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Meat, stress and risk-taking: what 38 experiments reveal about masculinity threat

Experimental evidence suggests that masculinity threat can push some men toward health-risk behaviors, with the clearest and most consistent effects seen in meat-related food choices. Across 38 experiments, effects on stress, fitness, risk-taking, and relationships were mixed or limited, while individual beliefs about masculinity shaped how men responded.

14 Aug 2026

Strong friendships linked to better mental and physical health

Fulfilling friendships and general close social relationships are strongly linked to excellent physical and mental health, finds a substantial global study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Mental Health.

13 Aug 2026

Prenatal appointment scheduling increases dental care during pregnancy

Prenatal visits might include bloodwork, discussions of due dates and vitamins, and ultrasounds. What if these visits could also improve oral health care among pregnant patients?

13 Aug 2026

Tobacco quit services remain scarce across low-and middle-income countries

Only 13 low-and middle-income countries offer smokers the full support needed to help them quit, leaving around 1.3 billion people without access to effective care, according to a new study.

13 Aug 2026

Your sleep and stress may be connected in a more complicated way than expected

A seven-day intensive longitudinal study of 106 university students found little evidence that higher-than-usual daytime stress predicted poorer sleep that night. In contrast, better-than-usual subjective sleep was followed by lower perceived stress the next day, while objective sleep associations were generally weak and uncertain.

13 Aug 2026

Trauma-informed guideline can reduce CPS reporting for infants with prenatal opioid exposure

A new study conducted at Boston Medical Center (BMC), New England's largest essential hospital, found that a trauma-informed clinical guideline can help reduce reflexive Child Protective Services (CPS) reporting without compromising child safety.

13 Aug 2026

Dyadic coping mediates cancer recurrence fear and survivor depression

Advances in diagnosis and treatment have extended survival for many people with gastrointestinal cancer, increasing attention to their long-term psychological health.

13 Aug 2026

New study challenges long-held view of common bacterial resident of the lungs

Our bodies are teeming with more than 35 trillion bacteria, coexisting in microbiomes inside our guts, mouths, lungs, skin and urogenital tract.

13 Aug 2026

Interactive platform maps habitat design effects on astronaut wellbeing

In extreme environments, habitats are built for survival. Submarines, Antarctic bases, and post disaster dwellings are designed to prioritize health and safety.

12 Aug 2026

Your social life may leave a mark on how fast you age

Positive social experiences were associated with longer survival, while childhood adversity predicted shorter survival in a 1,309-person longitudinal cohort followed for nearly 15 years. Epigenetic aging, particularly GrimAge2, emerged as the strongest potential pathway linking social experiences with mortality risk.

12 Aug 2026

Swimming sends wrist-worn heart rate monitors off track

Researchers created an open-access dataset comparing two wrist-worn heart rate monitors with a chest-strap reference during dry-land exercise and swimming. Both smartwatches performed substantially worse underwater, highlighting the challenges water poses to optical heart rate monitoring and providing a resource for future research on aquatic wearables.

12 Aug 2026

Mitochondrial rewiring may explain why orthoflaviviruses harm humans but persist in mosquitoes

Orthoflaviviruses reshape mitochondrial structure, metabolism, redox signaling, and quality control differently across human and mosquito models, helping explain their contrasting infection outcomes. The review highlights mitochondrial pathways that may support acute cellular damage in vertebrates but persistent, non-lethal infection in mosquitoes, pointing to potential antiviral targets.

12 Aug 2026

Social media isn’t simply good or bad for young people, and this review shows why

Social media can support connection, self-expression, help-seeking, and community among adolescents and young adults, but problematic use is associated with depression, anxiety, loneliness, poor sleep, and body image concerns. The review finds that mental health effects depend less on screen time alone than on how social media is used, what content people encounter, and their individual, developmental, and cultural context.

12 Aug 2026

AI-augmented analysis sheds new light on Crohn's disease complications

Scientists have combined Artificial Intelligence (AI), genetics and gut microbiome analysis to shed new light on one of the most serious complications of Crohn's disease: intestinal fibrosis, the irreversible scarring of the bowel that often leads to surgery.

12 Aug 2026

Stroller running linked to lower overuse injury rates for new parents

Anyone who has run while pushing a stroller knows stroller running can feel cumbersome and hard on the body. But does it increase the risk of injury? According to a new study from researchers at Penn State Berks, the answer appears to be no.

12 Aug 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk in men

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) account for nearly 60% of adults' and 70% of children's energy intake in the United States.

12 Aug 2026

Dysregulated immune cells drive hidden inflammation after heart attacks

People with narrowing of the coronary arteries have low-grade, uncontrolled inflammation in the body, even if they are symptom-free and receiving optimal treatment.

12 Aug 2026

Laboratory chemical exposure and poor diet increase odds of health symptoms in young scientists

Young scientists who frequently handle laboratory chemicals and consume relatively few antioxidant-rich foods may be more likely to report symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, pallor, and easy bruising, according to a new study of university students in Nigeria.

12 Aug 2026

Cannabis compounds may weaken glioblastoma response to chemotherapy and radiation

Several cannabinoids reduced chemotherapy- and radiation-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma cell models, with effects linked to reduced apoptotic priming, increased pro-survival signaling, and G1 cell-cycle arrest. The findings raise concern that cannabinoid exposure could interfere with some cancer treatments, although the results are limited to laboratory models and require in vivo and clinical validation.

12 Aug 2026

IOC urges routine mental health screening for elite athletes

Sports bodies should prioritize routine screening and regular monitoring of elite athletes' mental health to tackle the high prevalence of mental health issues among this group, concludes an International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus statement, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

11 Aug 2026