A recent mouse study by scientists at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine demonstrated that a high-fat, or ketogenic, diet not only increases longevity but also improves physical strength.
“The results surprised me a little,” said nutritionist Jon Ramsey, senior author of the paper. Apart from significantly increasing the median lifespan of mice in the study, the ketogenic diet boosted memory and motor function, prevented an increase in age-related markers of inflammation and reduced tumour occurence.
Nutrition and general intelligence
A NeuroImage study of 99 healthy older adults by University of Illinois explains the link between monounsaturated fatty acids — a class of nutrients found in olive oil, nuts and avocados — and general intelligence.
“We examined the relationship between groups of fatty acids and brain networks that underlie general intelligence,” said lead author Marta Zamroziewicz. “We sought to understand if brain network organisation mediated the relationship between fatty acids and general intelligence.”
The New Dad blues?
University of Southern California researchers found that a drop in testosterone levels after children are born can signal post-partum depression in dads, and a rise may cause a sign of aggression.
“We often think of motherhood as biologically driven, but we don’t usually think of fatherhood in the same terms,” said Darby Saxbe, the study’s lead author. “We’re still figuring out the biology of what makes dads tick. It’s important to figure out how to support fathers and what factors explain why some fathers are very involved in raising their children while some are absent.”
