Possible culprit found for the ‘spoonful of microplastics’ in our brains

Possible culprit found for the ‘spoonful of microplastics’ in our brains

Life in plastic isn’t so fantastic. While there’s debate over how much is actually in our systems, microplastics are all the rage right now — and not in a good way for our health. A new study may have found the culprit behind the accumulation in our brains, and it’s much more common than we … Read more

Working on your six-pack can have a similar effect on your brain as sleep

Working on your six-pack can have a similar effect on your brain as sleep

Summer is right around the corner — and if that alone isn’t enough to get you back in the gym, this just might.  A new study from Pennsylvania State University suggests that working on your six-pack may strengthen your core and give your brain a boost. “Our research explains how just moving around might serve … Read more

Staying up all night can fill your brain with Alzheimer’s proteins — why it can create a vicious cycle for older people

Staying up all night can fill your brain with Alzheimer’s proteins — why it can create a vicious cycle for older people

Don’t sleep on good sleep. Recent research suggests skipping shuteye can cause issues that are shockingly similar to those found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. A team of researchers from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria analyzed sleep-centric medical studies published over the last quarter century to better understand how a lack of sleep affects the … Read more

How to survive a ‘pollen tsunami’ — and 5 subtle signs it’s time to see a doc, including ‘allergy face’

How to survive a ‘pollen tsunami’ — and 5 subtle signs it’s time to see a doc, including ‘allergy face’

Spring in NYC is famously fickle — we have to prepare for everything from slushy snow and gloomy rain to gusty wind and even “pollen tsunamis.” Wait, pollen tsunamis? Before you consult your Farmers’ Almanac, a pollen tsunami is a significantly longer and more intense allergy season buoyed by warmer temperatures, rising carbon dioxide levels … Read more

The surprising drug that may soon be used to treat panic disorder — and works like a heavy-duty benzo

The surprising drug that may soon be used to treat panic disorder — and works like a heavy-duty benzo

This surprising discovery may hold the key to calmer nerves. A new study out of Brazil found that a low dose of a common antibiotic, typically used to treat acne, rosacea and a range of bacterial infections, could also help people living with panic disorder. The findings suggest the drug might one day offer an … Read more

Weed is harming teens’ brain development, largest US study warns

Weed is harming teens’ brain development, largest US study warns

A new study has found sobering effects of weed on teenage brains. While more teens are staying away from marijuana across the country, the drug is still used by one in five kids in New York, according to a New York Impact Report from November 2025. And though some purport the substance can improve mood … Read more

‘Pinky time’: The couch-friendly wellness trick everyone’s talking about

‘Pinky time’: The couch-friendly wellness trick everyone’s talking about

Pinkies up for brain health! A TikTok demonstrating “pinky time” has gone viral with the promise that this simple daily digit exercise can stave off cognitive decline. In the clip, creator Daniela Paez-Pumar films herself and friends as they wrap their middle and pointer fingers together, touch their ring fingers to their thumbs and move … Read more

Autism breakthrough? New therapy may improve social communication skills in just days

Autism breakthrough? New therapy may improve social communication skills in just days

A new autism therapy may be on the way — and it’s got everyone talking. Researchers in China have developed a brain stimulation technique that’s showing early promise in improving social communication skills among children with autism. That could be significant, given that for many on the spectrum, communication and language challenges are some of … Read more

New ‘game changer’ blood test could signal how quickly dementia will progress

New ‘game changer’ blood test could signal how quickly dementia will progress

A glimpse into the future may already be flowing through our veins. In a major breakthrough, researchers have developed a simple blood test that may one day help doctors predict how fast early-onset dementia will progress. “[It] can give us a window into how aggressively the disease is likely to behave — and that’s information … Read more

How you can use the ‘flicker stage’ to feel younger — and age healthier

How you can use the ‘flicker stage’ to feel younger — and age healthier

Age really is just a number sometimes. And aging isn’t a linear process — our physical, cognitive and social functioning can jump back and forth between feeling younger or older. This is known as the “flicker stage” that moves between vitality and decline, and it can help us get better with age. “Flicker stages” describe … Read more

I mistook my symptoms for autism — it turned out to be something else

I mistook my symptoms for autism — it turned out to be something else

While some people feel moments of loneliness or social anxiety from time to time, investigative reporter Christina Buttons felt that way most of her life. She spent much of her time alone, struggling to make friends as a kid and retreating into solitude as an adult. Then, one day, she stumbled upon the answer in … Read more

Common occurrence in adulthood could be an early warning sign of brain cancer

Common occurrence in adulthood could be an early warning sign of brain cancer

Brain cancer is one of the deadliest diseases — and early detection is crucial for better outcomes. There are obvious symptoms like sudden, severe headaches and dizziness, while subtle signs such as sweet smells and vision changes can slip under the radar. Now, an international team of researchers is raising alarm bells about another early … Read more

The hidden signs in your gut that may indicate Parkinson’s disease before symptoms emerge

The hidden signs in your gut that may indicate Parkinson’s disease before symptoms emerge

Go with your gut. Researchers at University College London have isolated a “microbial signature” in the gut that could help predict Parkinson’s disease in patients who aren’t yet showing symptoms. The potential breakthrough can’t come fast enough, as global cases of this neurodegenerative disease continue to ramp up at record speed. Up to 1.5 million … Read more

What is akathisia? Jordan Peterson’s ‘catastrophic’ condition after neurological injury

What is akathisia? Jordan Peterson’s ‘catastrophic’ condition after neurological injury

Canadian psychologist and commentator Jordan Peterson has been battling a recurrence of akathisia, a neurological condition that causes restlessness and mental distress. His daughter, Mikhaila, posted an emotional video to social media over the weekend, disclosing that the polarizing author’s symptoms started after he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) last August from … Read more

What weed really does to your brain, according to hundreds of thousands of scans

What weed really does to your brain, according to hundreds of thousands of scans

Not to ruin your high, but habitually smoking marijuana has been known to take a toll on the body. It can irritate the lungs, damage blood vessels and accelerate heart rate. Not to mention the scromiting, the screaming — and vomiting! — that can accompany long-term, heavy use. The brain also takes some hits. Over … Read more

Common condition raises your risk of dementia by 66%

Common condition raises your risk of dementia by 66%

It’s time to iron out the details of your brain health. New findings show that a condition that affects 10% of US adults over 65 is likely increasing their risk of dementia by more than half. The good news, though, is that the condition is mostly treatable. A significant percentage of adults over 65 are … Read more

Eating a plant-based diet can either raise or lower your dementia risk — it depends on one major choice

Eating a plant-based diet can either raise or lower your dementia risk — it depends on one major choice

We’ve long been told that vegetarianism can improve heart health, nutrient intake and digestion while lowering the risk of chronic disease and certain cancers — but some plant-based diets may do more harm than good. Case in point: A new study in the scientific journal Neurology finds that high-quality, vitamin-rich plant-based diets go a long … Read more

60-calorie fiber bomb can boost memory, improve skin aging and even fight gum disease

60-calorie fiber bomb can boost memory, improve skin aging and even fight gum disease

Bramble on. The blacker the berry, the better for you — at least that’s how it would seem, given that this one little berry carries such a staggering array of health benefits. While superfoods like açai, avocado, quinoa and kiwi enjoy global attention, the humble blackberry — native to parts of the US, unlike those other … Read more

Brain scientist warns that we’re heading for an AI-fueled ‘dementia crisis’

Brain scientist warns that we’re heading for an AI-fueled ‘dementia crisis’

We’ve been told that many things increase our risk of dementia — genetics, too much alcohol, not enough exercise, improper nutrition, high blood pressure, the risks go on and on. Neuroscientist Vivienne Ming wants to add one more item to the list — artificial intelligence. Scientists have already sounded the alarm that US dementia cases could … Read more

Exclusive | Stressed Gen Z is carrying around ‘anxiety bags’ with tools to calm their nerves

Exclusive | Stressed Gen Z is carrying around ‘anxiety bags’ with tools to calm their nerves

Hannah Fowles was spiraling.  It had been a grueling day at work, and by the time the 22-year-old from Provo, Utah, got home, panic was bubbling in her chest as her thoughts raced and her cheeks flushed red. “I was starting to get super overheated and I couldn’t calm myself down,” Fowles told The Post. … Read more