again”

that of 1755, the disaster that destroyed the city and changed science

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Earthquakes in Lisbon can be more or less intenseto have greater or lesser reach and unleash or not alarm, but since the mid -eighteenth century all (whether strong, medium or slight) have something in common: in addition to stirring the ground, they remove the memory. Ease in the Portuguese capital is synonymous with 1755. of disaster. Of destruction. Of Thousands of dead. And also, in its own way, of regeneration. It is so for a very simple reason: in Lisbon it is impossible for the soil to be stirred without the Lisbon remembers The drama that their great -grandparents lived (and perhaps some more tátara) on all the saints of 1755, when in a matter of a few hours the city trembled, burned and sank. Literally. The tremor recorded yesterday afternoon in the Lisbon Metropolitan Areaof Magnitude 4.7 And to which two other mild ones have happened today, 2.8 and 2.3they are no exception and (as has already happened with another similar In August of magnitude 5,3) dusting the memory of 1755. A November morning … The history of the earthquake that He swept Lisbon In 1755, there has been thousands of times and in almost all chronicles a circumstance is highlighted that continues to fascinate even today, 270 years after the disaster: its date. The ground trembled on the morning of November 1, All Saints’ Day, with the devotees Catholics praying in the temples and large amount of candles lit in honor of the deceased. Maybe it seems silly, but ultimately it turned out A key detail. Thanks to testimonies such as the English Reverend Charles Davywho remembered that autumal morning prior to the earthquake as the “most beautiful”, we know that Towards 9.30 a.m. The Lisbon gathered in the city’s temples felt a rumble. The noise was so intense, so loud, that Davy believed that it was a carriage march. “I soon disappointed myself, I discovered that it was due to a type of strange and frightening noise underground, similar to distant and hollow rumble of a thunder “, He recalled The British. It was right. That rumble was not caused by the wheels and horses of the horses as they moved on the cobblestone of Lisbon, but an earthquake that the researchers They still study today. In July 2021, without going any further, Nature public An article that deepened in Its causes and tectonic origin. What neither Davy nor the rest of the inhabitants of Lisbon could know in 1755 is that the city would not be shaken by a single earthquake. They happened two or three tremors Of which the second was, from afar, the most intense. Today it is estimated that it reached a magnitude of between 8.5 and 9 On the Richter scale, almost double that it shook yesterday the capital and superior to the one that hit Morocco in 2023. From the Institut de Ciènces del Mar They clarify In fact, one of the natural events is considered ” more destructive in history from Europe “. Temples fell. Palacios fell. Public buildings fell. And houses fell. Earthquakes and something else 1755 Maybe it is far behind in time, but the Lisbon of then reacted to the tremors in the same way that we would do today: they sought refuge. A good part of the survivors of the first earthquake, regardless of sex or rank ran to the great open square next to the Tajo River. There Mr. Braddick, an English merchant whose testimony He rescued years ago The BBC was found to swirled. There they cried mercy to heaven. And there they were surprised by the second shock of the ground, which like Braddick tells, “The ruin completed” of the buildings that had already been damaged. It is not necessary to imagine it. One of the forced stops for tourists visiting Lisbon is naked Gothic arcade of the church of Convent do carmoone of the architectural victims of that unfortunate day. Just as if a drama in three acts were, the earthquakes that shook Lisbon’s foundations were only the beginning. The earthquake generated a tsamot with waves of between six and nine meters(It was felt Also in Cádizleaving thousands of victims) that unloaded violently in the lower part of the city. In less than an hour The water crashed into the Paseo Marítimo, where it surprised not a few Lisbon who had sought refuge in La Ribera. There is even more. The disaster was accompanied by fires that were probably aggravated by the overturned stoves and the vote candles lit for the deceased. Years ago the National Geographic Institute published A monograph in which the devastation generated by the flames, which lasted for five or six days. “As soon as it obscured, the entire city It seemed to shinewith such a bright light that could be read. You could say without exaggeration that there were fires in at least one hundred places at the same time “, Reverend Davy recountswho confirms that the fires lasted almost a week, “without interruption.” A tragedy and a change The result? Just a few years later Voltaire I pointed critically in his work Naive that the disaster had taken “three quarters” of Lisbon. Other sources They go further And they suggest that the tremors, the tsunami and the fire “almost completely” the Portuguese capital and knocked down around 12,000 homes. The balance is in any case bleak, just like the balance of victims. Depending on the source that is handled, there is talk of 10,000 Deaths, 30,000, 60,000 or even 90,000. A barbarity if one takes into account that at that time Lisbon would have between 200,000 and 300,000 inhabitants. Such was the debacle that is told that Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marqués de Pombalhe advised King José I be pragmatic: he played “rescue the living and bury the dead.” The 1755 disaster was not only felt in the balance of deaths, injured, missing and buildings, squares, roads and crumbled temples. In its way … Read more

The northern hemisphere has the highest snow extension of the last 20 years. In Spain that sounds like science fiction

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While the extension of Arctic Ice was in January the second lowest Since there are satellite data, snow is giving a surprise. According to the NOAAsnow levels in the northern hemisphere are the highest in 20 years. Although the truth is that Europe (even less in Spain) we are not noticing it. What about snow in the northern hemisphere? It is soon to know. As we knowthere are many descriptors of winter in the hemisphere that may seem inconsistent with each other, but that are only a sample of the enormous climate complexity of the earth. As with Any extraordinary event (And, of course, this amount of snow is) now it remains a whole series of analysis to know what is behind and what we can expect in the coming years. So much to Nevado? So we know more detailed analysis, the increase in snow extension It is mainly due to the strong snowfall that were in early February in Asia and North America. Especially, a huge snowstorm that lasted a week caused many problems In Russia in general and In the distant this Russian in particular. In the US and Canada too They are having more Normal Snowbut the Russian storm is the key push for these historical records. And in Spain? On our side, the extension of snow in Europe is below the average. And, as a result that snowfalls are becoming more irregular, higher levels, Spain is even worse. In the Cantabrian Mountains, for example, We are at 72.6 hm³ Faced with the average of 250. In the Pyrenees, 764 compared to 1400 of the average of the last 10 years. On the other hand, the central and Iberian systems accumulate about 5 hm³ compared to 50 on average. The only one Discordant note is Sierra Nevada: The surroundings of the most southern ski resort in Europe has 12.7 hm³. That is, not only is it twice as the central mountain ranges, but almost exactly the same amount of snow as in the average of the last decade. Little snow … For now. As Nacho Espinos explained in Meteored“just 7% of the mountainous surface in Spain” is covered with snow. In aggregate terms, there are 1,160.9 hm³ of snow compared to 2,000 average. Of course, we will have to wait to see how the year ends: in the 2023/2024 season, the great snow peak came between March and April. And, honestly, time is unpredictable that (despite the “advanced spring” we are living) any scenario is reasonable. Image | NOAA | Joan Oger In Xataka | Snowing stations at the end of the century: the most pessimistic models show what could happen in our high mountain

I wanted to be one of the great science fiction sagas, but the box office failure took ahead to the book saga

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‘Twilight’ and ‘The hunger games’, like or not, marked an era. His aesthetics, his arguments and even his industrial logic (successfully female literary saga, and that adapts in a film with aspiration to open a saga) sowed A series of seeds that set in a good amount of sagas As the semi -infallid ‘divergent’, although few achieved the fame of the two most successful franchises. In fact, Stephanie Meyer herself, author of ‘Twilight’, launched to experiment with science fiction. The result was’The host‘, a new editorial success that was quickly adapted to the cinema. And the film, directed by Andrew Niccol (signatory of ‘Gattaca’ and screenwriter of ‘The Truman show’), was not bad at all. However, the failure was considerable, with only 63,3 million dollars collected around the world compared to 40 budget, insufficient for the saga to have continuity. The film tells how the earth has been invaded by beings that are housed in human bodies and control their minds. The creature that inhabits the body of a young land has to live fight against the memories of this, who strives to not losing the control. To do this, rConstantly recue the man who is in lovewhich makes the creature, Wanderer, also ends up in love with that human. Both will end up allying to reunite with him. As you can see, high doses of youth romanticism in a film that, despite its dishes with the teenage fashions of that time, has a good amount of powerful ideas: visually it is attractive, the cast (Saosear Ronan, Diane Kruger, Emily Browning) It is more interesting than usual and has good doses of violence that distance it from the white approach of ‘twilight’. A pity, since Meyers also abandoned the continuation of the literary series, and there is no way of knowing (for the moment) how the story ends. In Xataka | Between ‘Body snatchers’ and ‘are alive’: 11 films about ultra -corps and other silent extraterrestrial invasions

7 simple ways of being happier, according to science

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Image source, Getty images Photo foot, Some are destined to be happier than others, but that does not mean that there are no ways to be happier. Article information Author, Drafting Author’s title, BBC Future January 25, 2025 It is a question that we ask ourselves many times … and for which we often do not have a clear answer. Is to live without worries? Or is it living quiet despite the problems that they afflict us? The truth is that some people seem predetermined to be happier than others. But you are the type of person who sings in the shower and dances in the rain, or you have a tougher and little pessimistic personality, that idea of ​​happiness is not something that will simply happen to us. We can all change our habits to attract more of that well -being to our lives. For that reason, here you can find some tips that may be useful to be happier in 2025 1. embrace friendship as we get older Friendship benefits people in all ages, but in adulthood it can become an important source of happiness. While old people tend to limit their social connections to spend time with people who know better, researchers on the subject point out that it is a good idea to be open to forge new friendships, because that gives us a different benefit to relationships with The family, which may be based on obligation. As friendship is voluntary, non -mandatory relationships can begin and end at any time, so they can be more fun and less tense. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, It is believed that waiting regularly fun activities could give us a more optimistic perspective. Although adults face obstacles that can make new people difficult, in a way it should be easier to make friends: our personality is more mature, we have won the ability to socially relate, our life perspective is oriented more towards the search of joy and we tend to become more pleasant. And the effort to maintain quality friendships while we age is worth it, since the benefits go beyond psychological well -being. This also improves our cognitive functioning and physical health. In fact, research repeatedly indicates that friendship is a factor as important as the family when predicting good mental health when we age. And if you are the type of person to whom you make it difficult to make friends, a advice that can help: it may be good The US length, as a way of feeling close to those around you while positive emotions are shared. 2. Practice “confelicity” Compassion is a well -established pillar of true friendship. The word, which comes from the Latin word “shared pain”, shows us that empathy helps us form strong connections when our friends need help. But there is an opposite emotional state that is less known and equally important: “confelicity.” That word means “shared happiness” and is an undervalued facet of good relationships that can be as important as compassion to maintain friendship, according to several studies. Enthusiastly support the good news of our friends – and ask about it – is the basis of being a good friend. Responding passively or not actively assessing your friend’s success can put those relationships at risk. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, Enjoying the fortune of our friends is important to maintain good relations with them. 3. Make a volunteer It is almost a cliché to say that doing something for another person can make you feel better than giving you a personal taste. But the more we know of altruism, the more it seems that this cliché is very true. In fact, scientific studies have found that volunteering can even help with a series of conditions such as chronic pain and depression. In 2002, a study found that voluntary people suffering from chronic pain and who were assigned to help other people experienced less intensity while served as volunteers. Other studies have shown that animal care can improve our health and take care of plants can bring us well -being, especially in older adults. Some doctors now recipe volunteering as an effective form of “social prescription”: medical prescriptions that connect people with resources and activities in the community in which they live. Send people to do everything from art classes to cycling groups, or encourage them to participate in activities to help other people needed to be valid health interventions that can also help reduce pressure on the services of health. 4. Connect with your ancestors There is another way for the past to help you in the present. Several studies suggest that relating to our ancestors can have deep psychological benefits. Knowing family stories about how adversity was overcome, for example, it can be empowerment when the stories go from one generation to another. Susan M. Moore – emerita program of psychology at the University of Swinburne, in Australia – has found that people who know about their family history have higher levels of satisfaction and mental well -being. Putting into the task of investigating the family tree can help to have the feeling of being in control of one’s life, in addition to favoring a greater understanding of your place in the world. You can also give you a sense of perspective and gratitude: knowing that your current life has been possible because of the battles and achievements of your predecessors. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, The pleasure of driving for an idyllic landscape. 5. Write a list To count the blessings and favors received is an old advice and is based on a simple but well proven intervention. It happens that when we write a list of three things that have happened to us can help us improve our humor. Either an event that has changed our lives, such as spending an important exam or having a baby, or something lighter like being of chance With an old friend or enjoy a … Read more

Getting an infusion with olive leaves sounds very good and healthy. Science has much more doubts about it

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Olive oil is a fundamental ingredient In the Mediterranean diet. Spain is one of the great producers That, for years, he focused on being a large world producer of consumer oil, Leaving Italy The high ranges. That changed a few months agobut of course: in addition to olive or olives, we have to talk about by -products, Like the bone or the leaves. With them, we can make infusions, buy bread with embedded leaves and in the herbalists and brands Its multiple benefits are cited. But science is not done alone, and researchers have tested these properties of olive leaf infusions. Oleuropein. All those supposed benefits of the infusions of the olive leaf come from the hand of an antioxidant called oleuropein. This is the majority phenolic component of the pulp of green olives and is the one that gives a certain bitter taste in extra virgin olive oils. It turns out that it is also a main component of the olive leaves. In 2011 a study and it was stated that this antioxidant could show antifibrotic and anti -inflammatory effects. The interesting thing is that the oleuropein concentration depends on the color of the leaf: the greener, the more oleuropein it contains, so the leaves collected in spring have higher levels compared to those collected at another time of the year. The studies. These properties such as antioxidant have led us to consume the infusion sheets, but … are they really safe and healthy? In The Conversation we can see two recent studies. One of them, of 2022, combined data from 12 experimental studies in which 819 people participated, concluding that the olive leaf extract (managed in capsules with dose of between 500 milligrams and 5 grams during periods of six to six 48 weeks) improved heart disease risk factors and reducing blood pressure. Data. In people with high blood pressure, the effects were greater. In a study More recent, from 2024, data from other experimental studies with a sample of 703 participants were again studied. The doses were this time between 250 and 1,000 mg -very minors -, administered in capsules or incorporated into the PAN. Some of the participants had high and overweight blood pressure, but others were in healthy parameters. Significant benefits were observed in blood glucose control and a reduction in blood pressure, but when all data crossed, no significant effects were appreciated and it was indicated that it was necessary to continue investigating. Safe levels. In these cases, we are talking about an “the olive leaf can improve the hypotensive effect, since, as we say, it is not a certainty and we must continue to investigate. But something that studies seem to coincide is that, a daily supplementation of this extract, with a dose of a gram per day, has no adverse effects or contraindications. What is indicated in others studies It would be good for pregnant and infant women to avoid consumption, since effectiveness and safety have not been proven during this phase. Toxicity. It is interesting, however, that some cases of aggressiveness have been reported after excessive consumption. It is suspected that a high dose, 85 mg/kg of body weight, is toxic, causing an event similar to that of an excess of dopamine, taking a 67 -year -old woman to aggressive behavior. This woman took 5.5 grams of dry olive leaf per day to treat hay fever, experiencing changes in mood and the aforementioned aggressive behavior after intake. Researchers think that the culprit is hydroxythritic, a component of the olive leaf extract that has a structure similar to dopamine, altering levels. It is still an isolated case, but there it is. Head. Therefore, that olive leaf is sold to make infusions is not negative, because the effects as an antioxidant in our body are there, but the usual thing is important: to have head and common sense so as not to self -medicate with chemical drugs … or with natural remedies with remedies . Are they healthy? Yes, in small doses, but of course they do not replace medicines and treatments made by professionals. And, if they love each other Take as a complementit can be infused, but also in smoothies or as a salad and bread complement. Images | Júlio Reis, Bea.miau In Xataka | During centuries Galicia was a thriving land of olive groves with unique varieties in the world. What changed it is still a mystery

The atlas of side effects (positive and negative) of Ozempic discovered | Health and well-being

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All medications have side effects, just take a look at any leaflet to see this. But there are not many cases in which these amount to the main effect. This is what happened a few years ago with GLP-1 agonists, medications used for decades to treat type 2 diabetes that began to demonstrate weight-loss effects. After several reformulations, new commercial brands, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, became an effective way to end obesity. But science is proving that there are many other side effects that could become major ones. GLP-1 is a molecular Swiss army knife, a kind of all-purpose drug. They affect our bodies in ways we still don’t fully understand. But today we are closer to listing. A team of scientists from the University of Washington School of Medicine has published the first detailed atlas of the side effects of these drugs. They have found benefits for cognitive and behavioral health, while revealing an increased risk of developing pancreatitis and kidney conditions. “Until now we had seen anecdotes and reports here and there. “Some people saying that it can affect this or that,” explained its main author, the clinical epidemiologist, in the presentation of the study. Ziyad Al-Aly, from the John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital. “But no one, no one had thoroughly investigated the effectiveness and risks of GLP-1 and all the ways it can affect health.” The study was published this Monday in the journal Nature Medicineshowcase of the best world science. More information “We did an analysis that comprehensively mapped the associations between GLP-1 and 175 potential health effects,” Al-Aly notes. The benefits, beyond weight loss, included a lower risk of substance use disorders and a reduction in suicidal ideation, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders. They also observed a reduction in cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. And finally, a reduction in the risk of clotting disorders, including stroke. “We found that these drugs have a wide range of beneficial effects, but all this does not come without risks,” warns the expert. The study confirms that, in some cases, they can cause gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea and vomiting. This is quite common and has already been documented in some patients. An increased risk of gastroparesis or stomach paralysis in rare cases and an increased risk of low blood pressure have also been seen. The analysis also notes that the drug may increase the risk of sleep problems and headaches, kidney stones, and drug-induced kidney inflammation. For these reasons, the authors recommend that, when evaluating this treatment, it should always be done under medical supervision and after an individualized analysis. “It is an observational study, although it has a large database and has been carried out for a long time,” he explains. Christopher Moralesan endocrinologist at the Virgen Macarena University Hospital in Seville, who was not involved in the study. The study does not demonstrate, therefore, that the medication is the cause of the listed effects. But these are consistent enough (risk reduction between 10 and 20%) and the database large enough (almost two million patients over three years) to think there is a direct relationship. “With Big Data you can scrape these results in very large databases and this is positive. But we must remember that here we can only verify association, not causality.” The objective of this research, in the words of its own authors, was not to analyze a specific effect and demonstrate causality, but to build an atlas of the association of risks and benefits of this relatively new medicine. “It’s like when Christopher Columbus arrived in America, and he thought about mapping it to get his bearings,” explains Al-Aly. “This is what we are doing, drawing a landscape of benefits and risks.” This opens the door to the possibility that in the future, after many reformulations and research, we can talk about an Ozempic for dementia, alcoholism or Alzheimer’s. There is still a long way to go, but this study has drawn a first map to locate the path. And there are many companies willing to embark on this adventure. There is currently a scientific and commercial race to find the next revolutionary use of GLP-1 agonists. Everyone has in mind the case of Novo Nordisk, the Danish laboratory that presented Ozempic in 2018, and which today has a stock market capitalization of 382,000 million dollars, which makes it the largest company in Europe. This has enormous business and economic implications, but from the scientific world, the question is different. How does an anti-diabetes drug have so many and varied effects? “Medicines don’t work surgically. They are designed to do one thing, but the reality is that this is almost never the case,” reflects Al-Aly. “Biology is complex and multiple, and if you touch one thing you will create a network of various effects.” GLP-1 acts on the intestine, but also on the brain, affecting areas that are involved in impulse control and reward signaling. This would explain why they help mitigate addiction problems. These medications would also affect the blood vessels, and in doing so have a potential effect on the heart. There is research that suggests that they also reduce inflammation, including that of the brain, which could explain their protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases. “But there is also another simpler theory that can explain all these positive health effects,” explains Al-Aly. Obesity is considered a disease in itself, but also the gateway to many others. It is the fifth risk factor for death in the world and every year 2.8 million adults die as a result of this condition. “When we treat obesity, it is normal that this affects other diseases, since it is the mother of them all,” summarizes Al-Aly. The expert has not yet decided, with the available scientific evidence, on which of these two theories has more force. The first would mean that we are talking about a miracle drug with multiple uses. The second would be less profitable for companies, would fill … Read more

Tell me what bacteria live in your intestine and I will tell you who your friends are | Health and well-being

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Mencius, a Chinese philosopher, wrote a handful of centuries ago that “friendship is one mind in two bodies.” Modern science could add another element: friendship is also a microbiota in two bodies. A study has found that the more people interact, the more similar the composition of the microorganisms living in their intestines becomes, even if they do not live in the same household. The investigation, recently published in the magazine Naturealso ensures that an individual’s microbiome is determined not only by their closest social contacts, but also by the connections of these contacts. That is, the friends of your friends. To know the details of this investigation you have to take a trip to the western heart of the Honduran jungle. It was in this Caribbean country where scientists from Yale University worked for ten years until they recruited a group of 1,787 adults, spread across 18 isolated villages, to donate a sample of their feces. All participants had a traditional diet and practically did not consume antibiotics or other medications. Nicholas Christakis, lead author of the study, explains that they were “very lucky that the participants were helpful and engaged.” The scientists needed to be able to trace each of the volunteers’ contacts with certainty, something that would have been much more complicated to do in cities like Madrid or Barcelona. The towns of Honduras, in this case, were perfect. More information Before continuing to advance with the results of this research, it is worth explaining what the microbiota is and why it is important. Francisco Guarner, director of the Digestive System Research Unit at the Vall d’Hebron General Hospital in Barcelona, ​​has a definition: “It is the bacteria communityviruses and fungi that colonize the digestive tract. We could think of it as another organ of the human body, a set of biological capacities that help the survival of an individual.” Although this organ It lives within us, it functions under its own rules and hierarchies. It is organized in its own way and it is not easy to manipulate it. “It is essential for the digestion of food. It provides us with many enzymes and metabolic pathways that humans do not have,” adds the expert. Thanks to the microbiota we can, for example, digest fiber. They are also essential for the development of a balanced immune system. For decades, science has explored the composition of the microbiota to understand how it is generated in each person. Mireia Vallés Colomer, director of the Microbiome Research Group at Pompeu Fabra University, details that vertical transmission had been, until now, the most likely explanation. “We receive these microorganisms, in large part, from our mothers, through childbirth and breastfeeding. We also share bacteria that our grandmother passed to our mother,” he details. However, the new study ventures that the microbiota changes throughout life, and that those largely responsible for these changes are our social contacts. A horizontal transmission. “We were very surprised by the reach of microbes that networks of people share. In fact, we can predict who your friends are based on how similar the microbes in your stool are to theirs,” says Christakis. Data suggests that people living in the same house share up to 14% of the microbial strains in their intestines. While those who do not live together, but usually spend time together, share 10%. The research has also been able to determine that individuals who live in the same town, but who do not usually interact too frequently, share only 4%. There is, the authors say, a chain of transmission because friends of friends share more strains than would be expected by mere chance. The transmission method There is a question that continues to swirl around this research and that is to understand how strains are transmitted bacteria from one microbiota to the other. “We do not have a conclusive answer about how this transmission occurs,” says Vallés. And he adds: “What is hypothesized is that what reaches the intestine has to pass through the mouth. “Many bacteria in the microbiome don’t tolerate direct contact with oxygen for very long, so close contact is needed, but we don’t know exactly what that looks like.” Guarner, however, details that “the fecal-oral route “It seems to be the most important transmission vector.” That is to say, although we clean ourselves and more or less control our hygiene, in some previous studies it has been detected that the bacteria that are typically found in the intestine also appear on the hands. This is how they then reach the mouth. Some of the bacteria manage to survive this journey from the intestine because they travel in the form of spores, similar to those of fungi. “With this transmission mechanism it does not have to be extremely direct contact, it can be through a towel or clothing,” details Guarner. There is no need to be alarmed. This transfer of microorganisms It is what, in some way, keeps us alive. So much so, that new lines of research on the relationship between microbiota and health suggest that a healthy and fit community of microorganisms has an impact on several aspects of our well-being. Some researchers are trying to establish a direct relationship between the microbiota and non-communicable diseasessuch as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and even depression. Guarner explains: “This is still a bit speculative, but normally what happens is that these types of diseases are associated with a poor microbiome.” Vallés contributes that “it has been observed that people with the so-called ‘modern diseases’ suffer an alteration in the composition of their microbiome.” But it is not that there is a particular bacteria responsible for these diseases, but rather it is the loss of diversity in general that worsens the state of health. In this case, the research opens the door to continue analyzing whether these non-communicable diseases, in fact, do have a transmissibility factor. And if an entire community of people has a weakened microbiota, these diseases could proliferate more easily … Read more

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