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Virgin Olive Oil Linked to Cognitive Preservation and Gut Diversity

MHD featured image for virgin olive oil, gut microbiome diversity, and cognition.

A 2026 PREDIMED-Plus cohort analysis linked higher olive-oil intake with 2-year cognitive preservation in 656 older adults, with each 10 g/day increment associated with higher global cognition change compared with lower intake (beta 0.044 z-score; 95% CI 0.013 to 0.075; p = 0.006).1 The more specific signal favored virgin olive oil and gut-microbiome diversity, while …

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Inflammatory Depression Had Higher Kynurenine Metabolites

A 2026 biomarker study found kynurenine-pathway activation in inflammatory major depressive disorder (MDD), but not across all depression cases. Compared with non-inflammatory MDD and healthy controls, the inflammatory subgroup had higher pathway metabolites, and omega-3 treatment reduced several of them over 8 weeks.1 Research Highlights Inflammatory depression showed kynurenine activation: people with MDD and high-sensitivity …

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Late-Diagnosed PKU Linked to Depression in Children

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A 2026 Egyptian study of 76 children found a sharp mental-health gradient in phenylketonuria (PKU): late-diagnosed children had higher depression scores, lower quality of life, lower IQ, and a 21.4% rate of reported suicidal thoughts. Early-diagnosed children still differed from controls on some functioning measures, but the late-diagnosed group carried the heaviest psychiatric and cognitive …

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GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Triggered Effort-Based Stigma in 4 Studies

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A 2026 Scientific Reports paper involving 1,205 participants found that people using GLP-1-style weight-loss medication were judged as less effortful, less moral, less competent, less warm, less deserving, and less attractive as cooperation partners after the same 20 kg weight loss described for a diet-and-exercise-only comparator. Research Highlights Same weight loss, harsher judgment: Tissot et …

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Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) Changes Brain Connectivity & Activation to Treat Binge Eating Disorder (2023 Study)

Binge-eating disorder (BED), characterized by recurrent episodes of overeating without compensatory behaviors, is a significant global health concern. Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX), the only drug approved for moderate to severe BED, is showing promise not just in reducing episodes but also in altering brain function in ways previously not fully understood. Through a groundbreaking study, researchers …

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Dietary Sugar Intake & Depression: 100g/day Increase Equals 28% Higher Risk (NHANES Data: 2011-2018)

In recent years, the intricate relationship between dietary habits and mental health has come under scientific scrutiny, revealing insights that challenge our daily consumption choices. Specifically, the consumption of dietary sugar has been identified as a potential factor influencing the prevalence of depression among adults in the United States. A study utilizing data from the …

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Vegetarian Diets & Mental Health: Linked to Higher Psychological Distress Before Age 30 (2024 Study)

The link between vegetarianism and mental health has been a topic of much debate and speculation. Recent research from the 1970 British Cohort Study provides one of the most comprehensive analyses to date, exploring how vegetarianism at age 30 impacts psychological distress over time. This study’s findings challenge common misconceptions, revealing that vegetarianism is not …

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