Health & Fitness

Low-protein diets appear to have incredible benefits for the health and lifespans of rodents, fruit flies, and yeast. A new study in mice has now identified a single hormone that is essential for these curious anti-aging effects.   The hormone is called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), and it is secreted by the liver. In recent years, studies have shown that FGF21 responds to protein restriction in male mice, improving energy expenditure and glucose tolerance while reducing body weight. Now, the same team of researchers has found FGF21 is required for the anti-aging effects, too. "Indeed, mice that are FGF21 deficient are not only resistant to the health [benefits] of [protein restriction], but they also exhibit early-onset weight loss, increased frailty, and reduced lifespan whe...

In early April, when word began to circulate that hospitals in the United Kingdom were seeing unexplained hepatitis cases in very young children, some physicians and researchers on this side of the Atlantic experienced a moment of déjà vu. Kevin Messacar and colleagues at Children’s Hospital Colorado found themselves remarking on how reminiscent the unfolding investigation was of a medical mystery they’ve been enmeshed in for the past eight years — acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, a polio-like condition in children. Meanwhile, Carlos Pardo, the co-principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health study into the natural history of AFM, started fielding queries from hepatologists at Johns Hopkins Medicine, where he teaches, about what kinds of samples they should be collecting from s...

Cancer researchers say more people are getting certain cancers at younger ages than the previous generation. [ALSO READ: Atrium Health PINK DAY: Breast cancer resources] Channel 9 spoke with some cancer patients about their journey to healing, and an oncologist about why they are seeing the rise and what can be done to lower the risk. Courtney Whitley noticed something unusual on her body in January 2021 while showering. “I was just soaping myself,” said Whitley, a breast cancer survivor. “I wasn’t even doing a self-check or anything, and I felt a lump.” She wasn’t old enough to start thinking about getting a mammogram, nor did she know about any family history of breast cancer. “I was, kind of, in shock at first,” Whitley said. “It was stage 2.” Whitley is part of a troubling trend nat...

Colorado has reported its first cases of severe hepatitis of unknown cause in kids, adding to a growing number of cases nationally being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Friday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment had reported five potential instances to the CDC. All met the CDC’s broad definition for cases — mainly that they occurred in kids ages 10 or younger and that doctors didn’t know what caused them. None of the five kids in Colorado died or required liver transplants as a result of their illnesses, though four were hospitalized. CDPHE says all five children either recovered or are in the process of recovering. One case dates to December and was reported to the CDC last month. The other four cases were reported to the CDC o...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The CDC is investigating mysterious cases of hepatitis in young children. Hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver and can cause liver failure. So far, the CDC says the cause of these hepatitis cases is unknown, however, doctors have found a possible association with another virus. “As of May 5th, the CDC was investigating 109 cases of hepatitis in the United States including cases in South Dakota, and of those cases, about half of them were testing positive for adenovirus,” said Dr. Tonya Adamiak, Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Sanford Children’s Hospital. The CDC has yet to confirm if this virus is the cause. Dr. Tonya Adamiak at Sanford’s Children’s Hospital spoke with us about the symptoms to watch for. “With Hepatitis, kids ca...

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Cookies can be a delicious sweet treat. Whether they're freshly baked or prepackaged, they're always a delight to eat and are usually packed with flavor. There are also so many kinds of cookies to choose from; from classics like chocolate chip, to more unique flavors like strawberry shortcake. And it may come as a surprise, but there are even such things as healthy cookies that can help aid weight loss without losing the tastiness. Although that seems too good to be true, there still are cookies out there that can cause weight gain, especially abdominal fat. According to Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim, and member of our medical expert board, one of the worst cookies to eat that can cause abdominal fat are sandwich cookies. "Th...

In an experiment on mice, transplanting fecal microbiota from young into old reversed hallmarks of aging in the gut, eyes, and brain In the quest for eternal youth, poo transplants may seem like an unlikely way to reverse the aging process. However, scientists at the Quadram Institute and the University of East Anglia have provided evidence, from research in mice, that transplanting fecal microbiota from young into old mice can reverse the hallmarks of aging in the gut, eyes, and brain. In the reverse experiment, microbes from aged mice induced inflammation in the brain of young recipients and depleted a key protein required for normal vision. These findings show that gut microbes play a role in regulating some of the detrimental effects of aging and open up the possibili...

Even when COVID-19 cases have declined and most patients are reporting mild symptoms, the possibility of long COVID is still high. Since studies have shown that even a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause long COVID, experts have warned against undermining mild symptoms and urged people to take necessary measures. For those of you, who are still unaware of the term long COVID, it is a condition that occurs in people who have had a COVID-19 infection and continue to experience lingering symptoms long after their recovery. Up until now, several long term symptoms have come to the fore. However, research is still ongoing and scientists continue to work towards identifying new and unusual symptoms associated with the condition, so as to develop targeted treatments. Also read: Coronavirus: Nor...

Are protein bars good for you? They’ve certainly become popular as an easy, go-to snack on the way to or from the gym, and for those days when you don’t have time for a meal. They can even be used as an aid to help weight loss. But are protein bars a healthy snack? Does it depend on the brand or flavor you buy? And, are some protein bars an unhealthier choice than a bag of chips or a chocolate bar? Sometimes called energy bars, protein bars can contain a range of ingredients, from the healthy to the surprisingly unhealthy. While many of the best protein bars are packed with seeds, nuts and whole grains, some can also come loaded with added sugar and sweeteners – often to mask the bitter taste of some of their more healthy ingredients.  When it comes to choosing a healthy protein bar...